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Heriot-Watt University · Edinburgh Business School

DBA Doctor of Business Administration

DBADBAEnglish-taughtDoctor of Business Administration

Overview

A part-time professional doctorate with a course stage of three research methods courses, each assessed by a three-hour examination, followed by a supervised research stage ending in a thesis and viva voce.

Official program name
DBA Doctor of Business Administration
Awarded degree
Doctor of Business Administration
Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Degree level
Doctoral — DBA (professional doctorate)
Awarding institution
Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Location
Edinburgh, 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
Credits
Not verified
Duration
Not verified
Start terms
Open enrolment
Source: hw.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: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Why this program is listed

Professional doctorate designed as a self-study online programme; course stage exams and supervision online, thesis examined by oral defence (format/location not stated). Optional campus seminars.

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

Attendance, exams and travel as published

  • Campus visit Optional

    Optional on-campus 4-day seminars for each research methods course

    per research methods course · Edinburgh and Dubai campuses

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

  • Thesis / dissertation defense Required

    Final thesis examined by an oral defence (Viva Voce); format and location not stated

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Curriculum

Curriculum

  • Course stage of three courses (Doctoral Business Research 1, 2 and 3), each assessed by a three-hour examination; completion also earns a Postgraduate Certificate in Research Methods
    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Thesis

  • Supervised research stage communicating via a secure web board and MS Teams meetings, ending in a thesis
    Source: hw.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
RequiredMasters degree in a relevant field from a recognised institution
Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
Work experience
RequiredMinimum of 5 years relevant, managerial-level work experience
Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
CV / résumé
RequiredCV showing career progression
Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Tests

GMAT/GRE and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

    Rolling admission · for Any time

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026
    Rolling

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.

Tuition for this online program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

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

  • 20% upfront fee reduction Tuition discount

    20% fee reduction

    Eligibility: Students purchasing all courses of their programme upfront; not with other discounts; not PG Cert, PG Dip or DBA

    How to apply: Select all courses when enrolling

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

  • 20% Alumni Discount Tuition discount

    20% off your programme fees

    Eligibility: Heriot-Watt alumni

    How to apply: Contact hwonlineapps@hw.ac.uk

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

  • Emerging Economies rate Tuition discount

    reduce their programme fees by over £3,000

    Eligibility: Residents of selected countries

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Institution-wide awards are listed because they cover online students at this level; eligibility conditions apply.

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 Heriot-Watt University

  • Royal Charter granted 4 March 1966 (Royal Charter (Privy Council))

    University established by statute or charter — University by Royal Charter

    Authority in United Kingdom

    “Granted by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 4 March 1966, the Royal Charter formally conferred university status on Heriot-Watt.”

    Source: hw.ac.uk · verified October 11, 2026

Business-school and program accreditation

No business-school or program accreditation verified. Legal recognition does not depend on it.

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

Not verified for this online program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 11, 2026.
  1. hw.ac.uk/about/our-history/royal-charter — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  2. hw.ac.uk/ebs/study/online/fees-for-online-degrees — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 11, 2026
  3. hw.ac.uk/online/study/postgraduate/mba — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026
  4. hw.ac.uk/study/research/business-administration-dba-phd — Official program page, verified October 11, 2026

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