EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC BOARD GRADUATE SCHOOL BOARD OF STUDIES
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EDGE HILL UNIVERSITY
ACADEMIC BOARD
GRADUATE SCHOOL BOARD OF STUDIES
Professional Doctorates: Edge Hill University (EHU) Principles
Introduction
1. In 2007, the University made the strategic decision that it would, in due course
and when supervisory capacity permitted, introduce a framework for the
development of professional doctorates1. The Graduate School Board of Studies
(GSBOS), in discussions last session, determined that there were a number of
clusters of supervisors of sufficient size that Faculties may feel it appropriate to
develop and launch a professional doctorate. The GSBOS thus charged the
Professional Doctorates and PhDs by Publication Working Group with bringing
forward proposals for consideration, with a view to establishing a University
framework for 2012/13. Faculties would then be able to develop Professional
Doctorates for approval in accordance with the University framework.
2. The proposals from the Working Group were considered by the Graduate School
Board of Studies, by Research Committee, by Academic Managers Group, and
by Academic Board. Academic Board2 gave broad approval of the principles,
mandating the Chair to give approval to the final version of the University
Framework. The PGR Academic Regulations will be amended accordingly in their
normal annual review (Autumn 2012). It is intended to launch the framework in
the 2012/13 academic session.
3. This paper reports the benchmarking exercise undertaken for the Graduate
School Working Group, addresses the points raised in the various committee
discussions, and details the principles of the EHU Professional Doctorate
Framework.
1
The working group established in 2007 made recommendations based upon the framework then in place
under the national Academic Infrastructure. The QAA, in issuing the new UK Quality Code for Higher Education
has consolidated custom and practice nationally, and the guidelines are now significantly different. For
example in 2006, the taught elements of professional doctorates were expected to be at level 8, whereas the
current guidance is that the taught elements may well be at level 7.
2
June 2012
1The national context
4. Professional Doctorates are relatively common within the sector; tripling in
number since 1998 to over 300 programmes in 20093. There have been a
number of review articles published on professional doctorates since the 1990s
(when they began to spread from North America, and where the professional
doctorate is the most common route through doctoral study), and two of the more
recent have been particularly helpful in the production of this discussion paper4,5.
We have also consulted the detailed academic regulations pertaining to
professional doctorates from a small number of UK Universities6 to inform the
development of our own regulations.
5. The QAA publishes the National Framework for Higher Education Qualifications
within its recently released UK Quality Code for HE7, and in which the
Professional Doctorate is placed alongside the traditional PhD at level 8 (doctoral
level) in terms of intellectual challenge (see Appendix 2 for extract), but where it
can be seen that the Professional Doctorate is normally credit rated at 540 credits
(equivalent to three years of full-time study), and that up to 180 credits (ie one
third) is taught material (typically at level 7).
6. The QAA’s Level Descriptor for level 8 is very clear with regard to the focus of
Professional Doctorates “…… Professional doctorates aim to develop an
individual's professional practice and to support them in producing a
contribution to (professional) knowledge8……..” (see Appendix 1 for extract).
Sectoral practice is for such awards to “….. to make links with industry to develop
a new mode of study that integrates taught material with practical job skills
and academic research…” and that “….the course structure of professional
doctorate programs varies widely ….” but “….common to all professional
doctorates is the completion of an original piece of research presented as a
thesis, and examined by an expert in the chosen field, as with traditional
PhD’s. Usually the research project would relate to “real life” issues concerned
with professional practice or the company that is sponsoring the candidate and in
3
Brown, K. and Cooke, C. (2010) Professional Doctorate Awards in the UK, Lichfield: UK Council for Graduate
Education.
4
McCay, G. (2010), Taught Professional Doctorates; An overview of structure, content and their role within the
professional community, Edinburgh (an internal University of Edinburgh discussion document).
5
Fell, T., Flint, K., Haines, II. (2011) Professional Doctorates in the UK 2011, Lichfield: UK Council for Graduate
Education.
6
London Metropolitan University, University of Edinburgh, University of Derby, University of Middlesex,
University of Bournemouth.
7
The UK Quality Code for Higher Education: Chapter A1.
8
The UK Quality Code for Higher Education: Chapter A1.
2many cases the research is carried out within the students own sponsoring
organisation. 9……” .
