The SKEMA Global DBA is normally completed in four years. Sometimes, students may complete the programme after three years or they may take an extra, fifth, year. The maximum duration allowed is seven years.
General structure
The SKEMA Global DBA is built up of three major elements:
1- FUNDAMENTALS OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH (YEAR 1)
- Residential Week - Programme Kick-off
- Foundations of Sustainable Business I
- Foundations of Academic Research
- Research Methods course - Case Study Research
- Research Methods course - Qualitative and Mixed Methods
- Research Methods course - Quantitative Methods
- Research Methods course - Data Analysis, Interpretation and Theory Building
2 - ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE AND SOCIAL IMPACT (YEARS 2 AND 3)
Mentoring A - Academic/research
- Research professionalisation mentoring by an established researcher
- Residential Week - Elective specialisation
- Residential Week - Making an impact that matters
- Foundations of Sustainable Business II
- Specialisation I
- Specialisation II
- Research Proposal Workshop
- Personal development (media training, self-presentation, and so on), mentoring by professional agencies
3 - CAREER ADVANCEMENT PATHS (OPTIONAL) (YEAR 4)
Option A - Sustainable Business Focus
- Professional coaching and mentoring for business leadership role.
- Focus on implementing research findings in business environments
Option B - Driving Impactful Changes Towards Society’s Sustainable Goals
- Taking a thought leader role in non-business-related contexts
- Driving societal change towards sustainability
Option C - Academic/Professional Focus
- Teaching training, portfolio preparation and academic-educational professionalisation
Courses
Optional, non-credit-bearing courses
- Foundations of Data Analysis for Managers
- Academic Writing in English
Residential week (5 credits each)
- Residential Week - Programme Kick-off - Thesis management, mentoring work-shop, masterclass (China or France)
- Residential Week - Elective specialisation – Sustainability, sustainability accounting, green bonds, carbon trading, CSR, etc. (place TBA)
- Residential Week – Making an impact that matters (place TBA)
Foundational courses (3 credits each)
- Foundations of Academic Research - Research paradigms, philosophy and critical thinking, literature, constructs, theories
- Foundations of Sustainable Business I - Concepts and theories of sustainable business from economics, sociology, psychology, management, ethics, information technology.
- Foundations of Sustainable Business II - Strategies and tools that firms can leverage to contribution to environmental health, social well-being, and a just economy.
Research methods (5 credits each)
- Research Methods course - Case Study Research
- Research Methods course - Qualitative and Mixed Methods (e.g., grounded-theory, ethnography, narrative research, …)
- Research Methods course - Quantitative Methods (e.g., survey, experiment, modelling, …)
- Research Methods course - Data Analysis, Interpretation and Theory Building
Research proposal (5 credits each)
- Research Proposal Workshop
- Research Proposal Defence
Mentoring Workshops (5 credits each)
- Mentoring Workshops – Research-oriented
- Mentoring Workshops – Impact-oriented
Final DBA thesis
Electives (3 credits each)
Students take two business, and two sustainability courses
Sustainability-related courses
- Carbon Economics
- Sustainability and Growth Strategy
- Green Information Systems
- Environmental Accounting
- Sustainability
- Ethics and Corporate Responsibility
- Social Innovation
- Sustainability and Firm Performance
- Supply Chain Sustainability
- Research Development Workshop
Business-related courses
- Strategy and Growth
- Change Management and Leadership
- Innovation and Technology
- Digitalisation