Doctor of Professional Studies
An Applied Dual Degree Program Integrating Professional Experience and Analytical Research
- PROGRAM DETAILS
- What You Will Achieve
- Program Structure
- Program Features
- Master-In-Passing
- Admissions
- Tuition
- _
- POST-DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
- Post-Doc: DLitt. By Manuscript
- Post-Doc: By Published Articles
- _
- ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
- PhD in Business Research
- PhD in Economics
- PhD in International Relations
- Doctor of Social Science
- _
- APPLIED PROGRAMS
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Leadership
- Doctor of Applied Neuroscience
- Doctor of Management
- Doctor of Professional Studies
- _
- MASTER PROGRAMS
- MPhil in Business Research
- MA in Business Research
- _
- APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS
- Online Application
- Admissions Contact
The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) at Monarch Business School Switzerland is an advanced professional doctorate designed for experienced managers, executives, and senior practitioners who wish to turn a real organizational challenge into a structured, high-level body of applied research. The program begins with the candidate’s professional environment and transforms it through systematic inquiry, theoretical integration, and reflective analysis. By grounding scholarly investigation in lived managerial experience, the DProf produces outcomes that are academically rigorous, operationally effective, and directly applicable to professional practice.
At its core, the Doctor of Professional Studies emphasizes precise problem definition, evidence-based evaluation, and solution-oriented application. Candidates examine the contextual, behavioral, strategic, or systemic dimensions of a managerial issue from their own professional domain. Depending on the nature of the research problem, inquiry may adopt action research, case study methodology, qualitative or mixed-methods investigation, or systems-based modeling approaches that support decision-making and organizational improvement. Throughout the manuscript development process, candidates engage deeply with relevant theories of management, leadership, organizational behavior, and applied social science.
The program culminates in a doctoral-level manuscript that demonstrates intellectual synthesis, validated findings, and actionable managerial recommendations. Submissions must articulate tested frameworks, implementable solutions, and contributions to both professional understanding and applied management scholarship. In doing so, the DProf prepares candidates to operate as reflective scholar-practitioners—leaders capable of diagnosing complex problems, generating innovative solutions, influencing organizational practice, and advancing the broader field of applied management research.
What You Will Achieve
The Doctor of Professional Studies is designed to cultivate the analytical depth, applied research capability, and reflective judgment required of senior professionals who wish to transform real organisational challenges into evidence-based, context-sensitive solutions. The outcomes below represent the core developmental achievements candidates typically gain through the program’s structured, mentor-supported progression.
| Applied Research Competence | Develop the capability to investigate real-world managerial and organisational challenges using appropriate applied research designs, including action research, case study inquiry, mixed methods, or systems-based approaches. |
| Evidence-Based Problem Solving | Learn to diagnose complex problems through evidence-based analysis, enabling the design of interventions and strategic recommendations that are both contextually grounded and operationally feasible. |
| Integration of Theory and Practice | Strengthen your ability to synthesise professional experience with relevant theories of management, leadership, organisational behaviour, and applied social science, ensuring that practice is informed by robust conceptual foundations. |
| Advanced Professional Writing | Develop the writing discipline required to produce a coherent, analytically rigorous, and publication-ready doctoral manuscript that communicates clearly to both academic and practitioner audiences. |
| Reflective Leadership & Professional Identity | Cultivate reflective leadership capabilities and deepen professional self-awareness, shaping a mature scholar-practitioner identity aligned with your domain of expertise. |
| Design and Validation of Practical Solutions | Acquire the capacity to design, model, test, and validate frameworks, tools, or interventions that directly address the organisational issue under investigation and demonstrate measurable impact. |
| Executive-Level Impact & Decision Support | Develop the strategic insight, analytical confidence, and communication skills necessary to support executive decision-making and influence professional practice at the highest levels. |
Together, these developmental achievements equip candidates to transform complex professional challenges into structured, validated, and actionable solutions, strengthening both organisational practice and their own long-term leadership trajectory.
Program Structure
The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) at Monarch Business School Switzerland follows a clearly articulated milestone framework that integrates scholarly inquiry with professional problem-solving. Each stage advances the candidate from the identification and framing of a real-world managerial challenge through to the synthesis of validated solutions and the formal presentation of a professional doctoral manuscript.
Diagnostic → Proposal → Inquiry → Synthesis → Presentation
This developmental sequence reflects the intellectual, analytical, and practice-oriented progression expected of advanced professional doctorates within the broader European academic tradition. The structure aligns with the competencies articulated in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for advanced study, supporting the development of independent inquiry, applied research capability, critical evaluation, and evidence-based professional judgement. In doing so, the DProf positions candidates along a reflective-to-analytical continuum that guides them from experiential insight toward the creation of operationally sound, contextually grounded, and academically defensible outcomes.