7. The proportion of taught material within a professional doctorate varies within the
sector, some even exceeding (and probably pre-dating) the one third maximum
advised by the QAA. Some institutions credit rate and grade the taught elements
(and thus enable exit awards at masters level for those unsuccessful in obtaining
their doctorate), whereas others simply regard the taught elements as pass/ fail
‘gateways’ through which students must successfully pass before commencing
their level 8 research. A common feature of the taught material is the inclusion of
formal research training, as required nationally within the QAA’s UK Quality Code
for HE10, and previously defined within the UKCGE Joint Skills Statement, but
now embedded within the recently published national Researcher Development
Framework11.
8. The Professional Doctorate is generally designed for cohorts of students, who
typically remain as a single group throughout the taught material, before
dispersing to follow their individual programmes of research. It is not unusual for
Universities to bring the cohort back together periodically for (sometimes
residential) structured support and shared learning activities. The focus upon
‘applicability of the research within a (the student’s) profession’ generally means
that professional doctorate programmes are taken in part-time mode, although
the EngD and DClinPsy provide notable exceptions where large companies,
Professional Bodies or Trusts sponsor full-time programmes.
9. Assessment of Professional Doctorates is invariably by viva, in accordance with
the institution’s regulations for research degrees, and typically examining only the
research element of the programme. The programme of research is generally
some two thirds of that expected for a PhD, and thus the significance of the
contribution to knowledge is generally not expected to be so large, and the
dissertation would be correspondingly shorter than for a traditional PhD.
10. Graduates are invariably awarded the pre-nominal title of ‘Doctor’, generally wear
the same academic dress as PhD graduates, but the post-nominal abbreviation
almost always contains the name of the subject discipline (eg EdD; DMus;
DClinPsy; EngD; DBA; DArch; DCrimJ; DPharm; DSocSci; ThD). An increasingly
common exception is the Professional Doctorate (DProf)12 which may be
described with the addition of a subject area (but not in the post-nominals (eg
DProf in Nuclear Instrumentation)).
9
McCay, G. (2010), Taught Professional Doctorates; An overview of structure, content and their role within the
professional community, Edinburgh (an internal University of Edinburgh discussion document).
10
The UK Quality Code for Higher Education: Chapter B11.
11
Vitae (2010).
12
For example, at the Universities of Middlesex and Bournemouth.
311. There is a wealth of experience reported in press, and it is clear that discipline-
specific practice is emerging (for example, the DClinPsy is an accredited award
regulated by the HPC, the DBA by AMBA (and other bodies)). It is thus difficult
for the University to do anything other than prescribe a relatively general
framework that will accommodate discipline variations. It is therefore important for
the University’s framework to establish a mechanism for approving individual
professional doctorate programmes, and within which Faculties will be required to
demonstrate that they have benchmarked their particular proposals against any
professional requirements and sector-typical practice.
The EHU framework
12. Edge Hill will permit Faculties to develop professional doctorate programmes that
maintain the high academic standards of the University’s doctoral research, and
that are open only to candidates who bring substantial professional experience
within which to root their research.
13. The items identified in bold below form the mandatory principles of EHU’s
framework for professional doctorates, agreed by Academic Board, and which will
be embedded within the University’s Research Degree Regulations. The
remaining text forms a supporting commentary.
14. Edge Hill will adopt a framework for professional doctorates that aligns with the
QAA’s UK Quality Code for Higher Education, with 180 credits of taught
material, followed by a level 8 (doctoral) dissertation of 360 credits
(equivalent to two years of full-time research)13.
Whilst there are taught elements (180 credits, one third of the total) within the
programme, we should follow sectoral practice and not to refer to these
awards as ‘taught doctorates’, rather to always use the term ‘professional
doctorate’.
The taught modules should be positioned at level 7 within the FHEQ, as
permitted within national guidelines, and relatively common within our
benchmarking exercise.
In acknowledgement of Edge Hill’s normal approach to assessment; that of
recognising and rewarding success, the University expects Faculties to
design their programmes to include the award of a masters degree, PgD
and PgC as exit awards (ie if leaving having successfully completed the
13
The UK Quality Code for Higher Education: Chapter A1. “Professional doctorate programmes include some
taught elements in addition to the research dissertation. Practice varies but typically professional doctorates
include postgraduate study equivalent to a minimum of three full-time calendar years with level 7 study
representing no more than one-third of this”
4taught elements, but for some reason not progressing to or completing the
research element) unless there are compelling reasons otherwise.
The descriptive title14 for all exit awards must be defined and justified at
approval of the Professional Doctorate programme. They cannot include the
award of an MRes, since the University’s MRes regulations require a bespoke
100+ credits of research, whereas the 180 Professional Doctorate credits are
specifically taught material.
Students should enrol ab initio on the Professional Doctorate, accessing
the exit awards as necessary upon withdrawal or failure.
