Professional Doctorate
Programmes
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Contents
Page No.
What is a Professional Doctorate? 1
Programme structure 2
What our students say 3
Entry requirements 5
Periods of study 5
How to apply 5
1
What is a Professional Doctorate?
The Professional Doctorate is a higher degree programme designed around the concept of change agency and is intended to make a step change in the way that your organisation operates. The programme is at the same level as a PhD but has different objectives - a PhD should develop new knowledge whereas the Professional Doctorate should develop new professional practice.
The first part of the Professional Doctorate programme, which is taken by all candidates, consists of the Master of Professional Practice programme; candidates who terminate their studies at the end of this phase would be eligible for consideration for the award of the degree of MProfPrac.
The Professional Doctorate programme is designed to reflect Cardiff Metropolitan University’s vocational and professional orientation and commitment to change agency. There are nine named Professional Doctorate awards on offer across Cardiff Met’s five academic schools:
Art (DArt)
Business Administration (DBA) Design (DDes)
Ecological Building Practices (DeBP) in collaboration with the Centre for Alternative Technology at Machynlleth Education (EdD)
Health (DHealth)
Information Systems (DInfo Sys) Sport (Sport D)
Tourism (DTourism)
The Professional Doctorate incorporates a variety of forms of cohort-based and individualised learning appropriate to the very highest levels of achievement: some teaching, questioning and debate, enquiry-based learning, guided study, negotiated study, and research.
It is entitled a Professional Doctorate because it integrates taught, experiential and research elements to address current professional issues.
If you would like further information on the Professional Doctorate please contact Professor Eleri Jones, Professional Doctorate Programme Director
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Programme structure
The Cardiff Metropolitan University Professional Doctorate programme includes: taught modules of an advanced nature concerned with professionally-relevant
knowledge;
opportunities to apply knowledge further in the work place; and, a requirement for the creation of new professional knowledge.
Year one
180 credits
Year two
180 credits
Year three
180 credits
Taught Masters Modules 120 Credits (Including a minimum of 20 credits
for research module)
Contextualising Professional Change and Development
60 credits Advanced Research: Literature Review 80 credits Advanced Research: Doctoal Thesis 160 credits Master of Professional Practice Advanced Research: Research Design and Project Management 80 credits PDP 20 credits Professional Doctorate PDP 20 credits
What our students say...
I’m Mary Carter, Head of the Department of Professional Development in Cardiff School of Education (CSE). My appointment to this position coincided with my starting the Professional Doctorate and I decided to use my new role as the focus of my research. I’m looking at how change is being implemented in CSE following a major restructure across the whole of the university.
In particular my research has increasingly focused on the academic as manager. I’m using an Appreciative Inquiry model which is an
organisational development process that seeks to use individuals to influence organisational change, renewal and focused performance.
There are many challenges involved in researching within one’s own organisation and prioritising tasks has been the most difficult for me to accomplish. Too often the everyday tasks associated with my job take precedence over my research and despite numerous resolutions I find it difficult to “ring fence” time each week to really engage with my project. However the School management team have been very supportive and I’m working with them to identify the best use of my time.
I chose the professional doctorate rather than a PhD because I felt that I needed the discipline of taught sessions and regular deadlines. We have gradually built up a community of researchers undertaking this programme and the support we get from each other has been very useful, we’re able to share resources and notify one another of events/reports that might be useful.
Mary Carter, Head of the Department of Professional Development in Cardiff School of Education (CSE)
Mary Carter, studying EdD
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What our students say...
As an older student, I had completed a Master of Science (MSc) degree at the University of Southampton in 1993, and a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree at Aston University in 2001. Having a strong desire to continue my academic study at doctoral level, I researched a variety of academic institutions, which offered professional programmes, and more importantly focused on the aspirations of mature students. My desire was to find a programme of study that would mirror the academic rigour of a PhD; however, in practice would allow me to utilise aspects of my day to day Management Consultancy activities.
The doctoral programme is professional, well balanced and structured in its approach and it is the structure of the programme that I find most helpful. From a personal perspective, I cannot speak too highly regarding the professionalism and dedication of the staff. This is the first time I have found an academic institution that caters for and exceeds the aspirations of mature students.
The completion of the doctoral programme is not simply about calling oneself a Doctor; however, in reality it is about our thirst and desire for greater knowledge, for in the words of Peter F Drucker, the Father of modern management “knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.
Robert Nicholas, studying DBA
The Cardiff Met Professional Doctorate programme has been of benefit to me on several levels. As a busy Science Centre Chief Executive the programme has given me the opportunity to tackle a work-based change issue of sector-wide importance.
The work associated with my study has the potential to directly influence the future funding models of the Scottish Government in its support for the four Science Centres in Scotland.
The bringing together of an international knowledge-community of Science Centre experts provided my investigation with the scope to draw from best-practice and channel this down to a very practical application.
The final phases of my research involved working with a small group in efforts to work towards a consensus position over a network wide performance framework. In a very dynamic environment my research has generated significant interest from others and to this end I have been asked to contribute to the ongoing discussions between other Science Centres and their governments.
The programme has highlighted a number of other emerging areas of future research and has given me the interest and skills required to pursue these.
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Entry requirements
How to apply
Apply to:
The Admissions Office, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Western Avenue, Cardiff, CF5 2GY Tel: +44 (0) 29 2041 6044
Fees & Scholarships
The current programme fee is: £2800 per academic year. Please visit: cardiffmet.ac.uk/feesfor the most up to date information regarding course fees. Scholarships are available - please contact:
[email protected]for details. Periods of Study
The period of study is usually between three and five years following completion of the
Contextualising Professional Change and Development module. There is no minimum period of study.
Students would normally progress onto the Professional Doctorate programme having completed 120 credits through taught modules at an appropriate UWIC Master’s level. Exemptions from Master’s level study may be granted if a candidate:
holds a Master’s degree of an approved University obtained by research or advanced study, which provides sufficient academic background to allow completion of the programme;
has completed a minimum of one year’s full-time or two years part-time
supervised postgraduate work in the same academic discipline, which provides sufficient academic
background to allow completion of the programme.
Cardiff Metropolitan University Western Avenue Cardiff CF5 2SG Tel: 029 2041 6044 email: [email protected]
