Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Application for Admission
Program beginning 15th October 2007
Admissions criteria
Candidates must have the following qualifications to be eligible for admission:
• Master’s degree in business or management (MBA, MA or MSc)
• A minimum of 3 years managerial experience
• Potential for conducting high level doctoral research demonstrated by a preliminary
research proposal (see guidelines below)
• TOEFL score of 600, if applicable
How to apply
Please submit the following documents and information to Webster University, Geneva, by
27th July 2007:
• A completed application, including a statement of purpose and preliminary research
proposal
• Transcripts from all undergraduate and postgraduate universities attended
• Two recommendations from an employer and/or academic institution, sent directly
to Webster University, Geneva (see attached recommendation forms)
• Official TOEFL score results, if applicable.
Interviews
Two interviews are required for admission. The first one is scheduled with Dr. Deniz Saral,
saral@webster.ch the DBA program Administrator at Webster University, Geneva, as a part of
the formal evaluation of the candidate’s qualifications for admission. The second one is
scheduled with Jean-Jacques Chanaron, jean-jacques.chanaron@esc.grenoble.fr, Director,
Doctoral School, Grenoble Ecole de Management, as a prerequisite for establishing
whether the preliminary research proposal of the candidate fits within the thematic focus of
the programme on management of technology, innovation and organisational change.
Application deadline
27th July 2007
Please send your completed application form to:
Dr. Anne Standley
Webster University
15 Route de Collex
1293 Geneva
standley@webster.ch
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Application for Admission
DBA
Personal information
Family Name ..........................................................................................................................
First Name .............................................................................................................................
Male …. Female …. Single …. Married …. Children ….
Date of birth (Day, Month, Year) ...........................................................................................
Place of birth (City) ............................................... (Country) ...............................................
Nationality ............................Other citizenship ......................... Native language ................
Home Address
Street ................................................................ City ..............................................................
Postal Code ...................................................... Country ........................................................
Business Address
Company .................................................................................................................................
Street ................................................................ City ..............................................................
Postal Code ...................................................... Country ........................................................
Home phone ..................................................... Mobile phone ...............................................
E-mail ............................................................... Second e-mail ..............................................
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Current Employer
Name of company ...................................................................................................................
Address (if different from above..............................................................................................
Country ....................................................................................................................................
Telephone ................................................................................................................................
Main field of activity
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
Number of employees ........................ Annual sales (specify currency) ................................
Subsidiary of (if applicable) ....................................................................................................
Address ...................................................................................................................................
City .............................................. Postal Code .................. Country ....................................
Your current responsibilities
Job Title ..................................................................................................................................
Brief description of business
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
Managerial responsibilities
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Who is your direct superior? (Please give title) ......................................................................
Who does he/she in turn report to? (Please give title) ............................................................
Career Summary Please provide details of all your full-time employment, listing your
current position first.
Company ................................................................. Job Title ........................................
Country of Work ..................................................... City ................................................
Dates of employment
From month and year ........................................ to month and year ........................................
Company ................................................................. Job Title ........................................
Country of Work ..................................................... City ................................................
Dates of employment
From month and year ........................................ to month and year ........................................
Company ................................................................. Job Title ........................................
Country of Work ..................................................... City ................................................
Dates of employment
From month and year ........................................ to month and year ........................................
Company ................................................................. Job Title ........................................
Country of Work ..................................................... City ................................................
Dates of employment
From month and year ........................................ to month and year ........................................
Page 4 of 10
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
For how long have you held managerial responsibilities (e.g. heading a team, being responsible for
sales; P&L; assets)
Areas of competence
What do you consider to be your areas of competence?
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
GMAT & TOEFL results
GMAT score Total .................... Quantitative % ……. ............... Verbal ......................
Date test taken/ to be taken (day, month, year) .......................................................................
TOEFL score (if applicable) ...................................................................................................
