Thought Leadership.

Next Start 6 Oct 2025
Duration 3 Years
Language English
Format Modular
(Residential and Virtual Modules)
Avg. working
experience
25 years
Where Milano

The DBA is a 3-year part-time program aimed at business professionals who want to be Thought Leaders in their organizations by applying academic research to concrete managerial problems. 

 

 


 

DBA Perspectives

Thought Leadership

 

 


Highlights

3
Years

Duration 

EN

Language

4 + 4

Residential Modules + Virtual Modules
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EDAMBA

DBA is member of the European Doctoral Programmes Association in Management & Business Administration (EDAMBA)
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Scholarships and Tuition Waivers

DBA Class 2024-2027 (8th Edition)

30
Participants

40% Women

22
Countries Represented

Int'l Students: 86,6% 

25
Years

Average Professional Experience

What about taking the time to sit back and reflect on what your experience has taught you so far? And what about leveraging this opportunity to develop new knowledge that is both relevant to managerial practice and rigorous according to academic standards? Our DBA at SDA Bocconi is a program perfectly tailored to these needs, thanks to its vision, its structure, and its collaboration with our internationally renowned faculty.

 

Go to CV

Giada Di Stefano
Director

What They Say About Us

Why did you choose to undertake the SDA Bocconi DBA?

I have been thinking about doctoral studies for several years but could not find a program that was in Europe and was offered by an FT top ranked school with a strong reputation both academically and within management practice. As someone who has advised students over a couple of decades about business education, I always tell them that the ideal program is one offered by the best brand of business school, with the best reputation, the best professors, and a program that you can afford. This is the advice I followed - Bocconi is the top school in Italy, highly ranked by the Financial Times, highly cited professors at the top of their subject areas and I was offered a scholarship!

 

How is this choice satisfying your needs?

I love being at Bocconi and interacting with the faculty and my classmates. The nature of a doctoral program which is part time, is that you are a bit of an island following your own route but I don’t feel isolated because there is regular communication with my supervisor, the Head of the Program, and with my classmates. It is a supportive and responsive environment where I know I can get the help I need. I’ve also found that Bocconi’s connections to global business leaders are incredible. As part of my research, I’ve been introduced to executives I would not otherwise meet. I know that, as a result, my research output will be relevant, backed up by academic theory and informed by real practice. As a student, being able to leverage such a powerful brand’s connections is a rare opportunity. I honestly don’t know what other business school I would have this.

 

Would you recommend this program? If yes why?

The building blocks of the DBA program are in place to offer anyone serious about studying at doctoral level while working (this is a challenge not to be underestimated) to pursue their dream of becoming a thought-leader with a rigorous and relevant body of research to support them. SDA Bocconi will help you on this journey, what you need to provide is an enquiring mind, discipline and great time-management!

I would particularly recommend the program to women, who are in the minority. As a mother of three young women, my maternal and financial responsibilities are significant but I also believe that it’s important to be a role model to our daughters that they too can balance all the various demands and responsibilities and pursue their own goals and dreams. Bocconi is certainly a champion of women’s education through its scholarship program. I would urge any woman considering achieving the highest levels of education to apply to Bocconi.

 

Your program in 3 words:

Living the dream.

Lisa Duke - Swiss
DBA 2018-2021
Director, Lisa Duke Sàrl

Why did you choose to undertake the SDA Bocconi DBA?

A top school with superb pedigree, programme flexibility that recognizes and respects my parallel engagements, underlined by newness which brings with it the opportunity and openness to evolve.

 

How is this choice satisfying your needs?

A bit too early to say...

 

Would you recommend this program? If yes why?

As above...

 

Your program in 3 words:

Exceptional forum (of) minds

David Friedman - Swiss
DBA 2019-2022
Director, Multi-Brand Strategy and Brand Governance, AGCO EME
Upcoming face-to-face meetings
26
May 2025 10:00 - 18:00 | LOCAL TIME
Orientation Meetings - London
Language ENGLISH
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28
May 2025 14:00 - 17:30 | LOCAL TIME
Orientation Meetings - Roma
Language ITALIAN
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Next Steps

30 Jan 2025
Application Review Start

Admissions

29 May 2025
Final Tuition Waiver & Application Deadline
6 Oct 2025
Program Start
Dec 2028
Program End

News & Social

23 May 2025
A Poster Evening to create knowledge
Participants in the Doctorate in Business Administration presented their research projects in a ...
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11 October 2024
Doctorate in Business Administration: Posters that tell the story of a research project
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More about DBA

Program

Structure, Content, learning Model
Deadlines

Last Tuition Waiver & Application Deadline:
29 May 2025

Admissions