PhD in CSR & Sustainability
A Dual-Degree PhD Program in Advanced Business Research
- PROGRAM DETAILS
- What You Will Achieve
- Program Structure
- Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway
- Program Features
- Master-In-Passing
- Admissions
- Tuition
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- POST-DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
- Post-Doc: DLitt. By Manuscript
- Post-Doc: By Published Articles
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- ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
- PhD in Business Research
- PhD in Economics
- PhD in International Relations
- PhD in CSR & Sustainability
- Doctor of Social Science
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- APPLIED PROGRAMS
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Leadership
- Doctor of Applied Neuroscience in Management
- Doctor of Management
- Doctor of Professional Studies
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- MASTER PROGRAMS
- MPhil in Business Research
- MA in Business Research
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- APPLICATION & ADMISSIONS
- Online Application
- Admissions Contact
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability at Monarch Business School Switzerland is a doctoral research program designed for scholars and senior professionals seeking to critically examine the role of organizations within society through the lenses of Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainability, ethics, and governance.
This program approaches CSR and Sustainability as core managerial and societal constructs, rather than as technical, regulatory, or reporting-based disciplines. Doctoral research within the program explores how responsibility, accountability, and long-term value creation are interpreted, negotiated, and enacted within organizations operating in complex institutional and stakeholder environments.
The program engages substantively with related domains including corporate ethics, governance, stakeholder theory, and corporate citizenship, positioning responsible management as a central concern of contemporary organizational life. The emphasis is on theoretical development, critical inquiry, and applied scholarly insight, enabling candidates to contribute original research that advances academic understanding while remaining grounded in real-world organizational contexts.
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability is particularly suited to academically mature candidates who wish to pursue doctoral-level research in responsible management, sustainability governance, and ethical decision-making, within a flexible structure designed for working professionals.
What You Will Archieve
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability, formally positioned as a Doctorate in CSR and Sustainability, is designed to cultivate the intellectual maturity, ethical discernment, and methodological discipline required of senior researchers and scholarly practitioners working within the domain of responsible management. The outcomes below represent the core developmental achievements candidates typically gain through the program’s structured, mentor-supported progression. Together, these developmental achievements provide the intellectual foundation, methodological discipline, and ethical maturity required to complete the dissertation and contribute meaningfully to contemporary scholarship in CSR, Sustainability, and responsible management.
| Mastery of CSR & Sustainability Research | Develop advanced qualitative and interpretive research competencies for investigating CSR and Sustainability as complex organisational and societal phenomena, including lived-experience inquiry, reflective analysis, and context-sensitive scholarship. |
| Original Theoretical Contribution | Produce a defensible and original theoretical contribution that advances understanding of responsible management, sustainability governance, ethical leadership, and the institutional dynamics shaping CSR practice. |
| Advanced Academic Writing | Develop high-level academic writing skill enabling the production of coherent, analytically rigorous, and publication-ready scholarly work within CSR, Sustainability, and related governance-oriented research domains. |
| Ethical Interpretation & Governance Insight | Strengthen the ability to examine organisational responsibility through ethical and governance lenses, including stakeholder accountability, legitimacy, transparency, and the moral framing of managerial decision-making. |
| Stakeholder & Institutional Analysis | Develop the capacity to analyse how CSR and Sustainability are shaped by stakeholder expectations and institutional pressures, including cultural context, regulatory environments, professional norms, and reputational dynamics. |
| Theory–Practice Integration | Learn to integrate lived professional experience with scholarly reflection, strengthening the relevance, explanatory power, and real-world resonance of doctoral research in responsible management and sustainability leadership. |
| Scholarly Identity Formation | Build an academic identity through engagement with Monarch’s global research community and opportunities for participation in the Monarch Research Paper Series (MRPS) and the MGRI Journal, supporting the development of a visible and credible scholarly portfolio. |
| Independent Research Leadership | Cultivate the independence, intellectual confidence, and reflective research leadership required for long-term contribution to CSR and Sustainability scholarship, professional advisory practice, or policy-relevant inquiry. |
Together, these developmental achievements provide the intellectual foundation, methodological discipline, and ethical maturity required to complete the dissertation and contribute meaningfully to contemporary scholarship in CSR, Sustainability, and responsible management.
Program Structure of the PhD inCSR & Sustainability
The doctoral journey follows a clearly defined structure that reflects the intellectual and developmental progression of advanced research as recognised within the broader European academic tradition. The sequence of phases aligns with the research competencies articulated in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for advanced study, supporting the development of high-level analytical capability, independent inquiry, and original scholarly contribution within the field of CSR and Sustainability.
