Professional Doctorate in Health, Education and Society
5 Years Part-Time | January Start
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
International
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Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Are you looking to become a pioneer who can shape policy and practice in your profession? This exciting programme will facilitate your personal career development, helping you become a leader in your field.
As a professional doctorate student, you will gain a fresh perspective on service development, looking at the inter-relationships between research, policy and practice in your work setting and wider professional context. You will develop skills around critical reflection, such as the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise data from a wide range of sources, so that you may innovate, form unique interpretations, and drive services forward within your sector.
This programme is suitable for professionally qualified and experienced individuals based in the UK and internationally, who wish to undertake doctoral study. It is suitable for a variety of career paths, and available to a range of professional backgrounds within or linked to education, health and children’s services settings. The programme will be offered on a part-time basis over 5 years, with flexible study, enabling you to work at your own pace and that of the sector in which you practice.
The programme is based around a range of individual and group learning activities. You will explore organisational goals and vision, working collaboratively with peers and colleagues to develop ideas and relate them to practice. Classroom based teaching and learning sessions will be provided 3 times a year and are held on weekends, to facilitate your employment demands. The sessions are comprised of teacher-led discussions, group and individual presentations and discussions, tasks and activities and communities of enquiry to further develop your knowledge and its application to your practice. The programme modules provide a progressive framework for undertaking Doctoral level research culminating in a Professional Doctorate thesis and viva voce defence.
Upon completion you will have the tools and knowledge to drive progress and make an impact in your field. The focus on relating research to practice throughout the doctorate will help you stand out as a pioneer practitioner, giving you a competitive edge in the world of employment.
Are you looking to become a pioneer who can shape policy and practice in your profession? This exciting programme will facilitate your personal career development, helping you become a leader in your field.
As a professional doctorate student, you will gain a fresh perspective on service development, looking at the inter-relationships between research, policy and practice in your work setting and wider professional context. You will develop skills around critical reflection, such as the ability to analyse, evaluate and synthesise data from a wide range of sources, so that you may innovate, form unique interpretations, and drive services forward within your sector.
This programme is suitable for professionally qualified and experienced individuals based in the UK and internationally, who wish to undertake doctoral study. It is suitable for a variety of career paths, and available to a range of professional backgrounds within or linked to education, health and children’s services settings. The programme will be offered on a part-time basis over 5 years, with flexible study, enabling you to work at your own pace and that of the sector in which you practice.
The programme is based around a range of individual and group learning activities. You will explore organisational goals and vision, working collaboratively with peers and colleagues to develop ideas and relate them to practice. Classroom based teaching and learning sessions will be provided 3 times a year and are held on weekends, to facilitate your employment demands. The sessions are comprised of teacher-led discussions, group and individual presentations and discussions, tasks and activities and communities of enquiry to further develop your knowledge and its application to your practice. The programme modules provide a progressive framework for undertaking Doctoral level research culminating in a Professional Doctorate thesis and viva voce defence.
Upon completion you will have the tools and knowledge to drive progress and make an impact in your field. The focus on relating research to practice throughout the doctorate will help you stand out as a pioneer practitioner, giving you a competitive edge in the world of employment.
Level of Study
Research
Mode of Study
5 years Part Time
Location
Coach Lane Campus, Northumbria University
City
Newcastle
Start
January 2025
Fees
Fee Information
Modules
Module Information
Discover the funding options available to you.
Learn all about Professional Doctorates
Take a look at what Northumbria has to offer and discover what studying with us can do for you.
This Professional Doctorate in Health, Education & Society is a research rich, experientially focused advanced qualification. As such, our teaching places an emphasis on developing you into a well-informed and autonomous learner, who can make sound judgements relating to practice within your professional domain.
You will spend the first two years in structured teaching before going on to carry out your research with the guidance of our teaching and supervision staff.
In Year 1 you will be introduced to the academic literacies required to perform successfully in higher education, such as research methodologies and knowledge construction. This will instil you with confidence when it comes to research and critical thinking.
In Year 2, you will be given greater flexibility with the opportunity to engage in the practicalities of research project design. You will further develop your critical thinking skills and be encouraged to take responsibility for your own study by developing your research project idea.
In years 3, 4 & 5, you will capitalise on the academic experiences of the previous two years, synthesizing your learning and experience to conduct a research project and produce a thesis of 55 - 60,000 words. This capstone assignment will demonstrate autonomous learning, academic rigour, self-directed purpose, and intellectual ambition.
Each module is assessed against clearly defined learning outcomes. In many assessments, you can customise the topic towards your specific area of interest.
Assessment methods include a peer presentation, poster presentation (individual), stakeholder workshops with a Q&A, and a written literature review.
Full details on the modules for each year of the programme can be found below.
With many years’ experience supporting professional doctorate students, our expert team will be there as a support through every step of the programme, ensuring students leave with confidence and a full understanding of policy and practice as it relates to their profession.
A personal tutor and a supervisor, with appropriate experience and expertise, will support you through your post graduate research (PGR) project. Tutorial support will be available during each module, should you wish to use it.
