Signature Doctorate program

Doctorate of Philosophy in International Relations

This professionally-oriented Doctorate program is for related Master graduates and experienced professionals.

Focus on management theory and practice with courses from our Business & Management cluster; add courses from our Higher Education cluster; add more shared electives; and bring it all together in a Doctorate Dissertation with original academic research.

Modular design

Everyone’s professional career is different, and we have always believed that one’s academic career should be too. You can customize your program based on your previous studies, current interests, and future ambitions. Our flexible and American-inspired program structure allows you to choose your courses based on a set of standard program requirements. These requirements are different for each of our programs. The choice of courses and modules will be different for each of our students also, providing for a truly unique and personalized curriculum.

First phase

In the first phase for a total of 90 credits, you complete your coursework.

The flexible program structure is available to all students at all campuses.

  • BUS7001 – Corporate Social Responsibility
  • BUS7002 – Global Business Development
  • BUS7102 – Advanced Cases in Global Business
  • COM7002 – Corporate Communication Strategies
  • ECO7001 – Advanced International Economics
  • HUM7001 – Advanced Organizational Behavior
  • HUM7003 – Global Leadership Styles
  • INF7001 – Management Information Systems
  • MAN7001 – Strategic Decision-making
  • COM7001 – Applied Communication Theories
  • HUM7002 – Advanced Psychology
  • MAN7105 – Advanced Cases in Global Management
  • SOC7001 – Advanced Sociology

  • ACA7002 – Global Perspectives in Teaching and Learning
  • ACA7003 – Higher Education Course Design and Preparation
  • ACA7004 – Higher Education Teaching and Evaluation
  • ACA7005 – Developing Blended, Hybrid and Flexible Learning Environments
  • ACA7006 – Developing as a Thesis or Dissertation Supervisor
  • ACA7101 – Advanced Cases in Higher Education

Electives can be any course scheduled that does not already count towards other program requirements. Electives are shared with students from other programs and concentrations.

What is the difference between our DBA and DPhil programs?

The DBA is a 90-credit program and the DPhil is a 120-credit program. Students in the DPhil complete another 30 credits in courses from our Higher Education cluster. In the DBA program, the focus of the Doctorate Dissertation is applied research. In the DPhil program, the focus is instead placed on academic research.

Second phase

In the second phase for a total of 30 credits, you complete your Final Project. The requirements of this phase can be started at any time and do not necessarily need to be started only upon completion of the coursework.

This option is available to all students.

  • Applied Research Techniques (5 EC)
  • Quantitative Research Methods (5 EC)
  • Qualitative Research Methods (5 EC)

Your Doctorate Dissertation focuses on original academic research.

Intended learning outcomes at program level
  • Students will synthesize knowledge and critically evaluate complex concepts and theories in international relations, and formulate integrative and cross-functional strategies.
  • Students will analyze contemporary global challenges, and devise innovative development strategies.
  • Students will analyze governance challenges and develop advanced diplomatic skills in a variety of contexts.
  • Students will innovate and demonstrate advanced skills needed to lead in international contexts and cross-cultural environments.
  • Students will design and implement advanced methodologies and tools to engage in sustainable, responsible, and ethical problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Students will conduct and apply advanced research to address complex real-world international challenges, contributing original knowledge to the field of international relations.
  • Students will critically assess their own growth as individuals and global citizens, and demonstrate the ability to reflect deeply upon their own thinking and behavior as well as that of others involved.
  • Students will innovate and develop new analytical frameworks to understand and address complex communication challenges across social, cultural, digital, and global contexts.
  • Students will synthesize knowledge and critically evaluate core teaching and learning concepts, and formulate integrative and cross-functional approaches.
  • Students will achieve academic experience necessary to pursue teaching careers in higher education.

This curriculum is valid for all students starting in October 2025 or later. While all efforts have been made to ensure that the program requirements and course overviews are complete and accurate at the time of publication, we reserve the right to make changes to the curriculum without prior notice, subject to ongoing internal validation. Some of the courses are subject to availability.

