DISTANT ⏐ 2 – 3 YEARS ⏐SELF–PACED⏐ENGLISH, GERMAN
Nelson Mandela
National security is a dynamic and multifaceted field — shaped not only by military affairs but also by technological, political, economic, environmental, and societal forces. This doctoral programme invites students to approach security from diverse angles, whether researching cyber resilience, energy supply, disinformation, public health preparedness, or crisis response systems.
Students are encouraged to design and conduct original empirical research that responds to important security challenges in local, national, or global contexts. While engaging with relevant theoretical perspectives, the focus lies on developing practice-oriented insights and evidence-based contributions that can inform policy, strategy, or operational frameworks.
The programme fosters critical inquiry, methodological innovation, and relevance to real-world problems — empowering students to shape debates and influence decision-making in the broad and ever-evolving landscape of security.
The doctoral programme "National Security" is for those who seek to explore how national security is shaped, safeguarded, and reimagined across a wide range of contexts. Whether your focus is on infrastructure resilience, strategic communication, cybersecurity, public health systems, or energy policy, this programme invites you to approach security as a complex, evolving domain that touches nearly every sector of society.
It is particularly well suited to professionals with backgrounds in defense, public policy, civil service, international affairs, and related fields who want to advance their expertise through in-depth, independent research. It also welcomes academically driven individuals at earlier stages of their careers who are eager to contribute fresh perspectives on today’s most pressing national and global security concerns.
Following our template, you should develop and send a research proposal that presents your overall plan for the future dissertation. This 5-10-page document includes key elements of your research such as topic, aim, questions / hypothesis, methodology, and structure.
We will review your research proposal and provide feedback on its key elements. Special attention will be given to the research topic and the formulation of the final dissertation title. We will communicate with you any potential changes if such are needed in order to align your topic with the research field of the doctoral programme.
Once your research proposal has been approved and refined, you should develop the grounds of your dissertation, following a template provided by us. This 50-60-page document includes a draft of your dissertation's introduction and theoretical foundations. You may also write how you plan to structure the next chapters of your thesis, and develop briefly some parts of them. The dissertation grounds will later become the basis for your complete dissertation.
Once your dissertation grounds is ready, you should present online your research project - its current status and the plan for its further development. During the meeting, you may receive constructive feedback and useful recommendations for what and how to implement in your dissertation.
You will receive a total of 6 or 7 assignments, which you can complete at your own pace and fully remotely. The assignments are designed to help you foster your critical thinking when working with literature, improve your academic writing, including proper citation. Your personal mentor will provide you with templates and further guidance.
In the course of the programme, you should create and publish scientific articles related to the topic of your research. Each of the publications must have an ISBN, ISSN or DOI number in a journal or conference with a scientific review procedure. The minimum number of publications required is defined based on two factors - number of the authors and ranking of the journal. The majority of our students publish up to 3 scientific articles.
Complete your dissertation, following the feedback and recommendations of your scientific supervisor and personal mentor, as well as the resources in our online learning platform. The recommended total volume of your finalised thesis is around 200 pages.
Along with the dissertation, you should also prepare a dissertation summary, following a template provided by us. This 30-40-page document covers the most important points of the dissertation.
Present your finalised dissertation to a scientific committee, following a presentation template provided by us. Receive feedback from the professors and make last adjustments to your work before the final defence procedure.
Present on site your finalised dissertation in front of a scientific committee, consisting of professors from different universities appointed to evaluate your work. After your presentation, the professors read their scientific reviews and statements about your thesis. Then follows a discussion about your work between the professors and yourself. Upon successful voting procedure, you are awarded the "Doctor" title!
Applicants should provide a Master's Degree or an equivalent qualification at EQF Level 7 that gives access to doctoral studies.
Applicants should provide a CV in English, including their photo, contacts, academic and professional background.
Applicants should fill in and send an Application Form, following the provided template.
Applicants should prepare and send a Research Concept / Proposal, following the provided template.
Start by reviewing the list of application documents. Then prepare and send your documents by email or through our online form. Applications are accepted all year round.
We will review your application within 1 month to make sure that you are eligible for doing doctoral studies, and that your research proposal fits within the chosen doctoral programme.
We will invite you to an online meeting to discuss your research proposal and the chosen doctoral programme. Additionally, we will discuss pricing and explore payment possibilities.
We will draw up and sign a study contract. This marks the start of your studies. Starting is possible all year round.
"What I liked the most about the program was the friendliness and cordiality of the people here. This kindness and the whole atmosphere were simply outstanding."
"It was a very rigorous and structured programme and I was supported very well. No questions were left unanswered regarding the procedures and the technological part, as well as the execution and the correction."
"Impact on the identification and assessment of operational risks in banks in the context of national security"
"Risk management in public administration - between risk and opportunities to protect national security"
"Information analysis in profiling perpetrators and victims in sexually motivated crimes".
"Effects of improving healthcare as a factor in strengthening the state of the national security"
"The influence of cyber war on national security"
“Participatory democracy as a strategic element in promoting national security”.
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