Year 101
Foundations
Build command of research philosophy, ethics, qualitative and quantitative methods, theory, evidence synthesis and concentration study.
◆Applications are open for the October 2026 intake
Become a Scholar Leader.
The Gold Coast PhD develops the Scholar Leader: a rigorous scholar and accomplished professional uniting research, judgement and leadership.
The scholar's discipline: read, reflect, publish.
The Scholar Leader
One doctorate. Two forms of authority.
The programme unites professional distinction with academic authority in one integrated identity.
Professional Distinction
Earned through accomplishment, executive judgement and the ability to lead consequential change.
Academic Authority
Established through rigorous research, intellectual independence and an original contribution to knowledge.
The result is a Scholar Leader who can generate and defend credible knowledge, then translate evidence into decisions across universities, boardrooms, ministries and institutions.
Why Gold Coast PhD?
Why the Gold Coast PhD?
01
A genuine research doctorate
Advanced methods, candidacy examinations, proposal defence, original thesis research and viva voce examination.
02
Africa-centred. Globally connected.
Research grounded in African realities and strengthened through international scholarly engagement.
03
Research with consequence
Inquiry directed towards significant organisational, economic, leadership, governance and public-policy questions.
04
Flexibility without compromise
Two study routes offer different schedules while preserving the same curriculum, supervision and doctoral standard.
05
More than a thesis
Candidates develop a journal manuscript, policy or practice brief, research presentations and a teaching portfolio.
06
A wider intellectual horizon
The Global Immersions Programme extends doctoral learning through international masterclasses, roundtables and institutional visits.
Programme Structure
A three-year journey from inquiry to original contribution.
The curriculum moves deliberately from intellectual foundations to independent research, publication and defence.
Year 202
Candidacy
Complete comprehensive examinations, develop and defend the proposal, refine research design and begin the academic apprenticeship.
Year 303
Contribution
Complete data analysis, develop a journal manuscript, present the thesis, demonstrate pedagogical competence and defend the research.
Concentrations
Five fields of concentration.
Choose a field in which your research can make a meaningful contribution.
01Accounting and Finance
Accounting and Finance
Advance knowledge in reporting, finance, investment, taxation, assurance and managerial accounting.
02Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management
Examine how talent, performance, culture and employment systems shape institutional capability.
03Marketing and Communication
Marketing and Communication
Investigate markets, consumer behaviour, digital strategy, communication and service value.
04Leadership and Governance
Leadership and Governance
Study authority, ethics, accountability, organisational change and corporate and public governance.
05Strategic Management
Strategic Management
Explore competition, corporate strategy, governance, innovation, transformation and global strategy.
Study Routes
Two study routes. One doctoral standard.
Both routes deliver the same curriculum, assessment, supervision, progression requirements and 180 synchronous contact hours each academic year.
The programme is designed for candidates whose professional responsibilities are substantial, but whose doctoral ambitions require no reduction in academic standard.
Route A
Executive Intensive Route
Attend three ten-day doctoral intensives in each academic year. Every intensive provides 60 contact hours and creates a protected period for advanced masterclasses, methods laboratories, disciplinary seminars, writing clinics, doctoral colloquia, supervision and milestone review.
8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Doctoral masterclass: advanced theory, concepts and critical faculty exposition.
10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Research seminar or methods laboratory: analysis, debate, cases, software and research design.
1:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Applied doctoral clinic: writing, proposal development, data work, peer review and assessment preparation.
Route B
Executive Weekend Route
Attend one intensive doctoral weekend each month. Every Friday to Sunday engagement provides 15 contact hours, enabling candidates to sustain a disciplined research rhythm alongside executive, academic and professional responsibilities.
Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Doctoral masterclass, research briefing and guided preparation.
Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Advanced lectures, disciplinary seminars, methods laboratories and the applied Doctoral Studio.
Sunday, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Colloquium, progress presentation, integration clinic, feedback and forward research planning.
Global Immersions
Take your research into a wider intellectual world.
The Global Immersions Programme is the international doctoral summer-camp component of the PhD.