Program options

We provide flexibility because everyone’s preferences are different. Our curated academic options allow you to further customize your program and turn your experience into a truly personalized one. The following options result in slightly different program and/or other requirements and will differ for each student depending on the chosen combinations of options.

Shape your global future with immersive on-campus experiences in addition to the online course planning.

Advance your academic journey with a flexible doctorate program designed for the modern scholar—blend in-person learning across our campuses with the convenience of online course planning, tailored to fit your global lifestyle.

Broaden your expertise, explore new disciplines, and enrich your academic journey by auditing any our Master’s level courses.

Doctorate students are encouraged to audit Master’s level courses across disciplines. This opportunity allows you to deepen your expertise, explore complementary fields, and engage with diverse academic perspectives—without the pressure of formal assessment. Whether you’re looking to enrich your applied research, gain interdisciplinary insights, or simply stay curious, auditing offers a flexible path to continued learning.

Accreditation and ranking

Upon successful completion of the program, students receive an international private Doctorate of Philosophy (DPhil) in International Management degree awarded by United Institute (Switzerland). The degree is awarded based on the recommendation of our faculty members and Examination Committee (where applicable).

We are institutionally accredited by the UK-based and EQAR-registered British Accreditation Council (BAC). This institutional accreditation supports all our local campuses, study programs, dependent schools and awarding units.

We were awarded a 5-star rating for business and management studies as part of our overall 4-star rating in 2024 by QS.

This program is programmatically accredited by the EU-based and ENQA-affiliated European Council for Business Education (ECBE).

In addition to the traditional paper-based award and school-branded cover, our academic and professional qualifications are also blockchain-verifiable on the Ethereum blockchain. This cutting-edge technology lets us add a whole new dimension to qualification verification. One major benefit of such secure documents is the instant verification by employers during the recruitment process.

More information

We organize 8 starting dates per year. Our academic calendar is based on a quarter system with four 10-week quarters per year that consist of two 5-week terms each. We refer to these quarters as Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, and to these terms simply as A and B. Our program’s flexible structure and modular design allows you to optimally plan your studies and choose from among multiple starting dates in October, November, January, February, April, May, July, and August.

You can complete the program in a part-time format within approximately 3 academic years, depending on our course planning, your course selection., and your Doctorate Dissertation progress.

We schedule most courses on weekdays throughout the day, typically in blocks of 3 hours between 8.30 and 18.30, but there may be several evening courses between 19.00 and 22.00, weekend courses on Saturdays, and/or seminar courses with visiting faculty in two or more consecutive days. Some courses may be scheduled in a hybrid format, partially on-campus and partially virtual, or in a fully virtual format. When students combine on-campus and virtual courses, we refer to that as a blended program.

  • a Master Degree or its equivalent for a solid foundation
  • fluency in English for effective communication and interaction

We work with a rolling admissions process and do not set specific deadlines to apply because of our multiple starting dates. Applications are welcomed and reviewed on a rolling basis. We do advise students to apply early and formally accept their application so that everyone can plan ahead. We also advise students to allow sufficient time from the moment of their formal acceptance to plan their stay abroad (where applicable). Refer to the Admission Information section for more details.

Our LinkedIn page highlights where our alumni work and the roles they hold with one of our professionally-oriented qualifications. Graduates pursue a variety of positions in small, medium, large and multinational companies across numerous industries.

Connect with us

We believe in personal attention from the start. Our team members are available to answer your questions and support you with your application. Everything starts with the first step.

Student interviews

Upcoming events

  • LIVE Info Session

    March 11 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

  • LIVE Info Session

    April 15 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

All Postgraduate-level programs

Achieve the pinnacle of academic excellence with a Doctorate program, opening doors to advanced leadership opportunities and applied research.

Advance with a 30-credit Postgraduate Diploma program and progress towards a comprehensive Degree program.

Start with a 15-credit Postgraduate Certificate program and seamlessly transition to a Diploma or Degree program.