This site lists doctoral qualifications aimed at those working in nursing, engineering, psychology, law, social work, education and a growing number of other professions.
The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) is a professional doctorate with the same status as a PhD. It is the highest qualification available in business and management, designed for senior professionals who wish to advance their careers by developing their academic research and critical thinking skills. The Northampton DBA is a part-time programme that typically runs over four years. The first two years are structured around facilitated modules that provide the foundations for the research project, the main element of the DBA. This research project needs to make a significant contribution to professional practice by developing existing theories and knowledge.
The DBA provides the opportunity for you to cultivate the skills needed to find better solutions for intractable problems and develop new paradigms for the increasingly complex, turbulent and interconnected business environment. It does this by:
Through undertaking rigorous research into a meaningful and complex issue within your own organisation, you will make a direct contribution to your executive or professional practice.
In this way, the Northampton DBA will enable you to differentiate yourself, not just in terms of having the qualification, but also in the way you work and think.
The Doctorate in Health Science (DHealthSci) is a 4-8 year part-time course. In the first two years you would be required to attend the university for taught modules. There are 5 modules in total, each of which is taught in 1-2 day blocks. Around this formal teaching, there are regular opportunities for face to face and e-mail support. In years 3 - 4 (and beyond where necessary) you would work under the guidance and support of a nominated supervisor to produce a 60,000 word thesis.
The programme has been specifically designed for professionals - practitioners, policy-makers, leaders and managers, academics and teachers - at all levels of education, from early childhood through further and higher education, to lifelong learning.
Specifically the DHealthSci aims to:
You can study an MRes or an MPhil research postgraduate degree which you can then either continue to PhD or apply your specialist expertise to a number of industry areas. The Department of Sociology offers you a wide range of possible research options. The team at Aberdeen specialist in very diverse areas of sociology such as:
The discipline attracts international academics with wide ranging lecturing and research portfolios worldwide and it attracts an equally diverse student cohort. Research is conducted at the New Europe Centre. This centre researches Europe in terms of behaviour, values, people and policy. There is a seminar series in the discipline area and there are also seminars and events in the wider School and University which you are welcome to attend.
Research centres include the New Europe Centre, and Centre for Global Security and Governance. Staff research interests include political economy and biosocial theory, the changing nature of religion, religion and sexual deviance, gender, ethnic identity, nationalisms, racism, societal change, peace and conflict studies, civil war, quality of life and community wellbeing and more.
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You can study an MPhil in Real Estate which you can either continue to PhD or apply your expertise and specialist skills to the sector. The Real Estate discipline is part of the Business School and it is organised in the Centre for Real Estate Research. Real Estate research is integrated across five distinct themes in the Business School which are:
Research in the Business School was ranked at 88% ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impacts on society, organisations and the economy (REF 2014). Research in the Business School is conducted within Aberdeen Centre for Research in Energy Economics and Finance, The Centre for Real Estate Research, Scottish Experimental Economics Laboratory and The Centre for European Labour Market Research.
The Business School is ranked as a top three UK university for impact in Business and Management Studies (Times Higher Education REF 2014) The School offers many programmes which are relevant to the 20 FTSE 100 companies located in Aberdeen to allow students to quickly deliver innovation and business management in the workplace. There are over 83500 alumni across 192 countries in top positions. Students have access to Bloomberg Terminal software and the Virtual Finance Lab. The Business School is a member of the Business Education Alliance.
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Researchers use behavioural and neuroimaging techniques to understand the relationship between perception and environment among clinical and healthy individuals. Research is grouped around three themes which are:
The School offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Psychology degrees are accredited by the British Psychological Society. Within these themes there are specialist groups who conduct research, funded by research councils, governments and charitable groups. Psychology has been taught at The University of Aberdeen since 1896 when the Anderson Lectureship in Comparative Psychology was founded. The lectureship resulted from a bequest from Reverend William Anderson to then continue research.
