WIXLIB

Program OverviewProgram OverviewThe accelerated rate of change is thesignature of the 21st century and has, as wehave observed, the capacity to destabilizeall areas of human existence. With this inmind, we believe that business is at theforefront of defining, solving and managinga new business paradigm. Reconstructinghow business is practiced by building new,strong, carefully tested hypotheses throughresearch in the field, will be at the very heart ofbusiness and global business transformation.You achieve this throughthe criticalunderstanding, review and applicationof appropriate theories and research,challenging the professional practice ofbusiness management and administration,all in an effort to create new and bettersolutions for the complexities that surroundmanaging a business into the future.A pool of academics who are at the same time active business leadersYou will be expected to produce a significantDoctoral-level transdisciplinary study thatadvances research in the fields of businessand management that is both relevant andcan be applied in the real world.A fully flexible learning programThe DBA thesis dissertation, based onresearch that is carried out throughout theprogram, is the primary piece of work thatwill be assessed for the awarding of theDoctorate degree.While you are able to conduct your studies from anywhere, all seminars run by the BSLDoctoral program will be held in Lausanne, Switzerland. They are non-mandatory but wehighly recommend you to attend as they cover the most important subjects that will assist youin achieving your degree.Business School Lausanne (BSL) has shapedthe Doctorate of Business Administration(DBA) to look beyond the success orinnovation of a specific company.Our Doctoral program provides our studentswith the opportunity to determine, throughtheir Doctoral studies, how business shouldbe framed in the future, considering an entireindustry and not just a single company. TheDBA program combines the realism andfocus of in-field action research with a broadand in-depth understanding of methodicalDoctoral studies.Therefore, BSL’s Doctoral program builds abridge between academic research and thereality of the business world to help studentsfind solutions that will be applicable inpractice.Become a ChangeMaker by shapingand leadingthe BusinessTransformationyour industryneedsThe BSL DBA program is intended for thosewith previous managerial and leadershipexperience who wish to make a significantcontribution to enhancing and transformingtheir field of Business Administration.6Research thatstarts in the fieldwith results aimedat bettering thefieldOur Doctoral program has been designed bybusiness leaders for business leaders acrossthe globe. Through meticulous design, we willhelp you pursue a twofold objective: definingand pursuing a research degree, matchingyour professional goals.As business executives, our DBA candidatesall have professional careers they want toboost with their doctoral degree as well asan academic goal of someday being able toteach their domain of expertise in a BusinessSchool.We help our students with their research toenable them to make the business impactthey are looking for as well as transform theminto sound researchers.The Doctoral School is composed of academics who are at the same time senior, still active andsuccessful business practitioners and leaders.We believe that a successful Doctoral journey lies within the real world application possibilitiesof the research results and our Doctoral School team helps you in achieving this goal.The BSL DBA program is a fully flexible learning program. Business professionals from all overthe globe who are looking to make a real difference to the study and practice of businessadministration are welcome to apply.You will acquire invaluable insights via face-to-face interaction with expert faculty andresearchers who have significant experience with what is needed to complete a Doctoraldegree and you get the chance to meet your supervisor in person.A flexible durationThe duration of the program is from three to six years, dependingon whether you choose to undertake the degree as a full-timeor a part-time course of study.The following elements related to your researchers’ journeyhave the potential to influence the duration of your study: The subject of the studyThe development of an accurate and meaningful researchquestionYour chosen research methodologyThe network you have available or which can be easilyactivated to gather data and information fromYour level of English proficiencyYour writing capacityIn addition, youcan also lookforward to gainingmutually beneficialconnections withfellow Doctoralstudents from allover the worldand connect withour researchcommunityFurthermore, we understand that the vocational nature of yourchosen study and the evolving professional obligations youmay have can also affect the length of time that is required toachieve your DBA program. This is why we have ensured thereare different time frames for completing this degree.7

