University of Central Lancashire

Learning Environment and Assessment

Teaching and Learning activities will comprise seminars, workshops, lectures and independent learning. The course will primarily focus on interactive and discursive participant centred activity to ensure you are encouraged to ‘make sense’ and explore your research informed practice development. You will also be encouraged through E-learn and through assignments to continue debates and discussions beyond the classroom in the virtual environment, supported by the team where appropriate. Assignments will be especially important as they will be an opportunity for you to progress your research, synthesise and explore your knowledge and practice critically and reflexively as is appropriate for the researching professional.

To gain the doctorate, candidates need to pass both the ‘taught’ and ‘research’ elements. After completing Stage 1, the Masters level, you work toward Stage 2.

The assessment on the DProf  has been carefully planned to support and complement your research and learning, and in particular to maximise your ability to progress your individual doctoral research. You will find it is characterised by a requirement to engage in critical reflexivity and interrogation of your own research and that of others and to reflect the research planning and development cycle. Our use of the full calendar year for the award means that you can maximise periods of reduced academic demand for reflection and writing as befits a practitioner-researcher, especially given the way you may make use of your practice to situate and focus your research.

All assignments on ‘taught modules’ must be completed and achieve a minimum grade of 60% in order to progress to the research element of the course.
The doctoral thesis and oral exam will be accompanied by a final judgement from the examiners as outlined below:

Following the completion of the examination the examiners may recommend:

(i) that the candidate pass the research element of the award;
(ii) that the candidate pass the research element of the award subject to minor amendments being made to the thesis to the satisfaction of the internal examiner;
(iii) that the candidate be referred and be permitted to resubmit the thesis for re-examination without a further oral examination;
(iv) that the candidate be referred and be permitted to resubmit the thesis for re-examination and undergo a further oral examination.

Academic Expertise

In the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE 2008), the School of Health was recognised as being within the top nine of UK universities for Nursing and Midwifery research with over 50 per cent of research being regarded to be of international standing. The School has a large professoriate with 12 Professors, three Readers and over 40 Research Fellows working within specialist teams engaged in applied healthcare research contributing to enhancement of policy and public services.

 There are nine research themes within the School:

• Cancer, Supportive and Palliative Care 
• Children's Nursing 
• Healthy Settings 
• Mental Health Nursing 
• Midwifery 
• Professional Ethics 
• Social Inclusion 
• Stroke

The Programme Team comprises a highly experienced research active team of staff and you will be supervised by a member of staff with PhD or professional doctoral background

Opportunities

The professional doctorate in health is about developing your professional self and your ability to lead and contribute to the development of work and research. As such, this award is about career, professional and personal development and expertise and your organisational impact. The team will use the taught programme and associated research events, as well as your growing confidence as a member of a research community to maximise your engagement with a wide and diverse group of applied educational researchers giving you a rich experience and opportunities that will shape your reflection and professional self. You will also receive invitations to take advantage of careers support and guidance through our Careers service and the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Employability.