In addition to the three themes, the Applied Psychology and Human Factors Group researches human factors, clinical psychology and pedagogical research in a multidisciplinary environment and via groups in other School such as Aberdeen Neuroscience network. There are numerous facilities to support research and these include:
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You can study an MRes by research or an MPhil by research which you can then continue to PhD or apply your knowledge within industry. We investigate some of the world’s most challenging problems across state, regional and international issues and we work across disciplines. Research is grouped into four key themes which include:
Successful postgraduates work in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, MOD, foreign governments, military services, research consultancies, international business and banking, parliamentary research, marketing, lobbying and academic careers. You study in the Department of Politics and International Relations within The School of Social Science. Research supervisors focus on political problems facing democracy, disputes, power-sharing, multi ethnic states, the European Union, and interdisciplinary research. Interdisciplinary research focuses more on topics such as energy policy, environmental policy, health policy, identify politics, gender and ethnicity and international politics.
The MPhil is a research degree is taken over 24 months on a full-time basis or 48 months on a part time basis. The MRes in Social Research is a one-year degree which combines specialist and generic training to allow you to either apply your knowledge in third and public sector policy work or continue on to a PhD. The Department of Politics and International Relations offer a wide range of seminars and events which you are welcome to attend.
The School of Social Sciences offer a wide range of research across sociology, anthropology and politics and international relations. Research centres include the New Europe Centre and the Centre for Global Security and Governance.
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The MSc by research degree covers a wide range of areas which range from Astronomy and Engineering to Complex Systems and Mathematical Modelling. The research is interdisciplinary with links to engineering, chemistry, biological sciences, orthopaedics, biology, biomedical sciences, medical sciences and geology.
Research includes:
The Department of Physics has produced world innovating Physicists such as James Clerk Maxwell who invented the first colour photograph in 1861. Research within the Department allows you to gain ‘hands on’ knowledge and research which is action orientated, and experimental across theoretical areas. Research covers general relativity, solid-state physics, dynamical systems and chaos.
Graduates go on to careers in meteorology, medical physics, environmental monitoring, astronomy, particle physics, geophysics, materials science, invention, design, teaching and financial modelling. The Department of Physics is cross disciplinary in nature. Research takes place within the Department and Institute for Complex Systems and Mathematical Bio.
You are welcome to attend events and seminars in the Department of Physics, The School of Natural and Computing Science and the wider University whilst you study.
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If you want to study an MSc by research within nutrition and health related areas this programme will enable you to take full advantage of this and the wide ranging research areas open to you. You study at the world renowned Rowett Institute. The Institute has had a major positive impact on human nutrition and animal health for over 100 years. It offers four main research themes which are:
The Institute offers state of the art facilities which include a human nutrition unit, core facilities, metabolite, DNA and protein analysis and suites of modern purpose designed research laboratories. The Rowett Institute concentrated on diseases of malnutrition before the Second World War and after the war it identified many micronutrients and their importance in the diet. Today it focuses on the increasing problems of human diet and wellbeing.
The Institute provides knowledge exchange across industry and its research directly influences policy, the food industry and new innovations to better understand public health impacts from different sources of nutrition. There is a lively range of seminars and events at the Rowett Institute and the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition and across the wider University.
The Rowett Institute offers facilities to support research across genomics, proteomics, mass spectrometry, chemistry, liquid and gas chromatography, and gas isotope radio mass spectrometry.
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You can study both an MMus or MPhil by research within the Department of Music. Music at Aberdeen offers you a flourishing research environment in composition, instrumental, electroacoustic, historical, computational and sonic arts and sound studies. Research staff regularly perform on BBC radio and television and their work is performed across the world. Postgraduates can study an MMus by research in musicology, composition, performance, sonic arts, or vocal music.
Research groups are interdisciplinary, and they include:
The Department has 10 academic members of staff with over 30 visiting instrumental teachers. There are regular seminars and musical events in the Department of Music. The Department provides a lively range of concerts which are held in Kings College Chapel, the Blue Lamp and other venues across the campus and citywide covering many genres of music. There is a postgraduate reading group which is run by postgraduate students for postgraduate students to discuss musical topics and there is a composer’s forum.
Areas of research interests include:
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You can research for either an MREs or an MPhil in Management. You can design your research and draw from research experiences which are cross disciplinary due to the nature of management cutting across disciplines. You may then decide to continue to study a PhD or you may apply your skills and knowledge to a wide range of industry needs. The Business School provides research across economics, general practice, public health, and health economics. We won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2018 for continuous research over the past 40 years which has had a significant impact on behaviour, surgery and health improvements in the UK and beyond by combining economics and health research.
