INTRODUCTION

Professional Doctorates are linked intrinsically to your workplace. The DProf provides an excellent framework in which to develop a credible research proposal based on issues identified in a clinical or health-related environment. This course has been developed in collaboration with in-service professionals along the key themes of education for:

• Personal strategies for practice development
• Creative decision-making and risk-taking
• Developing presence, influence and political know-how
• Evidence-based practice and research

You will have two supervisors to support your research. We have experts across many disciplines, for example nursing, counselling, social care, public health, occupational therapy, radiography, physiotherapy to supervise your own area of expert knowledge. Developing personal support is one of the most important values informing the DProf programme. You might be a mature student having spent lengthy periods in the workplace; confidence around writing support is built into the programme.

You will:

• Broaden and deepen your understanding of your research topic
• Achieve work-based observation and evidence to credible robust findings
• Be provided with a supportive and excellent framework in which to develop issues identified in a clinical or health related environment.
• Develop skills that are transferable to the real world
• Benefit from the interaction with a multi-professional team and peer group

ALL ABOUT THE COURSE

Professional Doctorates are as rigorous as traditional PhDs but are different in focus. A traditional PhD subject can be relatively fixed in terms of what is researched. A Professional Doctorate is more variable and adaptable to change due to developments in your profession. This is because the Professional Doctorate is linked intrinsically to your workplace.

Although the Professional Doctorate programme is housed within the School of Health and Society, we have supervisors from across the University. We have experts in a range of disciplines including child psychology, social care, public health, occupational therapy, radiography, physiotherapy to supervise your own area of expert knowledge.