Program OverviewBSL Doctoral SchoolBSL Signature FeaturesYour BSL Support SystemBridging the World of Business and the World of AcademiaStudying at BSL comes with a number of advantages that you will not find with other businessschools. Some of the outstanding features of studying at BSL include:A Personalized approachThroughout the different phases of yourDoctoral journey, you will not only receivepersonalized support from your appointedsupervisor, but also from the BSL DoctoralSchool team in helping you, at all stages ofyour research, identifying the right focus tokeep.Real business transformationOur faculty consists exclusively of academicswho are also seasoned and active businesspractitioners. As such, they are aware of thelatest trends and business knowledge relatedto business transformation. They all teach theMega Trends shaping the industry they arean expert of, be it in terms of innovations andentrepreneurship, sustainable development,digitalization or big data.A research community and global networkOver 60 nationalities are represented byBSL’s student body and faculty, allowing youto develop an important global network forlife.A programdesignedby businessprofessionalsfor businessprofessionalsacross the globePillar 1 : Your SupervisorPillar 2 : Digital Resources CenterThe BSL Support System of your doctoraljourney is based on 4 main pillars.Self-Paced Learning ApproachThe Doctoral School is composed ofacademics who are at the same timesenior, still active and successful businesspractitioners.Our whole Faculty is building bridgesbetween the world of business and the worldof academia and is bringing research to thenext level.We believe that a successful doctoraljourney lies within the real world applicationpossibilities of the research results and ourDoctoral School helps you achieving this goal.From day one on, you will be assigned asupervisor who will be your sparring-partner,helping you navigate the challenges of yourdoctoral journey by guiding you, answeringyour questions and helping you anticipating,identifying and solving the problems you willencounter in your research journey.The relationship between you and yoursupervisor is a central pillar of the DBAprogram.To support your academic and doctoraljourney, we also provide you with a verycomplete digital resources center in whichyou will find webinars by our BSL ResearchSupervision team, for you to discover in aself-paced learning mode, on importanttopics related to academic research: How todefine a research question? What a literaturereview is about? How to write your literaturereview? The importance and the process ofdata collection? What are the main researchmethodologies at your disposal? What aresearch design is? How to best manageyour research project? How to present youracademic research ? How to publish andbe published in academic journals? You willalso find guidance navigating the BSL thesisguidelines and the different phases of yourDoctoral journey.Belonging to a Research CommunityIn order to enhance your feeling of belongingto the BSL academic community, theresources center is also the place where youcan watch student presentations aboutthe different phases of their research thathave been recorded during the accelerationweeks.Taking part in an Academic SymposiumOn top of that, you will be invited to take part,once a year, in our Academic sustainabilitysymposium organized in partnership with theEPFL. Here you will meet with researchersfrom other institutions to discuss cuttingedge topics related to sustainability and it’simpact on business and the world.89

BSL Doctoral SchoolThe Doctoral ProgramPillar 3 : DBA Acceleration WeeksOur BSL Signature SupportPillar 4 : the BSL LearningEnvironment: Digital LearningDurationThe goal of the DBA Acceleration Weeks(DAW) is to help you accelerate the progressof your doctoral studies and work towardsmeeting the deadlines set for the completionof your Doctoral program.BSL has selected world-class learning andresearch tools to help you accomplish yourresearch related tasks faster and with moresatisfying results. Thanks to this environment,you will be able to:The acceleration weeks take place twiceevery year, once in Spring and again inAutumn. There are non-mandatory buthighly recommended and are included in theDBA tuition fees.During those weeks that take place every6 months, you will be invited to take part inthree different formats :1. Lectures by Faculty (ex: lecturetopics related to research and ve research, mixed methods,research design )2. Presentation sessions by students on thedifferent phases of the DBA research journeythey are completing (ex: presentation ofliterature review) and3. Workshops ( ex: academic writing) .The DAWs will help you solve problems in thefollowing areas: Thinking and reasoningResearch methodologyAcademic writing and the writing processCommunication and academicpresentation skillsDBA work-life balance related questionsContinuous alignment of your researchand your business goalPersonal and professional developmentDAWs are a unique opportunity for youto work on your thesis in an internationalacademic environment whilst acceleratingyour academic thinking skills and writingproficiency as well as receiving feedback onthe state of your work in a 6 months cycle.10 Write faster, thanks to Grammarly, yourcutting-edge writing assistant Access the DBA Reading List on ResearchMethods, and a wealth of other selflearning resources on Perlego, the biggesttext books database in the world Check and prove the originality of yourwork, thanks to Turnitin in the word’s mostadvanced anti-plagiarism platform Access thousands of scientific articles andstatistical sources in the field of BusinessAdministration thanks to EBSCO, aleading provider of research databases.The duration of the program is generally 3 years, however, there is a possibility of extending thisup to a total of 6 years, depending on the area of studies and your vocational commitments.Course WorkDuring your time of study, you will have access to a number of BSL resources and your coursework will include the following: Two, non-mandatory, one-week seminars per year (DBA Acceleration Weeks – DAWs) Individually supervised research with a supervisor with both academic and professionalexperience Continuous support from the BSL Doctoral School team. Access to the Doctoral School Resource Center.Academic CalendarThe BSL DBA program has four intakes per year: February, May, September and November.Phasing1PHASE 1 / ADMISSIONAt BSL, our admissions team provide comprehensive support in the submission of yourapplication. The primary purpose of which is to provide you with guidance and adviceon your personal capacity to embark on your DBA journey.Aside from the administrative tasks required for acceptance on to the program, theadmission process incorporates a letter of intent and a preliminary research topicproposal. This first step will help you define and explain your area of interest and focusfor your research.To address the personal needs of each candidate, BSL offers two tracks to be acceptedto the Doctoral Program:Track 1 - Direct ApplicationYou have a well-defined topic and are ready to submit it for further review. Youwill work directly with our Admissions team on completing your application.Track 2 - Faculty Led WorkshopYou have not identified a research topic but have an idea of a business problemimpacting your industry and feel that you would benefit from more academicsupport to design your Research Topic. In which case, we offer a faculty leadworkshop in which you will have four-one hour meetings over a period of three months11

