Doctor of Business Administration
A Dual-Degree Program In Applied Management for Senior Managers
- PROGRAM DETAILS
- What You Will Achieve
- Program Structure
- Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway
- Program Features
- Master-In-Passing
- Admissions
- Tuition
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- POST-DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
- Post-Doc: DLitt. By Manuscript
- Post-Doc: By Published Articles
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- ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
- PhD in Business Research
- PhD in Economics
- PhD in International Relations
- PhD in CSR & Sustainability
- Doctor of Social Science
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- APPLIED PROGRAMS
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Leadership
- Doctor of Applied Neuroscience
- Doctor of Management
- Doctor of Professional Studies
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- MASTER PROGRAMS
- MPhil in Business Research
- MA in Business Research
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- APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS
- Online Application
- Admissions Contact
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Switzerland is a professional doctoral program designed for experienced and senior-level managers who wish to transform their practical expertise into advanced leadership capacity. As one of Switzerland’s distinctive applied doctoral pathways, the program provides a structured scholarly journey that enables professionals to deepen their strategic influence, prepare for C-suite responsibilities, and contribute at a high level through evidence-based managerial insight. Driven by rigorous applied research and executive-level learning, the DBA equips candidates to strengthen judgment, refine analytical ability, and generate meaningful contributions to responsible organizational practice.
Delivered within a Swiss academic environment rooted in the European doctoral tradition, the DBA blends academic rigor with professional flexibility. Candidates advance through a staged research sequence—moving from foundational research skills and methodological proficiency to field inquiry, manuscript preparation, and formal presentation. This milestone-based design ensures that working managers can balance doctoral studies with ongoing professional obligations while maintaining strong academic progress.
Anchored in Monarch’s commitment to credible and evidence-based management practice, the DBA fosters reflection, disciplined inquiry, and a culture of principled leadership. Its curriculum equips candidates with the frameworks, tools, and actionable research methodologies required to address real-world challenges faced by organizations globally. The research process culminates in a doctoral manuscript that delivers hands-on solutions to senior-level business problems and strengthens the candidate’s contribution to practice.
As part of Monarch’s integrated academic framework, successful completion of the DBA qualifies candidates for the Master-in-Passing (MA in Business Research)—a recognition of advanced analytical competence and applied research capability. This dual-degree pathway strengthens the professional credibility of managers pursuing doctoral-level development.
The DBA serves as a flagship executive doctoral program at Monarch Switzerland—uniting applied scholarship, leadership development, and professional impact. It provides senior professionals with the academic depth and practical methodologies necessary to operate effectively in today’s complex global business landscape.
What You Will Achieve
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Business School Switzerland is designed to develop the analytical depth, applied research capability, and executive-level judgement required of senior managers who wish to address complex organisational challenges through rigorous doctoral study. The outcomes below represent the core developmental achievements candidates typically gain through the program’s structured, mentor-supported progression.
| Mastery of Applied Management Theory | Develop an advanced understanding of contemporary management, leadership, and organisational theories, enabling you to interpret complex business challenges through multiple conceptual lenses and to ground decisions in robust scholarly frameworks. |
| Evidence-Based Strategic Decision-Making | Strengthen your capacity to design and interpret empirical and practice-based research that informs strategic choices, risk assessment, and organisational transformation at executive level. |
| Advanced Research & Analytical Skills | Acquire high-level competencies in research methods inquiry appropriate to applied business research, including the ability to structure research questions, collect and interpret data, and translate findings into actionable managerial insight. |
| Executive Leadership & Change Management | Develop the reflective leadership capabilities needed to design, lead, and evaluate change initiatives, integrating stakeholder perspectives, organisational culture, and long-term strategic objectives. |
| Governance, Ethics & Responsible Practice | Deepen your understanding of corporate governance, ethical decision-making, and social responsibility, enabling you to align organisational performance with sustainable and principled management practice. |
| Scholarly & Professional Communication | Develop the capability to produce a coherent, analytically rigorous doctoral manuscript and related publications, and to communicate complex ideas persuasively to both academic and practitioner audiences. |
| Practitioner–Scholar Identity & Impact | Build a distinctive practitioner–scholar identity, positioning yourself to lead applied research projects, influence organisational policy and practice, and contribute to the wider discourse on advanced management and leadership. |
Taken together, these developmental achievements equip DBA candidates to integrate rigorous research with strategic leadership, enabling them to deliver evidence-based solutions that strengthen organisational performance and contribute to contemporary management practice.
