PATRIA CHEQFChurch Higher Education
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International Standard of Church Higher Education Draft 0.9 20 September 2026 For consultation

Part IV · No. 19

The degree certifies academic competence. Any office, mandate or ordination is a separate act.

Business & Administration·Level 8 · Third Cycle·Church Degree · suffix C

DBA.C.

Doctor of Business Administration — Church Degree

A doctoral qualification for developing new management solutions and organisational models, including in the Church and nonprofit sectors.

CHEQF Level8
Qualification typeThird cycle, professional-research
Admission requirementsA Level 7 degree; normally MBA.C./M.A.C./M.E.A. or equivalent, together with substantial management experience.
Normative volumeResearch doctorates: at least three years of full-time equivalent study after Level 7; professional doctorates typically 3–5 years. The precise structure is established in the Degree Programme Specification.

Content · Outcomes

Content is what is taught. Outcomes are what is verified.

What the programme must contain

  1. advanced strategy
  2. organizational research
  3. finance/governance/risk
  4. leadership and change
  5. research design
  6. applied doctoral inquiry

What the graduate must demonstrate

  1. demonstrates expert knowledge of the field and its research methodology
  2. designs and carries out independent original research or a doctoral professional project
  3. creates new knowledge, a method, model, or demonstrable professional innovation
  4. publicly defends the results before qualified experts
  5. is capable of publishing, teaching, providing expert leadership, and upholding standards of academic integrity.
  6. demonstrates an original contribution to management practice and is able to evidence its effectiveness

Final · Progression

Final capstone work and dissertations may not be transferred from elsewhere.

How the programme closes

A practice-based dissertation / doctoral project, independent review, and oral defence. Typical duration: 3–5 years.

Where it leads

Advanced professional management and expert development.

Status

Black is what the degree certifies. This is what it does not.

DBA.C. denotes Doctor of Business Administration — Church Degree; the specialisation may be titled “Ecclesiastical and Nonprofit Administration”.

“This is an ecclesiastical academic qualification awarded within the Church system of higher education. It is not represented as a state-awarded or state-accredited academic degree unless such recognition has been separately granted by the competent authority of the relevant jurisdiction.”

Recommended status statement on every diploma, Article 17

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