Doctor of Management
Investigate an important management problem and produce an original contribution to professional practice.
SABI University’s Doctor of Management combines advanced study in management and research methods with an independently examined dissertation. It is designed for managers who are ready for doctoral research and want a structured route from a practical organizational concern to a defensible research contribution.
The DM serves an earlier professional career stage than SABI’s Executive DBA. Both are doctoral qualifications. The distinction lies in the entry profile, learning structure and executive scope of the research.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Qualification | Doctor of Management (DM) |
| Awarding institution | SABI University |
| Credits beyond the master’s | 120 ECTS / 60 US semester credits |
| Structure | Six taught courses, two research development courses and a supervised dissertation |
| Duration | 24 months intensive or approximately 36 months part time |
| Delivery | Online teaching, research supervision and committee examination |
| Dissertation | Normally 30,000 to 40,000 words |
| Language | English |
| Standard-route tuition | CAD 28,000 |
| Application fee, non-refundable | CAD 500 |
| Standard-route total | CAD 28,500 |
Who the Program Is For
The DM suits managers, professional specialists and organizational leaders who hold a master’s degree and can identify a researchable management problem. Topics may concern leadership, organizational change, strategy, governance, innovation, technology adoption or management across different contexts.
Applicants normally have at least three years of relevant professional experience, including one year with substantive management responsibility. Senior executives with broader strategic responsibilities may wish to compare the Executive DBA.
What You Will Achieve
- Critically synthesize scholarship and define a significant research problem.
- Design a feasible and ethical management study.
- Conduct and justify rigorous qualitative, quantitative or mixed analysis.
- Explain the originality, contribution and limitations of your findings.
- Translate research into credible organizational implications.
- Defend your decisions and communicate with academic and practitioner audiences.
Curriculum and Research Preparation
The taught and development courses provide 48 ECTS / 24 US semester credits.
| Code | Course or research preparation | ECTS | US semester credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM 701 | Management Theory and Leadership | 6 | 3 |
| DM 702 | Strategy Governance and Responsible Management | 6 | 3 |
| DM 703 | Quantitative Research Methods | 6 | 3 |
| DM 704 | Qualitative Research Methods | 6 | 3 |
| DM 705 | Organizational Change and Innovation | 6 | 3 |
| DM 706 | Digital Transformation and Global Management | 6 | 3 |
| DM 801 | Literature Synthesis and Research Proposal | 6 | 3 |
| DM 802 | Doctoral Development Ethics and Candidature | 6 | 3 |
The dissertation and examination provide 72 ECTS / 36 US semester credits.
| Code | Dissertation stage | ECTS | US semester credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| DM 901 | Research Design and Approved Pilot Study | 12 | 6 |
| DM 902 | Research Evidence Development | 18 | 9 |
| DM 903 | Analysis Interpretation and Contribution | 18 | 9 |
| DM 904 | Dissertation and Independent Examination | 18 | 9 |
| DM 905 | Doctoral Examination Corrections and Deposit | 6 | 3 |
| Program total | ECTS | US semester credits |
|---|---|---|
| Taught and research development courses | 48 | 24 |
| Dissertation and examination | 72 | 36 |
| Total beyond the master’s | 120 | 60 |
From Proposal to Dissertation
A structured route from taught preparation to independent examination.
Your doctoral development plan sets out the research question, preparation, supervision and milestones. Before independent dissertation research begins, you must pass the taught and development courses, receive proposal and candidacy approval, and obtain any required ethics and organizational permissions.
Research proceeds through approved design and feasibility work, evidence development, analysis, dissertation preparation and final examination. Each stage requires documented progress and academic approval. A successful business career may provide valuable context and evidence; the dissertation must also demonstrate a new, methodologically defensible contribution.
Supervision and Academic Support
A principal supervisor guides your development and research. Specialist methods advice is arranged where the project requires it. During active dissertation work, the supervisory agreement provides for at least monthly meetings, regular progress reviews and substantive feedback on agreed submissions. Your final dissertation normally contains 30,000 to 40,000 words, excluding references and appendices. It is judged on the quality of the research and contribution. Paid journal publication is not required to graduate.
