English throughout
Taught language is English, so brand and consumer research can be written, supervised and defended without a second language in the way.
PhD · Doctorate
PhD in Marketing
Doctoral candidates here sit with Girne American University's Business and Economics Faculty and chase a specific problem: why what companies offer keeps missing what the market and the customer actually want. Theory and applied work, side by side, over three years in English.
Quick Highlights
Girne American University
3 Years
7 courses, 21 credits
YÖDAK and ECBE
2 semesters
English
Programme at a Glance
Degree AwardDoctoral Degree (PhD) in Marketing
Awarding UniversityGirne American University, Kyrenia, North Cyprus
Taught withGAU Business and Economics Faculty
Accreditation as publishedYÖK and YÖDAK on the programme listing; YÖDAK and ECBE on the graduate school page
Marketing core coursesAdvanced Marketing Theories, Theory of Consumer Behavior, Integrated Marketing Communications, Current Issues in Marketing
SeminarSeminar in Marketing, 20 ECTS
Note: Duration will be based on your experience and it can be advanced bachelors too which differs from prospects to prospects
Programme Overview
About this Programme
Plenty of marketing research stops at describing behaviour. GAU frames this doctorate around a sharper brief — candidates work on the problems organisations run into when they try to supply products and services that genuinely meet marketplace and customer demands. Seminars and research, applied as well as theoretical, are conducted alongside faculty members.
The taught year is where this programme separates itself from a general business doctorate. Consumer behaviour theory, integrated marketing communications and a dedicated current issues course sit beside advanced marketing theory, research methods and advanced management. That is three marketing-specific cores rather than one, and the seminar in year two is a marketing seminar, not a management one.
Recognition is recorded on two levels. The programme listing shows YÖK and YÖDAK; the graduate school page adds ECBE, the European Council for Business Education. Minimum thesis length is given as two semesters, the shortest GAU publishes across its business doctorates.
Why Choose
Why Choose This Programme?
01
Faculty you work beside
GAU describes candidates as working alongside its Business and Economics Faculty, with seminars and research run together rather than at arm's length.
02
A problem worth three years
The research brief is the gap between what organisations supply and what the marketplace and its customers actually demand.
03
Four marketing cores, not one
Theory, consumer behaviour, integrated communications and current issues are each taught as separate courses in the first year.
04
European recognition cited
ECBE, the European Council for Business Education, appears alongside YÖDAK on GAU's own graduate school page for this programme.
05
The shortest published thesis stage
Two semesters is GAU's stated minimum here, against three for its management information systems and business management doctorates.
06
Finance electives on tap
Decision theory, financial markets, monetary policy and global financial management are all listed as elective options.
What You'll Learn
Learning Outcomes
Address the problems organisations meet in matching supply to marketplace demand
Develop an appreciation of marketing's intellectual growth as a discipline
Trace the field's movement from economic foundations towards behavioural ones
Interrogate multiple academic articles on a single topic to see how knowledge forms
Work with contemporary social science methods
Apply advanced research methods to shape objectives, policies and planning
Combine theoretical enquiry with applied investigation alongside faculty
Prepare and present a seminar paper in marketing
Programme Structure
Your Journey, Year by Year
A structured curriculum that builds from foundations through to advanced study.
Stage 1 — Taught courses
Seven courses, 21 credits in total. Each taught course is 3 credits and 10 ECTS.
- Year 1 Fall: Advanced Research Methods (MGMT604)
- Advanced Marketing Theories (MARK601)
- Theory of Consumer Behavior (MARK602) Year 1 Spring: Integrated Marketing Communications (MARK603)
- Current Issues in Marketing (MARK610)
- Advanced Management (MGMT601) Year 2 Fall: Departmental Elective (PTRME001)
- Seminar in Marketing (MARK630, 20 ECTS)
Stage 2 — Qualifying and thesis
Qualifying 30 ECTS; each thesis semester 30 ECTS. Minimum thesis duration two semesters.
- Year 2 Spring: Qualifying (QUAL600) Years 3 and 4: Thesis (THES600) across four semesters on the published course table
Your Learning Partner
Why Study Through Maverick?
Students receive:
Faculty-led seminars
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Joint research with academic staff
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Thesis supervision
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Elective choice across six courses
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Scholarship availability
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Institute admissions guidance
Support designed to help you succeed at every stage.
Why GCC Professionals Choose This Programme
A European accreditation reference
The ECBE citation on GAU's graduate school page gives Gulf employers and ministries a European body to check the programme against.
A faster published route to defence
With a stated two-semester minimum thesis, this is the quickest of GAU's business doctorates on paper, which matters when study sits on top of a full role.