The design of the program fosters both intellectual discipline and creative innovation, ensuring that candidates can transform practical experience or analytical insight into substantive contributions of managerial and academic value. This structured and mentor-supported progression strengthens methodological competence, deepens critical reflection, and builds the capacity for integrative synthesis. Whether the inquiry centres on lived managerial experience, organisational systems, or the development of new analytical or computational models, the Doctor of Professional Studies maintains the highest academic and ethical standards expected of a doctoral qualification. Faculty supervision and institutional review ensure that each phase of research meets Monarch’s benchmarks for rigor, applied relevance, and ethical integrity while preserving the professional flexibility required of senior practitioners. The following phases outline the academic framework of the Doctor of Professional Studies, detailing the pathway from initial problem formulation to the completion and presentation of the doctoral manuscript before the Review Committee.
Diagnostic & Framing Stage
Candidates begin by articulating the managerial or organizational problem that will anchor their doctoral inquiry. This phase focuses on transforming personal professional experience into a clearly defined, researchable issue. Through the Research modules, candidates acquire competencies in applied research design, problem framing, and reflective writing. The output of this phase is a well-structured Problem Definition Brief that delineates scope, significance, and intended outcomes.
Proposal Development Phase
Building upon the diagnostic stage, candidates design the doctoral research proposal that sets the intellectual and methodological foundation for the study. This includes the identification of relevant theoretical frameworks, the selection of empirical or analytical methods, and the articulation of potential practical and scholarly contributions. The proposal must demonstrate both research feasibility and professional impact, receiving formal approval by the Academic Board before field inquiry begins.
Inquiry Phase
In this phase, candidates conduct the core fieldwork or systems-based investigation. Depending on the nature of the problem, the inquiry may involve:
Empirical engagement through action research, case study, or mini-ethnography; or
Analytical modeling, involving the creation and validation of new tools, metrics, or computational simulations.
The goal is to generate, test, and refine applied knowledge that contributes to both improved practice and conceptual understanding. Candidates are expected to document iterative cycles of analysis and reflection that underpin the emerging solution.
Synthesis & Manuscript Phase
Findings from the inquiry are integrated into a doctoral manuscript that synthesizes evidence, theory, and professional reflection. The manuscript must articulate tested solutions, managerial frameworks, and implementation strategies, supported by critical analysis and methodological transparency. It should demonstrate how professional experience and academic reasoning converge to produce outcomes of transferable managerial value and scholarly merit.
Presentation Stage
The program concludes with a formal presentation before the Review Committee. This stage synthesizes the research journey, evidencing both academic rigor and practical application. Candidates present their methodology, findings, and solution models while reflecting on the personal and organizational transformation achieved through the process.
The structured progression of the Doctor of Professional Studies ensures that each candidate develops the full range of applied research, analytical, and leadership competencies expected of a doctoral-level professional. By the conclusion of the program, candidates demonstrate mastery in the design and execution of evidence-based inquiry, the capacity to translate experience into scholarly understanding, and the ability to deliver practical outcomes that enhance managerial effectiveness. Each graduate embodies Monarch Switzerland’s commitment to ethical leadership, reflective scholarship, and responsible management practice.
Request Information
Have questions about this doctoral program? Our Admissions Office is available to assist.
Key Program Features
| • | Practice-based doctoral pathway addressing real organizational challenges. |
| • | Milestone structure: problem framing, inquiry design, intervention, and impact synthesis. |
| • | Outputs oriented to implementation: thesis, executive briefings, and practice artifacts. |
| • |
Dual-track research design offering candidates the choice between empirical engagement and analytical modeling. |
| • | Evidence-informed leadership with ethics, stakeholder value, and governance focus. |
| • | Designed for working professionals; asynchronous, professionally paced progression. |
| • | Senior faculty mentorship; opportunities to publish via MRPS and practitioner outlets. |
| • | Applicable across corporate, public, and NGO contexts through cross-sector research design. |
Study Mode For Working Professionals
| • | Designed specifically for working professionals balancing full-time responsibilities. |
| • | Primary modality: fully remote study from your home country with no mandatory residency. |
| • | Asynchronous learning structure allowing you to study on your schedule. |
| • | Periodic on-campus doctoral workshops offered in Switzerland for research support and community engagement. |
| • | No requirement to relocate or take leave from professional duties. |
| • | Ideal for executives, senior managers, consultants, and practitioners pursuing doctoral-level scholarship. |
Open Research Domains
| • | Monarch welcomes doctoral research across all professional and academic domains. Candidates are not limited to predefined topics or subject lists. |
| • | Your research interest whether emerging, interdisciplinary, or highly specialised will be developed, refined, and academically aligned during the Research Proposal phase. |
| • | Faculty mentorship ensures that your chosen domain supports both doctoral-level rigor and professional relevance, enabling a high-impact applied or theoretical contribution. |
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
Program Features
The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) at Monarch Business School Switzerland is designed for accomplished professionals who wish to transform complex managerial or organizational challenges into structured opportunities for applied scholarly inquiry. The program combines the intellectual rigor of doctoral-level research with the immediacy of executive problem-solving, ensuring that outcomes are both analytically robust and professionally actionable.
