The University of Gold Coast has launched a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration, joining a wave of African universities expanding executive doctoral programs focused on local research for business and government.
The degree will run out of the Accra International Doctoral College, with the first cohort starting in October 2026. It is a 96-credit, three-year program built for senior managers, entrepreneurs, consultants and academics who want to turn professional experience into original scholarship.
"Ghana must become not only a consumer of knowledge but also a producer of knowledge. A nation cannot outsource all its thinking," Chancellor and Founder Bishop Dr Gideon Titi-Ofei said at the launch. "The Gold Coast PhD has been created to develop Scholar Leaders who can convert experience into evidence, evidence into knowledge and knowledge into institutional transformation."
The launch aligns with a wider push across Africa to strengthen homegrown research and leadership capacity, as companies and public institutions seek evidence-based answers to governance, economic and organisational problems.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Cedric Bell said the program is designed for working executives without lowering academic standards.
"We are not simply adding another qualification to the market," Prof Bell said. "We are building a distinctive African doctoral experience that is intellectually ambitious, globally engaged, ethically grounded and professionally relevant."
The PhD offers two study routes with the same curriculum and supervision: an Executive Intensive Route with three 10-day doctoral intensives per academic year, and a Weekend-Based Route with one weekend per month.
Students will complete advanced research training, structured supervision, publication requirements, an original thesis, and a viva voce exam. The program is anchored in African institutional realities and Christian ethical values.
Specialisations include Accounting and Finance, Human Resource Management, Marketing and Communications, Leadership and Governance, and Strategic Management.
Other elements include research clinics, doctoral colloquia, publication workshops, an Online Doctoral Studio, and international exposure through the university's Global Immersions Programme.
The university expects each thesis to tackle major challenges in business, governance, leadership or public policy, with findings aimed at influencing boardrooms, ministries and universities.
Applications for the October 2026 intake are now open.