Develop your ability to design and implement solutions to complex business challenges across diverse organizations, industries, and global contexts.
Strengthen your leadership and professional impact by working on real organizational problems while learning from faculty recognized internationally for their applied expertise and rigorous, practice-oriented research.
Pursue a doctoral degree in international business across five continents, combining academic rigor, global exposure, and measurable organizational impact.
WHO’S IT FOR?
From entrepreneurs to CEOs, diplomats to consultants, our DBA candidates represent a diverse range of senior leadership backgrounds. All share a commitment to tackling complex organizational challenges, collaborating with peers, and generating actionable knowledge that advances their field.
WHY OUR DBA?
With flexible study options across five continents, our DBA offers a truly international doctoral experience. Grounded in Design Science Research, the program enables you to design, test, and refine solutions to real organizational challenges while deepening your expertise in global senior management.
WHERE WILL IT TAKE YOU?
Our DBA prepares you to lead transformation, drive strategic innovation, and implement evidence-based solutions in complex environments, strengthening your impact in senior leadership, consulting, and executive advisory roles.
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CUSTOMIZE YOUR PROGRAM WITH A MIX OF
INTERNATIONAL IN-PERSON COURSES AND ONLINE COURSESThe DBA program at Franklin Hudson offers a unique opportunity for students to study in diverse international locations including Paris, New York, Shanghai, New Delhi, São Paulo, and Cape Town, enriching their academic experience and global perspectives.
Additionally, with a strong emphasis on flexibility, the program offers a mix of online courses that empower students to tailor their studies to their busy schedules while benefiting from Franklin Hudson's renowned expertise.
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ADAPT YOUR PROGRAM TIMELINE TO YOUR SCHEDULE
The DBA program is self-paced, allowing students to tailor their studies according to their individual needs and commitments.
While the program is typically completed in 3-4 years, students have the flexibility to extend their studies up to a maximum duration of 6 years.
This unique approach ensures that working professionals can strike a balance between their academic pursuits and their professional responsibilities, empowering them to pursue their doctoral journey at their own pace while achieving academic excellence.
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MADE FOR WORKING EXECUTIVES
Completion of a master’s-level program
Average of 8 years’ senior management experience
Steady career progression with increasing professional responsibilities
Strong written and spoken English
Proficiency in both written and spoken English is essential for successful participation in the program and the development of rigorous, practice-oriented research.
If you don't meet these specific requirements, we encourage you to reach out to our Admissions Team to explore alternative options and discuss how we can best support your academic and professional aspirations.
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Practice-oriented research focuses on addressing complex organizational challenges by combining academic rigor with real-world application. Grounded in Design Science Research, this approach emphasizes the development of innovative artefacts, frameworks, and strategic solutions that directly support professional practice, particularly in areas such as innovation, transformation, and strategic technology. By bridging scholarly knowledge and organizational needs, candidates generate actionable outcomes that enhance decision-making, improve performance, and drive sustainable organizational advancement.
The DBA mainly attracts experienced professionals, with 48.7% aged 40–49, 28.9% aged 50–59, and 10.5% aged 60+.
The DBA cohort demonstrates exceptional gender balance, with 51.3% female participants, a rare outcome among business school doctoral programs.
DBA participants hold senior leadership roles, with 31.7% directors, 28.6% C-suite executives, and 25.4% senior managers.
The DBA cohort reflects diverse senior leadership expertise, spanning finance (21.3%), IT (13.1%), healthcare (9.8%), consulting (8.2%), and others, creating a uniquely cross-industry doctoral environment.
Our DBA candidates bring extensive experience from a wide range of industries, including technology, finance, consulting, healthcare, manufacturing, public sector, and entrepreneurship. Many hold senior leadership roles such as executives, directors, founders, and policy leaders, contributing deep sector-specific knowledge and strategic insight.
This diversity creates a rich peer-learning environment where candidates exchange perspectives, challenge assumptions, and collaborate across industries and geographies. As a result, the program benefits from collective executive expertise, strengthening the relevance, rigor, and real-world impact of doctoral research.
The Design Science Research (DSR) approach of the Franklin Hudson DBA was developed under the leadership of Prof. Bernhard Kölmel, Associate Dean for the DBA Program, an expert in innovation, technology strategy, and future-oriented business transformation.
Dr. Kölmel combines academic leadership with extensive industry experience, having worked in strategy, innovation, and business design roles across technology companies and startups, including initiatives in Silicon Valley. He advises organizations on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud, and digital platforms, and contributes to international research and innovation projects supported by institutions including the European Commission and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology.