Delivered through a flexible, milestone-based framework, the DProf enables candidates to investigate real-world issues from their own professional context, integrating reflection, research, and synthesis into a coherent process of evidence-based innovation. This model ensures that scholarly inquiry remains grounded in practice and that each doctoral project produces measurable insights and tested solutions with enduring managerial value.
| Problem-Centered Design | Begins with a significant managerial or organizational problem drawn from the candidate’s experience and develops it into an applied scholarly inquiry of broader professional relevance. |
| Solutions & Implementation Focus | Delivers tested solutions—frameworks, playbooks, decision tools, and implementation pathways—designed for immediate executive use and transferability to similar contexts. |
| Methodological Flexibility | Supports empirical pathways (action research, case study, mixed methods, mini-ethnography) and systems-based innovation (analytical tools, computational models, simulations) with validation requirements for both. |
| Reflective Scholarship & Synthesis | Cultivates rigorous problem framing, theoretical integration, and reflective synthesis to produce outcomes that are academically rigorous and operationally effective. |
| Flexible, Mentor-Driven Delivery | Delivered with individualized faculty mentorship, enabling candidates to maintain professional responsibilities while sustaining steady doctoral progress. |
| Integrated Recognition | Successful completion also confers the Master-in-Passing (MA in Business Research), recognizing mastery of applied research design, analytical reasoning, and professional synthesis achieved within the doctoral journey. |
Together, these features reflect Monarch’s commitment to advancing professional scholarship that bridges reflection, research, and real-world application. The DProf affirms that professional experience—when subjected to disciplined inquiry and theoretical integration—can yield scholarly insights of enduring practical significance. Each doctoral journey within the program embodies Monarch’s philosophy of ethical management and applied leadership, ensuring that every graduate emerges as a reflective scholar-practitioner capable of transforming experience into evidence-based, actionable knowledge that elevates both organizational performance and professional understanding.
Master-in-Passing
The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) at Monarch Business School Switzerland incorporates a flexible and academically rigorous framework that recognizes both professional progression and scholarly achievement through the Master of Arts (MA) in Business Research. The MA serves as an integral milestone within the doctoral journey, affirming Monarch’s commitment to accessibility, academic excellence, and the advancement of applied professional research.
Master-in-Passing (Default Award)
Candidates who successfully complete all doctoral requirements are automatically granted the MA in Business Research in passing upon conferral of the DProf award. This recognizes mastery of applied research design, analytical synthesis, and professional interpretation achieved throughout the doctoral program, underscoring the integrated nature of Monarch’s dual-degree framework.
Master-in-Exit (Terminal Award)
Candidates who choose to conclude their studies prior to completing the DProf may qualify for either the MA in Business Research or, alternatively, the Master of Professional Studies (MProf) as a terminal award.
The MA in Business Research recognizes scholarly proficiency in applied research methods, analytical reasoning, and evidence-based inquiry within a management context.
The MProf emphasizes the applied practice of management and professional reflection, demonstrating mastery in synthesizing real-world experience, research, and actionable outcomes that advance professional understanding.
The choice of terminal award enables candidates to align the degree with their professional trajectory and prior academic background. Neither form requires an original theoretical contribution but each demands a substantial applied manuscript that demonstrates the candidate’s capacity to conduct rigorous inquiry, integrate professional knowledge, and produce implementable recommendations of organizational value.
Through both the Master-in-Passing and Master-in-Exit pathways, Monarch Business School Switzerland ensures that every candidate’s scholarly engagement culminates in a meaningful and recognized qualification. This flexible dual-degree model embodies Monarch’s philosophy of applied doctoral education—uniting research excellence, ethical reflection, and professional synthesis to foster responsible, evidence-based advancement in management practice.
Professional Doctoral Philosophy
The Doctor of Professional Studies treats scholarship as disciplined practice. Candidates transform organizational problems into structured inquiry, generating actionable insights communicated in executive language and grounded in ethical responsibility.
Designs are credible and transparent; interpretations are rigorous yet pragmatic; recommendations are implementable and measurable. The objective is responsible impact—knowledge that improves decisions, capabilities, and outcomes across complex stakeholder systems.