Each phase builds intentionally upon the last, guiding candidates from the acquisition of core methodological competencies to the formulation of a focused research agenda, the execution of disciplined and ethically grounded inquiry, and ultimately the formal defence of the completed doctoral manuscript. This structured progression enables candidates to refine their ability to conceptualise complex questions of responsibility, sustainability, and governance, engage critically with relevant bodies of literature, and design research that contributes meaningfully to responsible management scholarship.
While academically rigorous, the program also maintains a degree of flexibility that recognises the professional responsibilities of working executives and scholar-practitioners. Candidates advance through a series of learning and research milestones—each supported by experienced faculty mentors—designed to strengthen theoretical insight, methodological proficiency, and intellectual independence. Institutional oversight and academic review are integrated at every stage, ensuring that all doctoral work reflects Monarch’s high standards of scholarly and ethical excellence.
The following phases outline the academic framework of the PhD in CSR & Sustainability, presenting a clear and coherent pathway from initial preparation through inquiry, writing, and the culmination of the doctoral degree.
Preparatory Phase
The Preparatory Phase establishes the foundation for doctoral study, equipping candidates with the skills and conceptual grounding required for independent research in CSR and Sustainability. During this stage, candidates complete a series of Research Skills courses that develop research design competence, qualitative and quantitative methodological literacy, academic writing capability, critical thinking, and philosophical awareness relevant to responsible management scholarship. These courses are designed to build both methodological discipline and conceptual clarity, preparing candidates to engage thoughtfully with sustainability and CSR literature, stakeholder theory, ethical inquiry, and governance-oriented research traditions.
Proposal Phase
Building upon the foundation established in the preparatory stage, candidates enter the Proposal Phase, where they begin the formal design of their doctoral research. Under the guidance of a supervising professor, candidates participate in the Research Proposal Perfecting Module, an individualized mentorship process aimed at refining the scope, structure, and academic rigor of the proposed study. The module emphasizes the formulation of a clear research question, the integration of relevant CSR and Sustainability literature, justification of methodology, and the articulation of appropriate ethical, theoretical, and governance-related frameworks. The Proposal Phase culminates in the submission and approval of the Research Proposal by the Administration, marking the formal transition from coursework to the active inquiry stage of the doctoral journey.
Research Phase
The Research Phase marks the transition from proposal design to active inquiry. Under faculty supervision, candidates implement their approved research design, conducting fieldwork, case studies, interviews, document-based analysis, or conceptual inquiry as appropriate to their methodological approach. This stage emphasizes disciplined execution and reflective engagement—ensuring that data collection, interpretation, and theoretical framing remain aligned with the research objectives and with the ethical responsibilities inherent to corporate responsibility and sustainability governance research. Particular attention is given to issues of stakeholder accountability, organizational legitimacy, ethical decision-making, and the societal implications of sustainability practices.
Throughout this process, candidates continue developing the first three chapters of their dissertation, refining the theoretical context, literature review, and methodology in light of emerging insights from the field. The Research Phase culminates in the completion of fieldwork and preliminary analysis, establishing the empirical and conceptual foundation upon which the final manuscript will be built.
Dissertation Phase
The Dissertation Phase represents the synthesis of the entire doctoral journey. Drawing on findings from the field and the evolving theoretical framework, candidates complete the final chapters of the dissertation—presenting analysis, discussion, and conclusions that demonstrate scholarly depth, methodological rigor, and originality of thought. This stage involves a comprehensive integration of earlier work, ensuring coherence between CSR theory, sustainability governance frameworks, research design, and the interpretation of results. The outcome is a dissertation that contributes to academic knowledge while critically advancing understanding of ethical management, responsible leadership, and sustainability within organizational contexts.
Upon completion of the manuscript, candidates proceed to the Presentation Stage, where they formally defend or present their work before the academic or review committee.
Presentation Stage
The final phase of the academic program culminates in the Viva Voce, the formal oral defense of the doctoral dissertation before the Academic Committee. This stage demonstrates the candidate’s ability to articulate and defend their research findings, methodological choices, and theoretical contributions within the context of established scholarship in CSR, Sustainability, corporate ethics, and responsible management. To support this process, candidates complete a Presentation Preparation Module, which provides structured guidance in synthesizing complex research arguments, responding to academic critique, and communicating the significance of their work to both scholarly and professional audiences. Successful completion of the Viva Voce marks the conferral of the doctoral degree.
