The Maastricht Doctor of Business Administration The pinnacle of global management scholarship The Globally Networked Management School
Doctor of Business Administration This brochure provides an overview of the highly ranked Maastricht DBA: the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree offered by the Maastricht School of Management (MsM). It sets out the why of the Maastricht DBA and describes the structure, content, schedule, as well as the admission requirements for the program.
Dean s Declaration The Maastricht DBA is popular, but hard to get into. We receive more than 200 applications every year, of which less than 15 per cent are selected. As one of the top business schools in the world, we prepare our students to tackle ever more complex challenges and opportunities worldwide, and to reach the pinnacle of management education. The Maastricht DBA is a tough, challenging, but ultimately rewarding qualification. It is internationally accredited by the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE), and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). MsM is a member of the international Executive DBA Council and a signatory to PRME: the Principles for Responsible Management Education. Prof. Dr. Wim Naudé Whether or not to pursue doctoral studies, and indeed the choice of school, are not easy decisions. We hope this brochure will help you make an informed decision. You can submit an application to the program at www.msm.nl/specialpages/apply-online. If you require more information, please visit our website www.msm.nl. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any of our faculty or staff. We look forward to hearing from you. Prof. Dr. Wim Naudé, Dean
MAASTRICHT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Why MsM s DBA Since 1995, MsM s DBA program has grown into the largest in Europe, and one of the most highly ranked programs worldwide. Our doctoral program ranked #2 in the world In the 2012 ranking of Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) programs worldwide, DBAStudies.com ranked the Maastricht School of Management s DBA program at second place in the world. MsM offers an excellent and stimulating research environment for its doctoral candidates with its yearly research conference, many research workshops and lectures with free access for our doctoral candidates. Our candidates present their research through our working paper series and research seminars and conferences. This research environment has contributed to several of our doctoral candidates having received best paper awards on high standing conferences worldwide. Also MsM s doctoral supervisors are reputable academics who publish in premium journals. Our candidates are encouraged to engage with their supervisors and publish their research in international journals, resulting in an average of four publications per DBA graduate over the year 2012. Highlights of Recent MsM Research Publications Activists and Incumbents Structuring Change: The Interplay of Agency, Culture, and Networks in Field Evolution- by Jakomijn van Wijk (Maastricht School of Management) et al., published in Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 56, No. 2, 2013, pp. 358-386. Entrepreneurs in the Dark. The Impact of Fragile and Hybrid Governance on Lebanese Entrepreneurship - A Case Study of the Electricity Sector - by Nora Stel (Maastricht School of Management), published in Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, Vol. 18, No. 3, 2013, pp. 1-17. Best Value for Money in Procurement - by Nicola Dimitri (Maastricht School of Management), published in Journal of Public Procurement, Vol. 13, No. 2, 2013, pp. 149-175. Delivering the Promise of the Decade of Vaccines: Opportunities and Challenges in the Development of High Quality New Vaccines, By Edith Maes (Maastricht School of Management) et al in Vaccines, Vol. 31, 2012, pp. B184-B193. Entrepreneurship and Human Development: A Capability Approach, by Wim Naudé (Maastricht School of Management) and Thomas Gries, published in Journal of Public Economics, Vol. 95 (1): 216-224. The Globally Networked Management School
The doctoral difference You are passionate about your job. Your business is important, not only to you, but to your workers, your colleagues, and even your family. You are a pillar in the community. You are highly educated, with a top-class Master s degree behind your name. And you have been in management for a significant number of years. 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Applications 218 196 158 263 238 Admitted 43 57 20 32 29 % admitted 19.7% 29.1% 12.7% 12.2% 12.2% If this sounds like you, then you may have been grappling with some fundamental questions. Does my business really contribute to the prosperity of my region or country? How can I improve my organization s performance? Will my business survive the onslaught from competitors, regulators, changes in consumer tastes, and disruptive new technologies? How can we manage the growing scarcities in basic resources like energy, water and land? Should we start exporting or not? How will climate change impact my business? Is big data the answer?, and many more. Finding novel solutions to both new and old problems, and finding answers on how to turn opportunities and challenges into organizational success, requires visionary management and leadership - leadership at the cutting edge of management science. This is the domain of the Maastricht DBA. Our basic premise is that these questions can only be answered by managers and entrepreneurs who understand the complexities and trade-offs in evidence-based decision-making. Anecdotes, past experience, and copying the behavior of other firms are not good guides to decision-making. Evidence-based decisionmaking on the other hand requires a scientific or evidence-based approach to management and entrepreneurship.
