Overview
Practical information
Important dates
November, 13 2023 – Intake
Rolling application deadlines from February to September.
Objectives
Grenoble Ecole de Management is among the top 1% of business schools globally to be triple-accredited (AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS)
The DBA program from Grenoble Ecole de Management is one of only a fews programs globally to be additionally accredited by AMBA.
Grenoble Ecole de Management is a member of the Executive DBA Council.
The DBA program at Grenoble Ecole de Management is the oldest DBA in Europe. It offers senior managers, independent consultants, and academics the opportunity to leverage their careers and/or to make a transition into academia.
The DBA is a program for those seeking to link corporate experience to rigorous and relevant research. It connects the business and research communities to enact change and foster progress through original and publishable research work.
As a triple-accredited business school (AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS), Grenoble Ecole de Management has designed a program that fits executives’ needs with the highest quality standards: we see the DBA program as a true research-based degree.
From Day 1, participants start working on their research, and the program is designed to ensure that students carry out long-term research projects that are highly relevant to management practice and are based on up-to-date scientific knowledge.
The content of the workshops focuses on the development of research methods. All applicants have managerial expertise and a Master’s/MBA degree; therefore, the courses do not repeat the content of MBA studies. Our DBA approach leads to intellectual contributions, as demonstrated by our students’ and graduates’ outstanding publication records.
Locations
Grenoble Ecole de Management offers a top-tier, 3-year, Part-time, Executive DBA, followed primarily online and compatible with full-time employment. The program includes both online and on-campus Research Seminars, Online Workshops, qualifying deliverables and milestones, and a final dissertation.
With strategic locations in both France and the USA, the program is adapted to the busy lives of executives and academics. The programs are presently offered in the following locations, yet followed primarily remotely:
Regardless of the location, the content is the same and participants who successfully complete the program are awarded a Grenoble Ecole de Management Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) degree.
Program
Program
Why choose a DBA Program?
DBA Impact
Our DBA students’ research influences managerial and organizational milieus at the highest level. Each student’s thesis includes a chapter dedicated to the managerial implications of their doctoral research and offers relevant recommendations for organizations to overcome key challenges.
DBA students and graduates are encouraged to share their results and findings with the widest possible audience in order to inform and engage with their peers, organizations, and communities.
With a strong focus on dissemination to business and academic audiences, the combination of relevance and rigor in our DBA research supports our reputation in the management of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The GEM DBA 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; and
- Gain legitimacy as researchers and faculty members in both academic and non-academic environments
Program Structure
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.
The Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program is divided into two phases:
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Phase I: Training in Doctoral Research in Management Sciences
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.
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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.
Program Recognition: The Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Grenoble Ecole de Management is recognized internationally for high academic standards, publication rates, and its AACSB and AMBA accreditation. As a part-time program aimed at experienced professionals, it does not correspond to a "Diplôme national de doctorat" delivered by the French government.
Your DBA Supervisor
Each DBA candidate is assigned a research-active professor from Grenoble Ecole de Management or a partner institution. Our Faculty provides a wide range of expertise and an international reputation in research on business innovation, technology management and the organizational dimensions of technological change. The supervisor helps the student define and carry out a DBA research project until his or her final thesis defense.
Faculty who supervise doctoral students at GEM have the opportunity to work with candidates who have met our demanding selection criteria. These students are often given privileged access to top-tier research in the fields of business and organizations, which provides them exciting opportunities for high-impact, novel research and joint publications.
Learn more about our faculty:
Faculty Directory
DBA Alumni Ambassadors
Grenoble Ecole de Management DBA - A track record of producing successful graduates who have made significant contributions to their fields.
Learn from those who made it
GLOBAL DBA ALUMNI AMBASSADORS
Testimonials
«The DBA has afforded me opportunities to lead global projects, engage in multidisciplinary research, and develop new initiatives that would have otherwise been unimaginable.» - Dr. Benjamin Powers, DBA 2017 Graduate, Director, Global Literacy Hub at the Yale Child Study Center
«I believe the doctoral journey changes your overall perspective on things. After completing the DBA, I found myself looking at things from a holistic point of view. » - Dr. Shailesh Rana - DBA 2017 Graduate, Director for the University Business Center, Craig School of Business, California State University, Fresno
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Read more Testimonials from DBA alumni
"The DBA was an opportunity to discover a new professional path. It opened doors in my professional life as a researcher and as a managing director." - Dr. Isabelle Chaquiriand, DBA 2020 Graduate, Dean of the Faculty of Business Sciences at the Catholic University of Uruguay
"A key reason for pursuing a DBA was that I wanted to make an impact through applied research. My contribution could be in the scholarly practice of sustainability, especially with managerial implications." -Dr. Maung Min - DBA 2013 Graduate, Director of Business Programs/Associate Teaching Professor, Penn State University - Lehigh Valley campus
"Whether the objective is to pursue an academic career or enhance an existing management position, a DBA will prove to be the most cutting-edge, relevant and impactful mechanism for knowledge acquisition and problem-solving." - Dr. Afshin Kateb - DBA 2019 Graduate, Chief Financial Officer, Nimes Real Estate and Nazarian Enterprises
"Given that my aim was an exclusive career in academia, the DBA mindset was paramount for my success." - Dr. Esther Sleilati – DBA 2011 Graduate, Associate Professor at Notre Dame University – Louaize, Lebanon
"The DBA qualification has given me more credibility within professional and academic circles. I am now using the same methodology to collect and analyze data within my organization to find answers to different business problems." - Ashutosh Pradhan, DBA 2020 Graduate
Employability
Careers
550+ graduates / 1500+ intellectual contributions/ 30 years doctoral experience/ GEM: DBA European pioneer
Companies
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.
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Our DBA Graduates teach in universities such as:
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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
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Our DBA Graduates work in companies such as:
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MD Anderson Cancer Center
Würth
Barcelo hotels
Shell
Roche
Accenture
Southland Industries
Wet Design
Goldman Sachs
Air Liquide
Schneider Electrics
Ericsson
Siemens
Otis
Veritas International
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Admission & application
Admission
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.
Visit the campus pages for full Admissions & Application requirements