Want to make real changes happen in health and social care? Applications invited for Doctorate of Practice in Health and Social Care

The University of Northampton’s Doctorate of Professional Practice award – starting in October 2016 – is now open for applications.

This part-time programme offers senior managers and advanced practitioners in Health and Social Care the opportunity to develop both their academic and research skills, by combining facilitated modules with independent research. The award offers the participants the platform, opportunity and context to make real changes happen in the health and social care setting.

Dr Michelle Pyer, Programme Lead, commented: “This will be our fourth cohort of Professional Doctorate (Prof Doc) students and we are really excited to introduce new members to our postgraduate research community. Students can look forward to two years of modules facilitated by experts in their fields, followed by a further two or three years of study towards a thesis in their specialist area. Ultimately, we support our students to produce new knowledge that they can apply to their area of work, increasing the benefits for their own career and the evidence base within the organisations or professions that they work for.”

The programme encourages critical thinking, as one former student explained: “As experienced, established practitioners, Prof Doc students aim to push their knowledge and answer questions they have asked numerous times but never found the answer to elsewhere.”

To find out more about this award and apply, please contact Dr Michelle Pyer, or visit the course page (which includes our course fees and funding information). Applicant selection is via a personal statement, research proposal and interview. The closing date for applications is 22 July 2016.

“Who cares if you know something? What value does it have for society? Knowledge has its value in its translation and its action. If [knowledge] just sits on a shelf then it is dead knowledge. That has really driven the design of the Prof Doc; I think there’s a difference between wanting a doctorate, and wanting to make a difference with a doctorate.”

– Programme team member