info@stedvarn.ch
Chamerstrasse 172, 6300 Zug, Switzerland
The Doctor of Business Administration is a practice-focused doctoral programme for experienced managers, executives, entrepreneurs and advisers. It supports candidates to investigate a significant organisational or sector challenge, integrate advanced scholarship with professional evidence, and produce an original contribution to business or management practice.
Follow the modules that make up this programme, from foundational theory through to independent research.
Doctoral Orientation and Reflective Practice
Research identity, skills audit, professional context and development plan.
Critical Perspectives in Management and Organisations
Advanced theory, competing paradigms and critical reading.
Evidence, Literature and Knowledge Synthesis
Systematic searching, review methods and conceptual frameworks.
Applied Research Design and Methods
Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-method designs for practice settings.
Research Ethics, Governance and Impact
Consent, confidentiality, organisational access, integrity and impact planning.
Doctoral Proposal and Confirmation
A defended proposal establishing originality, feasibility and methodological coherence.
Applied Research Project and Thesis
Supervised fieldwork and a thesis normally in the region of 35,000-50,000 words.
Viva Voce and Practice Impact Plan
Oral defence, corrections and a plan to translate findings into professional impact.
Assessment is developmental and cumulative. It may include critical essays, evidence reviews, research-methods work, reflective analysis, a proposal and confirmation review, progress reports, a thesis or approved doctoral project, and a viva voce. The final submission is examined against published doctoral criteria, with independent input in accordance with Stedvarn's academic regulations. Attendance or professional seniority alone is not sufficient for an award.
See where this programme can take your career next.
The DBA is designed to deepen capability in strategic leadership, consulting, organisational development, policy, entrepreneurship and evidence-led decision-making. It is a professional development award and does not itself license the holder to enter a regulated profession or guarantee promotion, professional membership or academic appointment.
Deepen capability in strategic leadership and evidence-led decision-making at the most senior levels.
Ground high-stakes organisational decisions in rigorous, original applied research.
Lead complex organisational change with a doctoral-level evidence base.
To be considered for this programme, applicants should meet the following requirements.
A relevant Master's qualification or comparable advanced qualification
Normally at least five years of relevant professional experience, including substantial managerial, leadership, consulting or entrepreneurial responsibility
A viable applied research area connected to your professional context
Sufficient access to an organisation, sector, professional community or suitable evidence base
Applicants whose prior education or professional work has not been conducted substantially in English should normally provide evidence equivalent to IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0, or another form of evidence accepted by Stedvarn. The Institute may require an interview, writing sample or additional language support. Acceptance of alternative evidence is an admissions decision and is not an external language-test equivalence.
Relevant prior certificated or experiential learning may be considered through an individual academic assessment. Verified evidence is evaluated against the applicable doctoral outcomes and used to determine the applicant's route and assessment plan. Stedvarn may require further portfolio, written, research, oral or other assessment before confirming that the award outcomes have been met.
What this programme costs, what is included, and how payment works.
Fees are charged according to the programme and period of study. Where a programme is completed within the initial study period, no further tuition fee is payable beyond the applicable programme fee.
Annual Tuition Fee
The annual tuition fee covers up to 12 months of registration, academic supervision, assessment and access to Stedvarn Institute's learning resources. Candidates requiring additional time beyond their initial study period may continue their registration subject to the applicable continuation or extension fee.
Any additional fees applicable to a student will be communicated in advance.
Stedvarn Institute may offer approved students the opportunity to pay their tuition fees in agreed instalments. Payment arrangements are confirmed before enrolment and may vary according to the programme, study route and individual circumstances.
Important Information
What happens between submitting your application and receiving a formal offer.
Complete the online application form and select the exact programme title.
Upload the required academic, identity and professional documents.
Submit a 1,000-1,500 word outline identifying the professional problem, provisional research question, relevant literature, possible approach, access considerations and intended contribution.
Attend an online admissions interview if invited.
Respond to any verification, RPL or proposal-development request.
If successful, review the written offer, individual study conditions, fee schedule and private-award disclosure before accepting.
Fees & Payment
CHF 25,000 / £22,000 annually — Professional Doctorate / DBA
See the full fee breakdown, inclusions and payment options above under Tuition Fees & Payment.
Answers to some of the most common questions about this programme.
Private award — read before applying: This programme leads to a private institutional award issued by Stedvarn Institute, an independent Swiss-based private institute. Stedvarn is not institutionally accredited under the Swiss Higher Education Act (HEdA), and the award is not a Swiss federally recognised higher education qualification. Recognition and title use vary by employer, institution and jurisdiction. Applicants must check suitability for their intended purpose before enrolling.
Join our community of scholars and pursue advanced private doctoral-level research within an internationally oriented academic environment. Applications are open year-round.