DBA is a combination of coursework, thesis, and consultancy. (This is in USM). The consultancy is a nightmare for most of the DBA students. If your consulting recommendation for the company is not successful or it does not work, you will fail.

In some other universities, DBA is just a combination of coursework and thesis. So easy easy la....

PhD is usually 100% research but I know there are other universities where the PhD is a combination of coursework and thesis especially those universities from the US. Even locally, UKM and UM's PhDs are a combination of coursework and thesis. In USM, the PhD is 100% research.

So, a choice of PhD or DBA?

If you want an easy journey, take the DBA lo.... I know many corporate managers did that. They just want the Dr title and also for career progression.

I feel nowadays any Tom, Dikk and Harry can easily get a DBA. I have seen too many corporate executives having those DBAs.

If you seriously want to go into the academic line, take PhD. It will hone your research and writing skills.

And...PhD is not just about theory. That's the misconception. If you are doing a PhD, you will have to go out to distribute questionnaires or interview people. Or some doing a PhD in the sociology area, they have to observe the phenomenon of interest. Like I read one thesis of a PhD anthropology student, she went to the Orang Asli village and mingle with them for several months and years just to write her thesis. She recorded the entire journey just like a diary for the PhD thesis.

Or some doing experimental research for their PhD, you really have to do your research hands-on.

This post has been edited by Blofeld: Mar 16 2012, 12:49 PM

Any IPTA in Malaysia is always cheaper than IPTS.

If you are interested in strategic management, you can always come over to USM. Or any of the other three research public universities in Malaysia - UM, UKM, UPM. I believe USM is the cheapest among the four research universities.

Another advantage of IPTA is the online journal database. Their online journal database subsribed to is quite extensive compared to IPTS. You will be relying on these database extensively.

DBA is more suitable for corporate executives.

If you intend to be an academic, take up the PhD.

If you plan to join the academia, PhD is the better option.

Recently, my institution received a government Form from MOHE for the Dean to fill up the particulars of all of the staff. In one of the questions in the form, the Dean was required to fill in the number of academic staff with PhD qualification. Furthermore, it specifically stated down that those with DBA or coursework doctoral qualifications are not counted. Only those with research based doctoral degrees/PhD are to be included.

I can't remember what's that Form for. I guess it's just some KPI forms for the institution to be sent to MOHE.

I don't think it is limited. All public universities in Malaysia offer PhDs.