Professional Doctorate
The professional doctorate offered by the University of Limerick refers to a research doctorate with a focus on applied research, or research as used for professional purposes. It is designed for people who have reached a stage in their career when they have significant experience and want to progress academically but do not want to do a traditional academic research degree. It is customised to each candidate and their area of interest.
Title of Award
D. Eng or PhD depending on the subject area of the research.
Programme Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this programme the participants will possess the skills and knowledge to:
- Distinguish the theoretical framework or frameworks influencing the chosen area of study.
- Identify the factors of greatest significance from the theoretical frameworks applicable to the chosen area of study.
- Design and develop a model to investigate the chosen topic area.
- Identify and select an appropriate methodology to deploy the research model.
- Implement a research a research project and identify meaning ful results and outcomes
- Assess the implications of the results and outcomes on the original theoretical frameworks.
- Describe the implications for practice and research of the study at a strategic/theoretical and operational/methodological level.
- Enhance the candidates professional capacities 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.
- Propose themselves as an expert in their area of study.
Programme Structure
The Professional Doctorate Programme has five elements
Supervision. The Candidate will be supervised and directed in their studies by a Supervision Committee. This committee will consist of academics and industrial experts with knowledge and experience in the candidates area of study. The Chair of this committee will be the candidate’s principal supervisor, advising and guiding them through their studies.
Taught modules will provide the candidate with the skills necessary to undertake their studies successfully and provide the knowledge to address gaps in their own knowledge of the subject area of their studies. Depending on the area the number of modules to take will be 3 to 5. They will be decided upon by a supervisor/supervision committee and the awarding faculty based on the experience and previous academic work of the candidate. They are likely to include modules on Research Methods, Statistics, Ethics and subject specific elements.
Publication in the specified timeframe of a number of articles in pre selected refereed journals. The supervisor/supervision committee will identify 5 to 7 refereed journals in the area of the candidate’s subject interest and they will have to publish 3 to 5 articles in those journals over the PhD timeframe.
Implementation of the theories of the study area at a strategic and operational level in an industrial or socio-economic setting is the core element of the PhD programme. The implementation will allow the candidate to document, analyse and synthesise their experience and provide material for publication.
Defence On completion of the taught, publication and implementation phases, the candidate will be required to write up their work as a summary of their experience highlighting the contribution their studies have made to the body of knowledge in the area, the implications for future research and the implication of practice at an operational and strategic level in the subject area.
Duration:
The exact timeframe will be decided by your supervisor/supervision committee. The minimum duration is 3 years but a time frame of 10 years is allowable but working part-time the expected completion time is 3 to 5 years.
Fees:
On the fee these would be similar to a research PhD programme, which are currently €5,543 per annum for the first three years and €754 per annum for each subsequent year.
Candidate Profile
Candidates will be required to possess the following;
- Significant workplace experience with approximately 10 years in middle to senior management/technical lead roles with an organisation operating in their subject interest area;
- A combination of roles within their career history that demonstrate their ability to prioritise activities and manage successfully at a corporate/strategic and local/operational level;
- A record of pro-active development of their knowledge and expertise in the areas of subject interest;
- An honours primary degree or master’s degree or equivalent.
- Company approval:
- As the project will be conducted on site as part of the candidate’s work, the company must approve this initiative.
- An industrial supervisor / mentor should be identified within the organization.
- Non-disclosure and IP ownership issues will have to be agreed.
- Portfolio of prior work:
- Although assembling the portfolio will be part of the programme, can the potential candidate demonstrate any research experience – papers published, novel designs / processes / methods?
- Identified research area:
- Should be able to demonstrate (through an interview) a desire to address some problem or to trial a particular technique / process / method?
What is a professional doctorate?
Professional Doctorates have been around in the UK since the early 1990's, although some more established doctoral programmes have also been brought under the professional doctorate umbrella.
The aim of these programmes is to find novel approaches to integrating professional and academic knowledge. According to the UK Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), students undertaking a professional doctorate are expected to:
".... make a contribution to both theory and practice in their field, and to develop professional practice by making a contribution to (professional) knowledge."
The course structure will vary from subject to subject and institution to institution. Common to all professional doctorates is the completion of an original piece of research. The research should then be presented as a thesis, and as with a traditional PhD, is examined by an expert in the chosen field. Usually the research project would relate to real life issues concerned with professional practice. In many cases research is carried out within the students own organisation.
Most professional doctorates include a large taught or directed study element, which is formally assessed. These components frequently include both the teaching of research methods, and also components related to broadening or deepening the students' understanding of the disciplines in which they are researching or providing them with appropriate transferable skills.
Is a professional doctorate the same as a PhD?
Both confer the title "Dr" on a successful candidate, but the two qualifications are not the same. A PhD is a research based doctoral programme which usually involves little or no taught element and is usually academic in nature. The aim of those providing Professional Doctorate programmes is to produce a qualification which, whilst being equivalent in status and challenge to a PhD, is more appropriate for those pursuing professional rather than academic careers.
Unlike a PhD, a professional doctorate is not a training for a career in academia. The effect on a future career will depend on the area of study.
http://www.professionaldoctorates.com/explained.asp
How to Apply
Apply is on a continuous basis. Make contact with Michael Hennessy to discuss your research interest and discussion can begin with a potential supervisor in advance of making a formal application for enrolment.
For additional information please contact Michael Hennessy at michael.hennessy@ul.ie
