Doctor of Business Administration Swansea University
| Award | Attendance | Study | Duration | Start | Domestic fees | International fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBA | On-Campus | Part-time | 48 months | October, January | £8100 per year | £8100 per year |
Course overview
The Swansea School of Management DBA is a part-time professional doctorate designed for senior managers and leaders in all sectors; private, public and not-for-profit.
On this programme, learners engage in applied research, bringing established and cutting-edge theory to bear on their practical organisational issues. You will develop and enrich practice in your field, as well as contributing to our understanding of the underpinning theoretical base for the work.
The structured approach offered by the Swansea DBA is based on six modules over three years, blending lectures, guest talks, workshop discussions and student presentations. The doctoral thesis is developed in parallel under guidance from a doctoral supervisory team allocated at the start of the programme.
The Swansea School of Management DBA is designed to develop critical thinkers and practitioners who will reflect on their impact on their organisations and society more generally.
Entry requirements
Note for international and European applicants: details of how your qualification compares to the published academic entry requirements can be found on our Country Specific Entry Requirements page.
Applicants for the DBA must normally hold an undergraduate degree from an approved university and have achieved a minimum classification of upper second (2:1) or equivalent. Applicants will also normally have, or be studying for, a master’s degree or similar level of qualification at an approved university.
Applicants will normally be expected to have a minimum of five years’ experience in a senior role.
All applicants will be interviewed by two representatives of the programme leadership team (normally including the programme director) and will be expected to demonstrate the drive and intellectual ability to undertake the DBA.
English Language
IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent. Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.
As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.
Reference Requirement
As standard, one reference is required before we can progress applications to the Faculty research programme, academic Admissions Tutor for consideration.
Please note that any protracted delay in receiving the outstanding reference may result in the need to defer your application to a later potential start point/entry month, than what you initially listed as your preferred start option.
You may wish to consider contacting your referee to assist in the process of obtaining the outstanding reference or alternatively, hold submission of application until a reference is sourced. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the University Admissions Office to obtain missing reference after our initial email is sent to your nominated referee, requesting a reference on your behalf.
The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form. Click this link to download the university reference form.
Alternatively, referees can email a reference from their employment email account, please note that references received via private email accounts, (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) cannot be accepted.
References can be submitted to [email protected].
Why study at Swansea University
There are many reasons to choose Swansea University for your studies; from the stunning beachfront locations of our Singleton Park and Bay campuses, to our global reputation for research and academic excellence, we offer a safe, supportive and fun environment to live and study, and our vast range of courses and subject areas mean you are sure to find the future career for you.
- Top 30 UK research-led university (Research Excellence Framework 2014-2021)
- Ranked within the Top 350 of universities globally (QS World University Rankings 2027)
- 95% of students surveyed would recommend Swansea University (Uni Compare 2026)
- 95% of graduates are in employment, study and/or other activities (HESA 2025)
Whether you join us for your undergraduate degree, postgraduate studies or research, you’ll receive a modern approach to learning, backed by cutting-edge facilities and an excellent research and teaching faculty.
Join Swansea and start your journey, studying in a picturesque, student-friendly city by the sea with so much to offer.