Program Structure of the Doctor of Business Administration
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Switzerland follows a clearly defined structure that mirrors the practical and developmental progression of advanced professional research. Each phase builds upon the last, guiding the candidate from the acquisition of applied research competencies to the formal presentation of the completed doctoral manuscript before the Review Committee. The sequence of phases aligns with the professional doctoral competencies recognized within the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for advanced practice, supporting the development of high-level analytical capability, evidence-informed managerial judgment, and applied scholarly contribution within organizational settings.
This structured, milestone-based approach ensures both academic rigor and professional relevance. Candidates progress through a sequence of learning and research milestones designed to strengthen their methodological understanding, analytical precision, and capacity to generate actionable managerial outcomes. At each stage, faculty supervision and institutional review support the integration of theory and practice, ensuring that the candidate’s work meets the highest standards of applied doctoral outcomes.
The following phases outline the academic framework of the Doctor of Business Administration, detailing the pathway from initial preparation through to the culmination of the doctoral journey and the demonstration of professional impact.
Preparatory Phase
Candidates begin with the Research Skills I and II modules, developing competencies in applied research methods, academic writing, and the fundamentals of evidence-based management. The emphasis is on translating organizational challenges into researchable managerial questions that can yield practical solutions.
Proposal Phase
During this stage, candidates design and refine their doctoral research proposal. The proposal must define a significant managerial problem, outline the applied methodology, and demonstrate potential for direct organizational impact. Approval by the Administration marks formal entry into the doctoral research stage.
Fieldwork Phase
Candidates conduct applied research within their professional or sectoral context, often using action research, case study, or mixed methods. The purpose is to gather relevant data, evaluate managerial practices, and test conceptual frameworks in real-world environments.
Manuscript Phase
Candidates integrate their field findings into a doctoral manuscript that articulates applied models, management frameworks, and implementation strategies. The manuscript demonstrates how research insights translate into actionable recommendations for business practice and organizational development.
Presentation Stage
The program concludes with the candidate’s formal presentation before the Review Committee. This presentation synthesizes the research process, findings, and managerial implications, evidencing both academic mastery and professional contribution to responsible management practice.
The structured progression of the Doctor of Business Administration ensures that each candidate develops the full range of applied research, analytical, and leadership competencies expected of a doctoral-level professional. By the conclusion of the program, candidates demonstrate mastery in the design and execution of evidence-based inquiry, the capacity to transform organizational challenges into actionable frameworks, and the ability to deliver practical outcomes that enhance managerial effectiveness. Each graduate embodies Monarch Switzerland’s commitment to responsible leadership, ethical decision-making, and the advancement of sound, evidence-based management practice.
Progression to a Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway
For candidates whose academic and professional ambitions extend beyond the completion of a single applied doctoral manuscript, Monarch offers the option to pursue a Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway. This pathway is structured as a PhD-first progression, followed by an applied doctoral award.
In this model, candidates begin with the PhD, where the primary objective is the development of original theoretical knowledge and scholarly contribution. Only after successful completion of the PhD research phase may candidates progress to an applied doctorate (DBA, Doctor of Leadership, or Doctor of Applied Neuroscience in Management), where the PhD’s theoretical outcomes are translated into applied models, frameworks, and professional recommendations.
This sequencing is intentional. The PhD establishes the conceptual and theoretical foundation upon which applied doctoral work can meaningfully build. Candidates do not attempt to satisfy two doctoral standards simultaneously, nor does applied doctoral work precede PhD-level theory development.
Entry into the dual doctoral pathway is subject to academic review and is recommended only for candidates with strong research readiness and the capacity for sustained doctoral-level inquiry.
Learn more about the Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway → (link)
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Have questions about this doctoral program? Our Admissions Office is available to assist.
