N-DL/345/8/1072(MQA/FA11243)02/26
Doctor of Business Administration
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Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is the pinnacle of management education. It is as academically rigorous as a PhD, but it is designed for experienced professional managers and combines academic theories and concepts, with business and management practices.
The programme imparts the advance knowledge, alongside conceptual and strategic skills that are expected of corporate leaders to lead the robust service and manufacturing sectors in Malaysia. By enabling learners to capitalise on their respective career and practical experiences, the inventory skill set and other significant learning support, learners will successfully accomplish the personal, professional and organisational outcomes of the programme.
The significant parts of the DBA work are the coursework comprising core areas in business and management and a dissertation of an applied research written under the guidance of a supervisor. The dissertation must be a substantial original contribution to the knowledge or understanding of any field through the discovery of new facts, the formulation of theories or the innovative reinterpretation of known data and established ideas. It must demonstrate the capacity to conceive, design, conduct, interpret and write scientific independent research.
Solving Industry Problems
Design & Undertake Research with Academic Value & Real Impact on Practice or Policy
Constant Support
Engage with Close-Knit Community of Students, Faculty, Prominent Intellectuals & Industry Leaders
Workshops
Sharpen Research Skills & Personal Development Throughout Dissertation Research Stage
Modular Structure
Pursue a Professional Doctorate Degree Without Putting Career or Life On-Hold
Transferable Skills
Expand Competency for a Career Trajectory into becoming a Consultant, Analyst or Researcher
“The expert in anything was once a beginner.”
Helen Hayes

Top Core Courses
Fundamentals that will build you up to stay relevant and excellent today, tomorrow and beyond.
Transformational Leadership and Change
The pandemic crisis gives fresh content for students to share self-reflections when discussing cases and situations with challenges that unravels continuously by the day.
Management Consultancy
Students spend two terms to carefully hone their strategic consultancy skills through the application of strategic tools and techniques in an actual consultancy assignment.
Conceptualisation and Theoretical Development in Research
Students put their interest together with theories, concepts, and ideas, methodologies, and real world business problems into a systematic way of thinking and designing for impactful research findings.
Learning Path
Students will develop a critical appreciation of wide-ranging theories, concepts, and contemporary issues in key business and functional areas of management, as well as gain fresh insights into real-world business opportunities and challenges.
Students will hone their conceptual and analytical skills in identifying core business or management issues and sharpen their consulting capability in evaluating evidence and communicating findings. Subsequently, they will kickstart their journey into business research by attempting proposal research writing.
Students will conduct an original applied research that has the potential to influence present or future business or management policies and practices.
Upon completion of the programme, you can pursue numerous career paths such as:
- Management Analyst
- Market Research Analyst
- Academician
- Business/Management Consultant
DOCTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION (DBA)
No. | Course Code | Course Title | Credit Hours |
CORE COURSES | |||
1. | BBM701/04 | Advanced Management Accounting & Decision making | 4 |
2. | BBM702/04 | Corporate Social Responsibility & Governance | 4 |
3. | BBM703/04 | Global Supply Chain Management | 4 |
4. | BBM704/04 | Transformational Leadership & Change | 4 |
5. | BBM705/04 | Contemporary Issues in Marketing Management | 4 |
6. | BBM706/04 | Strategic Thinking & Implementation | 4 |
7. | BBM707/08 | Management Consultancy | 8 |
8. | BBM708/04 | Conceptualisation & Theoretical Development in Research | 4 |
9. | BBM709/04 | Quantitative & Qualitative Analysis in Business Research | 4 |
Subtotal Credit Hours | 40 | ||
REQUIRED COURSE | |||
1. | BBM710/40 | Dissertation | 40 |
Subtotal Credit Hours | 40 | ||
Total Credit Hours | 80 |
Prerequisites:
No. | Course Code & Title | Prerequisite |
1 | BBM707/08: Management Consultancy | Students must pass BBM706/04 before being allowed enrollment in BBM707/08 |
2 | BBM710/40: Dissertation | Students must pass both BBM708/04, BBM709/04 before being allowed enrollment in BBM710/40. |
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- The programme is conducted in a modular format with 1 course offered every 2 months.
- Dissertation will come with completion of a written thesis and passing of a viva voce.
Regular Entry
Candidates should possess:
- A Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) in related fields as accepted by the HEP Senate; OR
- A Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) in non-related fields as accepted by the HEP Senate, subject to having relevant working experience and rigorous internal assessment; OR
- A Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) in non-related fields as accepted by the HEP Senate and without relevant working experience, subject to passing prerequisite courses; OR
- Other qualifications equivalent to a Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) recognised by the Malaysian Government
Fee Schedule
(Effective May 2022 Semester)
Wawasan Open University uses a unique model of delivering education to both Open Distance Learning (ODL) and On-Campus Learning (OCL) students with tuition fees for the following level of programmes that can be worked out as follows:
Level | Total Number of Courses | Total Number of Credits | Tuition Fees (RM) |
Undergraduate | |||
Diploma | 29 | 90 | 12,250 – 13,950 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 26 – 39 | 120 – 126 | 27,880 – 43,520 |
Post-Graduate | |||
Postgraduate Diploma | 7 | 33 | 9,888 |
Master’s Programme | 8 – 13 | 41 – 46 | 25,800 – 29,700 |
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) | 10 | 80 | 47,350 |
Notes:
- A one-off payment Processing and Administration fee is chargeable for new students and varies according to programme.
- Open Distance Learning Study Resource and Services fee is chargeable every semester and varies according to programme.
- On Campus Learning Study Resource and Services fee is chargeable every semester and varies according to programme.
- All totals are merely indicative and fees are subject to change without notice.
All of the University’s courses are classified into three categories, i.e., lower level, middle level or higher level. Lower-level courses are basic, introductory or foundation courses designed for freshmen. Middle-level courses may require some knowledge of previous study or a certain amount of intellectual maturity. Higher level courses are specialised courses usually designed for those majoring in a particular discipline. The level of a course is indicated by the first digit of the course code, i.e., lower level courses are indicated by the code 1XX/XX, middle level courses by 2XX/XX and higher level courses by 3XX/XX or 4XX/XX. The 2 digits after the slash indicate the credit value of the course. i.e., WLA101/03 is a lower level course of 3 credits while BBM203/05 is a middle level course of 5 credits and TEC305/10 is a higher level course of 10 credits.
Please click on the below links to download the courses.
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