MAASTRICHT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION The doctoral decision The PhD is the typical academic degree. It places a strong(er) emphasis on the academic development of your subject (whether it be in marketing, finance, strategy, economics, etc.) and on your contribution to the academic debate. Doctoral topics tend to be more general in scope. It is the degree of choice for people interested in an academic career, or a career in a research organization or think-tank. We believe our graduates learn more about themselves as they learn about the world at MsM. Ultimately this is what will give them and their organizations the edge in life and business. The DBA is the typical practitioner s degree. It puts a strong(er) emphasis on finding a solution, via rigorous scientific methods, to a very specific problem facing a particular organization, industry or country, and where the principles and knowledge base of management science are central. It is the degree of choice if you intend to stay in the world of business and apply your research skills to the problems and opportunities facing your own organization. To enter a DBA program you will need several years of practical experience, whereas many PhD programs do not require such experience. The Maastricht School of Management has offered the DBA degree since 1995. The program boasts international accreditation and our graduates enjoy senior positions in their organizations. They often publish in academic journals and many are recognized in their communities. The doctoral difference in management and entrepreneurship lies in pursuing novel solutions with scientific and intellectual rigor. Solutions that will stand the test of time and that can make a general contribution to management science. You are a recognized intellectual leader in your field. You are one of a select few that has, and still continues to, expand the boundaries of management and entrepreneurship. You have a deep and solid understanding not only of the theoretical foundations of your job and business, but extensive practical experience of using the best techniques of applied science to find answers to perplexing questions. You are secure in your position and place in the world of business. If this describes you, you may already have a prestigious Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree. You already have the doctoral difference. Country of Origin of Participants 5%7% 1% 21% 22% 44% Gender of Participants 76% 24% Middle East Africa Asia Europe Canada Latin America Male Female The Globally Networked Management School
My doctoral decision MsM has been instrumental for my career... Pragmatic content complemented by thorough research have provided me with organizational solutions. Vanessa Borg, MsM Alumna and Executive Director of Consultancy & Training Acumen Centre Ltd, winner of the Bronze Stevie Award of Company of the Year 2012. The PhD program is conducted as a joint doctorate program in its so-called PhD Schools between MsM and several leading Dutch universities and Institutes such as the University of Maastricht, the Technical University of Eindhoven, the International Institute for Social Studies, Tilburg University and Radboud University Nijmegen. One of these carefully-selected partner universities confers the PhD degree on a student completing the program. This allows students in our DBA program to switch to the PhD programs of any of these universities after their first year, conditional on their performance and acceptance by these institutions. The doctoral decision is yours. We are ready to assist you with any questions you may have. The next section explains the requirements of the program, as well as its schedule and content. The doctoral demands Problem orientation Ours is a doctoral program with a difference: we expect all our doctoral students to focus on solving a real-life problem. Instead of being discipline-focused, like most traditional academic degrees, we take disciplinary excellence as a given. We require our students to use their disciplinary expertise to solve problems - often problems facing global business and its impacts. An important requirement of our doctorate is that you are able to indicate the nature of the problem, and how you wish to solve it through your doctoral studies. From this point, you will grasp that the Maastricht DBA aims to foster a multi-dimensional understanding of the way that business, society and government interact. You will see how they result in sustainable development, how they affect global public goods, and how business promotion can contribute to sustainable societies that are also shared, peaceful and prosperous. Alignment with MsM s expertise clusters Although any good proposal is welcome, we encourage prospective doctoral candidates to align their studies with MsM s three clusters of expertise. MsM, a global business school with substantial links to emerging economies, is committed to the sustainable development of our world. We encourage research that tackles the major challenges facing organizations and entrepreneurs in sustainable global development. Our three expertise clusters focus on: Entrepreneurship and innovation (The innovative organization); Global value chains and partnerships; (The trading organization); and Organizational development, performance and public policy (The performing organization).
