PhD

Global Doctorate of Business Administration (GDBA)

Earn a Doctorate in your chosen area of research

Campus
Durham
Paris
Experience required
5 years
Price excl tax
70 000£
Language
English

Presentation

Delivered by Durham University Business School and emlyon business school, the Global DBA is a new part-time executive doctoral programme taught across multiple global locations: Durham, Paris and other global module destinations. 

You will have the unique opportunity to learn from and work with internationally renowned faculty at two of Europe’s most innovative and highly-ranked "triple crowned" business schools. 

This programme has been specifically designed to respond to the global need for business leaders who can truly challenge current professional practices and devise new methods for progression. By combining an academically rigorous doctoral education with business practices, you will upgrade your business knowledge, enhance your analytical and critical thinking capabilities, and ultimately accomplish impactful change as an empowered leader and recognized expert in your field. 

The DBA will also require you to produce a doctoral thesis to help bridge the gap between business practice and academia, generate new knowledge, and create real business value.

Preview image for the gge video "Introduction of the Global DBA Durham-emlyon".
Virginie Lafont
Your contact
Virginie Lafont
Virginie LAFONT
Head of development to Executive Programs

Useful information

  • Next Intake : January 2025
  • Double degree from Durham University Business School and emlyon business school
  • Degrees awarded: Doctor in Business Administration from each school (2 degrees)
  • For masters degree in a business and management related discipline from a recognised university or other institution of higher education; or equivalent qualifications or experience and a minimum of 5 years’ business and management experience

Performance Indicators

  • Net Promoter Score : 53.25
  • Graduate rate: Data is not yet available as the first cohort has not yet finished the programme

Contact details of the training advisor

Virginie Lafont- +33 4 26 85 69 00
gdba@eml-executive.com 

Michel PHAN
“The purpose of the Global DBA Durhamemlyon (GDBA) is to serve a community of ‘early makers’ and impactful scholars who will benefit from excellent research environments in Durham, Paris, and other campus locations to develop a rich intellectual identity and understanding of how to carry out novel research at the highest level of business studies.”
 
Professor Michel PHAN
Program Director - emlyon business school
Contact emlyon

"Our GDBA takes advantage of the multicampus structure of emlyon and a top-level Anglo-French strategic partnership with Durham University, providing a global reach combined with local knowledge and oustanding supervisory capactities."

 

Professor Kostas Nikolopoulos
Programme Director - Durham university Business school

Goals

  • Become a recognized Doctor in your specific area of research
  • Push the boundaries of knowledge with the help of 2 faculty thesis advisors (1 from each school), cutting-edge facilities, and expert minds
  • Accelerate your personal development to become an impactful leader capable of enacting lasting change
  • Expand and improve yourself, both professionally and personally, across boundaries and in a global context

Program

  • Induction days (2 days) (January - Durham)
  • Leadership and Followership module (3 days) (January - Durham)
  • Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice module (3 days) (May - International location)
  • Technology & Innovation Management module (3 days) (October - Paris)

  • Global Strategic Management module (3 days) (January - Lyon) 
  • Theory into Practice module (research methodologies) - Part 1 (3 days) (June - Durham)
  • Theory into Practice module (research worshop) - Part 2 (3 days) (October - Paris)
  • Oral Presentation of Research proposal (October - Paris)

  • Year 3 and Year 4 are dedicated to carrying out the research project (data collection, findings analysis, recommendations, thesis writing)
  • Thesis and Oral Defense (min. 2 hours) + Q&A in front of a jury (end of Year 4)

  • Research centre seminars from Durham and emlyon business school
    Various fields/topics to develop DBA candidates’ curiosity and awareness
     
  • PhD students’ seminars at Durham and emlyon business school
    Learning how to correctly and efficiently present research work
     
  • Opportunities to do guest lectures at Durham or emlyon business school (optional)
    Learn how to properly teach for those who are interested in a career in academia

Rankings

Emlyon business school
  • Top 12 best European business schools (Financial Times 2023)
  • 4th in France (Global Employability University Ranking 2022-2023)
  • 2nd best business school in France in the management category (Shanghai Ranking 2022)
Durham University Business School
  • 10th best business schools in the world (Corporate Knights Better World MBA 2023)
  • 6th in the UK (Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023)
  • 10th in the UK European business schools (Financial Time 2023)

Admission

  1. Application form : You will be required to submit a research proposal of between 1,500-3,000 words as part of the selection process
     
  2. Pre-screening
     
  3. Interview : An interview will be conducted with the Founding Global DBA Director with each applicant prior to an offer being recommended
     
  4. Admission Board : Admission decisions are made jointly by Durham University Business School and emlyon business school

  • A Master’s degree in a business and management related discipline from a recognised university or other institution of higher education; or equivalent qualifications or experience
     
  • A minimum of five years’ business and management experience
     
  • An English proficiency test is required for non-native English speakers (minimum score requirements are IELTS score of 7.0 or 102 or above in TOEFL IBT) or equivalent qualifications or experience

Financing

TUITION & FINANCING are set at £60,000 

A £2,000 non-refundable deposit payable upon acceptance of an offer will be deducted from the first year's fee. 

