Professional Doctorate
Why choose a professional doctorate?
A professional doctorate is a framework in which professional practice provides an essential context for a managed and structurally coherent pathway to successful achievement of a doctoral level award. The aim of this programme is to integrate professional and academic knowledge culminating in an extended and worthwhile piece of research. Presented in a thesis and examined (viva) by experts this will form an independent and original, academic and professional contribution to a chosen field of practice.
Why this programme?
This Professional Doctoral programme is designed to reflect students’ own professional knowledge and experience as the context they bring to their study. As well as preparation for undertaking academic research, it provides opportunities for critical reflection through exploration of leadership and/or other socio-political issues of choice. This will be pursued independently and discussed in tutorials with a personal tutor allocated at the start of the programme.
The ability to research within a specialist area depends upon a wide variety of skills and the use of reflective practice. Therefore this programme offers a bespoke approach drawing on all available resources within the university to enhance and develop knowledge as part of each individual student’s own professional development. In view of this, the degrees awarded are both vocationally relevant and academically rigorous, specifically designed to offer a unique opportunity to develop an 'applied' perspective to research within a subject related context.
Degrees awarded within this framework:
The programme is specifically designed to encourage group working and the establishment of a peer supervision process, so a themed recruitment strategy is part of the programme design. This will provide a structure in which the students can engage with a cohort of other students and academic staff to provide a ‘learning community’ for the duration of their study.
• Doctor of Health Sciences (D.H.Sci)
• Doctor of Public Health (Dr. P.H.)
• Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)
• Doctor of Health in Health and Social Care (D.Health)
The route through this curriculum will be discussed with your personal supervisor to advise on potential alternatives.