MAASTRICHT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION More information on our research focus areas is available on our website www.msm.nl or on request. We strongly recommend that you check the research profiles of our current faculty, in particular their scientific publications. Our faculty is highly qualified to supervise you: they publish in and serve on the editorial boards of a number of top scientific journals. Doctoral candidates are highly encouraged, and assisted, to publish their work. In recent years an increasing number of MsM students have been published in scientific journals. Program outline The Maastricht DBA takes at least four years. The first year consists of coursework, particularly focused on research methods and skills. Participants will have the option to follow our 12-week Research Methods and Skills program, offered in partnership with Maastricht University, one of the Top 10 Young Universities in the world. For more information: www.msm.nl/programs/ doctoral-programs/research-methods-and-skills-(rms) After the first year, candidates must submit and defend a complete research proposal - a Master s thesis. The successful evaluation of this thesis is a precondition to continue into the second year under the guidance of a supervisor, or in many cases, a team of supervisors. Focus of theses on MsM Research Focus Areas Performing Organization 23% Innovating Organization 30% Trading Organization Other 30% 23% Drawn from our international faculty and/or associated faculty, our supervisors are highly qualified and experienced, and regularly publish in top peer reviewed journals (see our website for a comprehensive list of recent publications by our faculty). Under the guidance of a supervisor or supervisory team, a candidate typically takes three to four years to complete a doctoral dissertation, either in the form of a monograph (book) on a single topic, or a series of journal articles on a topic or related topics. The differences in approach, qualifying journals and numbers of articles to be submitted are discussed on MsM s research website www.msm.nl, where you can find information about the various possibilities for doing and submitting your research. Before being allowed to graduate, a candidate must defend his or her thesis at a public defense ceremony, normally held in Maastricht, the Netherlands. NB: the maximum duration of the DBA program is six years. Year 1 Quarter 1: Coursework: Research Methods and Skills Year 1, Quarter 2,3,4 Year 2,3,4 Introduction Research Methodology Research Philosophy Empirical cycle Research approaches & strategies Role of literature Conceptualizing research Research ethics Qualitative Research Interviews Focus groups Textual analysis Case study Coding & ATLASti Validity & reliability Presenting qualiy data Quantitative Research Mathematical skills Descriptive statistics Probability & probability distributions Estimation & confidence intervals Hypothesis testing Introduction to STATA Chi-square distribution F-distribution (Non-)linear regression Multiple Regression Research Proposal Specialization lectures & coaching: - Impact monitoring - Qualitative designs - Quantitative designs Academic writing Presentation skills Research Proposal Development Showcase Research Presentations & Meetings Reflection & Learning through:assignments, discussions, coaching & feedback, presentations Closing & Evaluation Writing Extended Research Proposal MPhil Defense Data gathering, analysis and thesis writing DBA defense The Globally Networked Management School
Decided? Deliberating? Whether or not to pursue doctoral studies, and indeed the choice of school, are not easy decisions. We hope this brochure helped you to make an informed decision. If you require more information, please visit our website www.msm.nl. Applications can be submitted at any time of the year. However, please note that many coursework sessions usually take place between September and December. If you plan to join them, applications must be submitted at least three months before the start of the coursework sessions. Apply to the DBA program online at our website: www.msm.nl/specialpages/apply-online or by submitting to doctoraladmissions@msm.nl the following documents: A short CV Certified transcripts of your Master s degree Proven proficiency in English: We require a score of at least 600 on the paper-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or 250 on the computerbased TOEFL, or an equivalent score on an approved alternative test. A letter of motivation that includes a preliminary thesis proposal (max. 1500 words), outlining the problem that you wish to solve.