Research is interdisciplinary, and it includes research groups in:
Our Department focus on a number of key management issues which include change, innovation, entrepreneurship, work and family, future of work, health care management, operations management and consumer marketing.
There are five distinct themes in the Business School which include:
We offer a great range of facilities which includes the Thomson Reuters Data scope and DataStream database amongst others. Our graduates are in high demand within financial industries globally. Management research and analytical skills are highly applicable to a wide range of disciplines and sectors including multinational industries and new innovations. Many of our research students apply their knowledge to become specialists and they return to senior positions in their own country.
The Business School has been ranked third in the UK for impact in Business and Management Studies (Times Higher Education REF 2014 GPA scores). Our postgraduate taught degrees often carry professional accreditations from CIM, ACCA, CIMA and other internationally recognised professional bodies and this allows our students to gain a head start in business.
We offer an active range of research centres which cut across many industries. These include:
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Based on the School of Language, Literature, Film and Visual Culture you can study by research for either an MLitt or a MPhil. Both research programmes draw upon a rich cultural history which includes Romanticism, literature, society and history from medieval times to the current day in Germany and Austria. After English, German is the most widely used language in Europe and staff are native speakers from Germany and Austria. The undergraduate degree allows complete beginners to study at undergraduate level and there are a number of joint degrees available at this level.
The German Drama Group offers you an opportunity to meet German students who are studying in Aberdeen. This improves and widens your language skills whilst putting on a drama production. Graduates go on to various careers which include business, public sector, EU administration, teaching and academia and more.
Research interests include:
You study in The School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture where you can attend seminars and events across the School and the wider university. The School is one of the largest schools in the arts and social sciences and it offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Research Centres include:
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If you want to study a specific area of geology the School of Geosciences offers an MSc by research degree. The Department researches subsurface earth science across time and it offers an excellent range of facilities to support this learning which includes CL, EPMA< FI, SEM/EDAX, GC and GC-MS equipment and well equipped seismic and petrophysics laboratories.
The MSc by research offers you the opportunity to undertake a research project under the guidance of an academic supervisor. There are no formal lectures or seminars and your research is not formally examined until you submit your thesis. The thesis needs to show originality and critical analysis of existing knowledge in the field your research. You are welcome to attend the events and research seminars across the School of Geosciences and the wider University whilst you study.
There are various careers open to geologists and these include environmental and technical work in environment and engineering consultancies across the world, continuation to academia, public and private sector business and other organisations which require specialist skills in geology.
Research across the School of Geosciences and the Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology concentrates on geological evolution of sedimentary basins due to their ability to capture significant amounts of historical geological data to anlayse climate, tectonic evolution, lithosphere, fossil fuels, water resources and economic minerals. Research is undertaken by two research groups which include:
The Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology draws from significant work with the energy sector and it draws from consultancy work with research partners located across the oil and gas industry in the city. The University of Aberdeen has been training and educating geologists for more than 120 years and it is currently ranked '6th in the UK for Geology.' The department attracts international academics and research staff and students come from all over the world. Undergraduate degrees are fully accredited by the Geological Society of London and the department offers wide ranging professional development courses such as Turnstone and exploHUB.
The research team are all active in key professional organisations such as The American Association of Petroleum Geologists and Aberdeen Geological Society. There is an extensive network of former students and friends who are members of the Aberdeen Geological Alumni.
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If you want to take a research postgraduate degree in Geography we offer an MRes and an MSc by research. We draw from interdisciplinary research across social, environmental, geosciences and sustainability challenges from rapid environmental change on contemporary surface processes. There are several career directions you can take with either an MSc by research or MREs in Geography which include working in the public sector, environmental consultancy, continuing in academia, working within third sector organisations and more. You can also continue your research to gain a PhD.
Research themes include:
There are several centres of excellence in geography and environmental discipline areas which include:
The Department of Geography and Environment sits within the School of Geosciences. Research is carried out across multiple environmental areas and it is often interdisciplinary in nature. Human Geography focuses on two main themes of Transport and Mobility and Digital Economy and Rural Change. The Department of Geography and Environment offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level degrees. There are a wide range of events and seminars which you are encouraged to attend within the Department of Geography, The School of Geosciences and the wider University.
