Doctor of Business Administration

AIB was the first private provider in Australia approved to award doctoral degrees in business-related fields, and its DBA reflects that positioning: an AQF Level 10 professional doctorate combining coursework with a substantial research thesis (50,000 to 80,000 words) that has to make an original contribution to knowledge in management or professional practice, not just apply existing theory. It typically takes a minimum of three years and up to six, with each candidate assigned a supervisory panel (a principal supervisor plus associate supervisor(s)) rather than working through the degree alone.

Unlike a traditional PhD, which AIB also offers, the DBA is explicitly framed around professional and management practice: candidates are usually senior managers, consultants or executives investigating a real problem from their own field (their industry, their organisation, their functional area) rather than pursuing a purely academic research question. That distinction, professional practice versus pure academic research, is the main line AIB draws between its DBA and PhD programs.

Graduates typically move into, or further embed themselves in, senior leadership, consulting or executive roles, or into academic and higher-education positions where a doctorate in business is a baseline requirement for teaching or supervising at that level.