The content of the program will leverage the strengths of Bocconi in terms of quality and variety of offerings. This a preliminary sample of different courses offered in the SDA Bocconi DBA program in terms of sessions taught during the first two years of the program.
Program
Doctorate in Business Administration
The Program Timeline
9th Edition 2025 - 2028
The DBA Program lasts three years and consists of coursework and thesis work.
Coursework consists of four weeklong residential modules (Oct 2025, May 2026, Oct 2026, May 2027) held at SDA Bocconi in Milan, and four virtual modules (Jan-Mar 2026, Jun-Jul 2026, Jan-Mar 2027, Jun-Jul 2027). Residential modules run Monday through Friday, while virtual modules take place remotely between residential sessions. Recordings of virtual sessions will be available on the learning platform in case of scheduling conflicts.
Thesis work is carried out throughout the Program and materializes in the development of three deliverables: the Literature Review (to be handed in at the end of Year 1), the Thesis Proposal (to be handed in at the end of Year 2), and the Final Thesis (to be handed in at the end of Year 3).
Coursework Timeline
Thesis Work Timeline
Structure
9th Edition 2025 - 2028
Year 1
Residential 1: Research in Organization Theory and Strategy
- Introduction to Epistemology
- Defining a Research Topic
- Organization Theory
- Strategy
- Conducting Quantitative Research
Oct 2025
Virtual 1: Applied Research Seminars
Applied Research Seminar - Organization Theory
Applied Research Seminar - Strategy
Jan 2026
Mar 2026
Residential 2: Research in Organizational Behavior, Entrepreneurship and Innovation
- Introduction to Research Design
- Writing a Literature Review
- Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Organization Behavior
- Conducting Qualitative Research
May 2026
Virtual 2: Applied Research Seminars
- Applied Research Seminar - Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Applied Research Seminar - Organizational Behavior
Jun 2026
Jul 2026
Year 2
Residential 3: Research Methods
- Developing a Thesis Proposal
- Developing and Testing Theories With Data
- Conducting Research Using Experiments
- Conducting Research Using Surveys
- Big Data for Business Analytics
Oct 2026
Virtual 3: Applied Methods Seminars
- Method Focus – Qualitative
- Method Focus - Quantitative, Primary Data
- Method Focus - Quantitative, Secondary Data
- Method Focus - Quantitative, Big Data Analytics
Jan 2027
Mar 2027
Residential 4: Dissemination of Science
- Learning How to Evaluate Research Critically
- Thinking Through the Logic of Discovery and Decision
- Communicating Your Research to an Academic Audience
- Communicating Your Research to a Managerial Audience
- Research Proposal Presentations
May 2027
Virtual 4: Selected Topics
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Corporate Social Responsibility
Jun 2027
Jul 2027
Year 3
Special thesis related topics
This year is dedicated to the development and completion of the Thesis.
Sep 2027
Dec 2028
Learning Model
Didactic Features
- Small class size (around 25-30 participants) to promote discussion and critical thinking.
- Large and competitively selected program faculty, leading to an unprecedented faculty-to-participant ratio.
- Interactive, doctoral level sessions.
- Intensive group work.
Didactic Tools
- Face-to-face coaching and tutoring throughout the program.
- Experiential learning modules.
- Participants will benefit from the interactive Learning Lab at SDA Bocconi, which is a distance learning environment used for lectures and interactions with thesis supervisor.
Other benefits
- Graduates from the DBA Program attain full Bocconi Alumni status.
"DBA is a unique program because it brings together experienced executives who are interested in research as much as they are interested in practice. The group is very diverse with individuals at different positions, from different countries, but the common thread is the drive and motivation. For many of them, the DBA at SDA Bocconi is not only a means to take their career to the next level and gain recognition, but also a way to think more profoundly about grand challenges that are important to corporations and the society as a whole. There is cross-fertilization in the cohort. They also meet like-minded individuals from different parts of the world, whom they may not meet otherwise.
Dovev Lavie
Full Professor, Management & Technology Dept., Bocconi University