Postgraduate - Glasgow Caledonian University

Post-qualification
Professional Doctorate for Health and Social Care Sector Professionals
85
Contact: Postgraduate Administrator
E: mfadmissions@gcal.ac.uk
T: +44(0)141 331 8142
W: www.caledonian.ac.uk/hsc
Mode of Study & Duration:
Part-time: Four years
Number of Places:
20
UK/EU Fees & Funding:
Self or employer funded, please contact the
admissions tutor
Application:
Apply via School of Health & Social Care
mfadmissions@gcal.ac.uk
Assessment:
Continuous assessment and Doctoral thesis
Programme Structure:
Two stages (two years each)
Stage 1: Year 1 - three teaching blocks
Stage 1: Year 2 - two teaching blocks
four days attendance per block)
Stage 2: Year 3 & 4 - 27 months of
supervised research
International Students:
International students whose first language
is not English shall be required to
demonstrate evidence of satisfactory
competence by completing an IELTS test
with a score of at least 6.5 or by holding
another recognised qualification. See page
12 for details
Overseas Fees:
£11,000 (2009 fees) per year
Scholarships:
Partial scholarships of up to £1000 may be
available and applicants will be advised of
these arrangements upon receipt of an offer
The Professional Doctorate is a modular programme which offers senior managers, clinicians
and scientists an exciting and challenging alternative to the traditional PhD. It has been
designed to complement the current policy drive towards developing expert practitioners in
health and social care to facilitate the development of researchers in practice.
New leadership roles and consultant posts are currently being established for senior health and social
care professionals enabling them to make an impact on service delivery and the development of professional
practice. Consequently, there is a clear need to develop an educational programme which develops expert
practitioners and researchers in practice who have the skills to contribute to the evidence base and improve
patient care. Similar drivers across the social work and social care professions mean that there is an
increased need to base practice on research based evidence.
This programme will enable health and social care professionals to conduct research at doctoral level
that has relevance both to profession interest and organisational context. The Professional Doctorate will
provide a rigorous academic programme of learning and research with progressive and incremental goals,
learning outcomes that are relevant to the participating organisation or the wider social context:
• Develop research skills and techniques appropriate to the programme learning outcomes, including
the ability to critically review the relevant literature, manage a database, locate all types of relevant
publications and other sources of information technology to search for information, manage it and
write about it
• Develop effective project management skills, including goal setting, prioritisation, designing and
executing data acquisition and collation, planning and organising written work and effective time
management
• Develop high level competencies as an ethical professional, inter alia, ethics, health and safety,
copyright, data protection, practice and intellectual property rights
• Deliver skilled communications with, an ability to construct, sustain and articulate an argument to a
diverse audience both orally and in writing
• Enhance personal effectiveness in acquiring new knowledge, demonstrating initiative, flexibility,
self reliance and independence
• Develop independent lifelong learners in a chosen field making an original contribution to knowledge
and practice
• Provide a learning framework which enables students to develop critical and evaluative skills in
research methodology
• Facilitate a process of evaluation of methods of professional communication
• Identify and explore the rationale for the various constraints within which professional practice should
operate in modern societies
• Facilitate a detailed and comprehensive evaluation of areas of planned change in professional
practice/service delivery
• Facilitate and evaluate change in the individual student
This four-year part-time doctoral programme which is aimed at professionals operating at or aspiring to
senior practice or leadership appointments will be delivered in two stages.
The entry requirements for this programme are typically a 1st or 2.1 Honours degree or PG award in a
relevant professional discipline and a minimum of five years related professional experience.