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THE GOLD COAST PhD IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BECOME A SCHOLAR LEADER Add Scholarly Authority to Professional Distinction Professional accomplishment gives you the authority to lead. Doctoral scholarship gives you the authority to produce, defend and advance the knowledge by which institutions are led. The University of Gold Coast invites applications for the October 2026 intake of its approved Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, hosted by the Accra International Doctoral College. The Gold Coast PhD is designed to develop the Scholar Leader: an intellectually rigorous scholar and accomplished professional who unites original research, judgement grounded in evidence and transformational leadership. It brings together two distinct forms of authority in one integrated identity. Professional distinction is earned through accomplishment, executive judgement and the ability to lead consequential change. Academic authority is 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, translate evidence into better decisions and contribute meaningfully across universities, boardrooms, ministries and institutions. This is a genuine research doctorate with advanced methodological preparation, candidacy examinations, proposal defence, original thesis research, publication development and viva voce examination. Over three academic years and 96 credits, candidates progress through a deliberate journey from inquiry to original contribution. In Year One, candidates build strong foundations in research philosophy, ethics, theory, evidence synthesis, qualitative methods, quantitative methods and concentration study. In Year Two, they complete comprehensive examinations, refine their research design, develop and defend their proposal, and begin the academic apprenticeship. In Year Three, they complete data analysis, develop a journal manuscript, present their thesis, demonstrate pedagogical competence and defend an original contribution to knowledge. Candidates may pursue one of five fields of concentration: • Accounting and Finance • Human Resource Management • Marketing and Communication • Leadership and Governance • Strategic Management The programme is structured for accomplished professionals and academics whose responsibilities are substantial, but whose doctoral ambitions require no reduction in academic standard. Candidates may choose between two study routes. The Executive Intensive Route consists of three ten day doctoral intensives in each academic year. Each intensive provides 60 contact hours of advanced masterclasses, methods laboratories, disciplinary seminars, writing clinics, doctoral colloquia, supervision and milestone review. The Executive Weekend Route consists of one intensive doctoral weekend each month. Each Friday to Sunday engagement provides 15 contact hours, allowing candidates to sustain a disciplined research rhythm alongside their professional and academic responsibilities. Both routes provide 180 synchronous contact hours per academic year and carry the same curriculum, assessment requirements, supervision standards and progression expectations. The doctoral experience extends beyond the classroom through the Global Immersions Programme, the international doctoral summer camp component of the PhD. Through academic engagements in Europe, candidates participate in advanced research masterclasses, methods and academic writing workshops, doctoral roundtables, institutional visits and international scholarly networking. These experiences expose candidates to comparative institutional perspectives, global research cultures and international standards of scholarly argument. The Gold Coast PhD develops more than a thesis. Candidates also produce a journal manuscript, policy or practice brief, research presentations and a teaching portfolio. These outputs prepare graduates for influential contributions through research, teaching, consultancy, policy and institutional leadership. The programme is designed for academics, researchers, executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, policymakers, public administrators, regulatory leaders, and faith based and development leaders ready to undertake the demands of a genuine research doctorate. 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. Applicants must also demonstrate professional and research readiness and submit a research concept, statement of purpose, curriculum vitae and references. Your experience has shaped decisions. Now turn it into knowledge that can shape institutions. Move from accomplished professional to consequential scholar. Applications are open for October 2026. Begin your application. Speak with Doctoral Admissions. THE GOLD COAST PhD Three Years | Hybrid | 96 Credits | Five Fields of Concentration