The Taught Element
15. EHU Professional doctorates will typically be ‘cohort-based’ programmes15, at
least for the duration of the taught material. There are a number of points to
consider for the taught elements:
The 180 taught credits should normally be broken into three 60 credit
segments (each of which could be further subdivided).
The content of the three 60 credit segments should be determined by
the proposing team, and justified at approval. The three segments
should, however, be broadly designated as:
a. Research training,
b. Discipline-specific, and
c. The detailed doctoral research proposal.
The research training segment could, for example, draw upon existing
research training modules in existing taught masters, but more likely would
comprise the research training elements of an existing MRes programme
operating within the department. Departments may then wish to recruit
students to a common research training package, at the end of which
candidates might progress either to MRes or to Professional Doctorate.
The 60 discipline-specific credits might also be drawn from existing taught
masters provision, although given the requirement within a professional
doctorate to enable students to develop their professional practice, it is likely
that these modules will be bespoke to the doctorate (at least in their
assessment), will provide the vehicle for developing any research ethics
issues, and may support the students in the early aspects of their literature
reviews.
The detailed research proposal module will provide support from the student’s
likely director of studies as the full doctoral proposal (6-10,000 words,
14
Eg MA Psychological Research
15
Normally ten or more students in order for a ‘team’ approach to learning to develop, in which students will
be able to provide mutual support for each other. Programme approval will explore the proposing team’s
approach.
5aligning proportionally with existing research degree regulations) is
developed. The proposal will be required to specifically identify how
conducting the research will develop the students’ professional
practice. The assessment of this segment will culminate in a
progression viva, during which a grade will be determined, and which
will a recommendation for progression to the research phase will be
made for the GSBOS to consider. Programme teams may consider making
use of the University’s existing 60 credit PgC Research module delivered
through the Graduate School for this segment. It is evident that since the
research proposal module results in the student’s personal research proposal,
it must be undertaken immediately before the research element of the
professional doctorate. It may thus not be subject to an APEL claim.
For the students’ benefit, students and their supervisors must conduct a
learner needs analyses and to generate a personal development
programme, in accordance with the national researcher development
programme (RDF). It is anticipated, although by no means required, that this
process will form part of the normal student support arrangements, rather than
being embedded within one of the taught modules.
16. The cohort-based taught elements of the Professional Doctorate are to be
managed within the Faculties. Faculties (or Departments where appropriate)
would be responsible for promoting their programme, recruiting and interviewing
candidates, managing the day-to-day operation of the taught modules and
supporting the students. A prospective research supervisor should be identified
(and approved by the Graduate School Board of Studies) early in the taught
elements in order to provide close support for the development of the research
proposal.
17. The Faculty should appoint an external examiner for the taught elements of
the programme. All the modules should be conducted in accordance with the
University’s regulations for taught programmes, although the research proposal
may only be re-assessed once, by viva, following a resubmission of the
written proposal.
18. With the exception of the research proposal, modules will be assessed in
the Faculty, and module assessment boards should be hosted by the
Faculty. The research proposal (the final element of the taught modules)
will be assessed holistically by viva; the panel having first scrutinised the
written proposal. This (progression) viva is akin to the registration viva in our
standard PhD framework, and the examining viva team16 will be appointed by
the Graduate School taking advice from the Department. The GSBOS will act
as the module assessment board for the research proposal, and will also
16
Typically three examiners, one a prospective supervisor, another a discipline expert, together with a chair.
6act as a progression board to endorse the satisfactory completion of the
180 credits of taught material, progression to the individual 360 credit
research element of the programme and the appointment of the student’s
supervisory team.
19. Students who fail to successfully complete the taught elements, or who
progress to the research segment, but who later withdraw from or fail their
research, will be eligible for one of the exit awards from the taught
programme. The PgC would be awarded for successful completion of any
60 credits within the 180; the PgD for a defined 120 credits; and the masters
degree for completing all 180.
The Research Element
20. It is crucial to adopt a top-level definition of an Edge Hill Professional Doctorate.
Our existing ‘high level’ definition of a PhD is:
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is awarded to a candidate who, having
critically investigated and evaluated an approved topic resulting in an
independent, significant and original contribution to knowledge and
demonstrated an understanding of research methodology appropriate to the
field of study, has presented and defended a thesis, by oral examination (or
approved alternative), to the satisfaction of the appointed examiners.
The national guidelines on professional doctorates suggest:
The need to recognise the ‘applicability’ of the research... It thus generates a
‘different kind’ of knowledge that can be directly applied in a particular context.
