DBA in Healthcare Management
An applied doctorate preparing senior healthcare leaders to strategically manage, innovate, and transform health systems and organizations through rigorous research.
Program objectives
The DBA prepares global healthcare leaders to strategically manage, innovate, and transform health systems and organizations. Built around a five-milestone doctoral journey, it equips candidates to generate practice-oriented knowledge and lead evidence-based decision-making.
- Develop advanced strategic leadership capabilities applicable to complex healthcare organizations.
- Master rigorous research methods to investigate real-world business and management challenges.
- Produce original, practice-oriented research that delivers measurable impact for the healthcare sector.
Curriculum — four core doctoral modules
Each semester carries 30 ECTS. Four core modules cover the twelve doctoral topics, locally adapted to the Hong Kong healthcare context. All modules are mandatory.
| Module | Focus & key topics | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Module 1 — Healthcare Leadership and Management (Special Topics) | Strategic leadership; change management & innovation (AI, IoT, telehealth); healthcare operations, quality, finance and data-driven performance. | Develop advanced leadership and strategic decision-making for complex healthcare systems; lead innovation, manage change and improve organizational performance. |
| Module 2 — Writing the Dissertation & Literature Review | Dissertation design and structure; systematic literature search and critical appraisal; academic writing, referencing and integrity. | Equip candidates to design, structure and produce a rigorous doctoral dissertation, with emphasis on critical analysis and synthesising evidence. |
| Module 3 — Qualitative Methods for Business Research | Qualitative design (case study, ethnography, grounded theory); interviews, focus groups, observation; thematic & coding analysis (NVivo); validity and ethics. | Provide in-depth understanding of qualitative approaches to explore complex healthcare phenomena, behaviours and organizational dynamics. |
| Module 4 — Quantitative Methods for Business Research | Research design and measurement; descriptive & inferential statistics; regression and multivariate methods (SPSS, R, Python); data visualization and reporting. | Develop robust analytical skills to conduct empirical research using quantitative data, enabling evidence-based decision-making in healthcare management. |
A five-milestone doctoral journey
Indicative timelines — progression may vary depending on individual performance and program requirements.
Milestone 1 — Supervisor allocation & research orientation (0–3 months)
Candidates are paired with a faculty supervisor matched to their proposal. They refine the preliminary proposal, confirm research objectives and scope, and establish a supervision plan and roadmap.
Milestone 2 — Completion of core doctoral modules (12–18 months)
Advanced core modules delivered through on-site or online seminars — dissertation writing & literature review, qualitative methods, and quantitative methods — strengthen methodological and theoretical foundations.
Milestone 3 — Literature review confirmation (6–9 months)
Candidates develop a rigorous critical literature review establishing theoretical foundations, conceptual framework, research gaps and the study's academic and practical contribution.
Milestone 4 — Empirical research & thesis development (12–18 months)
Primary research is conducted — data collection, analysis, interpretation and discussion of theoretical and managerial implications — culminating in a full doctoral thesis draft.
Milestone 5 — Thesis examination & defence
Formal examination and defence before an appointed panel. Candidates present their research, demonstrate methodological rigour, defend their contributions and respond critically to examiners' questions.
The Doctoral Dissertation
- Original doctoral dissertation of 45,000 words in total, addressing a specific challenge in the healthcare sector. The dissertation may be written in either Chinese or English.
- While the standard study period for the DBA is three years, a shorter two-year study period may be considered for suitably qualified candidates in the Hong Kong delivery. This reflects the profile of our expected participants — experienced professionals with substantial managerial and research exposure — and the intensive block-teaching and supervision model adopted locally.
- The accelerated pathway remains conditional on meeting all academic requirements and quality assurance standards, and does not compromise the total credit load, learning outcomes, or thesis rigour.
Evaluation Designed for Practitioners, Not Test-Takers
At the DBA level, we believe the best measure of expertise is the ability to apply theory to real-world complexity. The Estiam Hong Kong DBA replaces traditional examinations with a 100% Continuous Assessment model, allowing you to build your final dissertation through your modular coursework.
Modular Milestones
Instead of exams, each of your four core modules concludes with a research output (approx. 1,200 words). These outputs function as building blocks for your final thesis, covering your Research Proposal, Literature Review, and Data Analysis.
The Doctoral Dissertation
Your journey culminates in a 45,000-word dissertation. This is an original piece of research addressing a specific challenge in the healthcare sector.
Bilingual Flexibility
To support the diverse professional landscape of Hong Kong, all research papers and the final dissertation may be submitted in English or Chinese.
Expert Mentorship
You are not alone in this process. Every milestone is reviewed by our Paris-based faculty, providing you with high-level academic feedback that refines your professional perspective.
Who it's for
- Experienced healthcare managers and senior administrators seeking to deepen strategic expertise.
- Senior clinical staff, distinguished specialists and retired healthcare pioneers contributing to sector advancement.
- Specialized practitioners and consultants aiming to lead evidence-based change in healthcare organizations.
Admission requirements
- Master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline; exceptional professional profiles may be considered.
- Minimum 5 years of substantial managerial, clinical or research experience in healthcare or a related sector.
- Preliminary research proposal aligned with the candidate's professional context.
- Proficiency in English; dissertation may be submitted in English or Chinese.
Career outcomes & articulation
- Design and conduct original, practice-oriented research that generates new knowledge in Business and Management.
- Demonstrate advanced critical mastery of contemporary literature and situate research within its theoretical and practical context.
- Develop and justify a coherent research philosophy and methodology for complex organisational inquiry.
- Produce a doctoral-level thesis that reflects systematic, rigorous investigation and delivers measurable practical impact.
- Address complex and uncertain business problems with informed, defensible judgments in dynamic professional environments.
- Communicate and disseminate research effectively to academic and professional audiences through presentations and scholarly publications.
- Exhibit doctoral-level autonomy, leadership and transferable skills enabling sustained professional practice and sectoral contribution.
Pathway: BBA → MBA → DBA → Fellowship.
Program structure & module layout
How the program is organized week-to-week — cohorts, Saturday sessions, and teaching medium.
Cohorts
- Two cohorts each year.
- Cohort A starts every October.
- Cohort B starts every April.
Saturday sessions
- 2 sessions per Saturday.
- 3.5 hours per session.
- 7 hours total per Saturday — e.g. 9:00–12:30 & 13:30–17:00.
- Held on alternate Saturdays, fully online.
Teaching medium
Courses are conducted mainly in Cantonese, supplemented with English lecture notes and study materials.
Tuition fees
DBA tuition
Payable in 4 instalments
Early Bird (before 30 August 2026): −HK$5,000
All fees are quoted in Hong Kong Dollars (HKD). Early Bird discount applies to applications confirmed before 30 August 2026.
Assessment
100% Continuous Assessment — no traditional examinations. Each module produces a research output (≈1,200 words) that builds toward the final dissertation.
- Module 1 — Case study analysis (≥1,200 words, in English or Chinese).
- Module 2 — Dissertation proposal: structure and draft a doctoral-level dissertation framework.
- Module 3 — Progress report: interpret and present qualitative findings within the dissertation.
- Module 4 — Analysis chapter: design quantitative research and interpret business data within the dissertation.
- Final doctoral dissertation (45,000 words) and oral defence before an appointed examination panel.