Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)

Study part-time to earn a US accredited doctoral degree and accelerate your career with minimal disruption to your work and home life.

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Why a DBA?

Find new answers to new questions with Hult's DBA

This inaugural Doctorate in Business Administration leverages Hult’s experience in world-class business education and research. This is a new kind of DBA that aims to empower a new generation of senior business leaders and create new answers to new questions.

You’ll take part in online sessions approximately once every two weeks and convene with your peers three times a year on a Hult campus. After 2.5 years (or 30 months), you’ll graduate with a US accredited doctorate degree and the skills to improve business practice around the world. Hult’s DBA is your path to career advancement or a transition to a career in teaching or consulting.

The Economist, Masters in Management Ranking, 2019

The Economist, Full-Time MBA Ranking, 2019

31%

average salary increase one year after graduation, The Economist, 2020

for student diversity, The Economist, 2018

Relevance

A DBA with a difference

Relevance is at the center of every aspect of academic study in this DBA. You’ll focus on problems within strategy or leadership from your own professional experience and create new tools to help your company—and others like it—solve these problems.

You’ll begin your journey by identifying a major business challenge that is directly relevant to you and is not currently addressed by contemporary theories. Your research will lead you to create novel, rigorous tools to address that problem and improve the practice of management long term. In addition to writing three publishable papers, you’ll also conduct two workshops, called practicums. These practicums will guide students, clients, or peers from your own company in recognizing, and solving, the business problem.

"Our pioneering DBA is for hard-working and reflective professionals who want to make a real difference at work, in their career, and in their life. The program gives those that take their career advancement seriously the chance to earn a DBA that is relentlessly focused on relevant application."

Dr. Johan Roos, Chief Academic Officer and Professor of General Management and Strategy

Hult's DBA

Behind the Scenes of Hult's DBA

Get a feel for what students can expect from Hult’s groundbreaking new Doctorate in Business Administration program in this video.

Faculty

Experts from the real world of business

Faculty at Hult are focused on helping students apply tools and theories to solve major, contemporary business problems. The faculty selected to teach in the Doctorate in Business Administration are prolific, award-winning researchers in both academic and practitioner-related channels. You can see this relevant expertise in the biographies and publications of the DBA Design Team:

Dr. Ted Ladd, Academic Director of the DBA, Dean of Research, and Professor of Entrepreneurship
Dr. Nadine Page, Associate Director of the DBA, Director of Research Services, and Professor
Dr. Vicki Culpin, Professor of Organizational Behavior
Dr. Viktoria Dalko, Research Fellow and Professor of Finance
Dr. Alesandro Lanteri, Research Fellow and Professor Strategy
Dr. Johan Roos, Chief Academic Officer and Professor of General Management and Strategy

Accreditations

Hult is recognized by business education’s three most prestigious international accrediting bodies: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), Association of MBAs (AMBA), and EQUIS (The European Quality Improvement System). We are the first and only business school in the U.S. to achieve this triple accreditation, which is held by just one percent of business schools worldwide.

Hult's Professors

"Having taught across Hult’s programs over the past decade, I'm thrilled to now be launching this DBA program. In keeping with our laser-focus on relevance, this doctorate is all about advancing your career through identifying real problems and developing real solutions for real businesses. Your research will help managers, just like you, and you’ll be empowering students, peers, and clients with your DBA."

Dr. Ted Ladd, Academic Director of the DBA, Dean of Research, and Professor of Entrepreneurship

"We are looking for DBA candidates who are curious. People who want to develop research skills that can have an impact not just on the development of theory, but to help solve real problems. They also need an appetite for learning in a fast-paced, dynamic, and innovative business school".

Dr. Vicki Culpin, Professor of Organizational Behavior

Overview

How it works

The Hult DBA is a 30-month (2.5 year) program with a combination of on-campus residencies at our campuses around the world and structured online learning that can be completed anywhere. Our unique educational approach takes you beyond business to study every topic through a global lens, master working cross-culturally, leverage disruptive technologies to shape the future, and develop the deep self-awareness needed to lead effectively and with confidence.

Defining your research

Your program starts with the identification of a problem that is directly relevant to your everyday business practice. These should be complex challenges that directly and materially impact company performance. Through the collection of original data, you’ll learn and conduct different types of quantitative analyses, which you’ll then use to create novel insights and tools to help you—and managers like you—solve the issue.

Residencies

You’ll travel to one of Hult's campuses in London, San Francisco, and Dubai three times each year to work face-to-face with your peers and professors. These residencies provide multiple opportunities to present and improve your research ideas through discussion and debate with executives and experts. You’ll also meet once every two weeks for online sessions to learn new skills and maintain momentum for your academic studies.

Outputs

By the conclusion of the program, you will have written three publishable academic papers, led two workshops to guide students, clients, or peers from your company through the application of your solution, and produced your final dissertation. Your final dissertation is comprised of the integration of these five projects into a single coherent dissertation that presents your conclusions to reflect all of your analyses and learnings. Finally, you will defend this dissertation in front of a panel of academic scholars.

Methodology

At Hult, you'll go beyond business to learn about the world, the future, and yourself through a practical approach that is embedded into the student experience and the curriculum.

**Immersed in diversity
**Hult hosts students of 130 nationalities, speaking more than 100 languages. Students in the DBA program address problems and solutions that face businesses in many different markets, industries, and locations.

**Relevant research
**Create new answers to new questions. You will develop tools that solve complex problems of leadership and strategy.

