Doctor of Professional Practice in Health and Social Care

Course Content

• Course Details

  We are passionate about delivering this programme, which we have designed for experienced clinicians and practitioners in health and social care. During your first two years with us, you will study seven modules which offer a sound grounding in research theory, methods and application. Our modules offer you extensive opportunities to work directly with a range of different types of data, including that arising from your own project work. Assessments include presentations, proposals, academic posters and a journal article which you may choose to submit for publication.

  Our programme team is made up of Professors and Associate Professors from the Faculty of Health, Education and Society, and we carefully plan our delivery to enable you to make links from research specialists from across the institution and further afield. During the second year of your studies, you will be allocated a critical friend; a senior researcher within the institution, who will support you to finalise your thesis idea into a detailed proposal, ensuring that you are ready to hit the ground running with your own research from the start of year three.

  From the start of year three, you will work with a supervisory team of at least 2 senior researchers, chosen to meet your support needs of both your research topic and the research methods you will use. The research study (thesis) element of the course can last up to four years, culminating in a viva voce examination where you will defend your thesis with both internal and external examiners. The thesis element of the programme follows the same procedures and regulations as our PhD students, including annual reviews and an internal presentation to other staff and students plus a viva which takes place after the first 18 months to endure adequate progress.  All of these are designed to support your progress through the programme.  The thesis is examined to the same standard as conventional PhDs but is typically half the length (with a proportionately small research project) to recognise the assessments that were undertaken in the first two years.  Unlike a PhD, there is a requirement that the research for the thesis element should make a contribution to practice.

  Postgraduate Research Student satisfaction with our extensive support programme is evidenced by our university ranking 1st in the 2020 UK Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES), up 3 places from 4th in 2018. In the 2019/20 PRES results, 91% of students taking the survey were satisfied with their research degree experience. Our staff are proud of what we do, and even prouder of what our students achieve.

  The programme has been designed to enable students to demonstrate:

  • An original contribution to the advancement of professional knowledge and practice in an area of professional activity through the identification, development and execution of original research based in a health or social care practice environment.
  • Systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge appropriate to an area of health and social care practice.
  • Advanced knowledge and understanding of relevant methodologies for research and the advancement of professional practice.
  • Engagement in advanced research within an inter-disciplinary and multi-professional learning environment in a flexible and blended way.
  • Independent critical judgement related to a specialist area of professional health or social care practice.
  • A contribution to the achievement of the modernisation agenda by development of research leadership in a health or social care practice environment.

  We are committed to delivering outstanding research that makes a difference to society. Our Research Institutes and Centres work closely with external partner organisations, locally, nationally and internationally. We produce internationally renowned and relevant research and disseminate knowledge on an international scale.

  Visit our Research Hub page for more information.

  Modules

  Module information can be found on the Award Map: Doctor of Professional Practice

  Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 24/25. The modules relating to the academic year 25/26 will be available from June 2025.

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• FAQs

  What is the application process?

  You can apply for this programme directly to the University. You will be asked to complete a short application form about yourself, and to upload the following documents:

  • Personal statement.
  • Brief overview of your proposed research area (1,000 words).
  • Photocopies or scans of your Masters certificate and transcript and other relevant certificates.
  • Two references (you can find a reference request form here)
  • Evidence of English language ability (where English is not the first language).
  • Change of name document, if your application and certificates are in different names.

  All applicants are expected to attend an interview, usually completed remotely, with the Programme Leader and Deputy Programme Leader.

  How will I be assessed?

  Practice related assignments, including hands-on project experience (audit or evaluation). Assessments within the first two years of facilitated modules include:

  • Extended essay
  • Research proposal including appropriate application for ethical approval for research
  • Case Studies (using data sets)
  • Portfolios
  • Seminar presentation
  • Literature review
  • Reflective accounts
  • Journal article.

  The Professional Research Module is assessed by completion of a doctoral thesis and viva voce examination.

  Do the modules run on the same day of the week for every session?

  Feedback from previous students has told us that running the modules on the same day each time can lead to some people missing out, for example where they are regularly in clinic on a Wednesday. For this reason, we run module days on a range of different weekdays to enable students to attend for the majority of sessions across a module. Where possible we set module dates six months in advance of them running to ensure that as busy professionals, students are able to plan them into their work schedules.

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