Graduate Programs - Doctoral Level

Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA)
The Doctorate in Business (DBA) program is the result of a cooperation between the Faculty of Business and Management, University of Balamand and the Socio-Economic Institute of Firms and Organizations- ISEOR (Institut de socio-economie des entreprises et des organisations) Research Center affiliated to the University Jean Moulin of Lyon III (iaelyon).

The program is designed to bridge the gap between the academic sphere and the needs of the businesses. It aims to transform organizations and allow them to survive and prosper in a new competitive world of business. It caters to professionals who are looking to transform their organization and make a significant impact on its sustainability and success. This goal is accomplished by equipping participants with unique and field-tested research methodology in Socio-Economic Management and coupled with Qualimetrics intervention research.

The DBA graduate will be able to intervene in a company as an executive or a consultant, offer a diagnosis, exercise managerial re-engineering, and establish a systemic change management process.

SEAM - Action Based Research
 The roadmap in the business world is continuously changing, and many companies feel the pressure to survive let alone to develop and grow. Companies have therefore continually thrived to acquire and develop the necessary resources, and effectively implement strategies to ensure that they sustain their competitive advantages for the short, medium and long-term.

At the Faculty of Business and Management, we see tremendous opportunities in a borderless society, and the Balamand-Lyon3 DBA is our answer to the challenges facing today’s businesses. With the emphasis on the Social Economic Approach to Management (SEAM), a new paradigm shift is taking place.

While other management theories and assumptions are more related to short-term cost reduction, SEAM integrates the social, human and innovation dimension into the equation for enhanced economic performance. With such an analysis, the gains to the organization, in the long run, are rewarding for shareholders, employees, and end-users alike.

The DBA will deliver to its holder detailed step-by-step tools which will align all resources and involve all contributors and players to fulfil the organization’s vision. The SEAM tools will be delivered to the DBA participants at ISEOR-Lyon.

Admission Requirements
  • - Three (3) recent passport-size photographs
  • - An application fee of 160,000 L.L. (107 U.S.D.)
  • - A photocopy of your identity card or passport
  • - A face-to-face interview with the Director of the Program at UOB (you will be contacted at a later date)
  • - Evidence of English Language Proficiency, i.e., TOEFL or IELTS (a minimum of 527 on the paper-based TOEFL, or 80 on the Internet-based TOEFL, or 5.5 on the IELTS exam)
  • - A certified copy of your bachelor’s degree, its equivalence, and an official transcript
  • - A certified copy of your master’s degree, its equivalence and an official transcript
  • - Employment Verification (5 years of experience required)
  • - Two recommendation letters, one from your project/thesis supervisor/professor and one from a previous employer
  • - Initial Research Proposal (20 pages, double-spaced)
    • - Introduction and Problem Identification, specifying your intended field of specialization (Accounting, Finance, Management, Organizational Behavior, Change Management, Operation Management, Project Management, Marketing, Human Resources, Banking, International Business, or another area of focus
    • - Research Aims and Questions
    • - Preliminary Literature Review

Language of Instruction
The Language of Instruction is English.

Program Learning Goals and Program Learning Outcomes

 PLG 1: Enabling participants to contribute to both theory and practice in the fields of business and management.
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:
1.1. Demonstrate knowledge of advanced theoretically-grounded and methodologically-sound research skills that provide the foundation for impactful, practice-focused research.
1.2. Formulate new solutions to interdisciplinary research questions that are relevant to practice.
1.3. Synthesize relevant theory and past research in a given business area.
1.4. Illustrate the impact of research findings to fellow students of business, corporate constituents and practitioners.


PLG 2: Enabling participants to interact with professional practice and to contribute to professional knowledge.
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:
2.1. Apply social science theories from organizational behavior and management to analyze complex, applied business problems.
2.2. Implement socio-economic intervention-research in a company or organization.

PLG 3: Equipping participants with the necessary skills to build research models and develop testable hypotheses
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:
3.1. Apply, analyze, and advance theory, models and methods in new and practice-relevant contexts.
3.2. Build research models and develop testable hypotheses.


PLG 4: Demonstrating mastery of Qualimetrics research method integrating quantitative and qualitative research methods specifically oriented to applied research.
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:
4.1. Integrate qualitative or quantitative research methods to provide solutions to original research questions.
4.2. Master the qualimetrics intervention-research methodology.


PLG 5: Demonstrating the ability to disseminate evidence-based management practice through identifying and communicating to audiences within academic and a practice-based settings.
Upon successful completion of this degree, students will be able to:
5.1. Compose an original research manuscript suitable for publication and/or presentation in practice-based journals and conference proceedings.
5.2. Communicate and defend original research ideas and findings orally through a formal research presentation.
5.3. Translate complex research findings into impactful and actionable guidelines for management.
5.4. Synthesize research findings into a Thesis of the doctorate caliber.


Contact Us:
Dr. Omaya Kuran
Director- DBA Program
Email: Omaya.kuran@balamand.edu.lb
Mobile: 03-843754

Mrs. Mira Jabbour
Executive Secretary
Email: dba@balamand.edu.lb
Phone Number: 961-6-930250 Ext: 3851
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