DBA in Management and Technology

What is the DBA in Management and Technology?

The DBA in Management and Technology is an executive doctoral program for senior professionals with intellectual curiosity who want to make a difference.

The DBA in Management and Technology is an executive doctoral program for professionals with extensive experience. The program is designed for those who want to make a difference in their organizations and broader communities by harnessing the potential of disruptive technologies.

Our aim is to develop a new kind of “scholarly practitioner” who can apply cutting-edge research to current managerial problems that require a high level of understanding of new technologies and their potential.

In addition, this executive doctoral degree will provide high caliber professionals with outstanding networking opportunities and a chance to take part in a community of learning and innovation that contributes to the development of industrial, best practices, to shaping welfare-enhancing public policy, and to channeling technological disruption into a force for good in society.

The program is taught in collaboration between Comillas ICADE (Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and Faculty of Law) and Comillas ICAI (School of Engineering). This strategic alliance, together with the humanistic tradition of the Comillas Pontifical University, is key to comprehensively addressing challenges and new business opportunities offered by technology.

The DBA is a three-year program, combining short courses during the first one-and-a-half years, with innovation and research in the second half, leading to the successful defense of a dissertation. Graduates obtain the Comillas Pontifical University degree of Doctor of Business Administration.

Collaboration with MIT Sloan

MIT Sloan School of Management and Universidad Pontificia Comillas have signed a Memorandum of Agreement to collaborate in the area of graduate education. Our DBA in Management and Technology students will take a course at MIT Sloan on the topic of Disruptive Business Models. We are convinced that this type of activity will herald the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between our institutions.

Our students say the following

The first cohort of DBA students has this to say about the program.

"The DBA Program is a unique opportunity for professionals senior enough to be considered for a position at the Board of Directors to gain a deep understanding of the impact of technology in the business world, necessary to fill a growing gap." 
Paula García Arana, Director of Planning, Control and Regulation, Santander Consumer Finance

"The DBA is the perfect way for a professional with extensive experience to embark in a doctorate degree. It combines the best of the academic and practitioner approach to research and innovation." 
Jose Antonio López, Muñoz CEO Ericsson Spain

"We all come with relevant experience to the program, and here we learn the critical review and the systematic application of theories to really make a difference in our field.”
Carlos Gómez-Múgica de la Rica, Co-Founder Mago Equity Partners

What makes us different

Applicant profile

The DBA in Management and Technology is aimed at candidates with the following profiles:

• 20 years of professional experience including some years of top managerial responsibilities, or
• 15 years of professional experience including some years of top managerial responsibilities and a Master's degree program in the fields of Social Sciences, Humanism or Engineering, or
• 15 years of professional experience including some years of top managerial responsibilities and accredited certification in the candidate´s area of expertise (e.g CFA credential), and
• Professional English Mastery
• Other profiles could be assessed upon consideration of their career and professional life impact.

Additional requirements

English level: B2 minimum and C1 highly recommended.

Curriculum

The DBA is structured in two phases:

During the first one and a half years, participants take part in advanced training courses and define their research questions. At the end of this phase, and after a successful evaluation of a research proposal, participants obtain the Advanced Program in Management and Technology degree.

During the second year, and especially the third, participants conduct their research and write the DBA thesis that they must defend at the end of the third year.

Throughout the entire program, and as a lifelong learning proposal for alumni, the University will offer specialized training pills about issues relevant to management and technology.