Key Program Features
| • | Applied doctoral program linking research to managerial practice and value creation. |
| • | Milestone-based structure: proposal, inquiry, analysis, and executive synthesis. |
| • | Scholar–practitioner orientation emphasizing actionable insights and implementation. |
| • | Close supervision by senior faculty; tailored guidance for organizational impact. |
| • | Designed for working executives; asynchronous progression with professional pacing. |
| • | Ethics, stakeholder balance, and responsible leadership embedded throughout. |
| • | Access to Monarch’s global research network and MRPS publication opportunities. |
Study Mode For Working Professionals
| • | Designed specifically for working professionals balancing full-time responsibilities. |
| • | Primary modality: fully remote study from your home country with no mandatory residency. |
| • | Asynchronous learning structure allowing you to study on your schedule. |
| • | Periodic on-campus doctoral workshops offered in Switzerland for research support and community engagement. |
| • | No requirement to relocate or take leave from professional duties. |
| • | Ideal for executives, senior managers, consultants, and practitioners pursuing doctoral-level scholarship. |
Open Research Domains
| • | Monarch welcomes doctoral research across all professional and academic domains. Candidates are not limited to predefined topics or subject lists. |
| • | Your research interest whether emerging, interdisciplinary, or highly specialised will be developed, refined, and academically aligned during the Research Proposal phase. |
| • | Faculty mentorship ensures that your chosen domain supports both doctoral-level rigor and professional relevance, enabling a high-impact applied or theoretical contribution. |
Program Features
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Switzerland is designed around the needs of working professionals who seek to engage in advanced applied research while maintaining full professional commitments. The program combines the intellectual depth of doctoral study with the practical focus required of senior managers and leaders.
Delivered through a flexible, milestone-based framework, the DBA enables candidates to integrate their research directly into their organizational or sectoral context. This approach ensures that academic inquiry remains grounded in practice and produces measurable managerial outcomes of immediate value to both the candidate and their organization.
| Milestone-Based Structure | Candidates progress through defined research milestones rather than fixed semesters, allowing individual pacing within a guided framework. |
| Applied Research Focus | Each doctoral manuscript addresses a real-world managerial problem, producing implementable frameworks and strategic recommendations. |
| Professional Relevance | Designed for working professionals seeking to advance their leadership capacity, strengthen analytical judgment, and expand career opportunities at the C-suite or board level. |
| Flexible Delivery | Conducted in a distance-based format with faculty mentoring, enabling participation from anywhere in the world without interruption to professional obligations. |
| Ethical Leadership Emphasis | The program is rooted in Monarch’s commitment to responsible management and evidence-based decision-making. |
| Integrated Recognition | Successful completion of the program also confers the Master-in-Passing (MA in Business Research), acknowledging mastery of applied research design and analytical competence achieved within the doctoral journey. |
Together, these features reflect Monarch Switzerland’s philosophy of professional doctoral education—one that unites reflective practice, analytical rigor, and managerial relevance. The DBA equips leaders not only to understand complex organizational dynamics but to transform them through evidence-based action, ethical judgment, and sustained strategic impact.
Master-in-Passing
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Switzerland incorporates a flexible and academically rigorous framework that recognizes both professional progression and scholarly achievement through the Master of Arts (MA) in Business Research. The MA serves as an integral milestone within the doctoral journey, affirming Monarch’s commitment to accessibility, progression, and academic integrity in applied management research.
Master-in-Passing (Default Award)
Candidates who successfully complete all doctoral requirements are automatically granted the MA in Business Research in passing upon conferral of the DBA. This recognizes mastery of applied research design, analytical synthesis, and managerial interpretation achieved throughout the doctoral program, and underscores the integrated nature of Monarch’s dual-degree structure.
Master-in-Exit (Terminal Award)
Candidates who choose to conclude their studies prior to completing the DBA may qualify for the MA in Business Research as a terminal award by submitting a completed five-chapter applied master’s manuscript. The MA in this form does not require an original contribution to theory but rather demonstrates the candidate’s capacity to conduct applied inquiry, evaluate business practice, and produce practical recommendations of professional value.
Through both the Master-in-Passing and Master-in-Exit pathways, Monarch Switzerland ensures that every candidate’s effort culminates in a meaningful qualification. This dual structure reflects Monarch’s applied philosophy of doctoral education—valuing evidence-based reflection, professional contribution, and the advancement of responsible management practice.
Applied Doctoral Philosophy
The Monarch DBA advances executive capability through rigorous inquiry that informs decision-making, governance, and sustainable performance. Candidates frame real managerial problems, synthesize evidence, and develop solutions that respect organizational complexity and stakeholder interests.
Scholarship is treated as disciplined practice: research designs are credible and transparent; interpretations are ethical and actionable; recommendations are communicated in executive language. The goal is responsible impact—ideas that can be implemented and measured in the real world.
