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June 3, 2019

University of Northampton congratulates its first DBA graduates

University of NorthamptonThe University of Northampton has recently celebrated its first ever Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) graduates in a ceremony held at the Royal and Derngate Theatre in Northampton.

Dr Shaun Hallam from Northampton and Dr Briony Fox from North Yorkshire both graduated with a DBA from the University of Northampton earlier this year after being among the first students to sign up for a DBA at Northampton having previously completed their MBAs here.

Shaun, an Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, thinks that his DBA will aid the strategic side of his role, explaining, “I chose the DBA route instead of a PhD because it allows you to apply theory in your workplace. The DBA develops your critical thinking in tackling problems as a part of an evidenced based approach. The Fire Sector is going through so much change at the moment, as the highest academic management qualification this has equipped me as a senior leader in the Service to best meet these challenges.”

Briony works for the North York Moors National Park Authority as Director of Conservation. Speaking about her DBA studies she says, “I knew when I completed my MBA that I wanted to embark on a DBA program so as soon as one became available at the university, I applied and have never looked back. Completing the DBA has already helped me to progress in my career and the skills I have gained from achieving this qualification will certainly equip me with the tools I need to achieve my professional goals. What impressed me most was the way that the staff challenge students to be curious, to research, to find evidence and to apply this in a practical professional setting. It really helped me to develop research skills and reinforced the value of evidence-based practice and this has been invaluable for me professionally.”

Speaking about how he managed to juggle his working life with the DBA program Shaun says, “Doctoral study is far different from anything else I have done, it does require a high level of commitment and comes with a lot of sacrifices, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. You cannot do it without the support of your family, work colleagues and your supervisors. I was lucky here as I couldn’t have been supported more. You do have to balance your career, but they go hand in hand. This is a professional doctorate so it not only has a contribution to knowledge but a contribution to practice. The end result is that it supports both your studies and your career at the same time.”

Briony adds, “I found the facilitated learning modules very helpful in setting the routine for doctorate level learning. As a busy professional, it can be challenging to make time for personal and professional development so for me, making regular time in my diary for learning was immensely helpful. At times, because of other personal and professional pressures, I did need to pause my research work but the DBA is flexible and so this was not a problem. Undertaking research at this level does require discipline and perseverance but my tutors and supervisors were excellent. They challenged, motivated and supported me throughout the process. The biggest support factor was my fellow DBA students. The opportunity to work with senior level professionals outside of your own field of work is a real luxury and their support, experience and the way that they view the world really helped me to grow professionally and academically as well as making life-long friends.”

Find out more about studying a DBA at the University of Northampton.

Looking for funding for postgraduate studies? Check out the exclusive bursaries on offer from Postgrad Solutions.  

Content added on 3rd June 2019. 

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