The terminal degree for senior specialists – designed for academicians, institutional leaders and practitioners whose ambitions have outgrown the MBA. A practice-oriented doctorate that turns deep professional expertise into an original contribution to your field. One cohort per year. Limited places.
Prague Graduation
The highest professional qualification that EIASM offers – a terminal doctoral degree that stands alongside the academic PhD in standing, designed for senior specialists who want to make an original contribution to their field through rigorous applied research.
Like an academic PhD, the professional DPr is a terminal research doctorate culminating in a substantial dissertation – but it is built for academicians or practitioners who also want to lead. Where the academic PhD trains researchers for purely academic careers and the DBA focuses narrowly on business administration, the professional DPr spans the full breadth of professional practice – education, technology, healthcare, law, psychology, public administration and beyond. Each candidate's specialisation is shaped by their dissertation topic and approved by the admissions team, mirroring the way an academic PhD candidate's field is defined by their research.
What sets the professional DPr apart is the taught component layered on top of the doctoral research. Alongside the original scholarly work expected of any terminal degree, every candidate is grounded in the analytical and management foundations a senior leader is expected to bring – executive statistics, financial analysis, project leadership, human resources, strategic analysis through simulations and improvement science. The research component – your dissertation – is where your chosen specialisation takes centre stage, exactly as it would in an academic PhD.
The program culminates in a practice-based dissertation making an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen field – held to the same standard of original scholarly contribution required of an academic PhD. Delivered entirely online, with 1 cohort starting each September.
Both carry the title 'Dr.' Both produce original research. The difference is where that research leads.
*EIASM does not offer an academic PhD program. DPr is our professional doctoral pathway for experts who want to lead through applied research.
DPr graduates hold positions at the top of their institutions:
Lead academic institutions and shape educational strategy.
Direct research agendas across disciplines.
Build the published, recognised body of work that establishes you as a leading voice in your specialisation.
Advise at the highest level – with the doctoral title that signals depth, authority and original contribution to your field.
Step into director-level roles where strategic responsibility and doctoral-level analytical depth meet.
Teach and supervise at MBA, applied university and professional school level – credentialed for the role.
A professional doctorate is accepted for academic positions at business schools, applied universities and colleges worldwide. Recognition is growing annually across the EU, US, Canada, Australia, UAE, Singapore and 60+ countries.
Select the path that aligns with your professional domain. Each specialization shapes your taught courses and dissertation focus.
Finance, Economics and Business, Management, Accounting and Audit
Commercial Law, Corporate Law, International Relations and Diplomacy, International Relations and Law
Information and Communication Technologies, Digital Business Management, Project Management
Management in Education, Pedagogy and Psychology, Human Resources and Psychology
Hotel, Tourism and Event Management, Natural Resources Management, Management in Health Care, Art Management
Your field is not listed above? Propose a custom specialization aligned with your professional expertise and dissertation focus. Custom specializations are reviewed and approved by the admissions team during the application process and can be refined as your research develops.
Your DPr dissertation is the substantial body of original applied research that earns your doctoral title.
Demonstrating the ability to integrate rigorous academic analysis with practical real-world relevance, the dissertation makes an original contribution to knowledge in your area of specialisation. Many candidates select topics linked to their future career direction – and are offered new positions specifically because of their DPr research.
20,000–40,000 words of original applied research.
A doctoral-level strategic plan with academic rigour.
In-depth analysis of a real-world professional challenge.
A combination of research, case study and strategic report.
You will work with a dedicated supervisor throughout the research phase, with access to Techlib.cz electronic resources including Web of Science, Elsevier, Scopus, Cambridge Journals, EBSCOhost, Emerald Premier, ProQuest Central, and dozens of other academic databases.
DPr typically takes 3 years depending on your research pace. Although fast-track is possible, the standard completion period is 3 years, extendable to 5 years.
