Go Further: Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD Online from Scarborough, Canada

Build the research skills to explore complex questions and turn evidence into insight—without leaving Scarborough. The Executive Diploma in Advanced Research / PhD is offered online in an exclusive partnership between the University of Gloucestershire and Robert Kennedy College. Its research concepts and methods can be applied across industries and borders.

Whether you want to strengthen your work today or pursue a longer academic ambition, online study lets you make room for intellectual growth alongside your existing commitments.

Work Towards an Internationally Recognised British Award

Studying with a British university can add an international dimension to your academic profile. The University of Gloucestershire’s awards bring the standing of British higher education to a learning experience you can access from Scarborough.

If you continue on the PhD pathway and complete its requirements, you can earn a British doctoral degree. Recognition for particular professional or academic purposes may depend on the organisation or jurisdiction assessing your qualification.

Make Meaningful Progress in as Little as 3–6 Months

The Executive Diploma can be completed 100% online in as little as 3–6 months, offering a focused way to develop advanced research capabilities without relocating or putting your life on hold.

That timeframe applies to the Executive Diploma, not the full PhD. It gives you an opportunity to build momentum and consider how your research ambitions may develop over the longer term.

Study on Your Own Schedule

Online learning need not mean attending classes at fixed times and dates. Without a requirement to be online at specific hours, you can plan study around work, family and the times when you do your best thinking.

That flexibility can make sustained research more achievable. Use an early morning to read, a lunch break to reflect or a quiet evening to develop your ideas.

Take Your Learning Wherever You Go

Your studies can travel with you, whether you are at home in Scarborough, commuting or spending time elsewhere in the world. Online access keeps your learning within reach as your circumstances change.

Through the mobile app, you can download study materials and watch lectures offline. It is a practical way to use travel time or prepare ahead when an internet connection may not be available.

Show What You Know Through Open-Book Assessment

Instead of relying on classical question-and-answer exams, the programme uses open-book assessments. You can draw on relevant materials as you develop a considered response.

This approach gives you space to engage with ideas, evaluate evidence and communicate your reasoning—valuable habits for advanced research and for decisions beyond the classroom.

Learn with Globally Educated Faculty

The programme’s tutors and faculty include graduates of world-renowned institutions such as Oxford, Harvard, EPFL, the University of Basel and Washington University in St. Louis.

Their varied academic backgrounds can expose you to different ways of approaching research questions, challenging you to sharpen your thinking and broaden your perspective.

Join a Truly International Learning Community

With students from more than 130 countries, the learning community brings together a wide range of professional experiences and viewpoints. Conversations with peers can help you test how research ideas resonate across different settings.

Alumni work for organisations including Seneca College, Lakehead University, Manulife, the United Nations, Google, the ICRC, the World Bank, Microsoft, Intel, Samsung, Tencent, Siemens and Sony. Their paths illustrate the variety of sectors in which graduates may apply advanced thinking.

Plan Your Payments

Programme fees can be paid in up to 18 monthly interest-free instalments, making it easier to plan the cost of study over time.

Having a clear payment schedule can help you fit your educational goals into your wider commitments while you focus on making progress through the programme.

Bring Research Ambition to Scarborough

Scarborough’s healthcare and community-service organisations face questions about access, outcomes and changing needs. Advanced research skills can help you frame those questions carefully, assess evidence and contribute more confidently to improvement initiatives.

In education and training, research-informed thinking can support the evaluation of learning approaches, programmes and student experiences. For professionals connected to Scarborough’s colleges, schools and community organisations, the ability to investigate a problem systematically can be a valuable asset.

Scarborough’s mix of manufacturing, logistics, retail and financial-services activity also creates opportunities to examine operational change, customer needs and emerging technologies. The programme’s research methods can help you explore such challenges locally while drawing on ideas that apply internationally.

Ready to see where your next question could take you? Request our course catalogue and explore the programme in more detail.