MAASTRICHT SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION About MsM The Maastricht School of Management (MsM) was founded in 1952. We are one of the oldest and most international business schools in the Netherlands, offering internationally accredited MBA, MSc, Master of Business Management (MBM) degrees, and many shorter professional courses, in addition to the DBA. We offer our programs in Maastricht and across the world through collaboration with various partner institutions in amongst others Albania, Azerbaijan, China, Colombia, Egypt, Germany, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Peru, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Vietnam and Yemen. Around 1,500 students graduate every year from our programs, and our alumni occupy top positions in business, government and academia. Über die MsM Die Maastricht School of Management (MsM) wurde im Jahre 1952 gegründet. Wir sind eine der ältesten internationalen Business Schools in den Niederlanden mit der größten Anzahl von Partnern weltweit. Die MSM bietet international akkreditierte MBA, MSc und Master of Business Management (MBM) - Studienprogramme sowie viele Kursprogramme für Professionals an. Zudem ist insbesondere ein Promotionsprogramm zum Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) hervorzuheben. Wir bieten unsere Studienprogramme in Maastricht und in der ganzen Welt durch die Zusammenarbeit mit verschiedenen Partnerinstitutionen wie z. B. in Albanien, Aserbaidschan, China, Kolumbien, Ägypten, Deutschland, Kasachstan, Kuwait, Peru, Rumänien, Russland, Ruanda, Südafrika, Suriname, Tansania, Vietnam und Jemen an. Rund 1.500 Studenten absolvieren jedes Jahr unsere Studienprogramme. Unsere Alumni besetzen Top-Positionen in Wirtschaft, Politik und Wissenschaft. Sobre MsM Maastricht School of Management (MsM) fue fundada en el año 1952. Somos una de las escuelas de negocios más antigua e internacional de los Países Bajos. Ofrecemos los programas acreditados internacionalmente de MBA, MSc, Master of Business Management (MBM) y diversos cursos profesionales de corta duración así como también el programa DBA. Nuestros programas se ofrecen en Maastricht y gracias a la colaboración de nuestras instituciones socias alrededor del mundo en países tales como Albania, Azerbaiyán, China, Colombia, Egipto, Alemania, Kazajistán, Kuwait, Perú, Rumania, Rusia, Ruanda, Sudáfrica, Surinam, Tanzania, Vietnam y Yemen. Cada año se gradúan alrededor de 1,500 estudiantes, nuestro alumni ocupa posiciones de altos mandos en el mundo de los negocios, gobierno y la academia. En el Perú, Colombia y el Ecuador ofrecemos nuestro programa de DBA en colaboración con CENTRUM Católica Graduate Business School, Escuela de Negocios número 1 del Perú y entre los primeros lugares a nivel de América Latina. The Globally Networked Management School
The Dean and key members of the DBA-team at the Maastricht School of Management, 2013 Rreth MsM Shkolla e Menaxhimit të Mastrihtit (MSM) është themeluar në vitin 1952. Ne jemi një nga shkollat e biznesit më të vjetra dhe më të njohura në rang ndërkombëtar në Hollandë, duke ofruar të akredituara ndërkombëtarisht MBA, MSc, Master në Menaxhim Biznesi (MBM), dhe shumë kurse afatshkurtra profesionale, përveç DBA. Ne ofrojmë programet tona në Mastriht dhe nëpër botë nëpërmjet bashkëpunimit me institucionet partner të ndryshëm mes të tjerave përmendim Shqipërinë, Azerbaxhanin, Kinën, Kolumbinë, Egjiptin, Gjermaninë, Kazakistanin, Kuvajtin, Perunë, Rumaninë, Rusinë, Ruand, Afrika e Jugut, Suriname, Tanzania, Vietnam dhe Jemen. Rreth 1,500 studentë të diplomuar çdo vit nga programet tona zënë pozicione kyçe në biznese, në qeveri dhe në fushën akademike. Në Shqipëri ne ofrojmë programin DBA në bashkëpunim me partnerin tonë, Institucionin ISSAT.
Maastricht School of Management Endepolsdomein 150, 6229 EP Maastricht, The Netherlands T: +31 43 387 08 08 E: info@msm.nl www.msm.nl