You will have access to our CITY CAMPUS University Library and well-equipped working space, The Hub, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Technology is embedded throughout all aspects of your degree and you will receive ongoing support through our innovative e-learning platform, Blackboard, where you can access module handbooks, assessment information, lecture presentation slides and reading lists.
One of the key features of this programme is developing the academic literacies required to perform successfully in higher education. You will learn about research design, including methodology, methods and ethics. Not only this, but you will also be taught how to present and disseminate your research.
This focus on impactful research will equip you with the skills to make a strong case for policy change within your profession, and enhance your ability to succeed as an early career researcher.
You will be inspired by ongoing staff research and industry experience, aligned to the tutor with the most relevant expertise to support you through your research project.
The thesis will be a central element with you being encouraged to focus on areas of specific interest to your practice and how theories and concepts impact on your practice. This will be informed and supported by the research interests of the team.
This course provides both practical and theoretical content that reflects the professional requirements of your field, designed for those wishing to enhance their practical and research skills.
You will combine academic studies with work-based development of specialist skills and reflection including personal practices and behaviours. You will graduate with the skills and knowledge to help drive service improvements and become a trailblazer within your career, fully equipped for an influential role within an organisation. You will have developed skills that reflect many of the component features of employability, making you a desirable practitioner and leader.
To further enhance your future opportunities, we offer ongoing career development support in the form of career guidance, CV advice, portfolio building and interview preparation. This course will also allow you to develop key employability skills such as organisation, time management and leadership.
Applicants should normally have:
International qualifications:
If you have studied a non-UK qualification, you can see how your qualifications compare to the standard entry criteria, by selecting the country that you received the qualification in, from our country pages. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English language requirements:
International applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 6 in each component (or approved equivalent*). *The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades you will need in our English Language section. Visit www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
UK Fee in Year 1: £2,981
International Fee in Year 1: £8,990
Please note, the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme is not eligible for the Doctoral Loan. Further information can be found on the Government website.
Click here for UK and International Scholarship, Fees and Funding information.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
There are no Additional Costs
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Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
PP7000 -
Module 1: Examining Personal Context (Core,30 Credits)
This module encourages you to reflect on your professional journey and motivation for undertaking doctoral study, to identify personal and professional development needs and discuss the purpose of a reflexive approach during the research journey. You will explore early iterations of your research interest and critically discuss ideas to research real world problems. You will identify and share different personal and professional perspectives, values and beliefs and consider this in designing a future research proposal. You will identify and critically appraise relevant literature to support and demonstrate familiarity with a topic of interest, developing your skills in designing literature search strategies.
More informationPP7001 -
Module 2: Your Work Context as a Site of Research (Core,30 Credits)
You will critically consider your work/place as a site of research, appraising the challenges and opportunities of negotiating a potential study with your employer. You will be encouraged to develop a reflexive and critical appreciation of your work/place, challenging constructions of it, thereby maximising the potential of your work/place as a site for theoretically informed, innovative and transformative research. You will engage with and apply diverse perspectives, paradigms and pedagogies to your work context, including critical evaluation of epistemological, axiological and practical differences within your own positionality and identity.
More informationPP7002 -
Module 3: Theory and Professional Practices (Core,30 Credits)
Students will be introduced to theory as a lens through which an interrogative analysis of social and professional contexts can be viewed. Students will be encouraged to analyse aspects of their professional practice and culture, and to identify elements of their professional context which may provide opportunities to enact change and show impact. Students will appraise and apply components of various theoretical perspectives to aspects of their professional practice, and receive a grounding in axiology, hermeneutics, ontological perspectives and epistemological articulations on research impacts.
More informationPP7003 -
Module 4: Research Design: Methodology, Methods & Ethics (Core,60 Credits)
This module aims to equip you with the skills and knowledge to develop a robust research proposal. Delivered in two parts, the first reviews and consolidates learning from previous modules to understand your own positionality, practice-research context and philosophical / theoretical perspectives; the second will focus on the process of identifying, appraising and applying relevant methodological approaches aligned to your research proposal. You will relate philosophical positions on reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology) derived from module 3, to the thinking found in different methodological approaches, and explore synergies and tensions between academic and professional positions.
More informationPP7004 -
Researcher Development: Presenting and Disseminating your Research (Core,30 Credits)
This module will develop student’s abilities to present, articulate and disseminate research ideas through several modes of delivery. Building upon the knowledge and skills encountered and developed in preceding modules, students will explore some of the ways peer support and appraisal forms part of the research journey. Students will gain experience of critically assessing research ideas by examining potential research through an ethical, practical and theoretical frameworks, fostering an understanding of the ways in which research and academic work is appraised. Through a simulation of different but complementary research forums, students will be exposed to the rigors of delivering research ideas through contexts experienced by researchers and academics. This will prepare students in disseminating their research through a variety of methods. Students will refine their research ideas to construct a research proposal for presentation to possible supervisors.
More informationTo start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901 or by using our Contact Form.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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