The programme of taught modules combined with the research component allows students to undertake study and research that is clearly relevant to their professional practice, will support them to contribute to professional knowledge in their field of practice and will enable their career development. 

A professional doctorate provides a rigorous programme of advanced study and research, equally rigorous to the purely research orientated PhD. The taught modules which occupy the first two years of the programme, provide opportunities to develop students’ skills and knowledge in key areas to facilitate career development, whilst the research component allows for development of skills in critical appraisal and the ability to develop the rationale, methodology and methods for research studies. The modules also allow development of other transferable skills such as project management, problem solving, information management and academic writing.

The Social Work Doctorate utilizes the expertise of the academic team across the whole of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as experts from the clinical field to support the student’s development, research and scholarship. Many of these staff are nationally and internationally renowned researchers in their own field.

Students may wish to exit at key points prior to completing the whole programme and in doing so may be awarded a MRes in Social Work. This design is intended to provide flexibility for professionals studying whilst working in high pressured health social work roles. 

COURSE CONTENT

The learning outcomes below describe what you should be able to do if you make full use of the opportunities for learning that are provided to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, and skills. In addition, by completing the Social Work Doctorate programme you will have the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility, leadership and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations in professional environments.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Evaluate and reflect on the core skills that are required for effective communication at an interpersonal and organizational level.
• Critically assimilate the current political challenges in health and social care and the role that culture, power and politics plays when communicating with organizations in this context.
• Critically analyse and appraise the key elements of productive team working, including effective management of workforce conflicts, and how these can inform planned change processes.
• Identify and apply strategies for implementing a change process and for networking across boundaries to build relationships and share information, plans and resources.
• Critically reflect on the key characteristics and skills of an effective leader and how these can be used to implement change in the workplace.
• Demonstrate a critical awareness of the principles of research and evaluation.
• Critically evaluate the research evidence base to inform the development of practice based/professional research questions.
• Develop an appreciation and knowledge base of quantitative and qualitative paradigms, methodologies and methods and their application to practice based/professional research
• Critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a range of research methodologies and methods
• Analyse and reflect on the knowledge of the research process and methodologies and how these relate to own proposed research, providing a rationale and justification for choices made.
• Compose and critically debate a justified rationale for the research philosophy underpinning the project.
• Discriminate between and justify different research methodologies and methods underpinning the research project.
• Select and critically discuss the relevant data analysis methods for the proposed project.
• Develop a research proposal for the pilot study that demonstrates the ability to critically and analytically conceptualize the design of the research project.
• Critically analyse and examine the principles of research ethics and governance.
• Conduct a pilot study that shows the ability to implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of individual disciplines.
• Develop or select appropriate research tools that will collect data to meet the aims and objectives of the research questions/hypotheses.
• Demonstrate the intellectual capacity to undertake independent and original doctoral level research.
• Synthesise the relevant literature in order to develop the research question(s) or hypothesis.
• Design and justify an appropriate framework for the proposed research project that effectively integrates empirical focus, context, theory and methodology.
• Confidently and concisely communicates an appropriate ethical strategy for answering the research questions or testing the hypotheses.
• Communicate ideas and arguments effectively orally and in writing in language that is appropriate to doctoral level study.
• Provide a portfolio of evidence to demonstrate achievement of competencies required for advanced practice as described in the competency frameworks relative to your professional practice. 
• Demonstrate that you have developed a comprehensive understanding and critical awareness of a chosen field of your professional practice, through research, enquiry and critical reflection, and created an interpreted new knowledge, principally through the production of a thesis, which is of suitable standard to satisfy the University Criteria on Doctoral work.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The modules which form Part 1 of the Doctorate programme are shown below in table 1. All the modules are compulsory core modules and have to be passed to allow you to progress into part 2 of the programme. They total 180 credits, divided into 105 level 7 credits and 75 level 8 credits.

Table 1: Part 1 modules and credit rating

Year 3 onwards forms Part 2 of the Doctorate programme and consists of supervised completion of the research study and its write up to formulate the final thesis for submission and examination via an oral examination (viva voce). This follows the same rules and guidelines as a PhD thesis in terms of examination standard and rules (see University PGR guidelines and Assessment Guidance); the only difference being the wordage of the final thesis. The professional doctorate thesis is smaller due to the number of words produced for the assessments completed in Part 1 of the programme. Part 2 of the professional doctorate programme equates to 360 credits at level 8.

TEACHING FACILITIES

Students on all routes of the Doctorate programme will undertake all of the taught modules together to facilitate interprofessional learning and development. It will also be an important area of student/peer support as you progress through this stage and allow networking which can be continued into Part 2. The programme will also be delivered and supported by a range of staff from across the Faculty, again to provide a wide experience base on which you can draw to aid your own development.

Part 1-Years 1 and 2

Part 1 is the taught element of the programme where you will achieve the key learning outcomes/competencies required for your specific route on the Doctorate programme, in relation to your area of professional background and your specific research project proposal. Part 1 will conclude with a thesis proposal that will inform your doctoral research for Part 2 (Years 3 onwards) of the programme.

During Part 1, you will study using a variety of learning media and tools, mainly through distance learning at the University, in your home or work place. These will include face-to-face seminar(s) at the beginning of Part 1 as your induction onto the programme, and at various times during the 2-year period of Part 1 to participate in workshops, share progress with other students and staff through group work and presentations, and for formative assessment. There will also be distance learning modules (electronic and paper based) produced by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. These modules have been carefully designed to incorporate activities that will develop your understanding of particular issues and concepts, application of knowledge to practice, and help you to reflect on your current practice. The Advanced Practice Development (APD) portfolio module is a learning and assessment tool that runs through both years of Part 1. You will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide direction and support for the APD module and Year 2 of the programme including the Pilot Study and the Thesis Proposal, which will take to you the progression panel examination that is the final assessment of Part 1.

Part 2 (Years 3 onwards)

Once you have successfully completed Part 1 you will undertake your research in Part 2 to produce your doctoral thesis for the professional doctorate which will normally be a minimum of 65,000 words, which will ensure you will be eligible for future potential NHIR funding for clinical lectureship and senior clinical lectureship awards. However this does depend on your research approach and route taken on the professional doctorate. You will have a supervisor who will have been assigned at the start of year 2 of Part 1 who will now be your main point of contact to take your research project forward to completion. As well as receiving personal support from your supervisor there may also be occasional workshops available at Keele to support your progress and group meetings to maintain contact with your fellow student to continue the peer support developed in Part 1 of the programme. There are also additional Keele postgraduate modules that your supervisor may indicate as being valuable learning opportunities for you, which you can access without being required to complete the assignments for (attendance only basis).