Admission & Entry Requirements
Admission to the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Monarch Switzerland is based on professional experience, demonstrated managerial competence, and the potential to conduct applied research. The program is designed for experienced managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and professionals who wish to extend their leadership capability through structured doctoral-level inquiry.
Applicants must normally hold a recognized bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Possession of a master’s degree and/or significant managerial experience strengthens an applicant’s eligibility but is not mandatory for admission. In certain cases, experienced managers who do not hold a formal academic degree may be admitted on the basis of substantial managerial achievement recognized as academic capital, at the discretion of the Dean.
Applications are reviewed by the Academic Board to ensure alignment between each candidate’s professional background, proposed research area, and available supervisory expertise. Candidates are expected to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, critical awareness, and a clear motivation to apply doctoral learning to real-world managerial challenges.
Tuition
All applied doctoral programs at Monarch Switzerland follow a milestone-based structure designed to support the practitioner-focused research, applied analysis, and organizational inquiry central to advanced professional studies. Tuition is assessed on a quarterly basis for the duration of the candidate’s active registration in the program, ensuring uninterrupted access to supervisory guidance, academic resources, and institutional support throughout the research process.
Dual Pathway Structure
The DBA may be pursued through either the Standard Duration Pathway or the Extended Duration Pathway, both of which carry the same total tuition. This dual-pathway model enables candidates to select the pacing that best aligns with their professional responsibilities while maintaining full academic standing.
Under the Standard Duration Pathway (24 months), tuition is payable at €3,250 per quarter, with an optional monthly payment arrangement of €1,083 to support financial planning and continuity of study. Candidates who prefer a more gradual progression may elect the Extended Duration Pathway (48 months), which carries a proportionally lower quarterly fee of €1,625 or a monthly equivalent of €542, while preserving full access to supervisory and institutional services.
Candidates who require additional time beyond the 24-month Standard Duration Pathway or the 48-month Extended Duration Pathway may continue their registration under Monarch’s continuation policy, which is assessed on an annual basis at 50% of the regular tuition rate. This continuation framework maintains academic standing and ensures uninterrupted access to supervisors, research platforms, and administrative services while allowing candidates the necessary time to complete their applied research manuscript at a responsible and achievable pace.
Detailed information regarding billing cycles, payment procedures, and administrative policies is provided in the official Application and Information Package, available upon request. The global tuition table for all programs may be viewed here.
Who Should Apply
The DBA is designed for senior managers, entrepreneurs, and advisors who seek to convert experience into evidence-based leadership and measurable organizational outcomes.
| • | Executives and senior managers leading strategic transformation or growth. |
| • | Entrepreneurs and owners seeking disciplined methods for scaling responsibly. |
| • | Consultants and advisors committed to evidence-based, ethical recommendations. |
| • | Public- and social-sector leaders balancing performance with public value. |
| • | Professionals pursuing thought leadership and implementation-oriented research. |
Doctoral Graduate Profiles
Dr. Richmond Ezenwa Okafor – Nigeria
Doctor of Business Administration (Entrepreneurship)
Dr. Richmond Ezenwa Okafor entered the doctoral program as a seasoned portfolio entrepreneur with over twenty-five years of leadership experience across Nigeria’s technology, industrial, and consumer sectors. His ventures have spanned satellite communications, internet services, telemetry and SCADA systems, facilities management, software outsourcing, and household consumer products. He has also contributed to executive education in entrepreneurship at Lagos Business School, bringing to the program a rich foundation of practice-based insight.
His dissertation, “Digital Transformation and Horizontal Collaboration Logistics in the Road Freight Sector of Nigeria,” explored the structural inefficiencies of the Nigerian road-freight industry and the limitations of traditional vertically oriented logistics systems. Using an exploratory multi–case study and the Gioia methodology, he examined the strategic rationale, onboarding processes, implementation challenges, and digital enablers—such as electronic proof of delivery, mobile payment systems, and collaborative digital platforms—that support the adoption of Horizontal Collaboration Logistics (HCL).
The research culminated in the development of the Horizontal Collaboration Logistics Framework, a context-specific model designed to guide logistics providers, shippers, and transport operators through the transition toward more efficient, transparent, and digitally supported collaboration. The framework offers both theoretical advancement and practical direction for logistics modernization within emerging-market environments.
