How an Executive Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Can Help You Deliver Real-World Change

Gain the skills to make informed decisions, foster creativity, and implement strategies that solve real-world challenges.

Looking to elevate your business acumen and drive real-world change? Aston University's Online Executive Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) goes beyond classroom theory, offering a transformative experience for professionals like you. Designed for seasoned professionals, the DBA is ideal for those seeking to apply advanced research and leadership skills to real-world business problems. Whether you're a senior executive, entrepreneur, or consultant, this programme will allow you to address complex business challenges and lead transformative change. Holding a DBA provides you with the credibility and expertise to influence high-level decisions and shape the future of industries.

The Real-World DBA Impact

Graduates of the DBA aren’t just armed with knowledge, they are equipped with the tools to implement change at the highest levels of business. Through its research-oriented approach, the online DBA allows students to address real issues, such as operational inefficiencies, new business models, and emerging technological trends. By gaining this qualification, you'll enhance your ability to lead within your organisation or industry, solving complex challenges like technological disruptions or market shifts.

Aston University’s online DBA provides flexibility, allowing professionals to maintain their career momentum while acquiring new expertise. As a graduate, you’ll be able to demonstrate your ability to lead transformative initiatives and navigate high-level strategy. By focusing on high-level strategy and operational efficiency, these positions play a pivotal role in shaping the future of organisations. The DBA is particularly valuable for professionals looking to advance within their current roles or pivot into more senior positions. Whether you're aiming to influence industry practices, steer organisational transformations, or even move into academia, the DBA gives you the credibility and expertise to make that impact.

DBA career outcomes often include senior leadership roles that demand innovative thinking, such as the following roles:

Chief Strategy Officer, Director of Operations, or VP of Innovation

With a DBA degree, you'll have the tools to analyse market trends, customer behaviours, and technological advancements to create strategies that help businesses pivot in a volatile economy. For example, you could lead digital transformation initiatives to help companies adapt to technological disruption or redesign supply chains to make them more resilient and environmentally sustainable. 

Business Consultant

As a consultant, you’ll be a critical problem-solver, helping organisations tackle obstacles that impede their growth or efficiency. You’ll bring fresh perspectives to clients, helping them innovate and remain competitive. A DBA enables you to approach business problems with data-driven insights and advanced research methodologies. You could help companies struggling with operational inefficiencies or outdated business models by developing innovative solutions—such as automating processes, optimising resource use, or identifying new revenue streams.

Research Director

Research Directors guide innovation, overseeing projects that can result in the development of new products, technologies, or services that drive industries forward. For example, you might lead research that advances renewable energy technologies, helping to combat climate change or oversee pharmaceutical research that improves healthcare outcomes globally.

Academic Professor

Professors contribute to shaping the future by educating the next generation of business leaders and conducting research that influences policy, industry standards, and academic thought. By holding a DBA degree, your research can help solve pressing issues in the business world. You could guide students in understanding complex global issues like sustainable business practices, ethical leadership, or corporate social responsibility. Your academic work can also push forward new theories and frameworks that drive real-world changes in industries and economies.

Business Lead

A Business Lead is key in driving a company’s growth by building strategic partnerships, creating sales opportunities, and expanding market reach. Our online DBA will provide you with the analytical and leadership skills necessary to innovate business strategies in response to fluctuating market conditions. You could develop solutions to challenges such as shrinking market share, consumer mistrust, or emerging competition by leveraging deep insights and modern approaches to business development.

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, your decisions directly impact the company's success and the lives of its employees, customers, and stakeholders. You are responsible for setting the vision and driving the organisation's culture. Our online DBA prepares you to tackle major global challenges, such as leading an organisation through economic downturns, managing corporate social responsibility in global markets, or addressing sustainability issues. As CEO, you could implement strategies that reduce your company’s environmental footprint, improve workplace diversity, or increase transparency in supply chains, all of which significantly impact societal and global challenges.

Holding a DBA not only positions you to take on leadership roles but gives you the expertise and perspective to solve real-world challenges that businesses and society face today. Given the programme’s flexibility and international focus, earning a DBA degree from a prestigious institution like Aston University allows you to pursue these roles globally, proving your ability to implement research-driven solutions in a business context. 

DBA Programme Eligibility and Rankings

When considering a DBA, it's crucial to understand the eligibility requirements. Typically, candidates need substantial professional experience and academic qualifications (at a minimum, a master's degree in business or management and a minimum of five years of senior management experience), making this programme ideal for seasoned professionals. Aston University’s online DBA programme stands out not only for its flexibility but also for its globally recognised reputation. Our rankings place it among the top universities for business education, ensuring that your qualification holds weight in an international context. Some rankings include: 

• Triple Accreditation: Aston Business School is proud to be among 1% of business schools worldwide with triple accreditation from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.
• 66th in the World: Aston University is ranked 66th in the world for business and management studies (QS World University Rankings By Subject 2024).
• Top 25 UK Universities: Aston University is ranked 21st in the UK in the Guardian University Guide, 2025.

Curriculum Highlights

The DBA online programme at Aston University includes:

• • Advanced Research Methods: Develop sophisticated research skills for solving complex business problems. The Introduction to Business and Management Research module helps you develop the research skills necessary to solve real-world business challenges. You'll be guided in designing and conducting research that addresses the most pressing issues in your industry.
  • Strategic Leadership: The programme provides comprehensive training in strategic leadership, with a focus on managing change and driving innovation. You’ll learn how to create and implement strategies that can transform organisations and ensure their competitiveness in an ever-changing marketplace.
  • Proposal Development: In the proposal development phase, you'll focus on creating a strong research proposal for your thesis. You'll define a relevant business problem, outline your research questions, and choose the right methods. This module ensures your proposal is practical, addressing real-world challenges while also contributing to academic knowledge. It's an essential step toward shaping your final thesis.

If you’re ready to lead transformative change in your organisation or industry, the online Executive Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme at Aston University is the next step for you. With its combination of real-world application and academic excellence, this programme equips you to address the most pressing challenges of modern business. Explore the opportunities awaiting you with an Online DBA degree.