Qualifying for your next career move:
Go beyond the MBA/EMBA

"Research gives us the headlights to get ahead of the obvious"
- Sam Palmisano, CEO, IBM

If you're ready to take the next step in your career development, the DBA could be just what you're looking for.

A part-time, doctoral program in business designed for experienced managers, the DBA is an academically rigorous but practical professional qualification, providing you with career enhancing skills. 

The DBA program is a collaboration between Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) and Webster University and is specifically designed so that you can study while continuing to work full-time.

To help you to determine if the DBA is right for you, we've put together a series of frequently asked questions, together with their answers.
If you have any other queries, please don't hesitate to contact us. 

Q1. Which profession / career is the DBA relevant to?

A1. One of the attractive characteristics of the DBA is its breadth of application, as it's not specific to any particular business. For example, DBAs are often undertaken by:

• senior business professionals
• managers looking for innovative strategies for new and emerging issues
• consultants or those about to start their own consultancy business
• prospective teachers in business schools, who currently lack the necessary academic qualifications (AQ)

A2. Unlike a traditional PhD, which requires a significant amount of theoretical study and frequent campus visits, the practical nature of the DBA allows you to conduct research in your chosen business field, thus optimizing workload. Further synergies can be created by using existing business problems from your work environment as the basis of your research.

The DBA is a part-time degree program with two stages: Stage 1 is completed over 2 years, requiring attendance at only 5 workshops (held over weekends in Geneva) and a week-long inauguration workshop held in Grenoble, in November. Stage 2 takes a further 18-24 months, during which the candidates execute their already approved research model and subsequently write and defend their theses.

Q3. If my aim is to teach in a business school, what are the chances of getting a well-paid and rewarding teaching job during or after the DBA?

A3. There is a critical shortage of doctorally-qualified faculty with business management experience, so a DBA will immediately put you in a strong position. (See Solving the Doctoral Dilemma, BizEd (AACSB), March/April 2009). In recent years, some business schools have resorted to employing professionally qualified (PQ) faculty, to ensure a focus on teaching excellence. PQ faculty, however, normally do not divert as much energy into research and publishing as their AQ counterparts. This means accreditation bodies don't tend to look favorably upon schools with an overwhelming percentage of PQ faculty.

As a practical example, several DBA students (Stage 1) and candidates (Stage 2) are currently teaching at Webster University and GEM, respectively.

Q4. How would a DBA help me if I'm planning to start a new consulting business?

A4. The DBA is the ultimate achievement in practical business education and training, which instantly proves to prospective clients that you have in-depth expertise in your field. In such a notoriously competitive environment, the DBA will therefore ensure you remain differentiated and stand out from the crowd. 

Q5. Is it possible to use a real, complex problem, which I'm currently facing at work, as the subject of my DBA research?

A5. Yes. On successful completion of Stage 1 (and provided you have approval from your DBA supervisors) you can conduct research on a work-related problem. GEM policies and procedures to guide this process are already in place.

Q6. Is the DBA degree accredited? How is it recognized in business and academia?

A6. Yes, the DBA is awarded by the Grenoble Ecole de Management (GEM) and administered by Webster University, both of which are accredited institutions. 

GEM is one of the leading business schools in Europe, with an international presence across Asia and North America. It holds the much coveted triple crown of business accreditations which distinguishes it as one of the world's leading business schools:

• AACSB International (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
• EQUIS (European Quality Improvement System)
• AMBA (Association of MBAs)

Webster University degrees have been continuously accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools of the USA since 1925. In addition, all professional business and management degrees offered by the George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology are accredited by ACBSP of the USA.

Q7. I already have a PhD in a non-business field and years of work experience, but I now want to teach in a business school. Is there an alternative to the DBA that would give me the necessary academic qualification (AQ)?

A7. Yes. With GEM's 'Post-doctoral Bridge to Business' (the only AACSB-endorsed program in Europe) you can attain AQ-in-business status in only 1 year.

Q8. How can I be sure that this DBA program will deliver what it promises?

A8. Who better to ask than the students themselves? Here are six testimonials.

Q9. Do you have demographical statistics on enrollment to date?

A9. Yes, here are three graphs on age, gender and geographical origin.

Q10. I'm interested. What's the next step?

A10. To start the application process, simply contact Silvia Carina Blanco, the DBA Assistant, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and send her a motivation letter and a detailed CV. Click here for a downloadable application form and guide.

We will then contact you to schedule either a first interview or a conference call.

If you would like more information on the DBA content or ask questions on its suitability for you, please contact Dr. Deniz Saral, Director of the Webster-Grenoble Cohort DBA Program, at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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Visuals: Copyright Agence Prisme / Pierre Jayet