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The French MLitt allows you to research French at postgraduate level and either continue your studies on to a PhD or apply your knowledge across a wide variety of industries internationally. You draw from an incredible history and culture from medieval times to the present day. This programme is based on the School of Language, Literature, Film and Visual Culture. You benefit from international academics with impressive research portfolios and cross disciplinary links within literature, philosophy, film, history of art. As a fluent French speaker, you will have a range of career opportunities available to you after graduating in areas such as publishing, tourism, academia, politics, and much more.
There are two centres in the School of Language, Literature, Film and Visual Culture which are:
Wider research centres in the School of Language, Literature, Film and Visual Culture include:
There is a seminar series for linguistic research which you are welcome to attend along with other events in the School and across the wider university.
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A Finance research degree allows you the opportunity to specialise in a specific area of interest to yourself or your employer. You can continue to study for a PhD or you can apply your knowledge across financial industry areas. Previous graduates have gone on to positions in lecturing and research, public and private sector accounting and management, fund management, stockbroking, investment analysis, banking and financial services. You study with a wide range of international supervisors all offering significant research and consultancy knowledge which has been internationally recognised. Staff regularly visit universities around the world and the Department hosts visiting academics.
The Finance Group are active in the following research areas:
The Economics Group focus on the following themes:
Economics research cuts across numerous disciplines and distinct research themes in the Business School. Find out more about research themes and centres in the Business School Founded in 1495 the University and the Business School is internationally recognised for research and the Business School is ranked in the top three in the UK for impact (REF 2014 GPA)
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If you would like a more flexible research postgraduate degree, the MPhil or MLitt will allow you to choose your research interests and either study towards an PhD or apply your learning within a variety of industries. The postgraduate research programme allows you to contextualise approaches to literature. Research centres include:
You are supervised by internationally recognised research and academic staff from the School of Language, Literature, Music and Visual Culture. The English Department was founded in 1894. There are around 20 staff and every period of literature is taught from medieval to contemporary literature. There are specialists in English, Scottish, Irish and American literature and many students take joint degrees with Film and Visual Culture. The Department has worked on major projects such as Cambridge Edition works of Jane Austin and Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels of Sir Walter Scott.
Literature includes the work of Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton, James, Eliot and the Bronte’s. The School is home to the Walter Scott Research Centre, The WORD Centre for Creative Writing and a Centre for the Novel. There is also an interdisciplinary centre for Early Modern Studies.
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The MPhil in Education allows you to study towards a research degree rather than a taught programme. This gives you flexibility to study something which is important to your own interests. You can either continue your studies towards a PhD or you can apply your knowledge within an educational setting internationally. Research students come from all over the world and degrees are offered either on a full time or part time basis on campus or via distance learning. Research is integrated across four distinct themes which include:
The School of Education offer a seminar series which you are welcome to attend within the School and across the wider university. The School offers routes into teaching, professional learning and continued professional development and research. More recently there are additional programmes and courses available in mindfulness, and access courses to teaching. The School of Education works with a number of educational partners across all levels of education. Networks include many Scottish local authorities, Erasmus and various universities around the world.
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If you would like to study for a research postgraduate degree in economics, you can take an MPhil and either continue your programme to study for a PhD or apply your knowledge to industry. The Department of Economics is one of three main disciplines within the Business School. There are over 20 international faculty members in economics and each academic offers you an impressive international research and teaching portfolio to assist you in your research. The Department has several well-established research area in:
Supervision can be offered in:
71% of research was graded as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ and 88% was assessed as ‘outstanding’ or ‘very considerable’ impacts on society, organisations and the economy.
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The MPhil allows you to progress a research degree which you can either continue to PhD or apply your research within industry. The department is at the forefront of research within intelligent systems, cloud infrastructures, big data, natural language generation and more. Research is divided into three major themes:
Graduates go on to a wide variety of career opportunities and posts in telecommunications, biotechnology, computer gaming, and research internationally. The School of Natural and Computing Science offers you an innovative and creative subject which allows for research to be far reaching in its effects and benefits to society, commerce, health and engineering. The department has a long-standing reputation in intelligent systems and it is recognised worldwide for multi-agent systems, natural language generation and semantic web.
70% of research is classified as ‘internationally leading’ or ‘internationally excellent.’
The Aberdeen Software Factory allows undergraduates and postgraduates to gain work experience whilst working with clients in industry. Many graduates gain the skills required to work as entrepreneurs in industry.