  • Direct expenses in connection with research projects (for example travel and subsistence) are the responsibility of the individual student. 
     
  • Students may apply for funding for attendance at relevant events, such as Conferences, based on the Research policies of both schools. In addition, students are responsible for covering the costs in attending all modules.

Highlights

  • 2 faculty thesis advisors (one from each school)
  • Flexibility to conduct your studies and research while working
  • Small and selective cohort, ensuring a high degree of peer interaction
  • World-renowned international faculty and research centres
  • Double degree programme awarded by two Triple-Crowned business schools in France and the UK

Professoral staff

Durham University Business School

Dr. Anders Friis Marstand
Anders Friis Marstand is an associate professor in Leadership/Organizational behavior Deputy Head of Department and Leadership in Organizational Behavior, Organizational Studies and Human Resource management. He is a reasearcher with a primary focus on psychological contracts and organizational culture.
Some of his notable publications include «Supply Chain Management Implementation and Priority Strategies in Danish Organizations» (published in the Journal of Business Logistics in 2006) by Kotzab, H., Grant, D. B., and Friis, A. and «Complementary personsupervisor fit: An investigation of supplies-values (S-V) fit, leader-member exchange (LMX) and work outcomes» (published in The Leadership Quarterly in 2017) by Marstand, A. F., Martin, R., and Epitropaki, O.

 
Dr. Anders Friis Marstand
Dr. Karena Yan
Professor Karena Ji Yan is Chair in Marketing and Associate Dean of Durham University Business School. Her current main research interests fall into innovation and technology management. In particular, her research focuses on cross-border innovation management, foreign R&D funds attraction, the innovation activities among customers, suppliers and competitors and integrate their processes to generate innovation performance. 
In terms of future collaboration, Karena is interested in working with industry and academics on collaborative research projects based on a range of topics such as (including but not limited to): environmental innovation, implication of innovation constraints, innovation ecosystems, and in general understanding innovation strategies across complex knowledge
network.
 
Dr. Karena Yan
Dr. Joanna Berry

Joanna is the Director (Business, Enterprise and Innovation) of Durham University’s Durham Energy Institute (DEI), sits on the University COP26 Steering Group, and teaches Entrepreneurship. She is Co-
Programme Director of the new Master of Energy Systems Management degree, a joint programme run with Durham’s Engineering Department. She is Pathway Leader for the MBA Entrepreneurship Pathway and winner of the Durham University Enhancing Learning and Teaching: Digital and Online Learning Award 2019-20. Her research and teaching interests encompass problem-based learning, energy and renewables, innovation, entrepreneurship, big data, ageing and health and the digital/creative industries with a particular emphasis on supporting the women in STEM agenda.
 

Dr. Joanna Berry

Emlyon business school

Dr. Jean-Luc Arregle

Jean-Luc also teaches Strategy and International Strategy at emlyon and his areas of research focus on semi-globalisation strategies, strategies of family firms and the role of institutions in the strategic choices of companies. He earned his PhD in Management in France and focused his dissertation on, “The Industrialisation of Management Consulting Companies: A Resource-Based Analysis.” He is a member of several editorial boards, like Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Organisation, Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, and has published articles in several French and international academic journals.



 

Dr. Jean-Luc Arregle
Dr. Ahmed Nofal
Ahmed is an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at emlyon. His work is concentrated primarily on two lines of research: the first examines individuals’predispositions to entrepreneurship including the developmental origins of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial decision-making, and the biology of entrepreneurship (genetics, physiology, mentalconditions, and neuroscience). The second investigates new venture dynamics (entry, growth, and exit).
 
He holds a PhD from Warwick Business School and prior to joining emlyon, he did research for the American University in Cairo and London Business School.

 
Dr. Ahmed Nofal
Dr. Brice Dattee

Brice teaches Strategy and Innovation Management and his work focuses on competitive dynamics in business ecosystems, resource orchestration, and the temporality of strategic vision. His research, based on qualitative process analyses and conducted through close engagement with renowned companies in technology-based industries, has been published in leading international journals.

He earned his PhD in Management Science and previously served as a Visiting Associate Professor in Strategy at the London Business School. He is widely published and also advises entrepreneurs and boards of directors on their strategic thoughts.


 

Dr. Brice Dattee

Testimonials 

Sola Sonuga - GDBA

The most enjoyable experience for me was meeting similar, like-minded people from different nationalities, different territories, different geographies, and building relationships with them. 

Trista Bridges - GDBA
Coming from a practitioner background, do this global DBA, is having the opportunity to think and to be exposed to different thinking, different models and different pieces of research and really having to step back and just think about a problem and about it from an academic perspective as opposed to a problem-solving perspective.
Annelen Shaer - GDBA

I’ve always dreamed of pursuing a doctorate with a hands-on approach. That’s why I chose the GDBA - it allows me to continue working, offers a structured and supportive program, and provides an international perspective, all within a manageable timeframe.

Disability initiative

You will find the welcome guide and all the information on how we welcome and support our students and participants with disabilities here (link: https://em-lyon.com/en/about-emlyon-business-school/student-experience/…