Overview

Key Facts of the Doctorate in Business Administration programme at the Vlerick Business School

Develop the skills and knowledge to carry out innovative, ground-breaking and impactful research

Gain academic expertise in a topic relevant to your organisation
Join a community of international academics and professionals from industries all over the world – with plenty of opportunities to build connections and further your research
Put together your own tailored package of research, business and teaching electives to meet your needs and ambitions
Earn a Certificate of Management Research from Vlerick and a Joint PhD degree from Ghent University and KU Leuven

Programme Structure

Learning stage

The objective of the first stage is to develop your research capabilities. You’ll take part in five week-long, courses that cover the entire research cycle.
You attend all five courses – and dedicate time to preparing beforehand, studying afterwards and completing assignments, papers and exams. At the end of the learning stage, a formal progress assessment is conducted to admit you to the research stage .

Research stage

In the second stage of the programme, you work on three doctoral assignments and put your research proposal into practice and develop your thesis. You’ll collect and analyse data, draft your results – and, with the help of your supervisors, present your work to different audiences.
You’ll also need to present your research to your supervisory committee in three doctoral seminars.

Key information

Duration

Part-time
- 60 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-01 00:00:00

Apply anytime.

More details

We accept admissions on a rolling basis.

Language

English

Delivered

Blended

Campus Location

Gent, Belgium
Leuven, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium

Disciplines

Business Administration View 5 other PhDs in Business Administration in Belgium

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Academic requirements

GRE^®

Required

GMAT

Required

English requirements

We are not aware of any English requirements for this programme.

Other requirements

General requirements

To join the DBA programme, you need:

A Flemish Master’s degree or equivalent (inter)national higher education degree
To have graduated with distinction
At least 10 years’ managerial experience – with some experience at executive level

You also need to:

Submit an initial research topic that relates to our expertise and is academically challenging
Explain your motivation for joining the programme
Submit a GMAT/GRE test score gained no more than five years ago (unless you’re eligible for an exemption) – or show you’ve achieved a second distinction during your studies
Prove you’re fluent in English

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Vlerick Business School and/or in Belgium, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

13200 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 66000 EUR for the full programme during 60 months.
EU/EEA

13200 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 66000 EUR for the full programme during 60 months.

Living costs for Gent

754 - 1205 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.