Calwest University

DBA Syllabus

Post Graduate program: Doctor of Business Administration

Notice to Prospective School of Business Degree Program Students: Please note that this program is available only to members of the Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA).

Program Admission Requirements

Prospective candidates who already have an MBA degree from a recognized university and wish to be evaluated for admission to the DBA Program must: (1) in addition to their MBA, hold a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in any discipline from an accredited university; (2) submit a carefully written 3-4 page Essay titled, 'My objectives in undertaking Doctoral Research'; and (3) submit a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae detailing both academic and professional experience.

The Doctor of Business Administration program consists of 60 credit hours, for which holders of MBA degrees will receive 33 credit hours for their Recognized Prior Learning (RPL). Such students will need to successfully complete the 27-credit-hour research component to be awarded the DBA.

English Proficiency: TOEFL — 530 / IBT 71; IELTS — 6.5; PTE — 50; CEFR — B2; ACT Compass — Level 3.

Program Objective

The program objective of the Doctor of Business Administration degree program is to provide business professionals an opportunity for career-related research at a doctoral level. Action research is undertaken to provide an industry-responsive program for senior managers. Students research a specific area of study and write a research thesis.

Note that no program at Calwest is designed to lead to positions in a profession, occupation, trade, or career field requiring licensure in the State of California.

Program Description

Students must complete the research courses listed below via Tubeclasses, which includes a comprehensive Research Project to complete their DBA degree. For the Research Project, an individual supervisor will be appointed to each student by Calwest University. The course consists of 60 credit hours.

Those without an accredited MBA will need to undertake eleven core business courses and three research courses. As such, it is advised to undertake the MBA for CMAs at Calwest University first.

The three research courses are:

    • DBA813 Research Proposal

    • DBA814 Research Thesis

    • DBA801 Research Methods

Time Requirements

A DBA degree will be awarded upon the successful completion of 60 Credit points. This is expected to take 3 years (full-time) and 6 years (part-time) after the start date. Accelerated learning and early completion are possible with permission. In all cases, it is expected that students should finish their doctoral program in 7 years.

For programs where substantial credit has been granted for the coursework components (e.g., DBA for MBAs), the maximum completion time is 3 years. Extensions to these time limits need special permission from the Provost, giving specific reasons such as health. Work pressure is not a valid reason. Extensions beyond the maximum duration require written permission from the Provost.

Final Assessment

The final assessment is the successful completion and defense of a Research Thesis. You submit the Research Thesis to your supervisor for submission to two examiners for grading.

On the successful completion of the DBA, the prefix 'Dr.' can be used before your name as a professional title, and you can legally describe yourself as a Doctor of Business Administration.

In summary, MBA degree holders need to successfully complete only the Research courses to obtain their DBA.

Course List

Degree Awarded: Doctor of Business Administration [DBA]

CodeCourse NameType
DBA813Research ProposalResearch
DBA814Research ThesisResearch
DBA801Research MethodsResearch
DBA802ManagementBusiness
DBA803MarketingBusiness
DBA804AccountingBusiness
DBA805FinanceBusiness
DBA806EconomicsBusiness
DBA807Business StatisticsBusiness
DBA808Strategic ManagementBusiness
DBA809International BusinessBusiness
DBA810Corporate FinanceBusiness
DBA811Competitive AnalysisBusiness
DBA812Operations ManagementBusiness
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Calwest University

A USA-based online university providing globally accessible graduate business programs. Sponsored by the Institute of Certified Management Accountants. Est. 2014.

California, USA

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