The structured progression of the PhD in CSR & Sustainability ensures that each candidate develops the full range of scholarly, methodological, and analytical competencies expected of a doctoral researcher. By the conclusion of the program, candidates demonstrate mastery of independent inquiry and critical interpretation, contribute original insights to the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and embody Monarch Switzerland’s commitment to advancing ethical, evidence-based leadership and research excellence.
Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway (Optional Extension)
For candidates whose academic and professional ambitions extend beyond the production of a single doctoral manuscript, Monarch offers the option to progress from the PhD in CSR & Sustainability into a Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway. This pathway allows eligible candidates to complete a PhD-level theoretical contribution and then build upon that work through a second, applied doctoral manuscript within the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program.
Within the field of CSR and Sustainability, the translation of theory into practice is of particular importance. While the PhD focuses on the development of original theoretical insight, examining responsibility, ethics, governance, and sustainability as complex organisational and societal constructs, the applied doctoral stage provides a structured opportunity to transform those insights into managerial frameworks, governance models, policy-oriented recommendations, or implementation strategies relevant to real organisational contexts.
The dual pathway is structured sequentially. The PhD manuscript concludes where the applied doctoral manuscript begins. Candidates do not attempt to satisfy two doctoral standards simultaneously. Instead, the PhD establishes the conceptual and theoretical foundations, which then serve as the intellectual basis for applied inquiry and professional translation through the DBA. This progression ensures academic integrity while enabling candidates to bridge scholarly research and managerial action in a disciplined and methodologically sound manner.
Entry into the Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway is subject to academic review and is recommended for candidates who demonstrate strong research readiness, conceptual clarity, and the capacity for sustained doctoral-level inquiry across both theoretical and applied domains.
Learn more about the Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway → (link)
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Key Program Features
| • | Milestone-Based Doctoral Framework |
| • | Original Theoretical Contribution in CSR & Sustainability |
| • | Integrated M.Phil. Dual-Degree Pathway |
| • | Close Faculty Supervision |
| • | Structured for Working Professionals |
| • | Ethical & Responsible Management Scholarship |
| • | Global Research Community Access |
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 a broad range of domains related to Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, Governance, Ethics, and Responsible Management. Candidates are not restricted to predefined topic lists or narrow disciplinary boundaries. |
| • | Research interests, whether emerging, interdisciplinary, context-specific, or highly specialised, are developed, refined, and academically aligned during the Research Proposal phase, ensuring conceptual clarity and doctoral-level coherence. |
| • | Faculty mentorship ensures that each chosen research domain supports both rigorous scholarly inquiry and practical relevance, enabling candidates to produce high-impact theoretical contributions or applied insights within CSR and Sustainability contexts. |
Program Features
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability at Monarch Switzerland is designed to provide both intellectual depth and applied relevance within the domain of responsible management. The program’s features reflect Monarch’s commitment to individualized mentorship, academic rigor, and scholarly excellence, delivered through a flexible structure that supports working professionals. Each element of the program reinforces the development of independent research capability, ethical discernment, and a global perspective, preparing doctoral scholars to contribute meaningfully to scholarship and practice in Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and governance.
| Scholarly Focus | The PhD emphasizes original contribution to knowledge through advanced theoretical development and critical reflection on Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainability, governance, and ethical management within organisational and societal contexts. |
| Faculty Supervision | Candidates work under the close supervision of experienced researchers and senior academics, ensuring methodological depth, conceptual clarity, and scholarly excellence throughout the doctoral research journey. |
| Flexible Structure | The milestone-based format accommodates working professionals, allowing candidates to progress at a manageable pace while maintaining professional responsibilities and organisational engagement. |
| Research Phase | During the research phase, candidates engage in sustained inquiry and critical interpretation that connects CSR and Sustainability theory to organisational and managerial practice. While grounded in theoretical development, the program promotes active engagement with contemporary responsibility and sustainability challenges through academic publication, conference participation, and dialogue with scholars, practitioners, and policy-oriented communities. This approach ensures that doctoral research remains both intellectually rigorous and socially relevant, reflecting Monarch’s emphasis on ethical scholarship and applied impact. |
| Dual-Degree Framework | The program incorporates Monarch’s integrated degree structure, recognising progression and completion through the Master-in-Passing (M.Phil.) in Business Research and Master-in-Exit (M.Phil.) pathways. This framework acknowledges mastery of research design, analytical reasoning, and theoretical synthesis achieved throughout the doctoral journey, while supporting optional progression into applied doctoral study. |
| Global Research Access | Candidates gain access to Monarch’s international scholarly community, digital research resources, and doctoral mentorship network supporting global academic engagement in CSR, Sustainability, governance, and responsible management research. |
Together, these features embody Monarch Switzerland’s philosophy of doctoral education—one that unites scholarly independence with intellectual discipline and ethical responsibility. Candidates emerge not only as researchers capable of producing original knowledge in CSR and Sustainability, but as reflective leaders equipped to influence responsible management practice, governance, and societal thought on a global scale.
