Which university in UK should I choose for DBA?

Dear Friends from all parts of the world.

Hope you are all fine and well. I have been referred to this site
by a friend who says that you may offer critical insights as to
which university choice, location and even degree offering I
should go for. Let me give you a little bit of my details:

- Bachelors in Psychology, Government and HR - Public University - Africa

- Post graduate diploma in International Development - Public University - Africa

- Post Graduate Diploma in HR - Public University - Denmark

- MBA (Project Mgmt concentration) - Private University - America

- Several years of professional work experience in HR, IT and Project Management

My spouse has been accepted for a PhD study in UK starting sometime this fall (2004) and hence we will be relocating there. After that, we may consider moving back to Africa to continue/begin our professional careers.

In this regard, I have been thinking of pursuing the DBA Program.

Here are a few factors to consider:

- Must either be in UK or can be studied for while in UK.

- Cost is critical for me as most DBA programs have no scholarships

- Time to complete (whether full time or part time).

- Concentration in either Project Management/HR Management topics/International Management/etc topics

- Accreditation (since I want to be open to both a corporate career and/or academic career)

- Location (must be convenient/DL/etc) to Bradford University.

- Acceptance likelihood (and if no proposal is required initially).

- Etc (others if I have over looked them).

So there have been times when I was thinking of a DPM (Doctor of Project Management) but I have been leaning towards the DBA degree as it is more corporate friendly yet can be academic.

Please help me with the choices to select from. Your response, advice and criticism (much welcome) will be highly appreciated.

Thanks!

Mimi Mzalendo

 

Take a look at Henley College and Heriot Watt.

 

If you want to study full-time whilst you're in the UK, as a non-EU/EEA student you'll be looking at something in the order of ten thousand pounds a year in fees.

Distance from Bradford shouldn't be a problem. There are a clutch of good business schools in the area. Bradford itself is quite good, Manchester is only a short train ride away and is excellent (and is AACSB). Leeds is good.
http://www.mbs.ac.uk/
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/lubs/
http://www.brad.ac.uk/acad/management/external/

If the fees are too much, look at the part-time offerings from the above. Manchester goes down to between 3 and 5 thousand, depending on your year of study for part-time.

If all else fails, have a look at the Open University http://www.open.ac.uk/research-school/prospectus/index.shtml which at under five hundred pounds a year is the greatest bargain available in the UK higher education.

Angela

 

Make sure that the body you choose is accredited or offers degrees from an accredited institution


www.dfes.co.uk/recognisedukdegrees

will give you a list

 

Thanks for the Info ...

Dear All,

Thanks for some of the responses above.

I shall check on the links provided.

I agree, it is important to get to an accredited school.

Quick question though, is the UK University system organised
in terms of a ranking order and which schools are top of the lot.

How hard or competitive is it for a non-EEA national to enter?

Finally, is the DBA preferable than the DPM?

If you come across any accredited but inexpensive DBA schools
that have both part-time and full-time options, please forward
me the links.

Thanks!

Mimimzalendo

 

UK DBA

The UK does not offer a DPM. If you are living in Bradford why not do the Bradford DBA? This will cut down on travel and accommodation expenses which you'll have to find if going anywhere else - other thsan possibly Leeds or Manchester.

Expect to spen 4 yeard ful-time or 5-7 years part-time before getting the degree.

AJJ

 

Officially, no.

Unofficially, yes. Top of the heap are Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial, followed closely by most of the Russell Group. The most-used table is that prepared annually by The Times for its Good University Guide http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,716,00.html -- it's by no means perfect (after all, Oxford won this year ;-) but it's a fairly decent approximation of what most people think of as the standard pecking order.

I honestly don't know. My impression is that it's really no more difficult at all, but Gavin Kennedy would be much better positioned to answer a question like that.

I'm not even certain that there is a DPM in this country. So I'd definitely go for a DBA or PhD.

Inexpensive is not a term that can really be applied to non-EU/EEA fees in the UK. The only cheap option is the Open University. I would say, though, that the part time fees for Manchester are a pretty decent bargain.

Angela

 

Hi Mimimzalendo

Edinburgh Business School has been mentioned in this thread and I think it worthwhile to make several points. The main requirement to join any DBA programme is your potential to succeed at it and its contribhution to you succeeding after it. This is a combination of academic past performance and business experience that will get you to the starting position. Obviously, this is a judgement based on detailed information from the application process.