The ‘product’ of a professional doctorate is knowledge that can be used in the
(development of17) students’ professional practice.
An additional helpful perspective describes professional doctorates thus:
The facility to offer enhanced opportunity and development to professional
people and their organisations and/or professional fields involves utilising the
valuable resources that higher education has to offer to engage fruitfully with
practitioners in every field. Universities have to think across the disciplines in
terms of structure and in terms of knowledge creation, recognition and use.
The programmes offer a means to innovate and become creators and critical
users of knowledge and thus to bring about change and make a positive
impact on professional practice. This is done by locating the focus of the
17
EHU addition
7programme within the context of work, external to the university whilst
recognising and linking the critical thinking, research expertise and other
hallmarks of academia with real-world issues confronting communities and
professional areas18
Thus, a small change to our standard PhD definition is considered
appropriate for our professional doctorates:
The Professional Doctorate is awarded to a candidate who, having critically
investigated and evaluated an approved topic, produces an independent,
significant and original contribution to knowledge directly applicable within a
profession19. The research must also demonstrate an understanding of
research methodology appropriate to the profession. The candidate must
have undertaken discipline-specific and research training within the
taught elements of the programme, and presented and defended a thesis
based upon their personal research, by oral examination (or approved
alternative), to the satisfaction of the appointed examiners.
21. The two year full-time-equivalent research element is the principal ‘doctoral
activity’ within the programme. Thus, so far as possible, we will adopt our
normal supervisory regulations:
Each student will, therefore have a team of two or three supervisors,
meeting our standard criteria for appointment (active researchers). One
must have supervised to successful completion, and the Director of
Studies must be a member of EHU staff.
However, as a professional doctorate, it is typical within the sector, to
appoint one of the team from within the profession (and not necessarily
an academic). If none of the supervisory team have such professional
experience, then a specialist advisor must be appointed to bring specific
professional expertise to the team. We would anticipate regular contact
between the student, the supervisory team and the advisor throughout the
entire research programme.
During the research element, the University’s standard PGR annual
monitoring and appraisal processes will be used.
22. Assessment of the doctorate will be by dissertation and viva, in accordance
with the spirit of the University’s standard research degree regulations.
18
Carol Costley and John Stephenson (2009) " Building doctorates around individual candidates' professional
experience " in David Boud and Alison Lee (ed) Changing Practice of Doctoral Education London: Routledge
pp184
19
Thus, for example, the development and improvement of one’s practice and its application in novel ways
may be an entirely appropriate contribution to the professional knowledge base. Similarly the process of
testing and improving practice does of course imply that lessons identified from failure are as equally valuable
as those from success in the development of knowledge
8 At least one member of the examining team must have appropriate
experience of working in the profession. Whilst it is preferable to identify
an academic with such experience to join the examining team, it is
acknowledged that this will not always be possible. In such cases the
practitioner will be a third (external) examiner. Thus a team might
comprise an internal academic, and external academic (for benchmarking of
standards), and finally an external practitioner. At least one of the
examiners must be familiar with professional doctorates.
Typically within the sector, professional doctorate dissertations are shorter
than a standard PhD dissertation, reflecting the fact that the research only
spans two years full-time-equivalent. The word limit for EHU professional
doctorates will be set proportionally at 55,000 words.
In accordance with sector normal practice, there will not be an MPhil
‘equivalent’ as a fallback option.
The title of the award should simply be, for example, Education
Doctorate (EdD) or Doctor of Music (DMus), but the degree certificate
will also contain the title of the dissertation, as in our existing practice
for PhDs.
Admissions
23. Central to these programmes is the requirement that students’ research be
focussed upon the development of professional practice. Candidates must
therefore normally have direct access to the world of work20, and also
preferably be employed in their chosen profession (the focus of their doctoral
study) at enrolment. In cases where access to the appropriate place of work and
associated data is questionable, the GSBOS must carefully consider whether, if
registered, the student will have access to the appropriate data. It follows that
since most students will be in work, the programmes will usually be validated in
part-time mode.
24. In order to maintain the academic standards of doctoral programmes, the
University will retain its standard entry requirements for doctoral study (2i or
above, IELTS 7.0 in English (all four aspects) for overseas candidates).
However, for candidates who have spent a significant time working in their
chosen profession in a graduate level role, the work experience might to some
extent compensate by having proven commitment to their profession.
Thus, for such candidates, on merit, a 2ii would be an appropriate
minimum.