Admission & Entry Requirements
Admission to the Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) at Monarch Business School Switzerland is based on demonstrated professional achievement, managerial competence, and the capacity to engage in reflective and applied research. The program is designed for executives, consultants, entrepreneurs, senior practitioners, and professionals who wish to investigate and formalize their practice through doctoral-level inquiry leading to actionable managerial and organizational outcomes.
Applicants typically hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution. However, experienced professionals or managers with a bachelor’s degree and substantial professional experience, or those holding recognized professional qualifications or designations, may also be considered for admission. At the discretion of the Dean, candidates without a formal academic qualification may be admitted on the basis of demonstrated professional excellence and a portfolio of practice recognized as equivalent academic capital.
Applications are reviewed by the Academic Board to ensure alignment between each candidate’s professional background, proposed area of inquiry, and available supervisory expertise. Candidates are expected to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, critical reasoning, and reflective capacity, along with a clear motivation to apply doctoral-level learning to the advancement of management practice and organizational innovation.
Tuition
All applied doctoral programs at Monarch Switzerland follow a milestone-based structure designed to support the practitioner-focused research, applied analysis, and organizational inquiry central to advanced professional studies. Tuition is assessed on a quarterly basis for the duration of the candidate’s active registration in the program, ensuring uninterrupted access to supervisory guidance, academic resources, and institutional support throughout the research process.
Dual Pathway Structure
The DProf may be pursued through either the Standard Duration Pathway or the Extended Duration Pathway, both of which carry the same total tuition. This dual-pathway model enables candidates to select the pacing that best aligns with their professional responsibilities while maintaining full academic standing.
Under the Standard Duration Pathway (24 months), tuition is payable at €3,250 per quarter, with an optional monthly payment arrangement of €1,083 to support financial planning and continuity of study. Candidates who prefer a more gradual progression may elect the Extended Duration Pathway (48 months), which carries a proportionally lower quarterly fee of €1,625 or a monthly equivalent of €542, while preserving full access to supervisory and institutional services.
Candidates who require additional time beyond the 24-month Standard Duration Pathway or the 48-month Extended Duration Pathway may continue their registration under Monarch’s continuation policy, which is assessed on an annual basis at 50% of the regular tuition rate. This continuation framework maintains academic standing and ensures uninterrupted access to supervisors, research platforms, and administrative services while allowing candidates the necessary time to complete their applied research manuscript at a responsible and achievable pace.
Detailed information regarding billing cycles, payment procedures, and administrative policies is provided in the official Application and Information Package, available upon request. The global tuition table for all programs may be viewed here.
Who Should Apply
The DProf is designed for practitioners who seek a doctoral pathway that converts experience into evidence-based leadership and demonstrable organizational value.
| • | Executives and senior managers leading transformation, turnarounds, or scale-ups. |
| • | Entrepreneurs and owners seeking structured, ethical, and sustainable growth levers. |
| • | Consultants and advisors aiming to formalize methods and codify IP through research. |
| • | Public/NGO leaders aligning mission, governance, and measurable public value. |
| • | Senior professionals pursuing thought leadership with implementation at scale. |
Doctoral Graduate Profile
Dr. Gregor Hoch – Austria
Doctor of Professional Studies (D.Prof.)
Dr. Gregor Hoch completed the Doctor of Professional Studies while serving as General Manager and co-owner of the Hotel Sonnenburg, a four-star superior property in the world-renowned Arlberg ski region of Austria. With more than two decades of leadership in luxury hospitality management, he entered the program with a deeply grounded understanding of the operational and strategic complexities facing owner-operators within the European hotel sector.
His dissertation emerged directly from a real managerial challenge inside his organization. Drawing from lived experience, operational data, and strategic analysis, his doctoral work addressed a multi-year bottleneck affecting organizational efficiency and customer-experience delivery within a seasonal Alpine environment. The project reflects the purpose of the D.Prof. pathway: transforming authentic professional issues into structured, research-driven managerial innovations with immediate applicability.
Beyond his leadership at Hotel Sonnenburg, Dr. Hoch has contributed extensively to Austria’s hospitality sector. He has served as an external consultant to the Austrian Hotel and Tourism Bank (ÖHT), working on the development and validation of rating systems for hotel-sector financial models. He is a long-standing supervisory board member of HOGAST, a major procurement cooperative serving hotels and restaurants across Central Europe, and he holds a leadership position within the Austrian Hotel Association (ÖHV), representing top-tier hotels and the broader tourism industry at the national level.
Dr. Hoch’s doctoral trajectory exemplifies the value of the Doctor of Professional Studies: the ability to convert a real-world management problem into a structured, evidence-based solution that strengthens organizational performance while contributing new insight to the broader field of hospitality management.