**Master teachers
**In addition to receiving instruction on research, you’ll work with award-winning teachers across Hult's campuses to develop your own skills to effectively teach students and clients to identify and apply your solution to their own business careers.

**Community building
**You will contribute to, and be supported by, a community of scholars during your journey and beyond. As a student and alumni of Hult, you’ll join a global network of business professionals who seek to improve the practice of management.

Program

Courses and structure

All DBA students follow the same path, tailored to their own research interests.

Year 1

Problem Formation

Duration: 3 months

Identify a problem of business practice, complete a systematic review of academic literature, understand the components of business theories, and evaluate different research paths and outcomes.

Tutorial on Predictive Analysis

Duration: 3 months

Create novel testable hypotheses, understand and evaluate different quantitative methods for statistical analysis, apply these techniques to existing data sets, and identify novel insights from data analysis.

Data Collection

Duration: 3 months

Create a reliable and valid survey instrument and collect data to address hypotheses. Apply techniques for factor analysis, prepare and improve a dataset for analysis, and understand and critically evaluate data validity and reliability.

Data Visualization

Duration: 3 months

Apply different ways to present research data, create and deliver a workshop to teach others how to identify and solve business problems, and understand the methods and value of meta-analyses.

Year 2

Academic Writing

Duration: 3 months

Systematically evaluate multiple formal approaches to academic arguments, apply a single approach to create a publishable academic paper, and understand the process for academic publication.

Non-Traditional Analysis

Duration: 3 months

Understand and evaluate alternative quantitative methods to further validate findings and apply at least one of these techniques for your own project.

Tutorial on Contemporary Methods

Duration: 3 months

Apply a non-traditional quantitative technique and create and deliver a workshop to teach others how to identify and solve business problems using the technique.

Dissemination

Duration: 3 months

Understand where and how academic research impacts business practice and analyze different non-traditional avenues to persuade business leaders to employ them.

Year 3

Dissertation Construction

Duration: 3 months

This course provides individualized support and feedback to students as they assemble all of their work into a single written dissertation. This includes a revision of the conceptual paper and its literature review to align with the student's subsequent analyses and conclusions.

Dissertation Defense

Duration: 3 months

To conclude their research training, students will present their entire work to a panel of academic researchers who will evaluate the student's contributions to academic theory. At the conclusion of this course, students will have completed all of the requirements of the program and will graduate with a Doctorate of Business Administration.

*Course titles and sequencing are subject to change

Fees

We recognize that your DBA is an important investment and will work closely with you during the application process to find the best options to fund your program.

Program fee*

DBA Program Fee

Global Fee (USD)

$95,000

Estimated Expenses

Included Case Studies**

Global Fee (USD)

$500

Books and course materials***

Global Fee (USD)

$3000

* A non-refundable Confirmation Deposit counts toward the Annual Program Fee.

** Library includes cases, articles and other licensed materials.

*** Course instructors may assign additional textbooks, licensed software or other materials not included in our library as part of the requirements of their course. These are not included in student course fees and costs are an estimate.

Hult International Business School reserves the right to make changes in the courses offered, requirements for graduation, locations, tuition, fees, and accommodation at any time without notice. The most recent Terms & Conditions are available in the "How to apply" section of hult.edu.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

Apply

Apply to the DBA Program

We assess candidates individually based on the strength of their whole profile. Your drive and your mindset are important indicators of your success here, and we value them as much as your proven achievements.

Entry requirements

8-10 years’ work experience, and/or significant business maturity
Masters degree or equivalent experience
Proof of proficiency in English

Apply now, and one of our enrollment advisors will get in touch to support you through the process.

How to apply

Step 1: Activate your profile

15 mins

Go to the online application
Enter your personal details, recent employment history, and education history
Pay the $150 USD application fee to activate your profile, and your personal Enrollment Advisor will be in touch

Step 2: Application consultation

30 mins

A member of the Enrollment Team will call you to discuss your suitability for the program and guide you through the next steps.

Step 3: Complete your application

2 hours

Submit the following documents at hult.edu/apply. A conditional acceptance may still be given prior to submission of test scores.

Current resume/CV
Personal statement on your business proposal
One academic or professional reference
A copy of your Masters degree or equivalent
Transcripts (in English) from all universities attended
Evidence of English proficiency, i.e. TOEFL/ IELTS, if required (your Enrollment Advisor will let you know if you are required to submit this)

Step 4: Personal assessment interview

1 hour

We will assess your profile, goals, and overall fit for the program in an in-person or phone interview.
We will also review your English proficiency and business acumen during the interview.

Step 5: Admissions decision

Your application will go to the admissions committee after your interview. The committee meets at least once a month to consider applications. Their goal is to build a select cohort of ambitious professionals who will not only excel at solving business problems, but will also nurture and support each other through the program.

Step 6: Submit outstanding documents

If you receive a conditional acceptance, you will need to submit any outstanding required documentation—such as your test scores or transcripts—before you start your program.

Apply for this program

Apply now

Application deadlines

We accept applications on a rolling basis with priority being given to those who apply by our official application deadlines.

Round 1

Apply by

October 22, 2020

Round 2

Apply by

December 17, 2020

Round 3

Apply by

February 11, 2021

Round 4

Apply by

March 25, 2021

Round 5

Apply by

May 27, 2021

Round 6

Apply by

July 15, 2021

Brochure

Download the brochure

Complete the form to read an in-depth overview of our DBA program and speak to our enrollment team.

Thank you!

We will get in touch with you shortly.