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This programme allows you to define your research interests and study towards an MPhil. Anthropology is ranked first in Scotland for student satisfaction (NSS). This research degree can be taken on its own or lead to a PhD in Anthropology. The Department of Anthropology is based within the School of Social Science. Research themes are wide ranging, and they include:
The School of Social Science offers a range of centres which include the New Europe Centre. Teaching and research are in the fields of: Anthropology, politics, international relations and sociology. Anthropology is mixed with archaeology, languages, film and culture, philosophy and psychology at undergraduate level. Anthropology is also embedded in the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and the Rule of Law, This centre draws from seven other disciplines to ensure that research is rigorous and impactful.
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The Accountancy by research degree gives you the opportunity to concentrate on your strengths and interests within the Accountancy field which you can either progress to PhD or apply to a variety of industry situations. You can apply your skills within either the public or private sector, fund management, stockbroking, investment analysis, banking and financial services.
The main areas of expertise are:
There are no course modules listed for this programme as it is a research postgraduate degree
Find out more about Business School Research
The Business School is given five themes which are carried out throughout research, projects and teaching.
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This qualification is aimed specifically at senior practitioners within the arts and cultural sector who would like to gain a doctoral qualification through an extended period of study and critical reflection designed to be undertaken alongside existing work or freelancing commitments.
The Professional Doctorate in Cultural Leadership is designed to produce professionals who are competent and confident in using their skills to tackle emergent problems and to develop new practice that will meet the demands of the cultural sector in the 21st century. You will be creating, conceiving, developing and undertaking doctoral research projects that require a strong emphasis on individually determined learning and self directed study. Professional Doctorates recognise the value of professional practice and applied critical thinking. Senior practitioners are at the forefront of their field and create vital new knowledge through their everyday practice. The focus of your study would be specific to the context in which your professional practice takes place and as such is intended to complement and build upon the work that you will already be undertaking in your role. The findings from your study are therefore intended to contribute not only to the body of knowledge that exists about cultural leadership and practice, but also to have real-world impact on your own professional practice, and the practice of the organisations and individuals that you work with.
Why QMU?
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Graduates will already be well established as a professional in the cultural and creative industries, but you will now have high levels of knowledge and investigative and research skills, which you can use to advance practice in your professional spheres. The qualification offers you recognition of your expertise and professional standing acknowledged worldwide. You may also go on to conduct further research, publish, or teach in further and higher education
This practitioner-targeted doctorate qualification will allow members of clinical staff to gain additional training and skills, including research skills, to an appropriate level.
It gives students the skills and knowledge to carry out research in a clinical practice setting by analysing and critiquing the philosophical dimensions of research methodology. The course also covers the use of current research techniques, enabling students to develop and advance their understanding of clinical practice theories and concepts in real world settings.
By using their critical evaluation skills, knowledge of research methodologies, and analysis of ethics, all students will have the opportunity to develop a bespoke research project aimed at building knowledge and improving practice in the clinical sector.
Through applying theoretical frameworks to real life concepts, healthcare professionals will be empowered to drive change and innovation in their workplace.
A key highlight of the course is that it forms a bridge between theoretical research paradigms and real-life experience from the workplace and includes online interactive delivery of teaching to facilitate flexibility with professional commitments. Students will be expected to participate in a programme symposium which will enable practice in skills of presentation, focussed discussion of their topic and interaction with other students.
Students are able to use all University facilities.
The teaching and learning pathway is based upon an alignment between taught modules, the learning objectives and the assessments in each of the modules.
Students are required to undertake significant background reading and literature searching and complete applied research tasks in the completion of assignments.
The majority of the teaching is provided either in face-to-face lectures, seminars and one-to-one discussions with tutors and the thesis supervisor.
Active learning is encouraged and facilitated by the application of course material to ‘real world’ case studies and students’ own research.
The course will be delivered using a blended approach (including interactive online classroom with the tutor and one or more students, more traditional classroom based lecture or tutorial where all participants can see and engage with each other in real-time). The lectures are recorded and are accessible to all students for future reference and revision. Student feedback can also be delivered by audio dictation via our Turnitin system or in written format whichever is more appropriate for the student.
Assessment is conducted through a range of coursework assignments including:
This programme provides the theoretical, clinical and research training for a career in counselling psychology. It places an emphasis on both cognitive-behavioural and humanistic approaches.
