The SBS/AIPMO MSc and DBA program is titled “Strategy, Project Leadership, and PMOs,” which allows the candidates to select and develop inter-domain topic from an MSc level and if they choose to develop the research further at the doctorate level.

SBS/AIPMO graduates have unique opportunities to select topics that can directly impact the direction of PMOs because AIPMO uses the concept of a “leading” (research driven) PMO standard. This means that research findings clarify confusion, and little understood areas within the PMO management domain will quickly be included into the training materials and/or exercises of AIPMO certification courses. The research findings will be tested in context of the courses and then used as input to the next version of AIPMO’s PMO Body of Knowledge.

Referring to the figure on the right, PMO professionals taking graduate degrees will be guided as to which topics need urgent research. If they choose to select these topics, they are likely to help contribute to the evolution of PMO management. In addition, they will be contributing in developing building blocks for the PMO management profession.

People who make the biggest impact working in and around PMOs should also be recognized as candidates for the C and n-1 levels. Obtaining certifications helps to ensure their depth of understanding in PMO management and project management, but there is no substitute for a graduate degree, which is typically one of the short list criteria for C-level applications.

The majority of attendees for AIPMO’s IPMO-P and IPMO-E have a degree and around 20% to 40% have an MSc. Approx. 5% have a doctorate and are typically in a PMO director role. AIPMO recognizes the importance of graduate degrees from reputable universities/business schools and therefore partnered with SBS Swiss Business School to create the first MSc and DBA in the world for PMOs professionals in the domain of PMO Management. SBS Swiss Business school is ranked consistently within the percentile depending on the type of ranking.

AIPMO has partnered with the SBS Swiss Business School to offer the first Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in the world for professionals who need to understand Strategy, Project, Program, Portfolio Leadership, and PMOs.

The SBS Swiss Business School is one of the top business schools in Switzerland. The DBA in Strategy, Project, Program, Portfolio Leadership, and PMOs has been created by AIPMO and the program is jointly delivered by professors from both AIPMO and the SBS Swiss Business School.

This unique program uses the top professors in the world in the project management area, such as Professor Ralf Müller, Professor Aaron Shenhar, and Professor Robert Joslin, and other members of the AIPMO Advisory Board to be available to be assigned as supervisors.

The SBS Swiss Business School Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Strategy, Project, Program, Portfolio Leadership, and PMOs is an integrated work and research program for management practitioners and professionals, who are oriented towards making a significant contribution to the field of strategy, project, program, portfolio management, and PMOs.

The program may be completed in a minimum of three years.

The coursework component takes place during the first year. Courses are conducted in the classroom in an intensive workshop model with face-to-face seminars. All courses are assessed by written assignments.

The transition from coursework phase to the research phase is by the candidate completing the set of assessed Research Proposals. On satisfactory completion of the coursework, candidates enter the research phase, where they undertake individual, supervised research projects.

The output of each research project is a research paper of publishable style and quality. The dissertation is submitted for external examination. Consequently, there will be scope for requisite specialization within a general organizational and management framework. Graduates from the program are expected to make a key contribution to practice, so program work will relate to leadership, change and process management, as well as research methodologies.

The world of strategy formation and strategy execution is undergoing rapid and profound changes.

Business models and strategies to execute them in terms of portfolio, program, and project approaches are failing today by not having the desired impact or success that was expected on their outset.

Senior executives, technical and non-technical leaders, and managers are increasingly confronted by novel situations and challenges that demand greater understanding in terms of theories, methods, and approaches.

The SBS DBA program takes places on Saturdays and Sundays, every three months. The DBA comprises a total of 108 units and can be completed in a minimum of 3 years part-time/next to the job study. The program is taught in a classroom format based on the use of intensive workshops and includes coursework and research.