The origins of candidates are not relevant at EBS as all candidates from anywhere in the world are charged the same fee. As EBS does not receive any government funding - it is a self financing operation, though a constituent part Heriot-Watt University (which is publicly funded) - it is not obliged to charge government inspired discriminatory fees against non-EU citizens, and doesn't. Country of origin is not in DL selection criteria. Looking through the 50 DBA students who have enrolled since October 2003, they come from (and mostly live in) many continents, Asia (Japan), Australasia, Africa, North and South America, as well as Europe (including Scotland!).

The EBS DBA programme, following a US model, includes a taught element (an MSc in Strategic Focus), 3 research modules, which act as 'gateways' to the dissertation. It can be taken as a Distance Learning programme or (from 2005) full or part time. Each candidate will have a 'local' Approved Supervisor and a central Supervisor at EBS. Taught courses may be taken by DL or on campus at EBS.

Whether any of this suits your requirements can be judged by contact with: [email protected] or a visit to the web site: www.ebsdba.com

The rough costs (from memory) are GBP18k (PT) or GBP28k (FT). How costs compare, I have no idea. Per course fees for the 11 DL MSc courses are GBP800; dissertation supervision is the extra bit. The project dissertation subject is decided mutually by the time of the Research Modules and will be in applied strategy.

While costs are important, beware of judging any educational programme on its price (high or low). That is a dangerous habit which several contributors to various threads here slide into.

Good luck in your research.

 

Thanks for the additional info ...

Dear AJJ, Agilham and Prof. Kennedy,

Thanks for the links, advice and sources of information.

The Times link was very valuable as I was able to get a
good idea of the university rankings in business studies.

With regards to the Open University, it was amazing to see
that it was that cheap. Even though, it will be a last resort
back up for me, I was wondering whether it is accredited
and if so how reputable is it considering it is all by DL.

Braford has an excellent program (with Nimbas - where's that)
and so does Manchester.

I found another DBA program at the University of Strathclyde that
has a concentration in project management (which is ideal for me)
and would want to know how it is viewed in UK/US busines circles.

I did not know that the UK does not offer a Doctor of Project
Management masters or PhD or DPM (as they call it in the USA).

For the EBS-DBA at HW, I have already checked out the site and
actually decided that it is one of the schools that I will apply to.

If there is any further information, please do let me know.

I have noted the limited/none funding opportunities and so if I
decide to go with the self-payment method, then my hope is that
it pays off pretty well after that and hence that can only come
from a recorgnized and accredited school. Any thoughts on this?

Are there any other ways that one can use to study for the DBA
whilst paying half and receiving a bursary? E.g. studentships,
project assistantship, researcher, bursaries, scholarships, etc.

How feasible is it to get a Career Development Loan that can
cover a good part of the studies and be repayable (interest %)?

Finally, my interest is on a DBA that is flexible, has a global view
and offers the opportunity to research on a project management
topic that has some use in the business world.

Dear friends, you have truly come through for me. The objective
and insightful comments above have helped to make my current
planning and thoughts on the DBA program more focussed.

Thanks!

Mimi Mzalendo

 

Thanks for the additional info ...

Dear AJJ, Agilham and Prof. Kennedy,

Thanks for the links, advice and sources of information.

The Times link was very valuable as I was able to get a
good idea of the university rankings in business studies.

With regards to the Open University, it was amazing to see
that it was that cheap. Even though, it will be a last resort
back up for me, I was wondering whether it is accredited
and if so how reputable is it considering it is all by DL.

Braford has an excellent program (with Nimbas - where's that)
and so does Manchester.

I found another DBA program at the University of Strathclyde that
has a concentration in project management (which is ideal for me)
and would want to know how it is viewed in UK/US busines circles.

(Part One)

 

Part Two ... thanks for additional info ...

I did not know that the UK does not offer a Doctor of Project
Management masters or PhD or DPM (as they call it in the USA).

For the EBS-DBA at HW, I have already checked out the site and
actually decided that it is one of the schools that I will apply to.

If there is any further information, please do let me know.

I have noted the limited/none funding opportunities and so if I
decide to go with the self-payment method, then my hope is that
it pays off pretty well after that and hence that can only come
from a recorgnized and accredited school. Any thoughts on this?

Are there any other ways that one can use to study for the DBA
whilst paying half and receiving a bursary? E.g. studentships,
project assistantship, researcher, bursaries, scholarships, etc.

How feasible is it to get a Career Development Loan that can
cover a good part of the studies and be repayable (interest %)?

Finally, my interest is on a DBA that is flexible, has a global view
and offers the opportunity to research on a project management
topic that has some use in the business world.