This three year doctorate includes training in psychological assessment, psychotherapeutic interventions, clinical research methods, ethics and professional practice. You will also produce a doctoral research dissertation and complete a minimum of 450 hours of placement in clinical settings. The modules you will study develop the professional skills required of leaders and supervisors and prepare you for working as a psychologist in diverse, multi-disciplinary teams.
Upon graduation you will meet the educational standards for chartered membership of the British Psychological Society, to gain full membership of the Division of Counselling Psychology, and to be eligible to apply for registration as a practitioner psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council.
This new doctoral qualification has been designed specifically for non-Christian religious leaders, or those working in para-religious organisations such as faith-based charities or NGOs. You will explore religious practice, including religious leadership and faith traditions, as well as examining the place of religion in society more generally.
By introducing you to issues relating to your professional practice in a religion related discipline we place a strong emphasis on enabling you to improve your writing, critically engage with key ideas and develop a research project. You will build on this in the later stages of the programme by producing your doctoral thesis.
A unique feature of the course is that the taught modules are shared with professionals from various backgrounds who are studying for the Professional Doctorate in Education and the Professional Doctorate in Ministry. This allows collaborative learning with professionals with varied backgrounds and experience who are also embarking on doctoral level research.
Our Professional Doctorate in Ministry (DMin) is focused on you, and on developing you as a professional minister embarking on research. The learning style is informal and collegiate with a strong emphasis on developing your writing, helping you to critically engage with key ideas, and eventually to produce an excellent research project on a topic related to your ministry.
You will benefit from a multidisciplinary learning environment with some modules studied alongside students on the Professional Doctorate in Education and Religion programmes. You will investigate common challenges faced by professionals embarking on doctoral-level qualifications and benefit from the shared experiences of developing professional practice through academic research.
The course will demonstrate how broad theoretical ideas can be applied to specific contexts, and how to apply learning and ideas to your own research question.
The School of Nursing and Health Professions offers a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with an emphasis in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) providing one-of-a-kind opportunities for interprofessional collaboration. The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) plan of study in the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program prepares registered nurses (RNs) with a baccalaureate or master's degree to function as Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners in the FNP role.
The Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) prepares nurses (RNs) to design models of health care delivery, evaluate clinical outcomes, identify and manage the health care needs of diverse populations, and use technology and information to transform the field. BSN prepared students can opt to complete a concurrent master’s in Nursing (Master of Science in Nursing), or Public Health.
As an FNP, you will be trained to conduct comprehensive health assessments, diagnose and manage acute illnesses (with appropriate referral), manage chronic conditions and serve as the primary health care providers in many settings. Students are able to design models of health care delivery, evaluate clinical outcomes, identify and manage the health care needs of diverse populations, and use technology and information to transform the field.
We have a large group of about 70 PhD students in the department at any one time, so you’ll always feel supported as part of the research community.
As a research student, you will be a member of our research groups and regularly invited to participate in seminars with academic staff. You’ll also present your work at national and international conferences. Many of our students’ panel presentations have been accepted at Performance Studies International in Leeds and many more have participated in conferences organised by the Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA).
We offer you rich and varied training opportunities, where you’ll study in discipline-specific workshops and get to know your fellow students.
The university provides training in generic research skills such as academic writing, while the Humanities and Arts ResearchInstitute at Royal Holloway offers a programme of lectures, seminars and reading groups that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration.
Practice-based PhD students attend training about the processes and creative methodologies of practice-based research across the arts, sharing experiences and expertise with PhD students in creative writing, music, media arts and theatre.
We also offer an MA by Research in Drama, Theatre and Dance.
We welcome applicants who wish to pursue research partially by practice. Current student research topics in practice-based PhD projects include:
Broadly there are two approaches. Firstly, some students write dissertations that are based on, and document, their own practice, submitting a full-length written thesis accompanied by an appropriate portfolio of documentation.
Secondly, a small number of students offer live practice as a core component of their thesis, with practice itself conceived as a central mode of enquiry. This practice is viewed and assessed by the examiners as part of the final submission. In this second model of practice-based research, the written component will be shorter (by approximately one third).
If you wish to be examined in this way, you’ll need to clarify how you’re going to present research findings through your live practice – pronouncing what kinds of insights and knowledge can be explored or conveyed in performance, and cannot be communicated only through discursive writing and other forms of documentation.