Consumer behaviour taught as its own course
Gulf markets turn on fast-shifting consumer expectations, and GAU gives behaviour theory a dedicated course rather than a single week.
A short hop from the Gulf
Kyrenia is a few hours from the major Gulf hubs, which keeps residency and supervision visits practical.
Get the fee and entry list in writing
Neither tuition nor an entry requirement list is published for this doctorate. Request both from the Institute before you commit to anything.
Our Network
Diverse Alumni
Join professionals across leading organizations worldwide
Graduates placing at world-class organisations across aviation, energy, finance and government
Join our growing global network of industry leaders
Faculty Voice
Insights From Industry Experts
Real-world perspectives from the minds shaping global business education
Germany
Faculty Insight • 01
Prof. Alexander Schmidt
Alexander is a leader in AI and cloud integration, specializing in ethical AI strategy and financial services. He develops courses on Machine Learning, NLP, and AI ethics, driving tech business growth.
British
Faculty Insight • 02
Prof. Dr. David Mark Holliman
Dr. David Holliman, an educator with 15+ years of experience, is Chairman of Holliman Holdings, managing business operations in tourism, trading, asset management, and education
Jordan
Faculty Insight • 03
Prof. Dr. Othman Abu Khurma
Dr. Othman Abu Khurma, a passionate science educator with 18 years' experience in Jordan and the GCC, excels in designing engaging teaching materials, fostering dynamic discussions, enhancing learning for educators and students.
Switzerland
Faculty Insight • 04
Prof. Steve Alban Tineo
Prof. Steve, a global leader and entrepreneur with 20+ years of experience, delivers corporate training and academic courses on negotiation, conflict resolution, mediation, and cross-cultural communication.
slovakia
Faculty Insight • 05
Prof. Veronika Knight
Veronika Knight delivers practical, human-centered learning experiences for corporate teams across the UAE and GCC. Her approach focuses on developing soft skills and encouraging meaningful behavioural change, helping learners apply their knowledge with confidence in the workplace.
Canada
Faculty Insight • 06
Shyma Mohaisen
Shyma brings over 10 years of teaching experience and a background at Microsoft, combining academic expertise with practical industry insights to support learners’ professional growth.
India
Faculty Insight • 07
Prof. Dr. Shanmugan Joghee
Dr. Shanmugan brings over 26 years of experience in management education and research across India and the UAE, with expertise in marketing, international business, research methods, and digital transformation.
Ukrainian
Faculty Insight • 08
Prof. Yana Nikitina
Prof. Yana Nikitina is an accomplished economist, lecturer, and researcher with a PhD in Economics and a Master’s in Education Leadership. She brings extensive experience in teaching Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Business, with a strong commitment to student-centred learning, research excellence, and professional development.
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Fees & Scholarships
Fees & Scholarships
Fee structure varies by intake and study mode. Select any option to receive the full details.
Admissions
Request the full fee structure
Speak to our admissions team for a personalised breakdown based on your intake and study mode.
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Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes this different from the business management doctorate?
The taught year. Where the business doctorate spreads across management, human resources and strategy, this one gives you four marketing courses: advanced theory, consumer behaviour, integrated marketing communications and current issues in the field. Your seminar is a marketing seminar, and your supervision sits with the Business and Economics Faculty.
Why can I not see any career outcomes listed?
Because GAU has not published any. The Career Opportunities heading appears on the programme page with nothing underneath it, and the graduate school page carries no careers section at all. We would rather tell you that plainly than fill the space with job titles no university has stood behind. Ask the Institute directly about recent graduate destinations.
What is ECBE?
The European Council for Business Education. GAU names it alongside YÖDAK under the Accreditations heading on this programme's graduate school page. The programme listing separately shows YÖK and YÖDAK, the Turkish Council of Higher Education and the North Cyprus higher education accreditation board.
What English evidence will I need?
GAU exempts applicants from its Foundation English School programme on certificates including IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, SAT and Cambridge qualifications, with a higher threshold applied to postgraduate students. Documents must reach Student Services before you sit the proficiency examination, because certificates are not accepted afterwards. Confirm the doctoral threshold with the Institute, since the published table names master's students rather than PhD candidates.
How long is the whole programme?
GAU states three years. Its own course table for this doctorate runs across four, with thesis semesters in years three and four, and the published minimum thesis duration is two semesters. The honest reading is that three years is the shortest realistic path and four is what the curriculum maps out.
Can I choose an elective outside marketing?
Yes. The published elective list is deliberately broad: advanced report writing in social sciences, organisational behaviour, theories of final decision making, financial markets and instruments, monetary theory and policies, and global financial management. One departmental elective slot sits in the autumn of year two.
Enquire
Enquire About This Programme
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