The Doctoral ProgramThe Doctoral Programwith one of our faculty to help you in completing your Research Topic Proposal.In accordance with your supervisor, a progression plan will be defined to ensure thecompletion of your thesis dissertation.Once you have submitted your completed application and Research Topic, apreliminary review will be rendered and an acceptance decision will be provided toyou. A preliminary admission means that your research topic has been accepted andthe Doctoral School has initiated the selection of an appropriate faculty supervisor.2PHASE 2 / DEFINING YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION(estimated duration under optimal conditions: 18 months)Once fully accepted to the program, a DBA consultancy session will be held with theDirector of the Doctoral School, in order to shape the first step of the research process.During phase 4 of your Doctoral program regular feedback, support and progressionmonitoring will be provided in order to make sure that you have the appropriateguidance during the writing process, whilst simultaneously ensuring the timelycompletion of the thesis. Your dissertation will also include a revised literature review.5This will allow you to contextualize the ways in which BSL will assist you in reaching yourdesired research aims and program objectives. Following this consultancy session, afaculty supervisor will be appointed to you.During Phase 2, in collaboration with your supervisor, you will work on and will berequired to submit a literature review along with a first assignment based most-likelyon a case study. Both the literature review and the case study should be developedaround the foundations of your preliminary research proposal.During this phase, the match between you and your assigned supervisor is assessed.If the literature review and/or case study lead to a research question demanding anunexpected field of expertise, our program is sufficiently flexible to allow for a new oradditional supervisor to be assigned to you.3PHASE 5 / ORAL DEFENSEThe Viva Voce should take place in person on campus; live video examination may takeplace in case of force majeure.The thesis is assessed by a minimum of two appropriately qualified examiners, whohold a doctoral-level research degree.6PHASE 6 / PUBLICATIONYour DBA dissertation is published on the BSL repository once completed.During the course of your Doctoral program, you will also have the possibility to publishscientific articles with the support of your supervisor.PHASE 3 / RESEARCH PROPOSALYour literature review and case study will be presented to and subsequently discussedin collaboration with the supervisor and the Doctoral School Executive. This providesa final validation of your research question and allows you to prepare for the next stepof your research.The presentation can be made in person at the BSL campus or, if you are unable toattend in person, via an online platform.After a validation of your research question, research process and results a DBA thesisaction plan will be determined with you to prepare you for Phase 4 which includes thecontinuation of the writing of your DBA thesis dissertation.4PHASE 4 / WRITING YOUR THESIS(estimated duration under optimal conditions: 18 months)Have any Questions?Our Expert Advising TeamYour DBA dissertation, centered on the research carried out throughout the program,is the primary piece of work that will be assessed for the eventual awarding of theDoctoral degree.Melanie Le Chêne12Head of Student Admissionsmelanie.lechene@bsl-lausanne.ch 41 79 539 69 55Ranjay GhaiExpert Program Advisorranjay.ghai@bsl-lausanne.ch 13 41 79 882 10 36

The Doctoral ProgramThe Doctoral ProgramPhasingPhasing applicationFaculty ledworkshopFormal admissionto the program142ResearchQuestionDefinition andResearch3ResearchProposalTowards ublication andGraduationPreliminary literaturereviewSubmission of aconsolidated researchproposalIndependentresearchOral DefenseorganizationPublication of theThesis DissertationResearch questiondefinitionReview of theresearch proposal bythe Doctoral SchoolCommitteeFurtherliterature reviewViva VoceGraduationLiteraturereviewFeedback bythe Doctoral SchoolCommittee nition ofresearch methods andresearch methodologyDefinition of aconcrete action plan forthe next steps of theresearch based on theresearch findingsSelf-paced learningand DAWThesis submission of aprofessionally proofread Dissertation(for non-native English speakers)Submission of a finaland approved version ofthe Thesis DissertationReview phase of SupervisormatchAnalysis offirst research findingsAmendmentsSelf-paced learningand DAWSelf-paced learningand DAWSelf-paced learningand DAW15

