Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD: Go Further from Fort Lauderdale, United States
Build your research ambitions without leaving Fort Lauderdale. Offered online in an exclusive partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and Robert Kennedy College, the Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD offers a way to strengthen your research skills and pursue an academic goal alongside your professional life. Its research theories and methods can be applied to questions across industries and borders.
Work toward a British degree with international relevance
A PhD awarded by a British university can be a meaningful credential for graduates seeking to contribute to research, teaching, leadership or specialist practice internationally. The programme gives you the opportunity to pursue that goal while remaining in the United States.
The Executive Diploma and the PhD are distinct qualifications: completing the diploma does not itself award a doctorate. A British PhD is awarded only after you meet the applicable doctoral requirements. How any qualification is recognised for a particular job or professional purpose depends on the relevant employer or authority.
Make progress online in as little as 3–6 months
The Executive Diploma stage can be completed 100% online in as little as 3–6 months, depending on your progress and the programme requirements. You can develop advanced research skills without relocating or putting your career on hold.
The PhD is a separate, longer research undertaking; the 3–6-month timeframe does not describe the time needed to earn a doctorate. That distinction lets you plan your next steps with a clear view of both the near-term opportunity and the longer-term ambition.
Study on a schedule that works for you
Your learning does not depend on being online at specific times or dates. You can engage with course materials when your schedule allows, whether that means early mornings, evenings or time set aside between professional commitments.
This flexibility makes it easier to sustain a study routine in Fort Lauderdale while balancing work, family and other priorities. You still have the responsibility of meeting applicable assessment and programme deadlines, but you can choose when to do much of the learning that gets you there.
Take your studies wherever life takes you
Online study means you can keep learning from Fort Lauderdale or from elsewhere in the world. A business trip, a change of location or a period of travel need not interrupt your access to the programme.
Through the mobile app, you can download study materials and watch lectures offline. It is a practical way to make use of travel time or prepare for your next study session when a reliable connection is not available.
Show what you know through open-book assessments
Rather than relying on classical question-and-answer exams, the programme uses open-book assessments. You can draw on learning resources as you work through ideas and demonstrate your understanding.
For an advanced research learner, the emphasis is valuable: research calls for evaluating sources, developing arguments and applying methods thoughtfully. Open-book work offers an opportunity to practise those skills instead of focusing solely on recall.
Learn with internationally educated faculty
The programme’s tutors and faculty include graduates of world-renowned universities such as Oxford, Harvard, EPFL, the University of Basel and Washington University in St. Louis. Their academic backgrounds bring a breadth of experience to the learning environment.
As you refine your research interests, guidance from educators with varied scholarly perspectives can help you question assumptions, strengthen your approach and communicate your ideas with confidence.
Join a worldwide learning community
With students from more than 130 countries, the online classroom offers perspectives that reach well beyond any one city or sector. Discussing ideas with peers from different professional and cultural backgrounds can sharpen your thinking and broaden the questions you ask.
Alumni work for international organisations including Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, Chevron, Verizon, JW Marriott, The Ritz, Hilton, the University of California, Riverside, Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, the United Nations, Google, the ICRC, the World Bank, Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, Tencent, Siemens and Sony. Their workplaces illustrate the range of paths represented in the wider alumni community, without implying a particular career outcome for any graduate.
Plan your payments with greater flexibility
Programme fees can be paid in up to 18 monthly interest-free instalments, subject to the applicable payment terms. Spreading payments across a defined period can make it easier to plan alongside your other commitments.
Before enrolling, review the current fee schedule and instalment terms so you know what to expect. A clear payment plan helps you focus on your studies and the research goals that brought you here.
Bring advanced research thinking to Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale’s marine and maritime economy presents questions about operations, technology and sustainability. Advanced research skills can help professionals investigate those questions systematically, assess evidence and develop informed proposals that may also be relevant to maritime activity elsewhere.
The city’s tourism and hospitality sector offers another setting for research into customer experience, workforce development and organisational change. Graduates who work in or alongside the sector can use rigorous methods to examine challenges and communicate findings to decision-makers.
Healthcare, aviation and international business also contribute to the wider South Florida economy. Whether your interests lie in service delivery, strategy or innovation, the programme offers a framework for turning a professional question into a focused research project with potential relevance beyond Fort Lauderdale.
Take the next step
Your research ambitions can begin where you are. Request our course catalogue to explore the programme and consider your next step from Fort Lauderdale.