Overview
About the Program
100% Online & Fully Flexible
Complete your doctorate from anywhere in the world. The GCAS PhD is designed for scholars who need intellectual freedom, geographic mobility, and real flexibility. There is no required coursework—your time is devoted entirely to reading, research, and writing, supported by individualized supervision and a global scholarly environment.
Research-Only Doctorate (3 Years)
This is a three-year, research-driven PhD focused exclusively on producing an original doctoral dissertation. There are no taught modules, exams, or artificial milestones. From day one, you work intensively on your research question, develop your argument, and write toward submission under expert academic guidance.
Design Your Own Research Path
At GCAS, you design your own doctoral project rather than fitting into a predefined departmental agenda. We then match you with an expert supervisor whose research aligns with your intellectual interests. This bespoke model allows you to pursue genuinely original, interdisciplinary, and practice-based research without compromise.
Debt-Free & Career-Focused
GCAS is committed to a debt-free doctoral model that keeps your focus on scholarship rather than financial pressure. Alongside supervision, we offer career support tailored to your goals—whether academic publishing, postdoctoral pathways, teaching, independent research, creative practice, or professional leadership beyond the university. You graduate with a doctorate and a future strategy.
Program Structure
Curriculum
The GCAS PhD is structured as a focused three-year research program, requiring approximately 1,500 research hours per year.
Year 1
Literature review, research architecture, methodology development. Paired with world-leading expert.
Year 2
Sustained dissertation writing with regular supervisory meetings and feedback.
Year 3
Complete dissertation, prepare manuscript, and defend before academic committee.
Mentorship
Learn from World-Class Faculty
Our faculty are leading scholars, published authors, and practitioners who bring real-world expertise to every course.
Outcomes
Your Career
This program prepares you for leadership roles across academia, industry, and public service.
Academia & Research
Advance original knowledge through teaching, publishing, and funded research at universities and research institutes worldwide. As GCAS grows, outstanding graduates may also be invited to teach, supervise, and help shape new academic programs within our global network.
Public Policy & Governance
Apply rigorous research and critical analysis to real-world policy challenges. GCAS PhD graduates contribute to NGOs, government agencies, think tanks, and international institutions where evidence-based reasoning is essential to ethical and effective decision-making.
Cultural Institutions & Public Scholarship
Lead intellectual and cultural initiatives in museums, foundations, archives, and arts organizations. Doctoral research equips graduates to curate knowledge, interpret history, and engage the public with depth, nuance, and intellectual responsibility.
Consulting & Strategic Leadership
Translate advanced research skills into high-level consulting, strategy, and advisory roles. PhD-level training fosters systems thinking, analytical precision, and ethical judgment—qualities increasingly sought in complex organizational environments.
Writing, Publishing & Media
Produce influential work as an author, journalist, editor, or public intellectual. Doctoral research develops the capacity to communicate complex ideas clearly and responsibly in a media landscape often shaped by speed rather than truth.
Education & Intellectual Leadership
Teach and lead in secondary, post-secondary, and alternative educational settings. PhD graduates play a vital role in cultivating critical thinking, scientific literacy, and philosophical depth across generations of learners.
Why Doctoral Research Matters Today
In an era marked by misinformation, ideological polarization, and the growing dismissal of science and expertise, PhD-level research is more necessary than ever. Doctoral scholars are trained not merely to hold opinions, but to test claims, evaluate evidence, and sustain intellectual rigor under pressure. At GCAS, the PhD is understood as a public responsibility: to defend truth against distortion, complexity against simplification, and reasoned inquiry against the erosion of trust in knowledge itself.
International Research Presentation & Publication Pathways
GCAS provides PhD researchers with regular opportunities to present their work-in-progress and completed research at its annual international seminars and academic events held in cities such as Paris, Florence, and other global intellectual centers. These gatherings place doctoral researchers in direct dialogue with leading scholars, practitioners, and peers from across disciplines, allowing them to test arguments, refine methodologies, and situate their work within broader international conversations. GCAS also actively encourages the development of doctoral dissertations into published books and offers guidance and sponsorship support for this process, helping researchers bring their work to a wider scholarly and public audience.
Track Record
Graduate Outcomes and Impact
GCAS PhD graduates have gone on to secure academic, professional, and leadership positions across a wide range of respected institutions and sectors. GCAS alumni currently hold or have held teaching and research appointments at institutions including Queens College, Villanova University, Penn State University, Alvernia University, Southern New Hampshire University, St. Joseph’s College, Saint Joseph University, University of Memphis, and Maharishi International University, as well as other higher-education and research institutions worldwide. Others apply their doctoral training in healthcare professions in Ireland and South Africa, bringing advanced research and critical reasoning into clinical and public-facing contexts. GCAS also actively hires its own PhD candidates and graduates as lecturers and program leaders as the institution grows. Distinctively, all GCAS PhD graduates are co-owners of the institution, participating in a shared academic commons that aligns intellectual contribution with long-term institutional stewardship.
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Job placement rate and/or professional promotion in the graduate’s sector
9+
Institutions & Sectors
Co-Owners
All Graduates
PhD Specializations
One of the distinguishing features of GCAS’s PhD in the Humanities and Social Sciences is the ability to specialize in virtually any academic field aligned with your research interests. Our program is designed to be customized around your unique scholarly pursuits, granting you the academic freedom to explore areas of inquiry that may not fit neatly within the constraints of a traditional university curriculum.
Example Specializations Include:
- Philosophy
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Literature
- History
- Economics
- Political Theory
- Religious Studies
- Theology
- Cultural Studies
- Philosophy and Psychoanalysis
- One Health
- And many more…
This flexibility allows you to work at the intersections of disciplines, pursue emerging fields, or develop entirely novel areas of research under the guidance of faculty who share your intellectual commitments. Your specialization will be determined in consultation with your Academic Supervisor and will be reflected in your coursework, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation.
Find out if this PhD program is a good fit for you.
Schedule a meeting with one of our PhD researchers or graduates.
Track Record
So far all GCAS PhD Graduates have either a job placement at university or have advanced their careers via promotion.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admission requirements?
Applicants should hold a Master’s degree in a relevant field (or equivalent). We consider applicants from diverse academic backgrounds, and admission is based on your research proposal, academic record, and fit with our faculty expertise.
How long does the program take to complete?
The PhD program is designed to be completed in 3 years of full-time study, requiring approximately 1,500 research hours per year. Part-time options may be available for students who need additional flexibility.
Is the program fully online?
Yes, the program is 100% online, allowing you to study from anywhere in the world. You will have regular virtual meetings with your supervisor, participate in online seminars, and have the option to attend in-person intensives in locations like Florence, Paris, and Berlin.
What is the total cost of the program?
The total tuition for the 3-year PhD program is €6,000. Every accepted student receives tuition reduction scholarships, and many PhD candidates have opportunities to teach courses for additional income.
How do I choose a supervisor?
During your first year, you will be paired with a world-leading expert in your field based on your research interests and proposal. We work closely with you to ensure the best possible match for your academic goals.
Is the degree accredited?
Yes, GCAS offers EU-accredited degrees recognized across the European Higher Education Area through our partnership with Woolf. Our graduates have gone on to teach at universities worldwide.
When can I apply?
Applications are open year-round. We review applications on a rolling basis, so you can apply whenever you’re ready to begin your doctoral journey.
Tuition
Investment
Tuition for Each Year Before Scholarship
€6,000
💡 Financial Aid Available
Every accepted student receives tuition reduction scholarships. We are committed to making education accessible.
Get Started
Ready to Begin?
Applications are open year-round. Start your journey today.
Submit My Application