1,000-word Letter of Intent
Developing a Letter of Intent
Submit a Letter of Intent of around 1,000 words. It establishes the proposed field, research problem, initial relevance, and the candidate’s readiness to begin doctoral work.
Doctoral research at SMC
Choose the field.
Define the contribution.
The SMC PhD is not a catalog of taught courses. It is a supervised, eight-phase research journey built around one original contribution to knowledge.
Explore the 12 fields ↓
12 research fields
8 governed phases
Level 8 EQF / MQF
Online research pathway
Research-field index
A research field gives your question an academic home.
Each field page includes its official SMC positioning, substantive sample research territories, professional applications, and the shared PhD structure.
01
Intelligence · governance · implementation
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02
Artificial Intelligence
Advance AI methods and the systems that govern their real-world use.
Organizations · strategy · value
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03
Business Administration
Investigate how organizations decide, adapt, and create sustainable value.
Systems · security · resilience
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04
Information Technology & Cybertech
Create new knowledge for trustworthy, resilient, and intelligent digital systems.
Markets · risk · capital
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05
Finance
Examine how capital, behavior, technology, and governance shape financial systems.
Theory · evidence · policy
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06
Economics
Investigate the forces that shape decisions, markets, growth, and welfare.
Human action · markets · institutions
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07
Austrian Economics
Advance economic inquiry through the distinctive tradition of the Austrian School.
Power · institutions · public life
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08
Political Science
Explain how institutions, ideas, identities, and power shape political outcomes.
Markets · states · distribution
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09
Political Economy
Analyze the reciprocal forces between political institutions and economic systems.
Governance · service · public value
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10
Public Administration
Improve the institutions, systems, and decisions through which public value is created.
Rights · institutions · change
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11
Law
Produce original legal scholarship for rapidly changing institutions and societies.
Learning · leadership · change
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12
Education
Shape how people learn and how educational systems improve.
Behavior · cognition · wellbeing
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Psychology
Investigate how people learn, decide, adapt, lead, and thrive.
Shared doctoral framework
Different questions. One governed path from intent to conferral.
The field changes the body of knowledge and research problem. The academic gates, supervision, examination, and conferral process remain consistent.
01
StageResearch intent
Turn an area of interest into an academically viable direction.
Research proposal of around 3,000 words
Developing a Research Proposal
Develop the research direction into a proposal of around 3,000 words, clarifying the question, literature context, intended methodology, and potential contribution.
02
StageCandidacy
Test the proposal, confirm supervision, and formally enter the doctorate.
Committee presentation, interview, and Q&A
Research Proposal Interview
Present the proposal to the Doctorate Committee and respond to academic questions. The review tests coherence, feasibility, doctoral scope, and the candidate’s command of the proposed inquiry.
Approved title, supervisors, and timeframe
Commencement of Studies
Following approval, the title, supervisory team, and indicative timeframe are confirmed. The candidate formally enters supervised doctoral research.
03
StageResearch progression
Demonstrate doctoral progress and develop the original contribution.
MPhil-to-PhD transfer review
Transfer from MPhil to PhD Interview
Demonstrate sufficient progress, methodological clarity, and emerging contribution through the MPhil-to-PhD transfer review before proceeding to full PhD candidature.
Quarterly seminars, supervision, and thesis chapters
Writing of the Thesis
Develop the thesis through sustained supervision, formal progress reporting, doctoral seminars, chapter development, scholarly exchange, and relevant academic engagement.
04
StageExamination & award
Submit, defend, complete corrections, and pass final verification.
Thesis of around 100,000 words and oral defence
Submission of Thesis, Evaluation & Oral Defence
Submit a thesis of around 100,000 words to an appointed Board of Examiners. Complete the oral defence and address any revisions or corrections required by the examination process.
Corrections verified and degree conferred
Doctor of Philosophy degree is Conferred
The Doctor of Philosophy degree is conferred after the Board of Examiners confirms a successful outcome and all required corrections or amendments have been formally verified.