Professional Doctorates
This report reflects—and reflects on—the rapid growth during the past decade of a qualification commonly referred to as the Professional Doctorate
This report represents the outcomes of a Working Group chaired by Jennifer Bone, former Chair of SRHE. The group undertook a survey of professional doctorate provision across UK Higher Education Institutions, and engaged in discussion with colleagues involved in doctoral education both here and abroad.
The membership of the Working Group brought to its task wide experience of professional doctorates across a variety of academic and professional specialisms. They included:
- Professor Jennifer Bone, (Convenor), Chair of SRHE
- Professor Tony Fell, Bradford University
- Professor Stephen Hoddell, UWE & UKCGE Executive
- Michael Jennings, Somerset LEA
- Dr Ingrid Lunt, Institute of Education, London
- Professor Stuart Laing, University of Brighton
- Professor Derek Portwood, Middlesex University
- Johnathan Slack, Chief Executive, Association of Business Schools
- Professor Frances Young, University of Birmingham
Until fairly recently, there was little formal guidance available for students on the process of obtaining a PhD. Everything depended on the relationship between the supervisor and the candidate, and this varied between subject areas.p.13
