GenevaTech Business School offers advanced doctoral education for experienced professionals, senior executives, researchers, and academic leaders who aspire to make a significant contribution to business, public policy, technology, education, healthcare, and sustainable development. Designed in accordance with international research standards and the principles of the European Higher Education Area, GTBS doctoral Programs foster intellectual curiosity, critical inquiry, and evidence-based innovation to address complex global challenges.
Through rigorous supervision, interdisciplinary research, and international collaboration, doctoral candidates develop the expertise to generate new knowledge, influence policy, improve professional practice, and lead organizational transformation across diverse sectors. GTBS offers two distinct doctoral pathways to meet the needs of both practitioners and academic researchers.
DBA vs PhD
The DBA is an advanced professional doctorate designed for senior executives and experienced professionals seeking to apply research to real-world organizational challenges. The program emphasizes strategic leadership, innovation, digital transformation, evidence-based management, and organizational impact through applied research. It prepares the participants for tech-enabled leadership role across industries on a global scale. The DBA pathway is ideal for those who wish to bridge the gap between academic theory and business practice, enabling them to create actionable solutions for contemporary industry issues.
The PhD is a research-intensive doctorate intended for individuals pursuing careers in academia, research, public policy, or advanced professional practice. Candidates undertake original scholarly research that contributes new knowledge to their chosen discipline and addresses contemporary societal, technological, or business challenges.
A simple comparison table can then help prospective candidates identify the route that best aligns with their career goals.
Feature | DBA | PhD |
Primary Focus | Applied research to solve organizational and industry challenges | Original scholarly research contributing to theory and knowledge |
Typical Candidates | Senior executives, consultants, entrepreneurs, public-sector leaders | Academics, researchers, policy analysts, and aspiring faculty |
Research Orientation | Practice-based and impact-focused | Theory-driven and research-intensive |
Career Outcomes | Executive leadership, consulting, organizational transformation | Academia, research, policy, and advanced professional practice |
Program Architecture
- Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
Component | ECTS* |
Doctoral Coursework | 30 |
Research Proposal & Confirmation | 12 |
Applied Doctoral Research | 48 |
Dissertation & Viva Voce | 30 |
Indicative Total | 120 ECTS |
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Component | ECTS* |
Advanced Research Methodology | 30 |
Research Proposal & Confirmation | 30 |
Independent Research | 60 |
Dissertation & Viva Voce | 60 |
Indicative Total | 180 ECTS |
*Institutional Note: While doctoral degrees in the European Higher Education Area are generally capstone project based / research-based and are not uniformly assigned ECTS, GTBS adopts these indicative credit values for curriculum planning, workload management, and transparency. They should not be interpreted as a universal European requirement.
Program Duration
Program | | Normal Duration | | Maximum Duration |
DBA | 2-3 Years | 6 Years |
PhD | 3-4 Years | 6 Years |
Doctoral Learning Model
Every doctoral program shall follow:
Explore → Critique → Design → Investigate → Discover → Publish → Defend → Impact
Recognizing the needs of working professionals, GTBS offers flexible DBA pathways through a combination of:
- Online doctoral seminars
- Hybrid research workshops
- Individual supervision
- Virtual research colloquia
- Industry-based applied research
- International research collaboration
This flexible approach enables candidates to pursue doctoral studies while maintaining their professional commitments.
DBA
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