Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf)

The Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) is for advanced practitioners and is designed to focus on their professional development within their organisational/professional context. The DProf is open to all professional areas as the focus is defined by the candidate's particular work context and area of activity and their own unique area of interest. This may be located within a profession or sector, or may be more individual in nature. The approach is inter-professional and cuts across disciplines (transdisciplinary) even where candidates have strong roots in a particular profession or occupation. It is primarily concerned with knowledge that is generated and used in practice. As a candidate for this award you would undertake a critical reflection upon your practice and then design and undertake a doctoral level practice–based research project in your own work within your own organisation or community of practice.

At the end of the programme candidates submit a research report and take part in an oral examination or viva on their research. With the successful completion of the examination the candidate achieves a doctorate and can be addressed as Doctor. The DProf programme includes a blend of a number of modes of delivery, ranging from face to face tutorials, e-mail exchanges, electronic as well as physical access to the university's library resources, real time workshops which are then mounted on to a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) which also holds programme and module handbooks. The key to the programme is the candidate's learning relationship with the Programme Adviser (PA) who will be the first port of call during the entire DProf programme period.