You can apply to Sasin’s DBA program by following these four simple steps:

1. Complete your online application including the DBA Research Aptitude section;
2. Upload your resume (which must show a minimum of 10 years of management experience);
3. Our Admissions team will contact you within 7 days of your application. Potential DBA program entrants will need to be interviewed at least once;
4. Pay your application fee.

Before you can be eligible to be admitted to the program, you will need to submit the supporting documents listed below, you do not need these for your initial application.

• Original transcript of a completed master’s degree or equivalent;
• Non-native English speakers must provide an English language proficiency score (TOEFL/IELTS), taken within five years of your application. If you have studied, or worked, in an English-speaking country, please contact our Admissions team to assess whether the English proficiency test can be waived;
• One letter of recommendation (using Sasin’s form) from someone who can attest to your research capabilities, determination, and general attitude;
• ID page of your passport and/or copy of your Thai citizen ID.

You can submit your application without some supporting documents, but they will be needed before you can be admitted to the program. If you have any questions, please contact our Admissions team.

Is there financial aid? Yes, but funds are limited and will only be for truly exceptional candidates. Does this program have any international components? Not yet, but we hope to develop these within the next year or so. How many students do you expect? As this is the first year, and time for publicity has been very limited, we’re expecting only about 4-6 this year, but interest is high. What are you looking for in applicants? A past record of excellence in all respects: in career, in previous studies, in achievements; coupled with a strong interest in research; the ability to apply logically-driven analysis; and, most of all, an intense curiosity about management and how it can be improved. Do I have to have a research project idea at entry? No, you do not have to have one. There will be lots of opportunities to evolve your ideas, but many people will have research ideas at entry: ideas which will likely change during the program. It seems that the Thesis Mentor is an important component of this program, so can I choose any Thesis Mentor I wish? It has to be a mutual choice; the Thesis Mentor has to accept you too! Thesis mentors will be most interested in projects that fall within their expertise and which seem intriguing, which they believe you can successfully complete, and will lead to publications. As your Thesis Mentor will play a key role in your research, it is usual for resulting publications to be jointly authored with your mentor. Can the Thesis Mentor be from outside Sasin? Your lead Thesis Mentor must be a full-time Sasin faculty member, but you may have a co-mentor from Sasin’s Visiting faculty or even from outside Sasin. Of course, that person has to be acceptable to the lead Thesis Mentor and to Sasin. Do I have to publish an article during the program? Yes, you do. That is a Ministry of Higher Education requirement and highly desirable in its own right. We want you to get into the habit of creating real-world research and seeing it in print! Who will be on my examination team? By University regulations, an examination committee of at least 5 people will be appointed. This will include your Thesis Mentor, other relevant Sasin faculty, external examiners, and others as appropriate. How much time per week will I need to spend studying? About 6-8 hours per week, with the flexibility to do a little less when your work deadlines or job pressures necessitate, and more where you have the opportunity. How many weekends per month will I have to be at Sasin? The first course involves two Intensive Workshops (usually two weekends). Thereafter, each course involves just one Intensive Workshop. So that’s seven intensive workshops (usually weekends) over 2 years for your course work. But you should allow more time to meet and discuss with your Thesis Mentor. These meetings do not have to be in-person and much will depend on you as to how often you need to meet your Mentor. Most DBA candidates will want to meet their Thesis Mentors, online or in-person, at least monthly and at times more often. What types of thesis topics are acceptable? Your thesis topic is the problem you want to solve. This is often phrased as the intended outcome of your work. The purpose of your courses, and your discussions with your thesis mentor, is to help you shape your thesis topic into a researchable problem. The Sasin DBA website has several examples of typical topics, including: Mindfulness in Management: Practical Applications; Crisis Management in Action; Pandemic Challenges to Supply Chains; Digital Disruption: How to Anticipate It, and What to Do. Do I pay my tuition at one time? What does tuition include? You don’t need to pay your tuition all at once (although you can if you wish)! Normally payments are spread over the year. You must pay a 10% deposit (400,000 THB) when you accept our offer of a place; the remaining Year One tuition is THB 1.1 million; Year Two Tuition is THB 1.5 million; and Year Three tuition is THB 1 million. There are normally no further tuition payments after Year Three. Your tuition fee includes online materials, Intensive Workshops, refreshments at Intensive Workshops, advising and thesis mentoring, University and facility fees, reimbursement against receipts of up to THB 120,000 for attendance at an approved international conference, reimbursement against receipts of up to THB 120,000 for attendance at, and presenting a paper at, an approved international conference (two funded conferences in all). If you have any questions, please contact our Admissions team.