PhD Online

PhD Degree Target Group

PhD Program Students

PhD students can be mid-career individuals who have already established themselves as business leaders or are on track to being appointed to executive positions and are supported in their academic ambition by their employing organisation. PhD candidates can also be students in their late 20s who excelled in their bachelor’s and master’s degrees and are ready for the next step in academic research. The degree is intended for both senior practitioners in their field, who are used to identifying and dealing with various “real life” issues, as well as researchers whose main strength lies in theoretical knowledge.

The Doctor of Philosophy degree can open a wide range of professional opportunities in a variety of settings from lecturing at Universities or Higher Education Institutions to top management positions, to consulting or even further entrepreneurship.

Doctoral Research Phases

This Doctor of Philosophy degree program has a clear milestone system made up of eight successive phases. Students are initially registered as MPhil. Students. The enrollment status is upgraded to PhD status after at least 24 months of part-time study once the candidate passes the Transfer Interview. Transfer is allowed on clear evidence of progress in their work (Phase Five). The applied milestone system provides a rigorous quality assurance system making sure that only those who reach the expected level of scholarship are allowed to move on.

Phase 1: Developing a Letter of Intent

Phase One consists of the writing of a 1000-word Letter of Intent aimed at communicating one’s intentions regarding the area of study.

Phase 2: Developing a Research Proposal

An affirmative reply to the Letter of Intent from the SMC Doctoral Committee constitutes the approval for the candidate to move on to the formal Research Proposal. The length of the proposal should be around 3,000 words.

Phase 3: Research Proposal Interview

The proposal is reviewed by the SMC Doctoral Committee, followed by a presentation, interview and Q&A session.

Phase 4: Commencement of Studies

The research phase commences once the candidate receives a formal letter of acceptance, which includes the approved title of the thesis, the supervisor and co-supervisor, and the timeframe in which the thesis has to be conducted.

Phase 5: Transfer from MPhil to PhD Interview

Transfer occurs on condition that the work submitted is approved by the appointed Board of Examiners. The transfer can take place after a minimum of 24 months and a maximum of 48 months of part-time study.

Phase 6: Writing of the Thesis

Ph.D. candidates need to attend the quarterly SMC Doctoral Seminars and present chapters from their thesis. Candidates are also expected to attend international conferences related to their studies as well as online webinars. Candidates are also expected to meet with their tutors on a regular basis and engage in discussions about their research.

Phase 7: Submission of Thesis, Evaluation & Oral Defence

The candidate submits a thesis of around 100,000 words. An appointed Board of Examiners is set up to examine the thesis.

Phase 8: Doctor of Philosophy degree is Conferred

Following the verification of the Board of Examiner’s declaration that the student has passed the dissertation component of their course, and the verification of any required changes, the Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred.

PhD Dissertation

Doctoral Thesis

Students work closely with the assigned supervisors to go through the Eight Phases of the program. Research Candidates are to write a thesis that clearly demonstrates competence in the subject area at an advanced level and contribute towards new knowledge. The length of a thesis is around 100,000 words. At the end of each term, the researcher and their supervisors must each submit a progress report to the SMC Doctorate Committee. When the supervisors are satisfied that the work is ready for examination, the thesis is submitted to an appointed Board of Examiners. After examination, the Chairperson may give approval for the oral defence or ask for resubmission with corrections.

PhD Degree Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, learners will have acquired the following competencies, knowledge, and skills:

Competences

• Lead the development of new ideas or new processes in the respective field.
• Make judicious judgements involving a multitude of interlinked factors.
• Promote social, scientific and ethical advancement in the respective field.
• Advise on theory/practice that is complex and possibly even unpredictable, and which may require new strategic approaches.
• Command of high-specialized know-how relevant to the particular context of the field of study.
• Demonstrate intellectual capacities in the ability to deal with very complex problems, including problem formulation, problem-solving and innovation capacity.
• Be responsible for academic rigour, creativity and adaptability in addressing specific issues within one’s fields of specialization.
• Manage the necessary resilience and dynamism in the face of very complex phenomena.

Knowledge

• Outline the theoretical foundation of the respective research area which is at the forefront of the concerned field of study.
• Design original research with consideration for contemporary societal perspectives that advance empirical/theoretical knowledge in the respective research area.
• Create new knowledge at the most advanced frontier of a field of study through original and advanced research of a quality to satisfy peer review and merit publication.
• Engage with a diverse specialized audience as a scholar regarding the relevance of theories, applications and practical solutions.
• Design solutions to challenges in the local and/or global domain based on original and scholarly research that substantially advance theory/practice.
• Undertake rigorous research at the highest level.
• Identify ethical issues in the respective research area and assume an academic leading role to promote progress ethically.
• Critique the range of knowledge, theory, specifics and philosophical paradigms that underpin research in the respective field of specialisation.
• Illustrate empirical qualitative, quantitative, mixed-method approaches or philosophical inquiry to research.
• Implement research methodologies used by researchers in the respective field of studies.

Skills

• Analyse complex, incomplete or contradictory areas of knowledge communicating the outcome effectively with critical awareness.
• Synthesize information in a manner that may be innovative, utilising knowledge or processes from the forefront of the respective area of study with critical awareness.
• Address dilemmas and choices that allow researchers to critically evaluate research-based scholarship and practice and to argue alternative approaches.
• Demonstrate substantial initiative and originality in problem-solving.
• Solve issues by establishing criteria, and using appropriate decision techniques including identifying, formulating and addressing problems.
• Analyse, synthesize and assess new and complex phenomena, issues and situations autonomously and critically in an organisational and/or global business context.
• Identify and formulate issues with scholarly precision, plan and use appropriate methods to undertake research within predetermined time frames.
• Critique major challenges in the respective research area.
• Recognize ethical situations, apply personal and organisational ethical values to situations, manage the implications of dilemmas and work proactively with others to formulate solutions.
• Promote social, cultural, commercial, scientific, and ethical advancement through theory and practice.
• Communicate expertise to peers through different media.