Until relatively recently the highest level of qualification available in Business Administration was the Master of Business Administration (MBA), a well-recognised qualification offered by most major universities. Some people would go on to do a PhD, but this was very much a research-oriented qualification, rather than something of direct value to practicing managers.

Things have changed in recent years, due to the introduction of a new qualification, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). The DBA is a first-class example of a new type of qualification, the Professional or Vocational Doctorate. Professional doctorates are normally awarded in fields where most candidates for the degree are involved in the practice of a profession, rather than carrying out academic research. Professional Doctorates are available in a number of areas, including these include Engineering (EngD), Education (EdD), Social Sciences (DSocSci) and Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych) in addition to the DBA.

Professional doctorates can be recognised by the fact that the name of the degree specifies the subject area in which it is awarded, rather than the more generic Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which can be awarded in any subject area. PhD programmes are normally research based, with no taught content, but DBA programs often include a year of advanced-level study prior to the research phase. The taught component often focuses on current hot topics, such as entrepreneurship.

The DBA also incorporates a research element, but this is usually applied research, rather than the scholarly research found in PhD programmes. Professional doctorates generally require the candidate to produce piece of original research of a similar length to a PhD thesis, usually around 70,000 words. However, this may take the form of a portfolio of technical reports on different research projects, rather than a single, long thesis.

Working managers can undertake a DBA on a part-time basis, fitting it around their work commitments. In some instances, the research element may be something of direct relevance to their employer, who may even sponsor their attendance on the programme. The thesis can sometimes be jointly supervised by faculty members and company employees.

At present relatively few institutions offer DBA programmes, but the numbers are increasing rapidly and include such well known names as Harvard University and Heriot-Watt University. It remains to be seen whether DBA programmes will come to rival the MBA in popularity, but don’t be surprised when you start hearing prominent businessmen being referred to as “Doctor”.