Prof Doc Professional Doctorate (Health and Social Care)

This course is very flexible; with two years part-time of facilitated modules which you use to frame, explore and refine your initial research question. For example, you will use the modules to explore general philosophical and methodological ideas, examine what is known about your topic, what your research will contribute to new knowledge; best methods for undertaking the research and, critically, learn about the leadership skills you will need to lead research in practice.

All the modules are facilitated using blended learning. For example within each module there are face to face sessions led by a module facilitator. In addition specific learning activities for each module will be developed using the virtual learning environment ‘Blackboard’ and the virtual doctorate learning environment (VLS). Both enable greater flexibility about the when and where of learning, and enables you to keep in contact with your peers and the programme team, wherever they have internet access.

Assessment

Within the professional doctorate the assessment processes have been developed to enable you to critically interrogate, analyse, and reflect on your research ideas, demonstrating your ability to take account of professional and methodological issues. The assessments are designed to enable confident articulation and robust exploration, justification and defense of research ideas in keeping with the principles of the doctoral viva.

With this in mind assessment processes comprise:

• Essays
• Seminars
• Verbal presentations
• You are expected to engage in critical self assessment and personal/professional development planning as a basis for developing the skills associated with doctoral level study and the leadership of research in professional practice.

Staff Profile

The professional doctorate within the College of Health and Social Care is generic, and draws students from a wide range of professional and related practice disciplines. Staff and student research interests range hugely across the disciplines represented on the programme with physiotherapy, occupational therapy, counselling, social work, nursing, midwifery, speech therapy, and voluntary sectors. Practitioners are drawn from clinical practice and all share generic research interests in leadership, management, dissemination and educational.

Staff delivering this course are actively engaged in connecting their teaching and research expertise. This is reflected by a strong publishing output from module leaders and supervisors. For example, Dr Lee published a key text, Achieving Your Professional Doctorate which informed professional doctorate development, delivery and student experience in the UK. She recently contributed to the definitive guide to Professional Doctorates by the UK Council for Graduate Education (2011).

Dr Elaine Ball, the course lead has served as an external adviser for professional doctorate programme validation for UK universities and has a strong publication output in health and social care. Supervisors delivering on the course have a strong research profile. 25 staff were returned in the Research Excellence Framework with 300 published outputs, 11 books, 14 PhD completions. As a department nationally, nursing was 10th (of 35) if you take research capacity, and 15th on 'research quality'.