Award Options
- Single Award: Institut Brittany d’Enseignement Supérieur (IBES) or
- Dual Awards: IBES + UTAMED
Programme Aims
The PhD programme aims to:
(i) Advance frontier-level disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, enabling candidates to engage critically with complex issues and generate original insights within their field.
(ii) Develop rigorous research capability, including mastery of advanced methodologies, analytical techniques, and scholarly reasoning appropriate for doctoral-level inquiry.
(iii) Foster critical and innovative thinking to address real-world challenges within the relevant research domains, integrating both theoretical insight and applied problem-solving where relevant.
(iv) Strengthen ethical, responsible, and reflexive research practice, ensuring adherence to high standards of academic integrity.
Programme Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, candidates will be able to:
- Knowledge
- K1: Demonstrate systematic, comprehensive, and frontier-level understanding of their field, including theoretical foundations, research debates, and emerging developments.
- K2: Critically evaluate, integrate, and extend knowledge across disciplinary and methodological boundaries.
- Skills
- S1: Design, implement, and justify rigorous and innovative research methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, mixed, digital, experimental, archival).
- S2: Conduct advanced data analysis, interpretation, and synthesis, producing valid, reliable, and original findings that contribute new knowledge.
- S3: Communicate complex research ideas effectively through scholarly writing, publications, oral defense, and professional dissemination.
- S4: Apply critical problem-solving and analytical skills to address complex, unpredictable, and emerging challenges, with ability to translate findings into practical or applied solutions.
- Autonomy & Responsibility
- A1: Demonstrate full autonomy and responsibility in planning, managing, and executing a substantial programme of research meeting doctoral standards.
- R1: Operate with high levels of research integrity, ethical sensitivity, and professional responsibility.
- R2: Provide academic or professional leadership within their field by mentoring others, contributing to knowledge communities, and engaging in critical scholarly debate.
- R3: Reflect critically on the societal, professional, and global implications of their research.
Awards to be Conferred
Award Title: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Single Award: Institut Brittany d’Enseignement Supérieur (IBES) or
- Award Title: Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) UTAMED
- Dual Awards: IBES + UTAMED
Programme Structure (3 Stages, 180 ECTS)
Stage | Component | ECTS | Notional Hours | Key Outputs |
Stage 1: Research Preparation | 3 modules (10 ECTS each) | 30 | 750 | Thesis proposal (5,000–6,000 words) + oral confirmation panel |
– Advanced Research Methodology | ||||
– Undertaking & Writing Critical Literature Review | ||||
– Academic Research Writing | ||||
Stage 2: Research & Thesis | Advanced Literature Review & Theoretical Framework | (500h) | 500 | Review protocol; conceptual model |
Fieldwork: Data Collection & Management | (750h) | 750 | Instruments, data management artefacts | |
Data Analysis & Interpretation | (1000h) | 1000 | Codebooks, analytic memos, visualisations | |
Thesis Writing & Iterative Drafting | (750h) | 750 | Full chapter drafts; integrated thesis | |
Dissemination & Scholarly Contribution | (500h) | 500 | Publishable journal article (7,000–8,000 words) | |
Total Stage 2 | 140 | 3,500 | Thesis (60,000–70,000 words) | |
Stage 3: Submission & Oral Defense | Viva Voce examination | 10 | 250 | Oral defense; examiner outcomes |
Total | 180 | 4,500 | PhD award |
Additional requirements:
- Completion of a publishable journal article (7,000–8,000 words) based on the thesis.
- Supervisor sign-off that the thesis is viva-ready before submission.
Assessment Strategies
The programme uses 100% research-based assessment (no taught module examinations). Assessment components:
Component | Weight | Details |
Thesis Proposal | Pass/Fail (progression requirement) | 5,000–6,000 words; assessed for clarity, literature review, methodology, feasibility, and research plan. Oral confirmation panel required. |
Final Thesis | 100% of doctoral mark | 60,000–70,000 words. Assessed on presentation, coherence, contribution to knowledge, originality, literature review, problem statement, methodology, data analysis, discussion/conclusions. |
Oral Defense (Viva Voce) | Required for award | Independent chair + external examiner + internal examiner. Outcomes: pass, pass with minor/major corrections, revise & resubmit, or fail. |
Journal Article | Required (not weighted separately) | Publishable article (7,000–8,000 words) based on thesis. |
Grading: Pass mark for thesis referral is 60% (one resit allowed). Final award is unclassified – candidates either pass (with or without corrections) or fail.
Entry Requirements
Academic:
- A Master’s degree (EQF Level 7 or equivalent) in a relevant field, or equivalent qualifications recognised by IBES.
English Language Proficiency (candidates whose first language is not English or who have not completed a degree taught in English):
- CEFR Level: Minimum C1 (Advanced) overall.
- IELTS Academic: Overall 7.0, with no component below 6.5.
- TOEFL iBT: Minimum 95 (with writing ≥24).
- Alternative: Evidence of prior degree taught in English (subject to institutional approval).
APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning): Where previous research experience is deemed satisfactory, the prescribed period of study may be reduced to two years (full-time) or four years (part-time).
Delivery Mode
- Fully Online and Blended Learning modes available.
- Self-paced learning with comprehensive online self-instructional materials via LMS (including online library).
- Regular live online sessions during the Research Preparation Stage (modular lecture series).
- Supervisor assigned upon approval of the thesis proposal.
- Mandatory oral defense (viva voce) conducted online or in person as arranged.
Duration / Notional Hours
- Minimum duration: 36 months (3 years) from commencement.
- Maximum duration: 60 months (5 years), after which the Board of Examiners may terminate enrolment unless an extension is granted.
- Total notional hours: 4,500 hours (180 ECTS × 25 notional hours per ECTS).
- Stage 1 (Research Preparation): 750 hours (30 ECTS)
- Stage 2 (Research & Thesis): 3,500 hours (140 ECTS)
- Stage 3 (Submission & Oral Defense): 250 hours (10 ECTS)