Dear friends, you have truly come through for me. The objective
and insightful comments above have helped to make my current
planning and thoughts on the DBA program more focussed.

Thanks!

Mimi Mzalendo

(Part Two)

 

Actually, what I have seen...

people recommend is that after you have decided what level of perceived quality you require in a school, then go with price. There are different levels of schools out there and it does not make any sense to spend an Ivy League amount of tuition on a Tier 4 school. I, for one, do not have extra money to blow on a school when my needs may be fulfilled at much lower cost.

The one thing, however, not open to debate is the school must be accredited by a legitimate and respected accrediting body. Spending money on an unaccredited school makes no sense when an accredited degree can be had for less than one from a unaccredited school.

 

The Open University is accredited. It provides mainly distance learning, a lot of it via BBC and other TV staions. They also do residential summer schools where there is a ned for practical training etc. You will have to buy your own materials.

 

Thanks Chris and Ian ...

Dear Chris and Ian,

Thanks for the additional thoughts. Yes, I agree that there is no need for me to plan to spend the same amount of money on an unaccredited shool like I would if I went to a reputable school.

However, sometimes it is hard to know this since most recruiters will hardly tell you the truth until you are in and have made the investment (which they know will be tough to walk away from).

How does one not get beat up and cornered?

That is why I had asked earlier about the other external/internal funding opportunities for the DBA in UK.

About the Open University, I have heard some good comments but then again I have also heard some bad comments (and this is nostly with the undergraduate programs - where it is rumored that they take almost anybody and have lower quality of teachers). Now, I do not know whether this is true or not, but I'm concerned not to ignore such remarks and that is why I have decided to seek advice.

Obviously, I'm sure the DL approach has come along way as today (10 years later), the DL program are becoming more and more in vogue as more and more professionals want to have the flexibility of continuining with their work while studying.

Another friend yesterday asked me to be open to DL for the DBA program from other countries (e.g. USA, Autralia, South Africa and even Canada). How feasible would this be and is it doable?

Thanks!

Mimi Mzalendo

 

They are all doable

However, some will require travel so you will have to add that into your cost calculations. Again, see what level quality wise you need and go with what you can afford.

Look at the continent as well. Grenoble (France) appears to have a good program in English and it is professionally acredited in the USA. There are a lot of options open to you. I went for a school in South Africa because for an accredited school it was exceptionally inexpensive and I get a highly desirable opportunity to visit a country which has always fascinated me.

As far as accreditation goes, ask a school point blank if they are accredited. They will either say yes and give you the accreditor which you can then check or give a bunch of mumbo jumbo about accreditation is a voluntary process, yada, yada. If you get the mumbo-jumbo, avoid them like the plague. Thoroughly check those claiming accreditation. If they give you a password to use in checking the accreditation, avoid them like the plague. If the accreditor lists just a few schools, none of which you have heard of, avoid them like the plague. In the USA, accreditation is done reginally (RA) and nationally (DETC, AICS, etc). State approved can simply mean a business license not an "accreditation". These are the basics but give you some idea what you are looking for.

 

If all else fails, have a look at the Open University http://www.open.ac.uk/research-scho...tus/index.shtml which at under five hundred pounds a year is the greatest bargain available in the UK higher education.



Angela,

Is it possible to do a Masters in Psychology - either coursework or research - at this tuition rate? Thanks for your help.

You may email me at [email protected] if you like.

 

Other options (outside UK) for DBA studies

Dear Chris,

Thanks for your most recent additions. You mention south africa as one option. Could you give me a list (3-5) of the accredited and reputable schools based in South Africa that have a business school (and offer a DBA). What are the average costs for tuition and can this be done DL? Does it require certain residences per year and what is the program structure.

Thanks!

Mimi Mzalendo

 

SA Universities

Cost is about $1500 to $3000 USD per year. Some do require annual visits, some don't. I am enrolled with the Durban Institute of Technology in their DTech in Business Administration program. Free State, Pretoria, Rand Afrikaans, Natal, and Zululand have also been mentioned as having research PhD's. UNISA's DBL is another good option, however, I believe it does have a taught component. I may be wrong on the names these days as the universities and technikons in SA are undergoing a major reorganization. A list of universities with their web sites is available here:

http://www.studysa.co.za/uni.html

 

thanks ...

Dear Chris and All,

Thanks for the continued streaming of additional info.

I just logged in and saw the additional insights and comments.

Anybody else, and especially those in Uk, please feel free to share with us (my spouse and I) your experiences.

Thanks!

MM