The taught component requires 180 credits. Students complete the following research methods and professional skills courses:
Timeline:
Program opens 1x / year in September
Application deadline: mid-September
Program starts: October
Study: online format
Bankruptcy prediction models including Altman's Z-Score, the IN05 index, and the Taffler, Springate, and Fulmer models applied to real credit and risk scenarios
Strategic turnaround and open innovation studied through LEGO's return to core competencies, operational simplification, and customer co-creation
Process flow analysis applied to real settings including hospital maternity wards, public libraries, restaurant assembly lines, and pharmaceutical development pipelines using Little's Law
Strategic decision-making unpacked through SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, the BCG Matrix, and the Balanced Scorecard
Productivity and responsiveness trade-offs benchmarked across contact centers and commercial aviation using the efficient frontier framework
Crisis-era strategic analysis drawn from the European financial crisis, Asian supply chain disruptions, and pandemic-driven market volatility
Predictive workforce analytics and HR technology applied at companies like Philips, from turnover models to data-driven retention planning
HR transformation case studies spanning Unilever's global talent overhaul, Siemens' workforce digitalization, and SAP's human capital strategy in Germany
Organisational transformation cases spanning digital banking in Africa, sustainability transitions in European energy companies, and operational excellence in Australian mining
Stakeholder engagement examined through the Copenhagen Metro expansion and Mumbai's coastal road development, two projects with vastly different political and social demands
Fraud detection brought to life through real-world cases at Enron, WorldCom, Wirecard, and Luckin Coffee, examining how financial misstatements persist despite oversight
Global mobility and expatriate management through real cases at Shell, ABB, and Ericsson, covering tax, visas, and virtual assignment alternatives
Performance and continuous improvement cultures at Nestlé, Toyota, and Infosys, showing how global organisations capture and apply project learning
Performance diagnostics through the DuPont three-step and five-step decomposition of return on equity, and value creation measured through Economic Value Added
Operations theory traced from Frederick Taylor's scientific management and Henry Ford's mass production through lean manufacturing and Six Sigma
Financial strategy sharpened through portfolio theory, capital budgeting under uncertainty, and statistical approaches to merger and acquisition analysis
Change management in action at traditional manufacturers in Germany, agile tech firms in Israel, and family-owned businesses in South Korea
Digital tools reshaping financial analysis, from Power BI and Tableau to robotic process automation, APIs, and AI-driven forecasting platforms
People strategy backed by statistics through employee engagement measurement, training effectiveness evaluation, and strategic HR analytics
Competitive intelligence practices compared across Silicon Valley, Shenzhen, resource-rich African nations, and Middle Eastern commodity markets
Public-private partnership and community engagement cases drawn from the United Kingdom, mining projects in Chile, and agricultural initiatives in Kenya
Risk modeling and scenario planning through Monte Carlo simulation, Value at Risk, and stress testing applied to enterprise-level strategic decisions
Financial reporting standards compared across IFRS and US GAAP, examining how cash flow reporting rules shape analytical conclusions
Quality and failure analysis through the Swiss cheese model, Ishikawa and Pareto tools, and statistical process control with the Cp index
Quantitative fraud signals tested through the Beneish M-Score, the Piotroski F-Score, the Montier C-Score, and the Modified Jones Model
Decolonial critiques and participatory challenges to expert-driven models, drawing from Latin American popular education movements and African community development contexts
Indigenous and participatory evaluation approaches developed in Canada and Australia, alongside participatory monitoring frameworks pioneered in African development contexts
Cross-cultural team leadership at multinationals like Unilever and Siemens, spanning time zones from India's tech hubs to Sub-Saharan Africa
Educational improvement cases from Finnish schools, charter networks in the United States, reform initiatives in Singapore, and community programs across Africa
Organizational learning research spanning Nonaka and Takeuchi's knowledge spiral, Senge's learning organization concepts, and Lewin and Kotter on change management
Employee engagement measurement through tools and approaches used by Carlsberg, including pulse surveys and behavioral analytics
Complexity science applied to healthcare improvement in Australia and New Zealand, with system dynamics models from the Netherlands and the United Kingdom
Ethical dilemmas in competitive intelligence examined through multinational consulting cases across Latin American, European Union, and Asian regulatory environments
Applying Porter's Five Forces across regulated European telecommunications sectors and emerging Southeast Asian manufacturing markets
Customer analytics spanning lifetime value modeling, churn prediction, and recommendation systems to drive data-informed growth decisions
Innovation ecosystems compared across Silicon Valley, Indian IT hubs, and European fintech centres