His expertise ensures that the Franklin Hudson DBA remains grounded in rigorous research while focused on real-world organizational impact.
“You will not stop at understanding challenges: you will create solutions that shape organizational reality.”
— Prof. Bernhard Kölmel, Associate Dean, DBA Program
& Director of Practice-Oriented Research
The Design Science Research (DSR) Approach
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STEP 1 - IDENTIFY THE CHALLENGE
Define a complex organizational or industry challenge grounded in your professional environment. This phase focuses on framing a meaningful, strategically relevant problem, supported by initial research, stakeholder insights, and organizational context.
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STEP 2 – DESIGN THE SOLUTION
Develop an artefact such as a framework, model, strategy, or decision-support tool informed by academic literature and professional expertise. This stage bridges theory and practice by transforming insights into structured, actionable solutions.
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STEP 3 – TEST AND REFINE
Validate your solution within real organizational settings as part of your doctoral research at Franklin Hudson. Through iteration, feedback, and evidence-based evaluation, refine the artefact to ensure relevance, feasibility, and effectiveness.
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STEP 4 – DELIVER IMPACT
Produce actionable knowledge and implement your validated solution. This phase focuses on generating measurable organizational value while contributing to doctoral-level research and professional practice.
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PHASE I - COURSEWORK
Complete all the required research courses (5 credits: Advanced Academic Writing & Literature Review, Statistical Analysis, Research Methods OR Practice-Oriented Research) - these courses are offered all year-long online.
Complete at least half of the multidisciplinary and specialization courses (8 credits minimum) online, in Paris, New York or at any of our other rotating international locations (Cape Town, São Paulo, Tokyo, Singapore etc.).
Estimated completion time of Phase 1: 12 months to 2 years (18 months on average)
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PHASE II - DISSERTATION PROPOSAL
Dissertation proposal tutorial (5 credits): one-on-one sessions and collective research clinics to craft a dissertation proposal.
Hold your proposal hearing and have a dedicated dissertation chair appointed to your dissertation.
Complete the remaining multidisciplinary and specialization courses and pass your mandatory Comp Exams (2 credits) - official transition from doctoral student status to doctoral candidate status.
Estimated completion time of Phase 2: 6 to 18 months (average of one year)
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PHASE III - DOCTORAL RESEARCH
Official dissertation phase (25 credits): design, develop, and validate your research-based solution through supervised Design Science Research with your dissertation chair. Participate in monthly online Dean’s dissertation workshops to refine your artefact and exchange with fellow doctoral candidates.
Complete your final defense with your dissertation committee and submit your revisions. To obtain distinction, submit the first draft of an academic article and demonstrate the practical contribution and organizational impact of your research.
Estimated completion time of Phase 3: 6 to 18 months (average of one year)
Academic & Financial Essentials
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DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
During the program, each candidate must:
Accumulate a total of 53 US credits (90 ECTS equivalent)
Complete 16 multidisciplinary business course credits
Complete 5 research methods course credits
Pass the Comp Exams
Successfully complete a doctoral dissertation under the close supervision of an assigned dissertation chair
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TUITION FEES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
The total tuition fees for our DBA program, encompassing all online and international course options - spanning the entirety of your academic journey from commencement to completion - is 62 600€.
We're committed to ensuring accessibility to our program. Scholarships are available, and we offer payment plans designed to help you manage the investment in your education. Learn more about your financial options here.
“I found it very helpful that you can break your coursework into manageable amounts so you can really focus on the counsework, but also continue to have a normal work and family life.”
— Benjamin Cheeks, DBA Alumnus from the United States
Accreditation & Recognition
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All programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), a leading specialized accreditation body for business education supporting, celebrating, and rewarding teaching excellence and student learning outcomes.
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Our institution has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE), which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA) in the United States.
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Franklin Hudson has received institutional accreditation from the ATHEA Board of Commissioners for the Association for Transnational Higher Education Accreditation (ATHEA), based on the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG), which is required for recognition by the European Quality Assurance Register in Higher Education (EQAR).
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Franklin Hudson is registered as a private establishment of higher education in France with an official status from the French Ministry of Education: Établissement d'enseignement supérieur privé technique. Our International MBA, DBA and PhD programs are recognized as higher education programs.
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Franklin Hudson — ISM programs are all listed on the CHEA database through its programmatic accreditations, which are recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States.
This status confirms that our degree programs meet established U.S. quality assurance standards, thereby strengthening our international credibility and supporting the global recognition of our qualifications.