Doctoral research gains depth when ideas are tested across institutions, intellectual traditions and policy environments. Through summer camps in Europe and engagement with respected academic and professional communities, candidates encounter new research cultures, comparative institutional perspectives and international standards of scholarly argument.
The purpose is intellectual enlargement: comparison across contexts, refinement through external critique and relationships that can sustain a life of scholarship and leadership.
Advanced research masterclasses
Led by international faculty and experienced doctoral supervisors.
Methods and academic-writing workshops
Focused on research design, argument, publication and scholarly craft.
Doctoral roundtables
Present work, receive critique and engage the research of peers.
Institutional visits
Illuminate how universities, enterprises and public bodies organise knowledge, governance and innovation.
International networking
With scholars, practitioner-researchers and doctoral communities.
Comparative reflection
Strengthens the global relevance of research grounded in African institutional realities.
Candidate Profile
Who should apply?
The programme is for accomplished professionals and academics ready to undertake the demands of a genuine research doctorate.
- ◆Academics, researchers and higher-education leaders seeking doctoral formation and scholarly advancement.
- ◆Executives, entrepreneurs, consultants and institutional leaders confronting complex organisational questions.
- ◆Policymakers, public administrators and regulatory leaders seeking evidence-based approaches to reform and public value.
- ◆Faith-based and development leaders committed to ethical leadership and institutional transformation.
Admission Requirements
Applicants should normally hold a master's degree in Business Administration or a related field from a recognised institution, with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 or its equivalent.
They should also demonstrate professional and research readiness and submit a research concept, statement of purpose, curriculum vitae and references.
Full requirements appear in the programme brochure.
Essential Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Is this a PhD or a professional doctorate?
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It is a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration: a research doctorate with advanced methodological preparation, comprehensive examinations, proposal defence, original thesis research and viva voce examination. Its applied relevance does not reduce its scholarly requirements.
Has the programme received regulatory approval?
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Yes. The programme has received the required regulatory approval, and the first cohort is scheduled to begin in October 2026.
Is the programme accredited?
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The Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration operates under the University's required regulatory and accreditation approvals. Speak with a Doctoral Admissions Advisor for the current accreditation documentation and status.
How long does the programme take?
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The normal duration is three academic years, comprising 96 credits of advanced study, candidacy, research, publication development and thesis examination.
Can I remain in full-time employment?
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Yes. The hybrid structure is designed for professionals and academics with significant responsibilities. Candidates must still protect substantial time for reading, independent research, assessment, supervision and writing between scheduled sessions.
What is the difference between the two study routes?
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The Executive Intensive Route organises contact time into three ten-day intensives each academic year. The Executive Weekend Route provides one intensive Friday-to-Sunday doctoral weekend each month. Both routes deliver the same curriculum, standards, assessments, supervision and progression requirements.
How much scheduled contact time does each route provide?
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Each route provides 180 synchronous contact hours per academic year. The difference lies in how those hours are organised, not in the academic expectations of the degree.
What are the available areas of concentration?
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Candidates may specialise in Accounting and Finance; Human Resource Management; Marketing and Communication; Leadership and Governance; or Strategic Management. Each concentration comprises six 3-credit modules completed across the first three semesters.
What is the Global Immersions Programme?
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The Global Immersions Programme is the international doctoral summer-camp component of the PhD. Through academic engagement abroad, candidates participate in research masterclasses, methods and writing workshops, doctoral roundtables, institutional visits and international scholarly networking.
What kind of research is expected?
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Candidates are expected to undertake original, ethically responsible and methodologically credible research addressing a significant organisational, economic, leadership, governance or public-policy problem. The thesis must make a defensible contribution to knowledge and practice.
What outputs are expected beyond the thesis?
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The doctoral journey includes publication development, a journal manuscript, a policy or practice brief, progressive research presentations and evidence of pedagogical competence.
Where can I find the complete curriculum and policies?
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Download the programme brochure or speak with a Doctoral Admissions Advisor for the full module structure, admission requirements, fees, calendar and policies.
Final Section · Apply
From accomplished professional to consequential scholar.
Your experience has shaped decisions. Now turn it into knowledge that can shape institutions.
Applications are open for the October 2026 intake.