Rapid-cycle improvement methods adapted by researchers in China for large-scale healthcare and by scholars in Brazil integrating community-based participatory approaches
Works councils, employee voice mechanisms, and labor relations shaped by German industrial relations traditions and practices
Valuation techniques spanning discounted cash flow analysis, the Gordon growth model, CAPM, and EV/EBITDA multiples applied to M&A, IPOs, and portfolio decisions
Compensation design and incentive structures at companies like Volkswagen, Nokia, and Spotify, from equity to flexible benefits
Predictive analytics built on logistic regression, time series forecasting, and cluster analysis for real market segmentation and customer profiling challenges
Scenario planning for volatile conditions, from Middle Eastern oil and gas politics to climate risk in global agricultural markets
Emerging technology frontiers explored through machine learning, social media analytics, and statistical approaches to cybersecurity and digital transformation
Theoretical roots traced through Deming's system of profound knowledge, Langley's Model for Improvement, and post-war industrial reconstruction in Japan
Statistical process control traditions developed by Shewhart and refined across Japanese manufacturing, Scandinavian research institutions, and European healthcare systems
The Theory of Constraints and its five focusing steps examined alongside throughput accounting as an alternative to traditional cost-based performance measurement
Talent acquisition and cultural fit practices at Nestlé across global operations and IKEA as it scales internationally
Digital transformation cases spanning German automotive manufacturers, Chinese Industry 4.0 adoption, and African mobile payment expansion
Organizational culture change and agile transformation at ING Bank, alongside M&A integration lessons from Heineken
Healthcare improvement research across the NHS, Kaiser Permanente, community health programs in Rwanda, and primary care initiatives in India
Global business intelligence addressed through cross-cultural research methods, international benchmarking, and big data sampling strategies for high-dimensional environments
Leadership development and learning strategy as practiced at Michelin and Airbus, covering rotational programs and executive coaching pipelines
Ethical challenges explored through pharmaceutical collaborations between European and African institutions, technology transfer in Southeast Asia, and sustainable agriculture in Latin America
Implementation science frameworks including the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, Normalization Process Theory, and the Theoretical Domains Framework
Leadership styles compared across Germany's automotive industry, infrastructure projects in Brazil, and technology initiatives in Singapore
How process technology, supply chain design, and last-mile innovation define market leadership at Amazon's fulfillment network
Statistical storytelling for the boardroom covering executive dashboard design, confidence interval communication, and Bayes' theorem applied to strategic forecasting
Employment law and compliance contrasted across French labor codes and British employment standards, from termination rules to workplace safety
Crisis leadership and supply chain resilience through COVID-19 disruptions affecting automotive manufacturing in Mexico and textile production in Bangladesh
Capital structure theory built on the Modigliani-Miller propositions, linking WACC, leverage, and the interest tax shield to firm value
Hofstede's cultural dimensions applied to leadership contrasts between hierarchical Asian business cultures and the collaborative norms of Scandinavian countries
Toyota's production excellence examined through just-in-time, jidoka, heijunka, kaizen, the Andon system, and poka-yoke error-proofing
Navigating information boundaries shaped by Germany's data protection laws, Japan's consensus-driven culture, and Brazil's emerging market dynamics
Professional Doctorate is the recognition that a senior specialist – in education, technology, healthcare or law – has something original to contribute to their field. DPr provides the structure to do that contribution well, and the credential to be heard when it lands.
Program fee
Save €300 discount with full payment within the 1st month of enrolment.
Pay in up to 4 installments within 12 months.
* Application fee: €50
A limited number of merit-based scholarships are awarded each year to exceptional candidates. Scholarship consideration is part of the admissions consultation process. Contact the admissions team to discuss eligibility and available funding.
Graduation: Graduates are invited to attend an official graduation ceremony in Prague (Czech Republic).
Access study materials, submit assignments and track your progress 24/7.
No mandatory live lectures. Study at your own pace around your schedule.
Each course is assessed through structured online evaluations designed to test real understanding.
We do not ask working professionals and ambitious students to put their lives on hold. The program adapts to your reality – not the other way around.
No mandatory log-ins, no fixed class times. You study according to the time zone where you live - Prague, Dubai, Jakarta or São Paulo.
Nearly all course videos include subtitles in 40+ languages. The platform is fully compatible with browser-based translation tools.
If work keeps you busier than expected, you can extend your studies at no additional cost.
Study Department responds within 2 business days. No call centers, no tickets - just direct contact.