Admission ProcessAdmission RequirementsThe DBA is intended for individuals that hold an E/MBA or a Masters-level degree inmanagement or a related field, along with those who have an equivalent professionalqualification. The profile of Doctoral Candidates are mature and experienced leaders whodemonstrate the potential to meet the learning and research requirements of the DBA.In general, students are expected to have a minimum of eight years professional experienceprior to their DBA studies. In exceptional cases, candidates holding a minimum of five years ofmanagement experience may be considered. A significant portion of this experience should beat a senior level.Am I eligible?The requirements for eligibility to apply are: Hold an E/MBA or Masters degree in a business faculty or management fields Display evidence of the potential to do doctoral level work through the submission of aresearch topic Hold at least eight years’ of professional experience (case-by-case assessment is possiblefor the number of years of professional experience) and hold at least one of the following:o Be working in a professional capacity with significant responsibility ORo Be hold a senior management role ORo Be the managing director/chief executive officer of a small and medium-sizedenterprise or C-Suite executive or equivalent position ORo Be pursuing, or have pursued, a significant career in a professional or business areathat falls within the research interests of Business transformation Proof of English ProficiencyApplication DeadlinesBSL offers twenty places per year in the DBA program. Applications are accepted on anongoing basis, up to one year prior to the selected intake.We always recommend applying as soon as possible to ensure a seat in the program.September intake - July 31stFebruary intake - January 31stNovember intake - October 31stMay intake - April 30thAdmission ProcessChecklistThe BSL Admissions Committee only review complete applications. However we offercomprehensive support to help you build a strong application during this process.Review the Admissions criteriaAs soon as you have decided that BSL is the right business school for you, please carefullyreview the admission criteria to confirm your eligibility. If you have not yet connected with yourprogram advisor, you can reach us directly admissions@bsl-lausanne.ch.To complete your application OR Register for the workshopyou must submit the following: A complete Application Form etter of Intent outlining your researchLinterests (Page 1 and 2 of the topic proposaltemplate)ORA completed Research Topic Proposal forthe Direct Application Track Updated Curriculum Vitae One Recommendation LetterEvidence of academic achievements (1 academicreference master thesis) orEvidence of professional proficiency (1 generalreference letter) Official Transcripts and copy of yourCollege/University degreeForeign Official Transcripts must be certified bya legal authority such as a public notary, withtranslation when necessary. Official Transcripts canbe submitted electronically to admissions@bsllausanne.ch or by post to the Office of Admissions:Route de la Maladière 21, 1022 Chavannes –SwitzerlandProof of English proficiency (only one testnecessary)Minimum requirements:- TOEFL IBT 90- TOEFL CBT 575- IELTS 6.5- TOEIC 800- Duolingo 110- Language Cert - Low C1 (Expert Level)Copy of your Passport of GovernmentIssued I.D.A digital portrait photograph n application Fee of 120 CHF, payableAonline. The application fee is payable onceand will not be charged later on again whenyou articulate into the DBA.Program FeesThe Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) costs 14’000 CHF per year.The Faculty Led Workshop costs 2’000 CHF.Candidates articulating onto the BSL DBA program at the end of the Faculty Led workshop,receive a one-time 1’000 CHF discount toward the first year DBA tuition fee.An additional administrative fee of 1’900 CHF is required to reserve a seat and is payable uponpreliminary acceptance.If you are a Swiss resident and you pay your taxes in Switzerland, you may be allowed to partially deductyour tuition fees from your taxable income. The rules are different in each canton. We advise you tocheck this with the fiscal authorities of the canton you live in.1617

Rankings, Memberships,Certifications & AccreditationRankings, Memberships,Certifications & AccreditationRankings & ListingsAccreditationThe BSL DBA program was shortlisted byCEO Magazine as part of their premierprograms.BUSINESS SDCEnd2OLHORANKThe BSL DBA program is ranked 2nd out of 58University and Business School Doctoral andExecutive Education programs in Europe bythe European Commission.IN EUROPEMemberships & Certificationsswiernt18safety cessrtmISO 9001ceBSL is proud to be both partners andmembers of many Educational Alliances,Groups, Foundations and Organizationswhose goals are ultimately to improve theworld through excellence in areas such asManagement, Sustainability and Education.BSL must be able to prove and performin order to maintain partner and memberstatus for many of these.ifi e d s y s teThe business programs

the Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) to look beyond the success or innovation of a specific company. Our Doctoral program provides our students with the opportunity to determine, through their Doctoral studies, how business should be framed in the future, considering an entire industry and not just a single company. The