Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)

During the course of the program and with training, DBA candidates will demonstrate their ability to conduct original investigations, including the capacity to test, apply, and examine their ideas and those of others, and to describe and understand the relationships existing between their specific areas of expertise/research topic and other bodies of knowledge. Candidates will be required to identify current organizational or societal issues and propose relevant solutions that combine management theory with practice in the field.

Phase I

Philosophy, Methods, and Tools (~16 months, part-time study)

DBA students start by learning methods and techniques for research design, data collection, and data analysis in order to conduct, analyze, author, and publish research that meets doctoral standards. Students complete a series of research training seminars and workshops that are held Online, in France, or in the United States.

Each seminar is followed by the delivery of a written document showing student progress: a Research Proposal (Seminar1), a Literature Review (Seminar 2), a Dissertation Proposal (Seminar 3)

Between seminars, and under the direction of doctoral supervisors, students periodically submit written reports stating their progress, highlighting work on the literature review, research design, and/or research fieldwork. In order to proceed to Phase II, students are required to produce three pieces of written work:

• A Research Proposal (±2,000words)
• A Literature Review (± 10,000 words); and
• A Pre-Dissertation Proposal (±15,000 words).

The Pre-Dissertation Proposal is subject to an oral defense before a panel. A successful oral defense results in the awarding of the Certificate in Research in Management Sciences and authorizes entry into Phase II.

Phase II

Dissertation (~20 months, part-time study)

The DBA research and thesis portion of the program consists primarily of individual research under the supervision of a qualified professor with expertise in the relevant discipline of management scholarship.

During Phase II, DBA candidates are required to collect and analyze data following a rigorous academic protocol. Data collection and analysis will lead to the presentation and write-up of results, and the production of a final dissertation document in preparation for the final Phase II oral defense. The DBA dissertation should provide substantial evidence of original scholarship that meets requisite doctoral and publication-quality standards, with relevant contributions proposed for society and business.

Specializations

Students will have the opportunity to choose one of three specialization tracks, in Phase 2 of their studies:

• Sustainability
• Managing Technology and Innovation
• Managing and Leading People

The specialization tracks will give the students the opportunity to learn from our expert faculty members about cutting-edge research in the specific specialization, and its impact and applications in today's organizations and society.

The specializations are not required to be aligned with the student's own research topic; rather they are an opportunity to enrich the student's knowledge and expertise in important organizational and managerial issues.

The specialization will consist of a series of webinars (8 in total) during year 3 of the program, at the end of which students will work in small groups on a conference paper where they will have the opportunity to share their knowledge and own reflection on the topic with either an academic or a practitioner community.

DBA Impact

The DBA program enables students to:

• Understand state-of-the-art research in their fields of study
• ​Acquire the necessary understanding and expertise in methods and techniques for research design, data collection, and data analysis
• Conduct, write, and disseminate high-quality, doctoral-level research
• Achieve a greater level of effectiveness as a professional practitioner in managing technology, innovation, and change;
• Gain legitimacy as researchers and faculty members in both academic and non-academic environments

The DBA Profile

DBA program candidates are recruited from all over the world and come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Generally, they are high-level professionals, such as managers or executives with advanced degrees in business disciplines.

We request a Master's degree or equivalent, fluency in English and at least 5 years of managerial experience. For the application, we ask our candidates to write a preliminary research proposal.

The DBA program at GEM offers senior managers, independent consultants, and senior academics the opportunity to leverage their careers and/or to make a transition into the highest levels of academia. The DBA is a degree for those seeking to link corporate experience to rigorous and relevant research.

The DBA acts as a lever for rewarding careers. For students and graduates, there is an opportunity to launch or reinforce careers. Our DBA graduates hold full-time and part-time faculty positions in accredited schools and share their experiences through pedagogy and research.

Those working in commercial or public organizations benefit from new legitimacy as recognized experts in their fields.

Our DBA Graduates teach in universities such as:

• Yale University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Temple University Fox School of Business
• Menlo College
• California State University, Fresno
• Brooklyn College
• Central Michigan University
• Bridgewater College, Virginia
• University of North Georgia
• Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University
• Lebanese American University
• Kaiser University
• University of Pennsylvania Wharton School
• CalPoly Pomona School of Hospitality Management
• California State University Channel Islands
• UNC Kenan-Flager Business School

Excellence in Research

In addition to our triple accreditation (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS), this top, accredited doctoral degree is an AACSB-recognized terminal degree for future faculty. With more than 1,400 intellectual contributions to business practices, our DBA alumni have created a significant impact in numerous fields.

A Global Community of Scholars

With DBA locations in France and the USA and 30 years of DBA experience, Grenoble Ecole de Management continues to build an active international network that includes more than 600 DBA alumni and students.

A Program Made for Experienced Managers

The DBA program is organized into seminars, workshops, and research activities taking place on campus and online. Coursework and content are delivered according to a part-time schedule that meets the needs and constraints of working professionals.

• Format: 3 years, part-time (with both online and on-site seminars, workshops, qualifying deliverables, and a final dissertation)
• Grenoble or Paris or Los Angeles or Online/hybrid
• Duration: 3 years (5 years maximum)