Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) - Graduate School of Business

The DBA programme at GSB aims to achieve the following inter-related goals:

• Produce business leaders who possess advanced knowledge from the core business disciplines and have the ability to integrate them to enhance their decision-making skills,
• Produce business leaders with advanced and relevant skills in conducting scientific research, consultation and training for both public and private organisations,
• Provide knowledge of the modern techniques and tools that can be utilised to enhance and develop innovative practices in their respective organizations,
• Produce business leaders with the ability to view problems systematically, holistically and unravel complex business issues and subsequently provide practical and innovative solutions, and
• Stimulate creativity, critical and ethical thinking and to equip business leaders with skills in managing change and transforming organisations within the dynamic global business environment.

The DBA Programme is delivered in 3 parts through a series of lecture seminars, consultancy, training and independent study.

Part I: Theoretical Updating (18 units)

Seminar in:
i. Management Control and Decision Making
ii. Human Capital Transformation
iii. Financial Decision Making
iv. Managing Technology and Decision Making
v. Marketing and Global Business
vi. Trend and Foresights in Business Strategy

Part II: Knowledge Dissemination and Generation (21 units)

This part is divided into 2 components:
i. Dissemination of knowledge: The Consultation and Training Course (15 units) requires the candidate to conduct consultancy and training in a chosen field. This course is completed in 2 semesters.
ii. Generation of knowledge The Research Methodology course (6 units) requires the candidate to update knowledge in research methodology, statistical techniques and statistical software packages. The candidate needs to prepare a research proposal, which will serve as the basis for the dissertation in Part III. This course is completed in two semesters.

Part III: Dissertation (42 units)

This is the part where candidates are supervised through the process of a dissertation and upon completion, are examined viva voce. This course is completed in 3 semesters.

Applicants should possess the following:

• A Master's degree in Management or Master of Business Administration (MBA) from a recognised university by the USM's Senate or an equivalent qualification.
• A minimum CGPA of 3.00/4.00 or equivalent.
• Degree awarded by local private Institutions of higher learning including those awarded under any collaborative/franchising schemes with local or foreign partners must be accredited by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
• A minimum of 5 years relevant working experience
• Pass the Interview to candidate who do not achieve above requirement.

(Applicable for International Applicants Only)

The minimum score for each programme can be vary from the below list, candidates are required to check for each programme requirements.

• A minimum score of 40 for TOEFL (Internet-based); or
• A minimum of Band 7.5 for TOEFL Essentials (Online); or
• A minimum of Band 5 for IELTS; or
• A minimum score of 47 for PTE; or
• A minimum score of 154 for Cambridge English (CAE/CPE); or
• A minimum score of 154 for Linguaskill Online; or
• A minimum of Band 3.5 for MUET

Exemption can be given to candidate if:

• English is the candidate’s mother tongue or National Language; or
• Candidate graduated from an Institution of Higher Learning in which the medium of instruction at Bachelor and/or Master degree level is English (statement of proof required)

Full time: 7 semesters to 10 semesters

Part time: 10 semesters to 14 semesters

April & October

** Fees are subject to change