This Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) is a 3-year, part-time, professional doctoral program aimed at experienced managers who want to bring impact to their organization and/or society by leveraging academic research to solve concrete organizational problems. With cohorts in both France and California, USA, the program is adapted to the busy lives of professionals and academics.
Founded in 1993, The DBA program from Grenoble Ecole de Management is the most experienced DBA in Europe. It offers senior managers, independent consultants, and academics the opportunity to leverage their careers and/or to make a transition into academia. The program for those seeking to link corporate experience to rigorous and relevant research. It connects the business and research communities to enact change and foster progress through original and publishable research work.
From Day 1, participants start working on their research, and the program is designed to ensure that students carry out long-term research projects that are highly relevant to management practice and are based on up-to-date scientific knowledge. The content of the workshops focuses on the development of research methods. All applicants have managerial expertise and a Master’s/MBA degree; therefore, the courses do not repeat the content of MBA studies.
Our DBA approach leads to intellectual contributions, as demonstrated by our students’ and graduates’ outstanding publication records. As a triple-accredited business school (AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS), Grenoble Ecole de Management has designed a program that fits executives’ needs with the highest quality standards: we see the DBA program as a true research-based degree.
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Global cohort options
Grenoble Ecole de Management offers a top-tier, 3-year, Part-time, DBA, compatible with full-time employment. The program includes two or three on-campus Research Seminars (depending on location selection), live online Workshops & Seminars, qualifying deliverables and milestones, and a final dissertation.
Join one of our strategic international cohorts while following the program from anywhere in the world:
DBA France: Paris - Grenoble - Online
DBA USA: Los Angeles - Paris - Grenoble - Online
For Swiss residents, we offer an exclusive location in collaboration with HEG-Genève.
GEM & HEG-Genève: Geneva-Paris-Grenoble-Online
For Polish residents, we offer an exclusive location in collaboration with Kozminski University, Poland.
Regardless of the location, the content is the same and participants who successfully complete the program are awarded a Grenoble Ecole de Management Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) degree.
Specialization in Year 3
During Year 3 of the DBA program, candidates participate in a specialization track. The specializations are not required to be aligned with the student's own research topic, but are rather an opportunity to gain further research experience by producing and presenting academic-level work and learning about about cutting-edge research. Tracks include:
- Specialization in Sustainability
- Specialization in Managing Technology and Innovation
- Specialization in Managing and Leading People
Why do a DBA?
Our DBA students’ research influences managerial and organizational milieus at the highest level. Each student’s thesis includes a chapter dedicated to the managerial implications of their doctoral research and offers relevant recommendations for organizations to overcome key challenges.
DBA students and graduates are encouraged to share their results and findings with the widest possible audience in order to inform and engage with their peers, organizations, and communities.
With a strong focus on dissemination to business and academic audiences, the combination of relevance and rigor in our DBA research supports our reputation in the management of technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
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The Grenoble DBA enables students to:
- Understand state-of-the-art research in their fields of study;
- Acquire the necessary understanding and expertise in methods and techniques for research design, data collection, and data analysis;
- Conduct, write, and disseminate high-quality doctoral-level research;
- Achieve a greater level of effectiveness as a professional practitioner in managing technology, innovation, and change; and
- Gain legitimacy as researchers and faculty members in both academic and non-academic environments
Why Grenoble Ecole de Management?
Excellence in Research:
In addition to our triple accreditation (AACSB, AMBA, EQUIS), this top, accredited doctoral degree is an AACSB-recognized terminal degree for future faculty. With more than 1,400 intellectual contributions to business practices, our DBA alumni have created a significant impact in numerous fields.
A Global Community of Scholars:
With DBA locations in France and the USA and 30 years of DBA experience, Grenoble Ecole de Management continues to build an active international network that includes more than 600 DBA alumni and students.
A Program Made for Experienced Managers:
The DBA program is organized into seminars, workshops, and research activities taking place on campus and online. Coursework and content are delivered according to a part-time schedule that meets the needs and constraints of working professionals.
DBA Alumni Ambassadors
Grenoble Ecole de Management DBA - A track record of producing successful graduates who have made significant contributions to their fields.
The DBA has afforded me opportunities to lead global projects, engage in multidisciplinary research, and develop new initiatives that would have otherwise been unimaginable.» - Dr. Benjamin Powers, DBA 2017 Graduate, Director, Global Literacy Hub at the Yale Child Study Center
The DBA was an opportunity to discover a new professional path. It opened doors in my professional life as a researcher and as a managing director." - Dr. Isabelle Chaquiriand, DBA 2020 Graduate, Dean of the Faculty of Business Sciences at the Catholic University of Uruguay
The Doctorate of Business Administration Program from Grenoble Ecole de Management is a member of the Executive DBA Council.
Listed by CEO Magazine as one of top global DBA programs in 2025
Updated 4/7/2025