Doctoral Examination
Two examiners who did not supervise the dissertation review it independently; at least one is external to SABI. The examination has three parts:
- 1.A recorded presentation of the research.
- 2.Individualized questions selected by the committee after reviewing the dissertation.
- 3.Written or recorded responses demonstrating your authorship, reasoning and command of the work.
The committee can request further responses or a live clarification meeting when needed. Human examiners make the decision. AI-supported administration does not determine academic outcomes. Required corrections and final deposit must be approved before conferral.
Entry Requirements
Applicants normally submit:
- Verified bachelor’s and master’s degrees from appropriately accredited or nationally recognized institutions, with transcripts.
- A master’s result equivalent to a 3.0 GPA on a four-point scale.
- Evidence of the required professional and management experience.
- A CV, identification and two references.
- A research interests statement of approximately 1,500 to 2,000 words.
- Evidence of English readiness for doctoral research.
The normal English benchmark is IELTS Academic 7.0 overall, with no component below 6.5, or an accepted equivalent; documented graduate study in English may provide alternative evidence. Admission includes an academic interview and depends on research readiness, a feasible topic and suitable supervision.
Duration and Commitment
The intensive plan is 24 months; the part-time plan is approximately 36 months. The program involves about 3,000 to 3,600 hours of learning and research. An intensive two-year plan normally needs about 31 to 38 hours per week across active study weeks; the three-year plan averages approximately 21 to 25 hours. Research access, ethics, revisions and approved leave can affect completion.
Advanced standing requires individual academic approval and a written account of the outcomes already demonstrated and work remaining. It is not a promise of an earlier award.
VAE Route to the DM
Complete applications are accepted until 31 March 2027 at 23:59 UTC. This route is for experienced managers who can demonstrate the learning required by the DM’s taught and research development block through an individual portfolio assessment.
Applicants must hold verified bachelor’s and master’s degrees and demonstrate at least eight years of relevant professional experience, including five with substantive management responsibility. They must provide evidence of research readiness and a feasible research question. Experience alone does not earn a diploma or doctorate.
Stage 1 leads to the Postgraduate Diploma in Management after successful validation of all 48 ECTS / 24 US credits mapped to DM 701 to DM 706 and DM 801 to DM 802. Assessment can include portfolio review, methods or analytical tasks, individualized questions and supplementary learning. The diploma is awarded only when all required outcomes have been demonstrated.
Stage 2 is the 72 ECTS / 36 US dissertation and examination block. It begins after the diploma, proposal and candidature approvals, required ethics permissions and appointment of supervision. It uses the same research standards, independent examiners and three-part examination as the standard DM. The final degree title is Doctor of Management.
The normal Stage 2 period is 12 to 24 months, with approximately 1,800 to 2,160 hours of research and assessment. Existing research may inform the dissertation where academically appropriate; it does not automatically waive the research block or examination.
The fee for this VAE route is quoted separately before offer acceptance or payment. The quotation identifies the two stages, included supervision and examination, documents, any supplementary requirements and refund terms. An existing promotional fee does not automatically apply to the new route.
Fees and Application
As SABI University is a proud member of the Canada-based North Pacific Education Group, all fees are assessed in Canadian Dollars (CAD).
| Standard taught and research route | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | CAD 28,000 |
| Application fee, non-refundable | CAD 500 |
| Total standard programme cost | CAD 28,500 |
Tuition covers the taught and development courses, supervision within the approved normal study plan, standard independent examination including the external examiner, and standard award documents. Your offer identifies payment dates, refund terms and any optional or extended-registration charges before enrollment. The DM VAE route has a separate written fee quotation. All fees are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
Apply through the Admissions page. Experienced applicants seeking validation of existing learning may consider the time-limited DM VAE route, alongside the VAE Pathway. Its separate fee and assessment terms apply.
Documents and Verification
Successful candidates receive the Doctor of Management certificate, an official transcript with both credit systems, a verifiable e-certificate and an alumni badge linked to the official credential record. The institution retains the dissertation, assessment and examination decisions under its records policy.
ECTS and US semester-credit figures describe the same assessed learning and workload using SABI’s institutional comparison. The figures are not added together. Transfer or acceptance of credit is determined by the receiving institution.