Doctor of Business Administration
Sunway College Johor Bahru · Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
QS World University Ranking: N/A
Quick Overview
Apply Now📘 Program Overview
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) at Sunway Business School helps you generate original insights and frameworks that influence both academic knowledge and business practice. You will develop skills to address sustainability, digitalisation, and global competitiveness through applied research, and graduate as a scholar-practitioner.
You will learn alongside industry professionals with C-suite experience and access Harvard Business Publishing Education resources. The programme is structured around modules in business decision-making, research methods, and a thesis, and it is offered with intakes in January, April, and September.
🎯 Course & Curriculum
Course structure
- Develop decision-making and research foundations through Accounting for Decision Making and Business Economics.
- Strengthen research capability using Qualitative Research Methods and Quantitative Research Methods.
- Build the analytical base for applied doctoral work with Corporate Financial Strategies and Managing People and Organisations.
- Apply AI and ethical decision-making frameworks through AI and Ethical Business Decision Making.
- Explore technology-led innovation and competitive advantage using Marketing Innovation and Design Thinking.
- Advance sustainability and global competitiveness themes via ESG - Environment, Social, Governance and Planetary Health and Entrepreneurial Sustainability.
- Complete and submit the Doctor of Business Administration thesis.
- Integrate learning across business, research methods, and sustainability/digitalisation themes into original insights and frameworks.
Career outcomes
- You graduate with the ability to generate original insights and frameworks that influence both academic knowledge and business practice.
- This Doctor of Business Administration is designed to help you address challenges in sustainability, digitalisation, and global competitiveness through applied research, supporting roles in strategy and transformation.
- You can position yourself for senior leadership paths such as C-Suite / Top Management Team, where decision-making, research, and business impact matter most.
- The programme equips you for specialist career tracks like Business Development & Operations Manager, Management Consultant / Financial Analyst, and Entrepreneurship / Startup Founder by focusing on applied research outputs.
- You develop a scholar-practitioner profile that supports careers in teaching and research roles such as Lecturer / Research Analyst.
- Through a C-suite learning approach and industry-focused content, you build practice-ready perspectives that help you lead with credibility in real business contexts.
Employability rate
Doctor of Business Administration graduates in Malaysia typically see an employability rate of around 80% and an unemployment rate of about 20%, reflecting steady demand for senior business leadership and research-informed professionals.
Together, these figures indicate a generally stable career outlook where progression depends on your ability to apply doctoral-level research to business and management challenges.
✅ Entry Requirements
Academic qualification
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree in a related field | International applicants need a Master’s degree (Level 7, MQF) in a related field. |
Language requirements
International applicants must meet the programme English language requirement.
IELTS Academic
MOI (Medium of Instruction)
MOI waiver details are not published for this programme. See the English test requirements above.
💶 Fees & Funding
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated total course fee (international students) | MYR 23500 / total program | Estimated Total Course Fee (Year 2026): USD23,500 for international students; international students must pay fees in RM equivalent. |
Proof of financial resources
The programme page lists an estimated total course fee for international students, paid in RM equivalent.
- Estimated total course fee (Year 2026): RM94,300 for Malaysian students and an indicative international estimate stated as USD23,500 in the published fee section (international students pay in RM equivalent).
Important dates
Application window
| Milestone | January - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application portal opens | N/A |
| Application deadline (final submit) | N/A |
| Application deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Application deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Recommended apply-by | N/A |
| Semester begins | N/A |
Pre-application & reviews
| Milestone | January - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| VPD request - recommended | N/A |
| VPD result expected | N/A |
| APS - recommended | N/A |
| Start eligibility check | Start planning early so your eligibility check documents are ready before the intake starts. |
Document submission deadlines
| Milestone | January - Winter intake |
|---|---|
| Application submission deadline | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (EU students) | N/A |
| Document submission deadline (Non-EU students) | N/A |
| Language certificate deadline | N/A |
| Official transcripts deadline | N/A |
| Certified translations deadline | N/A |
| Postal / hard-copy documents deadline | N/A |
| Missing documents (if requested) | N/A |
📝 How to Apply
Check the programme and intakes
Review the programme modules, entry requirements, and the published intake months. If you have questions, contact the programme team before you submit your eligibility check documents so you apply with the right pathway and timeline.
Submit documents for an eligibility check
Compile your documents for eligibility checking and submit them via the university’s Eligibility Check portal. The university states that it will email you the eligibility check outcome within 7 working days after you submit.
Attend the interview (if required)
If you meet the eligibility stage, the university will arrange the interview. Applicants are required to pass an interview as part of the programme’s specific requirements.
Proceed to enrol through the online application
After you pass the interview, you can proceed to enrol. Use the university’s online application route to complete enrolment steps for the programme intake you selected.