Aston University · Aston Business School

Executive Doctor of Business Administration DBA (Online)

DBADBAEnglish-taughtDoctor of Business Administration

Overview

A part-time online professional doctorate of four to six years combining 75 credits of taught research modules with a supervised thesis or portfolio; the qualifying report (around month 20) and the final thesis are examined by online viva voce.

Official program name: Executive Doctor of Business Administration DBA (Online)
Awarded degree: Doctor of Business Administration
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — DBA (professional doctorate)
Awarding institution: Aston University — Aston Business School
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Location: Birmingham, United KingdomWhere the institution or the unit that runs the program is based. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll.
Subject: Business Administration · dedicated degree
Credits: Not verified
Duration: Four to six years (part-time)
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Start terms: January, May, September
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Language of instruction: EnglishEvidence: the program is offered and assessed in English as published; a module-by-module language statement is not published.
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Why this program is listed

Online part-time professional doctorate from Aston University (research degree awarding powers); qualifying report and final thesis examined by online viva; UK institution with English requirement.

Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

We list English-taught online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in business subjects, awarded by institutions with legal recognition in their country. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus attendance, placements, schedule and time zones are shown separately, each only as the institution states it.

Academic delivery: Fully onlineAll teaching is online and the institution states no required on-site activity for this program.
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Campus visits: Campus attendance: not verified
Placement / internship: Placement requirement: not verified
Class schedule: Asynchronous
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Study intensity: Part-time
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Attendance, exams and travel as published

Thesis / dissertation defense Required
Qualifying report around Month 20 assessed by an online viva voce; final thesis examined in an online viva voce with internal and external examiners.
online
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Taught stage: Introduction to business and management research (15 credits); Applied research methods (15); Qualitative and quantitative research methods (30); Professional development and research impact (15).
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Thesis

Research stage: portfolio or thesis under academic supervisors; qualifying report around Month 20 with online viva.
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waiver-available and not-required items are shown exactly as the institution states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Prior degree / qualification: RequiredMaster's degree in business or management (or related subject)
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Work experience: RequiredMinimum of five years senior management experience
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
References / recommendations: Required2 letters — Two references, one from the current employer
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Interview: RequiredShortlisted candidates interviewed via Microsoft Teams
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Essay: RequiredResearch proposal
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

IELTS Academic: Required — minimum 6.5If English is not the first language; waived with evidence of a master's degree taught entirely in English.
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the intake the institution printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadline
Apply now for any date
The institution does not print a year with this date.
Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its published currency, fee category, academic year and basis. Nothing is converted; figures on different bases or in different currencies are not comparable, and tuition is not the full cost of study.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All online students	£39,000GBP	entire programSource: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the institution for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Recognition, accreditation and eligibility

Separate questions: is the awarding institution legally recognized to award this degree, is the business school accredited, and who may enroll in this online program?

Legal recognition of Aston University

Office for Students (OfS)
Registered higher-education provider — Registered (Approved (fee cap))
Authority in United Kingdom
“OfS Register entry for Aston University (UKPRN 10007759): registration status Registered, category Approved (fee cap).”
Source: register-api.officeforstudents.org.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Office for Students (OfS)
Degree-awarding powers — Research degree awarding powers
Authority in United Kingdom
“OfS Register: highest level of degree awarding powers held: Research (awarded 1966); university title granted 1966.”
Source: register-api.officeforstudents.org.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Business-school and program accreditation

AACSB International (AACSB)
Business-school accreditation — Accredited
“Aston Business School holds AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS accreditation.”
Source: aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Association of MBAs (AMBA)
Business-school accreditation — Accredited
“Aston Business School holds AMBA accreditation.”
Source: aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) (EQUIS)
Business-school accreditation — Accredited
“Aston Business School holds EQUIS accreditation.”
Source: aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Held by the business school. A school-level accreditation does not by itself mean that every program is covered.

Recognition in the institution's own country does not guarantee that the degree is recognized for employment, licensing or further study everywhere. Check with the relevant body where you plan to use it.

International applicants

International applicants are accepted; a Student Recruitment Advisor assesses degree equivalency, and an online English test can be provided.Source: online.aston.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 11, 2026.

online.aston.ac.uk/online-courses/business/executive-doctor-of-business-administration-dba — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
online.aston.ac.uk/online-courses/business/masters-in-business-administration-mba — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
register-api.officeforstudents.org.uk/api/Provider/10007759 — Accreditor directory, verified October 11, 2026
aston.ac.uk/bss/aston-business-school/awards — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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Online Business Schools is independent and not affiliated with Aston University. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the institution.