DBA (Doctor of Business Administration): Entry requirements

What you need to apply for this course

Entry to the Kingston DBA is normally conditional on possession of all of the following:

a masters-level degree, either an MBA or a specialist MA or MSc in a business related area (eg Marketing MA);
evidence of substantial senior management or professional work experience, including within the academic profession, at a significant level or responsibility; and
one academic and one professional reference, both of which must be received before the selection procedure can take place.

In exceptional cases, if you do not meet all of the above selection criteria you may still be considered provided you can demonstrate outstanding qualities in terms of:

your managerial or professional experience;
the intellectual capacity to deal with the demands of the programme; and
the personal benefits that you could gain from your participation in, and contribution to, the programme.

Suitable candidates are invited to attend an interview at which you will make a presentation. This should:

map out the way that the DBA relates to and will help your professional development; and
demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of current thinking in one or more areas of management.

Holders of non-UK degrees will be subject to the University's normal entry procedures for equivalence of qualifications.

If you are in any doubt as to your candidacy, you are welcome to contact the doctoral programmes co-ordinator for an informal discussion.

International students

All non-UK applicants must meet our English language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 7.0 overall with special conditions in all elements. Please make sure you read our full guidance about English language requirements, which includes details of other qualifications we'll consider.

Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements may be eligible to join our pre-sessional English language course.

Applicants from one of the recognised Majority English Speaking Countries (MESCs) do not need to meet these requirements.