News

A first for Durham Business School

(17 January 2007)

Durham Business School is celebrating the graduation of its first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA).

American businessman Brad Atkinson, 45, crossed the Atlantic to receive his degree at Durham Cathedral. Durham Business School is already a world-class provider of the MBA (Masters of Business Administration) programme, which attracts business people from across the region and around the world. Meanwhile, the Durham DBA is a step up from an MBA and is more research-focused, equivalent in status to a PhD. Only a handful of UK universities offer the course and Durham Business School is one of the few to be accredited by the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council). Dr Atkinson, owner and director of Independent Business Economist LLC, a consulting business in Washington DC, was drawn to Durham Business School ahead of the American business schools. He explained: “An important part of the decision process was that, for the most part, the quality. American business schools do not offer part-time doctoral studies – and the programmes available to me didn’t have the same level of credibility. “I was also influenced by the fact that Durham Business School’s research interests were compatible with my own and I loved that the Business School is one of the most distinguished in the UK.” The DBA takes between four and six years to complete and, like an MBA, can fit around full-time work commitments. Dr Atkinson, whose business provides management consultancy and business research services to government and commercial clients, is already experiencing the benefits of his Durham DBA. He said: “I am being contacted to take up work that would not have come to me without the doctorate and I’ve been able to present some of my research at academic conferences in the States. “ I am also keen to share my knowledge and experience by getting involved in more traditional teaching, now that my expectations for personal development have been exceeded.” Professor Tony Antoniou, Dean of Durham Business School, said: “Brad’s graduation marks an important milestone for Durham Business School and we hope future students on the DBA will gain as much from their studies with us as Brad has. “Managers who hold the Durham DBA take an increased understanding and enhanced knowledge of today’s complex business world to their organisations. “We currently have a student from Dubai and two from the North East who will be finishing the programme soon, so it goes to show that the Durham DBA has a real global relevance.”