20
Access to the data set is the key matter that needs to be guaranteed
925. Were students to leave the profession during their research, it may still prove
possible to demonstrate that professional practice can be improved, and access
to the appropriate data sets may still be available. Thus the GSBOS will not
necessarily require withdrawal from the programme.
26. Depending upon the specific profile of the taught (level 7) aspects, APEL may be
permitted for some of the taught modules (but not the research proposal).
This would need defining when the particular professional doctorate was
approved, but must not exceed the University’s normal maximum proportion
for APEL.
27. Direct entry to the research elements is not permitted; as a minimum the 60
credit research proposal must be undertaken to enable successful progression to
the research segment of the programme.
28. The need for candidates to attend for the taught elements, yet remain in work
throughout the programme makes it unlikely that the professional doctorate would
be an appropriate programme of study for overseas candidates. If Faculties
intend to recruit significant numbers of overseas students, their approach to
recruitment, supervision and support will need to be carefully articulated when the
programme is approved.
Approval Mechanism
29. The principles outlined above define a broad framework within which Faculties
may develop professional doctorate programmes. The Facultys’ proposals will
generally differ with respect to the detailed content of the 180 credit level 7 taught
elements of the programme. Thus the existing mechanisms which work well
for the approval of MRes programmes be adapted for the Professional
Doctorate. These are based around peer consideration by a VASP event,
followed by final approval at the GSBOS.
Recommendations
30. That the Academic Board endorse the principles outlined above which define the
EHU framework for the award of professional doctorates.
Professor Ian Robinson (Director of Graduate School)
30 August 2012
10Appendix 1: The UK Framework for Higher Education Qualifications: Doctoral
Degree Descriptor (level 8)
The descriptor provided for this level of the FHEQ is for any doctoral degree which should
meet the descriptor in full. This qualification descriptor can also be used as a reference point
for other level 8 qualifications.
Doctoral degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated:
the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other
advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the
discipline, and merit publication
a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at
the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice
the general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of
new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to
adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems
a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic
enquiry.
Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:
make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of
complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and
effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences
continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at an advanced
level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or
approaches.
And holders will have:
the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of
personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable
situations, in professional or equivalent environments.
Doctoral degrees are awarded for the creation and interpretation, construction and/ or
exposition of knowledge which extends the forefront of a discipline, usually through original
research.
Holders of doctoral degrees will be able to conceptualise, design and implement projects for
the generation of significant new knowledge and/or understanding. Holders of doctoral
degrees will have the qualities needed for employment that require both the ability to make
informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields and an innovative approach to
tackling and solving problems. Doctoral programmes that may include a research
component but which have a substantial taught element (for example, professional
doctorates), lead usually to awards which include the name of the discipline in their
title (for example, EdD for Doctor of Education or DClinPsy for Doctor of Clinical
Psychology). Professional doctorates aim to develop an individual's professional
11practice and to support them in producing a contribution to (professional)
knowledge.21
The titles PhD and DPhil are commonly used for doctoral degrees awarded on the basis of
original research.
Achievement of outcomes consistent with the qualification descriptor for the doctoral degree
normally requires study equivalent to three full-time calendar years.
Higher doctorates may be awarded in recognition of a substantial body of original research
undertaken over the course of many years. Typically a portfolio of work which has been
previously published in a peer-refereed context is submitted for assessment. Most higher
education awarding bodies restrict candidacy to graduates or academic staff of several
years' standing.
21
Emphasis added by EHU.
12Appendix 2: Credit values typically associated with the design of
programmes leading to main HE qualifications in England
Note
* Credit values shown are the minimum which are typically associated with the qualification
and are included as guidance (in the light of sectoral practice) but are not prescriptive.
** Professional doctorate programmes include some taught elements in addition to the
research dissertation. Credit practice varies but typically professional doctorates include a
13minimum of three calendar years postgraduate study with level 7 study representing no more
than one-third of this.
*** Integrated master's degree programmes typically include at least 480 credits of which at
least 120 credits are at level 7.
**** In April 2005, the Universities Council for the Education of Teachers, the Standing
Conference of Principals (now Guild HE), Universities UK and QAA issued a joint statement
on the PGCE qualification title. The full statement may be accessed at
www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/FHEQ/PGCEstatement.asp
***** Typically, the credit volume is likely to exceed this minimum where HE providers credit-
rate the professional practice element and integrate it in the programme in line with guidance
included in the Code of Practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in
higher education, Section 9: Work-based and placement learning published by QAA.
****** Higher National Certificates (HNCs) are positioned at level 4, to reflect typical practice
among higher education awarding bodies that award the HNC under licence from Edexcel.
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