Dr. Okafor was recently honoured with the Transformational Business Leader Award at the Global Entrepreneurship Leadership Awards during the Global Entrepreneurship Festival 2025 in Accra, Ghana. His engagement with visionary leaders—including a notable one-on-one discussion with James Keyes, former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster—reinforces his ongoing influence in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation strategy, and digital transformation. His doctoral work exemplifies Monarch’s commitment to producing scholar–practitioners who unite rigorous inquiry with applied industry impact.
Dr. Scott Farrell – South Africa
DBA in Business Administration
Dr. Scott Farrell completed the Doctor of Business Administration while serving as Group Chief Financial Officer for B. Braun Companies Southern Africa, one of the region’s largest healthcare and medical device networks. With more than nineteen years of senior experience across finance, operations, and multinational leadership, he brought an extensive practice base that shaped a research inquiry focused on strategic financial governance, organizational performance, and cross-border operational effectiveness within complex corporate environments.
His dissertation built on the realities of managing a multi-territory healthcare enterprise operating across nine African countries. Drawing from practical experience in executive decision-making, valuations, business combinations, supply-chain leadership, and financial modelling, his doctoral research examined the organizational factors that enable financial resilience and strategic transformation in the healthcare sector. The study integrated applied strategic analysis with executive-leadership theory, aligning closely with the professional orientation of Monarch’s DBA program.
Dr. Farrell’s professional career includes more than a decade as Group CFO of B. Braun Companies Southern Africa, where he oversees accounting, controlling, forecasting, procurement, supply chain operations, IT systems, warehousing, and customer services. His executive mandate extends to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Swaziland, and Lesotho, with responsibility for multi-territory operations representing over R1.4 billion (EUR 90 million) in annual turnover. In 2024, he was additionally appointed as Board Member for several B. Braun Group entities, further expanding his governance role.
His doctoral studies strengthened his strategic leadership capacity, enhancing his ability to navigate complex global markets, evaluate organizational risk, and lead large-scale operational transformation. Dr. Farrell exemplifies the senior executive scholar-practitioner for whom the DBA is designed: leaders who unite executive responsibility with advanced doctoral-level inquiry to drive meaningful impact in their organizations and industries.
Dr. Allison Ayodeji Aliu – Nigeria
PhD in Business Research / Doctor of Business Administration
Dr. Allison Ayodeji Aliu entered the dual PhD and DBA program with nearly two decades of distinguished experience as an energy commercial strategist across both the international and Nigerian petroleum sectors. His career encompasses senior leadership roles in crude oil and gas commercialisation, contract negotiation, asset development, business development, and stakeholder engagement—responsibilities that positioned him to undertake a doctoral inquiry with strong industry relevance and policy importance.
His dissertation, “A Conceptual Framework of the Strategic Options Available to Nigerian Independent Energy Companies (NIECs) at the Time of International Energy Companies (IEC) Divestment from Onshore Nigeria?”, employed a phenomenological research design to surface universal meanings from the lived experiences of sector experts. The study examined the commercial, regulatory, operational, and socio-economic implications of multinational divestment, articulating decision pathways for NIECs as they assume ownership and operational control of formerly IOC-managed assets.
A key outcome of the research was the Sale / Stakeholders / Sustainability (3S) Triangulation Framework, a strategic model guiding NIECs through asset evaluation, transactional decision-making, and long-term performance planning. Central to this model is the concept of Shared Prosperity, which extends petroleum strategy beyond traditional commercial metrics by incorporating community stability, socio-economic benefit, and long-horizon value creation—particularly relevant to energy-transition environments in developing economies.
Dr. Aliu’s professional background reinforces the rigor and practical significance of his doctoral work. He has led cross-functional commercial teams, negotiated high-value crude handling agreements, structured complex petroleum transportation arrangements, and managed strategic commercial interfaces across upstream and midstream operations. His leadership contributions have shaped operational efficiency, revenue generation, and contractual optimisation across Nigeria’s energy infrastructure.
Today, Dr. Aliu continues to serve as a senior commercial leader within the Nigerian energy industry, stewarding major infrastructure, advising on strategic petroleum contracts, and guiding organisational decision-making at the intersection of policy, economics, and stakeholder alignment. His doctoral research—anchored in scholarly discipline and enriched by extensive industry experience—provides a strategic framework of lasting value for energy executives, policymakers, and scholars seeking to understand and navigate the evolving post-divestment petroleum landscape.
