Leading through learning

Doctor Business Administration at Royal Roads University

An MBA laid a great foundation for a career, but what’s next? Royal Roads University’s Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is the first program of its kind in British Columbia. Launched in January 2020, the four-year blended online and on-campus program is designed for professionals who aspire to lead their field or sector.

The Royal Roads DBA combines the academic research rigour of a traditional Ph.D. with the applied focus of a professional doctorate. “The hybrid focus of the DBA offers learners a unique advantage,” says Royal Roads DBA program head Hassan Wafai. “While traditional doctorates prepare students to work in academic environments, the DBA responds to the changing Canadian labour market by preparing students to support industry as well.”

Delivered in a blended format composed of short intensive residencies at the beautiful Royal Roads campus on Vancouver Island, the DBA program allows students to gain a doctoral degree while maintaining a professional career. “The DBA program will produce scholar-practitioners who will contribute to the academic community while producing actionable knowledge. That is a very powerful combination,” says Wafai. In this program, students tackle a real-life management issue and contribute to the advancement of management research and practice. They join a community of management researchers whose work will impact management learning and practice. Course concentrations may include research and development, management practice, the knowledge economy, and globalization.

“The cohort you’ll be working with is significantly different than what you would traditionally find in a doctoral program,” says William Holmes, Vice President Academic and Provost and former dean of the faculty of management. “You are working with mature people, with significant business problems they want to address. Your student relationship with supervisors and faculty develops as much more of a peer-to-peer relationship than usually found in Ph.D. programs.” The research options are broad. Students can contribute to advancement of the Canadian knowledge economy by studying business innovation, technology and knowledge transfer, or bridge the gap between theory and practice with research into management practice and leadership. They can also approach research through an interdisciplinary lens and look at sustainability that incorporates economic prosperity, social advancement, and environmental stewardship.

“I think it’s exciting and it’s practical,” says Holmes. “People who engage in this particular degree are doing so because they have a passion for an issue or a problem that they want to address.” For information about the DBA program, to sign up for a free webinar or to check admission requirements and start dates, click here.

Source: Business in Vancouver Magazine, Education issue