PhD in CSR
& Sustainability
Examine responsibility.
Rethink the role of organisations in society.
Explore corporate responsibility, sustainability, ethics and governance through original scholarly inquiry. Develop deeper understanding of how organisations interpret accountability, negotiate stakeholder expectations and create long-term value.
Program Facts
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in CSR & Sustainability at Monarch Switzerland is a fully online, part-time doctoral programme offered through Monarch Global Research Institute, with a standard duration of 36 months. Designed for experienced professionals and aspiring researchers, it enables doctoral study alongside a career without the need to relocate.
- Institution
- Monarch Switzerland
- Department
- Monarch Global Research Institute
- Award
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in CSR & Sustainability
- Study Mode
- Fully Online
- Standard Duration
- 36 Months
- Study Format
- Part-Time
- Designed For
- Experienced Professionals and Aspiring Researchers
- Residency
- No Relocation Required
- Language
- English
- Institution Location
- Switzerland
This doctoral program may be completed fully online, including the doctoral defence. No relocation is required. Candidates may select an in-person doctoral defence when offered by Monarch.
An extended-duration pathway is available. Completion depends on research progress and fulfilment of the programme’s academic requirements.
Beyond compliance.
Understand what responsibility means.
How do organisations understand their responsibilities—and what shapes the choices they make?
The PhD in CSR & Sustainability examines Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability as managerial and societal constructs, rather than solely as technical, regulatory or reporting disciplines.
Candidates investigate how responsibility, accountability and long-term value creation are interpreted, negotiated and enacted within complex institutional and stakeholder environments. Corporate ethics, governance, stakeholder theory and corporate citizenship provide complementary perspectives.
Original insight, grounded in organisational life.
The emphasis is on theoretical development, critical inquiry and scholarly interpretation. Professional experience can inform the questions you ask, while disciplined research develops a contribution beyond immediate organisational concerns.
Different perspectives.
Shared questions of responsibility.
Research interests are developed and refined with faculty during the proposal phase. These themes illustrate possible directions, not a prescribed topic list.
Corporate responsibility
How organisations define their social responsibilities and reconcile competing expectations.
Sustainability governance
The assumptions and institutional arrangements shaping long-term organisational decisions.
Stakeholders and accountability
Relationships between stakeholder voice, organisational legitimacy and responsible action.
Ethics and decision-making
The moral reasoning and ethical tensions within managerial judgement and leadership.
Corporate citizenship
How organisations understand their place within communities and wider society.
Institutions and change
The influence of cultural context, professional norms and institutional pressures on responsible management.
Scholarly depth.
Independent contribution.
Research competence
Develop qualitative and interpretive research skills, reflective analysis and context-sensitive inquiry.
Theoretical contribution
Build and defend an original contribution to CSR, sustainability and responsible management scholarship.
Academic writing
Create coherent, analytically rigorous scholarly work with the potential for publication.
Ethical and governance insight
Examine responsibility, transparency, legitimacy and the ethical framing of managerial decisions.
Stakeholder and institutional analysis
Analyse the expectations, cultural contexts and institutional dynamics shaping organisational practice.
Theory–practice integration
Bring professional experience into critical dialogue with scholarly ideas and evidence.
Scholarly identity
Engage with Monarch’s research community and opportunities through the MRPS and MGRI Journal.
Independent research leadership
Develop intellectual confidence and reflective judgement for sustained scholarly contribution.
From a question of responsibility
to a contribution of your own.
Preparation
Build research design, methodological literacy, academic writing and philosophical foundations for CSR and sustainability inquiry.
Proposal
Refine your question, literature, methodology and ethical framework through the Research Proposal Perfecting Module, leading to proposal approval.
Research
Undertake approved fieldwork, interviews, case studies, document analysis or conceptual inquiry under faculty supervision.
Dissertation
Integrate theory, research design, findings and interpretation into a coherent manuscript that makes an original scholarly contribution.
Viva voce
Complete the Presentation Preparation Module, then present and defend your research before the Academic Committee.
Research alongside professional life.
Fully remote, asynchronous study supports candidates working from their home country, with no mandatory residency. Optional doctoral workshops in Switzerland offer research support and scholarly exchange.
First advance theory.
Then explore its application.
Eligible candidates may progress from the PhD into a subsequent Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) through Monarch’s Dual Doctoral Degree Pathway.
The two manuscripts are sequential and distinct. The PhD establishes an original theoretical contribution; the applied doctorate then builds on that foundation through managerial frameworks, governance models or implementation-oriented inquiry. Candidates do not attempt to satisfy both doctoral standards in a single manuscript.
Entry is subject to academic review and research readiness. This is an optional extension, not a requirement of the PhD.
The M.Phil. pathway.
Master-in-Passing
Candidates completing all doctoral requirements receive the M.Phil. in Business Research in passing upon conferral of the PhD, recognising mastery of research design, theoretical framing and analytical competence.
Master-in-Exit
Candidates concluding before PhD completion may qualify for an M.Phil. as a terminal award by submitting a completed five-chapter master’s thesis and satisfying the relevant academic requirements. This award does not require an original contribution to knowledge.
Bring your experience.
Define your research ambition.
Applicants normally hold a recognised master’s degree or equivalent qualification and demonstrate capacity for independent, critical inquiry. Prior research or publication experience is advantageous but not required.
Experienced managers and professionals with a bachelor’s degree may also be considered on the Dean’s recommendation where their professional achievements and leadership record provide sufficient equivalence for doctoral-level study.
The programme welcomes reflective executives, academics, consultants, NGO and IGO professionals, and scholars interested in responsible management, sustainability governance and ethical decision-making.
Two timelines.
One scholarly standard.
Select a pace that aligns with your professional responsibilities while maintaining the same supervision standards and degree outcomes.
Standard pathway · 36 months
A structured three-year pathway supporting sustained progress through the doctoral milestones.
Extended pathway · 60 months
A five-year pathway offering a more gradual research pace alongside professional and personal commitments.
What does responsible
organisational life require?
Discuss your research interests, academic preparation and ambitions with Monarch.