Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD from Goma, Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Build your research ambitions without leaving Goma. The Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD is offered online in an exclusive partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and Robert Kennedy College. It offers a flexible way to develop advanced research skills and explore questions with international relevance.
Work Towards an Internationally Recognised British Degree
Study through a partnership with a British university and pursue a qualification with international relevance. The University of Gloucestershire awards the degree, giving your academic achievement a clear institutional home.
Whether your goals lie in research, leadership or professional development, a British degree can help you present your expertise to audiences beyond national borders. Your work can address questions that matter in Goma while drawing on ideas and methods used internationally.
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 pace and the programme requirements. You can pursue a focused period of advanced study while continuing to live and work in Goma.
If your ambition extends to the PhD, the diploma can be a step in a longer research journey. PhD completion takes additional time and is subject to the applicable academic requirements.
Study Without Fixed Online Attendance Times
Your schedule may change from week to week. With no requirement to be online at specific times and dates, you can plan your study around professional commitments, family life and the hours when you work best.
This flexibility gives you room to engage thoughtfully with complex ideas rather than rushing to attend a live session. You can organise a sustainable routine that keeps your research goals in sight.
Take Your Studies Wherever You Go
Your learning is not tied to a single desk. Study from Goma or continue while travelling: the online format lets you access your programme wherever your plans take you.
Through the mobile app, you can download study materials and watch lectures offline. That means you can use travel time productively and keep learning even when a connection is unavailable.
Show Your Thinking Through Open-Book Assessments
Instead of relying on classical question-and-answer exams, the programme uses open-book assessments. You can consult relevant materials as you develop and communicate your response.
This approach gives you an opportunity to demonstrate analysis, judgement and the ability to work with evidence—skills that matter when tackling substantial research questions.
Learn from Internationally Educated Faculty
Engage with tutors and faculty whose academic backgrounds include world-renowned institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, EPFL, the University of Basel and Washington University in St. Louis.
Learning from educators with varied academic experiences can broaden your perspective on research methods and scholarly debate. Their guidance can help you refine your questions and strengthen the way you communicate your findings.
Join a Global Learning Community
Study alongside a diverse student base spanning more than 130 countries. Exchanging ideas with people who bring different professional and cultural perspectives can challenge assumptions and make your research conversations richer.
Alumni work for organisations around the world, including the United Nations, Google, ICRC, The World Bank, Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, Tencent, Siemens and Sony. Their careers illustrate the breadth of professional settings represented in the college’s wider community.
Plan Your Payments with Interest-Free Instalments
Investing in advanced study is easier to plan when the payment schedule is clear. Programme fees can be paid in up to 18 monthly interest-free instalments.
Spreading payments across the year can help you align your study plans with your budget. Review the current fee details as you decide when to begin.
Bring Research Skills to Opportunities in Goma
Goma is an important base for humanitarian and public-health work in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Advanced research skills can help graduates frame useful questions, evaluate evidence and communicate findings for teams addressing health services, displacement or programme delivery.
As a centre for cross-border commerce and regional logistics, Goma also presents questions about supply chains, transport and organisational resilience. A graduate might use rigorous research methods to examine how services can operate more effectively across changing conditions and multiple stakeholders.
Mining-related supply chains and wider economic development raise further questions about governance, sustainability and responsible management. The programme’s research framework can help graduates investigate such issues critically and develop insights that can be discussed both locally and internationally.
Ready to explore the next step from Goma? Request our course catalogue to learn more about the programme.