Although this undertaking is challenging, a number of exceptional candidates have demonstrated that this is an appropriate and productive route for students who can combine intellectual rigour with disciplined creativity.
This course has been developed in collaboration with in-service professionals along the key themes of education for:
The taught component is two years part-time and is concerned with critical self-assessment and the identification and development of strategies for use in the practice area. The research component is three years part-time, building on the taught component to develop evidence-based practice and introduce innovative strategies in all areas of professional practice.
"Returning to undertake a professional doctorate, part time, was initially very daunting, especially also working full time. Whilst I knew it would be a supportive environment; even so, I was pleasantly surprised at how much support and encouragement was available. The course has certainly taken me on an amazing journey and during my years of study I have gained so many skills. The rigorous assessment and review processes allowed me to flourish and be successful in my research and my confidence has also increased. Indeed all the experiences along the way helped me to develop both personally and professionally and none of which would have been possible without the support that I received during my professional doctorate studies from members of the academic staff, support staff and fellow students within the school" Anita Flynn (Dr) Graduated 2015.
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.
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:
You will make a significant contribution to professional practice with transferable skills to your clinical area. You will also study inter-professionally with peers in a collaborative environment, strengthening networking opportunities across health and social care disciplines.
Increasingly, employers are looking for flexible and creative key staff receptive to innovation. At this stage in your career, you may be expected to have research and analytical techniques and vision to tackle problems imaginatively and with confidence, but may have limited time or support to do so. By undertaking a Professional Doctorate, we will help you develop these skills. There is much published evidence demonstrating the Professional Doctorate uniquely enhances personal development, stronger professional self-worth and confidence and improve your career prospects and job satisfaction.
By successfully completing your professional doctorate, you will be granted with the title Dr (like a traditional PhD). The professional doctorate benefits you in producing a qualification which is equivalent in status and challenge to a PhD, but is more appropriate if you are pursuing professional, industry based careers and are interested in gaining accreditation or the chance to reflect on best practice, rather than in pursuing academic careers.
Undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton will enable you to demonstrate scholarship, methodological expertise, a contribution to knowledge about professional practice and a contribution to professional practice development
The programme is designed to change how you as a professional think about the relationship between research, scholarship and expertise. You will be expected to make a significant difference to your professional environment from the beginning of the programme. Ideas and methods from a range of disciplines will be applied to your own fields of expertise. You will follow an exciting, flexible programme that will enable you to develop advanced research skills that can be applied to your practice.
The professional doctorate has a more structured programme than the traditional PhD and offers a higher degree of inter-professional peer support. You will work together with other professionals to build your quantitative and qualitative research skills, deepen your professional development, and learn from each other. Following completion of the taught modules, you will progress to the empirical research stage and with support from practice advisors and experienced supervisors will construct an independent and original piece of research that will enhance the knowledge base in your field of practice.
The DProf is a part time course. It is undertaken in two stages and normally takes around four years to complete.
Stage 1 comprises the taught element of the DProf. This stage takes a minimum of two years to complete. It focuses on advanced research techniques in health, social work, social care and wellbeing and includes the following modules:
Undertaking a Critical Literature Review in Health and Wellbeing
Positionality and the Researcher
Advancing professional practice
Understanding Research Processes and Structures
Stage 2 is the thesis stage of the DProf. It takes a minimum of two years to complete. During this time the student undertakes and submits a practice based thesis.
On campus attendance is kept to a minimum. Traditional taught sessions, delivered in blocks of two to three days, are combined with virtual technologies to create a more personalised teaching and learning experience. At this level of study self-direction is essential and students will be required to manage their own learning, particularly in stage 2.
Why Wolverhampton?
The course will be open to experienced individuals who hold senior positions of responsibility within their organisations or professions.
This mix encourages flexibility and openness to inter-professional learning opportunities and reflects inter- professional working in practice setting.
Modules are delivered in blocks of 2-3 days to aid flexibility.
Career Path
There is an increasing demand for doctoral qualifications that are related to the actual work activities and situations of employees and professionals has been stimulated by major changes in organisational structures and employment patterns, notably in health and wellbeing.
Skills you will gain
In addition to developing a high level of critical thinking and demonstrating the creation of new knowledge in your field of practice, you will gain the abilities and skills to become a researching professional.
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