Date test taken/ to be taken (day, month, year) .......................................................................
Academic background
Starting with the most recent, please list all universities attended. Please send transcripts of
your degrees to the Admissions Office at Webster University, Geneva.
Institution and Country Degree Received Dates attended Major Subject Full time/Part time
................................... .......................... ..................... .................. ..........................
................................... .......................... ..................... .................. ..........................
................................... .......................... ..................... .................. ..........................
................................... .......................... ..................... .................. ..........................
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
International Experience
Please list your experience working outside your own culture or country
Activity Beginning date(month, year) Ending date(month, year) Country/Region
.............. ......................................... ....................................... ....................................
.............. ......................................... ....................................... ....................................
.............. ......................................... ....................................... ....................................
.............. ......................................... ....................................... ....................................
Consultancy experience
Number of years …..
Services provided ....................................................................................................................
Research experience and interests
On what topics and/or in which areas have you conducted research?
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
What methodologies did you use?
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
How was the research financed?
..................................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................................................
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Was your research published? If so, in which publication (please give date)?
………………………………………………………………………………………….
Over what period(s) of time did you conduct the research
..................................................................................................................................................
Finance of research
Please give details of how you propose to pay for the DBA program
Fully sponsored by employer ..............................
Partially sponsored by employer .........................
Own funds .......................
Bank loan ........................
Other (please specify) .............................................................................................................
Page 7 of 10
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Statement of purpose (500 words)
What are your goals for the next 5-10 years? How will earning a DBA from the Grenoble
Ecole de Management help you to achieve these goals?
Page 8 of 10
Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
Preliminary Research Proposal (1000-2000 words)
Guidelines for writing a Preliminary DBA Research Proposal
In putting together your research proposal you may find useful the following suggestions:
1. Define your research question
2. Link your research question to existing literature and programme focus
3. Discuss the broader scope of your research
4. Discuss some of the issues related to methodology and access to information
1. Define your Research Question
It is considered good practice, if you can describe your project in one sentence, in the form of a research
question, for example,
• “Why the implementations of Human Resource Management software, such as PeopleSoft, take
longer in public compared to private organisations in the USA?”, or,
• “What are the effects of Internet patent databases on the significance of patents as a source of
information for solving everyday problems in German engineering small firms?, or,
• How software engineers in a joint venture between IBM and Tsingua University in Beijing, China,
share knowledge and seek advice for problem solving in new software development?
This question should give a clear initial idea of what the scope of your suggested study is and the broad
context of your research. Of course, you, with the help of your supervisor, will refine and modify, if
necessary, your research question in the early stages of your DBA project.
2. Link your Research Question to existing Literature and Programme Focus
Ideally, you should be able to discuss your research question and position it within a distinctive body (or,
bodies) of academic and professional literature, providing few key references and hints of why your question
is interesting and relevant to be undertaken as a research project at doctoral level.
Please also remember to highlight your preferred disciplinary perspective (for example, economics of
innovation, IT management, strategic marketing, human resource management, finance and accounting), and,
if possible, the relationship of your question to the thematic focus of the programme on technology,
innovation and change management.
3. Discuss the broader scope of your research
It is also considered good practice if you are able to discuss in your research proposal the initial scope of your
research project, in terms of the broader issues related to:
• Industry / Sector
• Country / Region
• Time Period(s)
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Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) program
Jointly administered by Webster University, Geneva
and Grenoble Ecole de Management
4. Discuss some of the issues related to methodology and access to information
Last but not least, it would be interesting if you would discuss in your research proposal issues related to
preferred method(s):
• Qualitative (e.g. case studies, interviews)
• Quantitative (e.g. surveys using statistical analysis)
• Mixed methodologies combining both qualitative and quantitative methods
as well as personal circumstances, facilitating access to people, organisations and relevant information that
may be of significant help in conducting your fieldwork and carrying out the empirical part of your research
in later stages of your DBA.
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