Doctor of Business Administration (DBAR) - DBA

Notes

Where exemptions are granted, maximum and minimum duration will be adjusted in the same proportion as exemptions, e.g. where the maximum of four exemptions is granted, maximum time will be six years and minimum time will be three terms.

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Program focus

The focus of this program is to provide a high-level, vocationally-oriented program that gives students who are already business professionals sufficient theoretical and empirical understanding to enable them to identify and resolve business challenges in both the private and public sectors.

Program aims

The focus of this program is to provide a high-level, vocationally-oriented program that gives students who are already business professionals sufficient theoretical and empirical understanding to enable them to identify and resolve business challenges in both the private and public sectors.

Program objectives

On successful completion of the Doctor of Business Administration program students will be able to:

• apply relevant theoretical knowledge to contemporary business problems

• critique contemporary organisational practice in the light of relevant theory

• explain the principles of, and apply, a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods frequently used in business research

• determine and apply appropriate research methods to business management problems

• critically evaluate business research studies in order to assess their quality and applicability in improving the effective handling of business management problems

• acquire and utilise knowledge of behavioural, policy and strategic issues to improve the effectiveness of their own organisations

• identify, analyse and evaluate internal and external environmental influences on organisations in order to develop strategic plans for the management of change and development

• demonstrate superior oral and written communications skills relevant to business

• link the educational experience directly with their own workplace experience.

Admission requirements

Candidates for entry into the Doctor of Business Administration must meet each of the following entry criteria to the satisfaction of the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business:

1. a coursework Masters degree or equivalent level from a recognised institution

2. five years full-time equivalent work experience, including at least two years full-time equivalent work experience in a managerial position, as determined by the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business

3. submission of a satisfactory preliminary research proposal, as determined by the Higher Degrees Review and Admissions Committee.

Notes:

Admission to the Doctor of Business Administration is dependent upon the Faculty's capacity to supervise the proposed dissertation. Prospective candidates should consult with the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business before preparing their preliminary dissertation proposals. Research concentrations within the Faculty of Business are updated periodically. The current list is available at http://www.usq.edu.au/business/schools/usqagsb/default.htm.

Candidates for admission to the Doctor of Business Administration must meet the University's English language proficiency requirements for postgraduate students. Please refer to Academic Regulation 5.4 of the University Calendar.

Candidates for admission to the Doctor of Business Administration must be able to attend the DBA Dissertation Workshop in the first year of the dissertation phase of the program (see Other program requirements below). For information regarding Workshop locations please contact the Faculty of Business, telephone: +61 7 4631 1277, or email studybus@usq.edu.au.

How to apply

International students 2008

This program is offered to international students. An international student is a person who is not an Australian or New Zealand citizen and not an Australian permanent resident. Please refer to USQ International for information about entry requirements, visa arrangements and how to apply.

Domestic students 2008

Application for postgraduate programs may be made directly to USQ. You should ensure you submit your application by the closing dates.

Program fees

Tuition fee

Domestic fee-paying places are funded entirely through the tuition/direct fees paid by the student. Tuition/direct fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. For more information about Tuition Fees, including the calculation of fees for a particular program of study, refer to USQ Fees.

International fees

International students pay tuition fees. For details about international student fees, refer to the International Fee Schedule provided by USQ International.

Program structure

The Doctor of Business Administration is a 24-unit program comprising four coursework courses from the Master of Business Administration specialisation courses, 4 units of research coursework and 16 units of research. Students are required to undertake:

• four coursework courses from the MBA specialisation courses. If a supervisor evaluates that the applicant should build more specific prior knowledge in a particular specialist area that is vital to the research topic, then the applicant can be required to complete up to four relevant specialisation courses from the MBA program

• MGT8401 Research Methodology 1 and MGT8402 Research Methodology 2 which must be completed successfully before progressing to the research dissertation

• plus MGT8403 The Changing Environment of Business and MGT8404 Advanced Theory and Practice which must be completed successfully before progressing to the research dissertation

• plus an externally examined 16 unit research dissertation, comprised of eight 2 unit courses.

Note: The dissertation is structured as eight two-unit courses for accounting and administrative purposes. These courses are similar with respect to intellectual activity and the rate and direction of progress through them need not necessarily be hindered by individual courses synopses. Writing the dissertation is an ongoing process.

Note: Dissertation courses must be enrolled in ‘sequentially’, for example, MGT9601 and MGT9602, then MGT9603 and MGT9604, not MGT9601 and MGT9604, then MGT9602 and MGT9603.

Students will be provided with the relevant study books that provide guidelines for the preparation and examination of the Doctor of Business Administration Research Dissertation.

Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 8 years to complete this program.

IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the computer requirements section of the Faculty of Business website.

Other program requirements

Students must complete successfully all coursework before progressing to the research dissertation.

Should students wish to change their proposed research topic, they must apply for permission to do so to the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business, stating their reasons and providing a new research proposal.

All students must attend a DBA Dissertation Workshop in the first year of the dissertation phase of the program. Workshops will be held in Australia and selected overseas centres. It is recommended that Australian students visit their supervisors at least once each year while they are completing their dissertation. For overseas students, visits by Faculty staff will be arranged through the University’s agents/partners, subject to minimum numbers.

Residential schools

A compulsory DBA dissertation worshop is offered in the first year of the dissertation phase of the program.

Exit points

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to Academic Regulation 5.9 of the University Calendar. Students who do not maintain good standing in the Doctor of Business Administration program, or who fail MGT8402 Research Methodology 2, or who do not meet the requirements for satisfactory progress in their research dissertation will be permitted to exit with a lesser qualification provided that they have met the requirements of the relevant program..

A student who completes successfully MGT8401, MGT8402 , MGT8403 and MGT8404 may, upon application, exit with the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Research.

Exemptions

Normally no exemptions will be granted in this 24 unit research program. However, an applicant may have specialist knowledge built up in their previous Master’s degree or in a MBA specialisation as well as extensive working experience in their area of interest. This will enable the Director, USQ Australian Graduate School of Business to give the candidate up to four exemptions for the MBA specialisation courses based on their completed postgraduate studies and relevant extensive experience.

Candidates exiting the DBA program with the Postgraduate Certificate in Business Research are not eligible for exemptions in the required courses.

In this section:

• Recommended enrolment pattern - full-time
• Recommended enrolment pattern - part-time

Recommended enrolment pattern - full-time

The flexibility of the DBA program means that there will be a range of enrolment patterns and many students will have a unique enrolment pattern. Students requiring assistance should contact a Program Administrator. A suggested enrolment pattern for a student commencing in semester 1 is set out in the following table:

Recommended enrolment pattern - part-time

The flexibility of the DBA program means that there will be a range of enrolment patterns and many students will have a unique enrolment pattern. Students requiring assistance should contact a Program Administrator. A suggested enrolment pattern for a student commencing in semester 1 is set out in the following table: