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Research competence within the doctoral journey

The Master-in-Passing at Monarch Switzerland represents a formal academic milestone within the doctoral journey. It is not a separate degree pathway, nor should it be confused with Monarch’s Dual Doctoral Degree options. Rather, it is an integrated academic recognition awarded within the structure of the corresponding doctorate, acknowledging the candidate’s successful development of the research competencies required for advanced doctoral inquiry.

Rooted in the broader European academic tradition, the Master-in-Passing reflects Monarch’s view that doctoral education is developmental in nature. Candidates do not simply arrive at the dissertation stage by title alone; they progress through a structured sequence of scholarly formation, research design, methodological refinement, and intellectual maturation. The corresponding master’s award formally recognises this progression.

The Master-in-Passing award corresponds to the doctoral programme. PhD candidates receive the M.Phil. in Business Research; DBA, DOL and DOAN candidates receive the M.A. in Business Research; and DSS candidates receive the M.A. in Social Science.

The Master-in-Passing therefore serves as a meaningful academic marker within the doctoral process. It recognises the research capability developed before the final dissertation and viva voce, while formal conferral takes place alongside the successfully completed doctorate.

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What is the Master-in-Passing?

The Master-in-Passing is an embedded academic award conferred alongside the doctoral degree upon successful completion, recognising the level of research maturity, methodological competence, and theoretical grounding expected at that stage of doctoral study. It is “in passing” because it is earned while progressing toward the doctorate, rather than through enrollment in a separate standalone master’s degree.

This distinction is important. The Master-in-Passing is not a consolation credential, nor is it a lateral qualification detached from the doctoral path. It is a formal recognition that the candidate has successfully moved beyond the level of coursework and conceptual preparation into the domain of serious and viable doctoral research.

At Monarch, the corresponding Master-in-Passing award affirms that a candidate has developed the academic capacity to formulate and refine a research proposal, justify an appropriate methodology, engage critically with literature, and prepare for the execution of disciplined inquiry. It reflects a stage of scholarly readiness that is substantial in its own right.

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When the award is conferred

The corresponding Master-in-Passing award is formally awarded concurrently with the doctoral degree upon successful completion of the doctoral programme. While it reflects a significant milestone within the doctoral journey—namely the achievement of advanced research competence—it is not conferred as a separate interim award during the course of study.

This distinction is important. The Master-in-Passing recognizes the stage at which the candidate has demonstrated the capacity for independent research, typically developed through the preparatory and proposal phases of the program. However, the formal conferral of the degree occurs only upon completion of the full doctoral process, including the dissertation and final presentation.

In this sense, the Master-in-Passing functions as an embedded academic recognition within the doctoral framework. It acknowledges the candidate’s progression through key stages of scholarly development while maintaining the integrity of the doctorate as the culminating academic award.

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Master-in-Exit: a defined academic exit point

In addition to the Master-in-Passing, Monarch Switzerland recognizes that doctoral research is a demanding and sustained intellectual undertaking. While the expectation is that candidates progress through to the completion of their doctorate, the institution maintains a structured academic framework that acknowledges meaningful scholarly achievement where a candidate elects to conclude their doctoral studies prior to the final dissertation and viva voce.

The corresponding Master-in-Exit award may be conferred, subject to formal academic review and approval, when a candidate chooses to exit their doctoral programme having satisfied the academic requirements associated with the corresponding master’s degree. This reflects a deliberate and considered decision by the candidate, rather than an automatic or administrative outcome.

In such cases, the candidate is expected to consolidate their existing doctoral work into a structured academic submission in the form of a five-chapter Master-level thesis. This thesis must meet the standards of scholarly rigor expected by the School and be prepared for formal evaluation. The requirement ensures that the Master-in-Exit represents a serious academic contribution, grounded in research competence and coherent intellectual development. The corresponding Master-in-Exit award therefore constitutes a defined academic conclusion to partial doctoral progression. It recognizes that substantial research work has been undertaken and brought to a level appropriate for formal assessment, even if the full doctoral manuscript is not completed.

Candidates pursuing the Master-in-Exit may also request to undertake a Master-level viva voce, providing the opportunity to formally present and defend their work before an academic committee. This optional component reflects Monarch’s commitment to recognizing the scholarly effort and intellectual engagement of candidates, while offering a meaningful academic experience aligned with their level of study.

The corresponding Master-in-Exit award reflects the doctoral programme: M.Phil. in Business Research for PhD programmes, M.A. in Business Research for DBA, DOL and DOAN, and M.A. in Social Science for DSS. It affirms that the candidate has achieved a substantial level of research competence and scholarly development within the doctoral framework.

The existence of the Master-in-Exit reflects Monarch’s structured, transparent, and respectful approach to doctoral education, one that upholds academic rigor while recognizing the diverse circumstances and trajectories of its candidates.

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A milestone, not a separate programme

One of the most important aspects of the Master-in-Passing is that it must be understood correctly. It is not a second program, not an optional add-on, and not a separate dual-degree arrangement.

The corresponding master’s award is integrated into the doctoral programme itself. Candidates do not enrol in a separate master’s programme or complete an additional standalone dissertation to earn the Master-in-Passing. It recognises work undertaken within the doctoral framework and is conferred upon successful doctoral completion.

This is precisely why the phrase Master-in-Passing is so important. It indicates that the award is earned in the course of passing through the doctoral journey, not by stepping outside of it.

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What the Master-in-Passing represents

The Master-in-Passing represents the successful attainment of several core competencies central to doctoral research. It reflects mastery of foundational research design principles, including the ability to formulate a viable research problem and articulate a coherent research direction. It also demonstrates methodological readiness, including familiarity with qualitative, interpretive, and where appropriate mixed or comparative approaches consistent with Monarch’s research philosophy.

The award further signifies the candidate’s capacity to engage critically with scholarly literature, position their inquiry within an academic field, and justify the philosophical and theoretical basis of their work. Equally important, it reflects developing scholarly discipline: the ability to write academically, think conceptually, and progress with intellectual seriousness toward the dissertation stage. In practical terms, the Master-in-Passing confirms that the candidate has moved from preparation into legitimate doctoral research readiness.

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Why Monarch includes this recognition

Monarch’s doctoral philosophy recognizes that advanced research develops through stages. For this reason, the institution does not treat the doctoral journey as a single undifferentiated process ending only with the dissertation. Instead, it acknowledges that candidates pass through identifiable milestones of intellectual formation. The Master-in-Passing exists for several reasons.

First, it reflects the reality that doctoral research competence is earned progressively. By the time candidates have completed their research skills preparation, refined their research proposal, and demonstrated the ability to engage rigorously with theory and methodology, they have already achieved a meaningful academic threshold.

Second, it reinforces Monarch’s commitment to a structured and developmental model of doctoral education. Rather than recognizing only the final outcome, the institution acknowledges substantive scholarly advancement at an intermediate but significant point in the doctoral journey.

Third, it aligns with Monarch’s broader European academic positioning. In this tradition, advanced research training is not viewed merely as the accumulation of credits, but as the formation of an independent scholar capable of disciplined inquiry and original contribution.

Finally, the Master-in-Passing framework creates academic clarity across the doctoral programmes it covers. PhD programmes carry the M.Phil. in Business Research; DBA, DOL and DOAN carry the M.A. in Business Research; and DSS carries the M.A. in Social Science. These corresponding awards recognise a shared commitment to research formation while respecting the distinct academic focus of each doctoral pathway.

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Historical foundations

The principle of recognising research formation within a doctoral journey has precedents in British and European academic traditions. The M.Phil. is one example within this history; it is not the sole award used in Monarch’s Master-in-Passing framework. Historically, research-based postgraduate degrees have served not only as standalone qualifications, but also as preparatory and transitional stages within the broader formation of doctoral scholars.

Within the English academic tradition, leading institutions such as the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge have long recognized the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) as a rigorous research degree positioned between taught master’s programs and the Doctor of Philosophy. In certain contexts, the M.Phil. has also been associated with doctoral progression or awarded as an exit qualification, formally acknowledging substantial research undertaken prior to the completion of the PhD.

A comparable academic logic is evident within the French system through the Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA), which historically functioned as an advanced research degree required for entry into doctoral study. The DEA emphasized methodological preparation, theoretical grounding, and the development of independent research capability, serving as a structured bridge between postgraduate education and doctoral-level inquiry. Although subsequently integrated into the modern Master’s framework under the Bologna Process, its role as a preparatory research stage remains conceptually significant.

Across these traditions, a common principle emerges: that the development of a researcher is progressive, and that the attainment of research competence prior to the completion of a full doctoral thesis constitutes a meaningful academic achievement worthy of formal recognition.

Monarch’s use of the Master-in-Passing aligns with this broader academic logic. It reflects an established understanding within European higher education that doctoral study involves identifiable stages of intellectual and methodological development, and that these stages may be formally acknowledged within a structured academic framework.

This continuity is further reflected in the academic formation of Monarch’s faculty. Members of the academic team have themselves been trained within research systems that recognize staged scholarly progression. Dr. Beardsell, for example, holds the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Business Research from Newcastle University (Northumbria), while Dr. Madarasz completed advanced research training within the French academic system, including the Diplôme d’Études Approfondies (DEA) following studies at Université Paris I (Sorbonne), the Collège international de philosophie, and Université Paris VIII. Dr. Henderson earned the Doctorandus (drs.) degree in the Netherlands from Nijenrode Universiteit, adding a Dutch academic example to the faculty’s educational backgrounds. These academic trajectories reflect the same underlying principle: that research competence is developed progressively and formally recognized within established systems of higher education.

Within the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), doctoral education is situated at Level 8, representing the highest level of academic achievement and characterized by original contribution to knowledge and advanced research capability. The Master-in-Passing may be understood as reflecting the transition toward Level 8 research competence within the doctoral journey. While the corresponding Master-in-Passing award is formally conferred alongside the completed doctorate, it represents the stage at which candidates have demonstrated the ability to design, justify, and prepare for independent scholarly inquiry.

In this sense, the corresponding Master-in-Passing award recognises master’s-level achievement embedded within the doctoral journey; it is not a separate doctoral qualification. It affirms that the candidate has achieved a level of intellectual and methodological maturity consistent with advanced research formation, prior to the completion of the final doctoral contribution.

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Master-in-Passing and dual doctoral degrees

To avoid confusion, Monarch distinguishes clearly between the Master-in-Passing and its Dual Doctoral Degree Pathways. The Master-in-Passing is an internal academic milestone within a single doctoral journey. A Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway, by contrast, involves progression from one completed doctoral framework into a second, distinct doctoral manuscript at the same level, usually with a more applied or complementary orientation.

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A common research foundation

Monarch recognises the research foundation within each doctoral pathway through its corresponding Master-in-Passing award: the M.Phil. in Business Research for PhD programmes, the M.A. in Business Research for DBA, DOL and DOAN, and the M.A. in Social Science for DSS.

This coherence is academically important without requiring every doctoral programme to carry the same master’s title. Across the PhD, DBA, DOL, DOAN and DSS pathways, the corresponding award recognises research competence within the programme’s academic field. The M.Phil. in Business Research, M.A. in Business Research and M.A. in Social Science reflect these different programme contexts within a shared framework of scholarly development.

This approach strengthens clarity for candidates, consistency across programs, and the integrity of Monarch’s doctoral architecture.

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Institutional meaning

The Master-in-Passing reflects Monarch’s belief that doctoral education should recognize genuine scholarly development. It affirms that research capacity is not something presumed, but something cultivated and demonstrated. It also reflects the institution’s conviction that doctoral study should be rigorous, developmental, and intellectually transparent.

By integrating the corresponding master’s award into the doctoral structure, Monarch makes visible an important truth about advanced research: that the path to original contribution is built upon a prior achievement of methodological discipline, conceptual clarity, and reflective maturity. The Master-in-Passing is therefore not merely a credential within the system. It is a visible marker of the scholar’s formation.

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Recognising scholarly development

The Master-in-Passing at Monarch Switzerland affirms the successful development of research competence within the doctoral journey. As an integrated academic milestone, it recognizes the candidate’s progression from structured preparation into advanced scholarly inquiry. Distinct from the Dual Doctoral Degree Pathways, the Master-in-Passing reflects not the pursuit of a second doctorate, but the achievement of meaningful doctoral-level readiness. In doing so, it embodies Monarch’s commitment to rigorous, developmental, and intellectually coherent doctoral education.