Doctor of Business Administration

Doctoral-level studies for highly motivated management professionals in business, government, and not-for-profits. Learn to conduct rigorous research and advance your skills to analyze management systems and issues.

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Program details

The Doctorate in Business Administration is a 21-credit online graduate program that trains students to become practitioner-scholars, who learn to understand the world of applied management through the eyes of a researcher. Learning how to carry out rigorous social science research is at the heart of the DBA program, thereby pushing students to acquire an advanced understanding of what systematic study and analysis entail. As a doctorate degree, the DBA is distinct from others (e.g., PhD) because it is intended to bridge academic and applied knowledge.

All courses are online grouped studies, delivered asynchronously, with defined start and end dates. The program also includes a 1-week on-site research workshop, held in Edmonton, Alberta, once a year for the first 3 years. The entire program must be completed through Athabasca University, with potential transfer credits being evaluated on an individual basis. You should plan to spend at least 25-30 hours per week on your studies.

You can finish this program in as little as 3 years of study or take up to 7 years to complete all requirements.

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Course schedule

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2026 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation Sep. 7, 2026 Sep. 20, 2026
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sept. 21, 2026 Dec. 20, 2026
Current Research (DDBA 801) TBA TBA
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) TBA TBA
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site TBA TBA
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) TBA TBA
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) TBA TBA
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) TBA TBA
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site TBA TBA
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) TBA TBA
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2022 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation Sep. 8, 2025 Sep. 21, 2025
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sept. 22, 2025 Dec. 21, 2025
Current Research (DDBA 801) Jan. 5, 2026 March 15, 2026
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) March 30, 2026 June 7, 2026
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site Sept. 14, 2026 Sept. 20, 2026
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) Sept. 21, 2026 Dec. 20, 2026
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) TBA TBA
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) TBA TBA
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site TBA TBA
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) TBA TBA
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2022 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation Sep. 9, 2024 Sep. 22, 2024
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sep. 23, 2024 Dec. 1, 2024
Current Research (DDBA 801) Jan. 6, 2025 March 16, 2025
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) March 31, 2025 June 8, 2025
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site Sept. 16 2025 Sept. 18, 2025
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) Sept. 22, 2025 Dec. 21, 2025
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) Jan. 5, 2026 March 15, 2026
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) March 30, 2026 July 26, 2026
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sept. 14, 2026 Sept. 20, 2026
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) Sept. 11, 2026 Jan. 17, 2027
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2022 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation Sep. 4, 2023 Sep. 17, 2023
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sep. 18, 2023 Nov. 26, 2023
Current Research (DDBA 801) Jan. 8, 2024 Mar. 17, 2024
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) Apr. 1, 2024 June. 9, 2024
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 17, 2024 Sep. 19, 2024
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) Sep. 23, 2024 Dec. 1, 2024
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) Jan. 6, 2025 March 16, 2025
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) March 31, 2025 June 8, 2025
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sept. 16, 2025 Sept. 18, 2025
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) Sept. 22, 2025 Jan. 18, 2026
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2022 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation Sep. 5, 2022 Sep. 18, 2022
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sep. 19, 2022 Nov. 27, 2022
Current Research (DDBA 801) Jan. 9, 2023 March 19, 2023
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) April 3, 2023 June 11, 2023
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 12, 2023 Sep. 14, 2023
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) Sep. 18, 2023 Nov. 26, 2023
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) Jan. 8, 2024 Mar. 17, 2024
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) Apr. 1, 2024 June 9, 2024
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 17, 2024 Sep. 19, 2024
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) Sep. 23, 2024 Dec. 1, 2024
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.

You will be automatically registered in your core courses. Core courses are offered only one time per year.

You will be registered in the courses sequentially based on the date you commence the program.

September 2021 course schedule
Year One Start Date Completion Date
Orientation – online Sep. 6, 2021 Sep. 10, 2021
Orientation – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 14, 2021 Sep. 17, 2021
Conceptual Foundations of Organizational Research (DDBA 800) Sep. 20, 2021 Nov. 28, 2021
Current Research (DDBA 801) Jan 3, 2022 March 13, 2022
Management Research in Practice (DDBA 802) March 28, 2022 June 5, 2022
Year Two
Year Two Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 13, 2022 Sep. 15, 2022
Quantitative Research Methods (DDBA 803) Sep. 19, 2022 Nov. 27, 2022
Qualitative Research Methods (DDBA 804) Jan. 9, 2023 March 19, 2023
Advanced Readings (DDBA 805) April 3, 2023 June 11, 2023
Year Three
Year Three Research Workshop – on-site/or virtual TBC Sep. 12, 2023 Sep. 14, 2023
Dissertation Proposal (DDBA 806) Sep. 18, 2023 Nov. 26, 2023
Year Four
Candidacy Exam TBA TBA
Dissertation Defence TBA TBA

Course fee deadlines are set 6 weeks before the course start date. Students who do not pay fees by the deadline will be withdrawn from the course. As courses are only delivered one time per year and completed in sequence, being withdrawn will mean you will not be able to start most courses until the following year. Payments will be processed through a secure online banking site.

Students will receive 2 notices (one for tuition and one for GSA fees) 14 days before the payment deadline. Fees are posted as tuition and GSA fees, and full payment is required to remain registered in the course.

Students using student loans are advised at the beginning of their program that if applying for loans/bursaries, etc., fees still need to be paid on time. You can pay the fees using a credit card by the deadline, and you will then be reimbursed when your loan comes in. Changing your schedule or withdrawing from a course may impact your funding.

Please advise a Graduate Enrolment Advisor at [email protected] if you need alternate arrangements.


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