Doctorate in Business Administration

The DBA programme involves a five-year journey to crafting a doctoral thesis alongside your ongoing professional commitments. Our programme not only delivers a Vlerick Certificate of Management Research but also an official joint PhD degree from KU Leuven and Ghent University, a recognition of your commitment to academic excellence and practical relevance.

The DBA comprises two stages – a learning stage and a research stage. Participants have the flexibility to take an accelerated track and finish in less time or to extend their study beyond the standard timeframe. 

Learning stage

The objective of the first stage is to develop your research capabilities. You’ll participate in five week-long courses covering the entire research cycle. In these intensive sessions, you’ll develop the knowledge and skills you need to complete your doctoral journey. You’ll be supported by our online learning platform, where you can discuss content and ideas with colleagues and submit your assignments. 

You attend all five courses – and dedicate time to preparing beforehand, studying afterwards, and completing assignments, papers, and exams. At the end of the learning stage, a formal progress assessment is conducted to admit you to the research stage . 

Research stage 

In the second stage of the programme, you work on three doctoral assignments and put your research proposal into practice and develop your thesis. You’ll collect and analyse data, draft your results – and, with the help of your supervisors, present your work to different audiences. You’ll also need to present your research to your supervisory committee in three doctoral seminars. A unique feature of our programme is that a significant number of the requirements are part of an elective system. You can tailor the programme to your needs and ambitions.

At the end of this stage, you’ll take part in a PhD defence at either Ghent University or KU Leuven. You can present your thesis in different ways. It can either be made up of different papers, or be presented in book format with content for three high-level papers. 

• Develop the skills and knowledge to carry out innovative, ground-breaking and impactful research
• Gain academic expertise in a topic relevant to your organisation
• Join a community of international academics and professionals from industries all over the world – with plenty of opportunities to build connections and further your research
• Put together your own tailored package of research, business and teaching electives to meet your needs and ambitions
• Earn a Certificate of Management Research from Vlerick and a Joint PhD degree from Ghent University and KU Leuven  

The DBA is for experienced professionals who want to:

• Deepen their business understanding from a theoretical perspective
• Engage in academically robust, practice-based research
• Create new knowledge – and make an even greater impact on their organisation, sector or even society
• Become part of a diverse community of academics and professionals from over the world
• Obtain a PhD degree from two top institutions 

The tuition fee for the DBA is €66,000: 

• First year: €6,000 non-refundable commitment fee + €18,000 after the first course week
• Second year: €12,000
• Third to fifth year: €10,000 per year

The DBA is designed to be flexible and fit around your schedule – so if needed, you can have more time to complete your qualification. The fee for each extra year is €6,500.  

Your fees include: 

• Tuition to and guidance at the three institutions for five years
• All course materials  
• A voucher towards your personal growth package – so you can attend conferences and activities at Vlerick and other institutions or pay for other research-related expenses
• Access to business and research databases and specialised collections 
• Use of campus facilities 
• Vlerick Alumni network membership 
• Online subscription for the Financial Times  
• Food and drinks during on-campus course weeks and activities 

The fees do not include travel or accommodation. 

To join the DBA programme, you need: 

• A Master’s degree from an accredited and internationally recognised institution
• To have graduated with distinction 
• At least 10 years of professional experience 

You also need to: 

• Submit an initial research topic that relates to our expertise and is academically challenging 
• Explain your motivation for joining the programme 
• Submit an Executive Assessment test score gained no more than five years ago (unless you’re eligible for an exemption) – or show you’ve achieved a second distinction during your studies 
• Prove you’re fluent in English  

Start your journey 

We accept admissions on a rolling basis – and discuss applications during our monthly DBA team meetings.  

The DBA is a significant commitment – which is why you go through two stages before you begin the full programme. This gives you the opportunity to experience academic research before committing to the full programme. 

1. Eligibility stage 

First we assess if you meet the admissions requirements – and learn more about your ambitions. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

• Fill in the eligibility form online, and upload your: 
  • CV 
  • Diplomas and transcripts 
  • Executive Assessment report (if applicable)  
  • English Language Proficiency Exam score (if applicable) 
  • Write a  short essay with your motivation and – if you know already – your research question.
    However, we now also offer an alternative approach, where candidates can choose a research topic proposed by a faculty member. Discover the available faculty-proposed projects here.

If you meet the criteria – and we think the programme is a good fit for you – we’ll set up an in-depth interview with your academic director and some content experts. They’ll talk to you, suggest relevant academic papers for you to read – and help you to refine your research topic. Based upon these conversations, you submit your research idea with reference to two academic papers.

The DBA team will then discuss your file – and if you’re eligible, you’ll be accepted onto the programme. 

2. Commitment stage 

Once you’ve been accepted and paid your commitment fee, you can access our online resources immediately and start working on your initial research topic with our content experts.  

After the first course in September, you’ll write a paper on your research idea – and get feedback from the course holder. At this point, we’ll ask you to confirm your commitment to the five-year programme – and to pay the remaining fee for the first year.