Master-in-Passing
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability at Monarch Switzerland incorporates a flexible and academically rigorous framework that recognizes both progression and completion through the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Business Research. The M.Phil. serves as an integral element of the doctoral journey, reflecting Monarch’s commitment to accessibility, progression, and academic integrity within advanced management research.
Master-in-Passing (Default Award)
Candidates who successfully complete all doctoral requirements are automatically granted the M.Phil. in Business Research in passing upon conferral of the PhD. This recognizes mastery of research design, theoretical framing, and analytical competence achieved throughout the doctoral program, and affirms the integrated nature of Monarch’s dual-degree structure.
Master-in-Exit (Terminal Award)
Candidates who wish conclude their studies prior to the completion of the PhD program for personal, professional, or research-related reasons may qualify for the M.Phil. as a terminal award by submitting a completed five-chapter master’s thesis. The M.Phil. in this form does not require an original contribution to knowledge, distinguishing it clearly from the doctoral award. Rather, it represents a complete and academically defensible qualification that affirms the candidate’s ability to conduct structured research and engage critically with management scholarship at a high level.
Through both the Master-in-Passing and Master-in-Exit pathways, Monarch Switzerland ensures that every candidate’s academic effort culminates in a meaningful qualification. This dual structure reflects Monarch’s commitment to combining scholarly excellence with human understanding, recognizing the diverse ways in which individuals contribute to the advancement of management knowledge.
Program Research Philosophy
The Monarch PhD in CSR & Sustainability emphasizes independent scholarly inquiry grounded in the European tradition of critical reflection, ethical reasoning, and theoretical contribution. Candidates are encouraged to explore Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability as complex managerial and societal phenomena, seeking meaning beyond compliance, metrics, or instrumental application.
Doctoral research at Monarch values intellectual autonomy, methodological rigor, and interpretive depth. Each candidate is supported in developing a distinctive scholarly voice—one capable of shaping contemporary thinking on responsible management, governance, and sustainability through reasoned, ethical, and original insight.
Admission & Entry Requirements
Admission to the PhD in CSR & Sustainability is selective and based on academic preparation, professional experience, and demonstrated research potential. Applicants must normally hold a recognized master’s degree or equivalent qualification and show capacity for independent, critical inquiry. Prior research or publication experience is advantageous but not required.
Experienced managers and professionals holding a bachelor’s degree may also be considered for admission upon the recommendation of the Dean, where their professional achievements and leadership record are deemed to provide sufficient equivalence for doctoral-level study.
Applications are reviewed by the Academic Board to ensure alignment between proposed research areas and Monarch’s supervisory expertise. Candidates are expected to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, maturity, and a clear sense of purpose in pursuing advanced scholarly inquiry.
Tuition of the PhD in CSR & Sustainability
All doctoral programs at Monarch Switzerland follow a milestone-based structure designed to support the research, writing, and analytical demands of advanced scholarly inquiry. 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 PhD 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 (36 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 pacing may elect the Extended Duration Pathway (60 months), which carries a proportionally lower quarterly fee of €1,950 or a monthly equivalent of €650, while preserving full access to supervisory and institutional services.
Candidates who require additional time beyond the 36-month Standard Duration Pathway or the 60-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 dissertation 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 Monarch PhD in CSR & Sustainability welcomes reflective professionals and academics who wish to deepen their understanding of responsibility, sustainability, and governance as scholarly fields and contribute to their ongoing theoretical and applied development. Graduates emerge as researchers and thought leaders prepared to influence responsible management practice, policy, and academic discourse.
| • | Senior or executive managers seeking deeper engagement with CSR and Sustainability challenges |
| • | Academics pursuing advanced research in CSR, Sustainability, governance, or ethical management |
| • | Consultants and advisors seeking to ground sustainability practice in rigorous scholarly inquiry |
| • | NGO and IGO professionals engaged in governance, accountability, and sustainability initiatives |
| • | Scholars committed to ethical, responsible, and socially grounded management research. |
