Doctor of Professional Studies
The Doctor of Professional Studies (or sometimes awarded as Doctorate in Professional Practice) (most commonly DProf, DProfPrac or ProfD, but also available as DProfSt,[1] ProfD and DPS) is a doctoral degree for experienced professionals who wish to undertake a program that is applied in nature and of practical value to their career. The DProf is based on applied research of real world problems. The DProf has been available to graduate students in the United Kingdom since the 1980s. The first Doctor of Professional Studies program was started in 1972 at Pace University. As another form of research doctorate and a doctoral level academic qualification, the DProf is equivalent to the PhD in terms of academic level and rigour, with the difference between the two lying in the type of research conducted and consequently in the type of knowledge generated (academic vs. practice-based).
Development
The first professional doctoral program was established in 1972 by Pace University in the State of New York in the United States. Other universities (see #List of Schools Offering Doctor of Professional Studies Degrees) around the world now offer the professional doctoral degree. Doctoral studies researchers, Gill and Hoppe, have reported rapid growth in professional doctoral degree programs outside of the United States.[2]
In the
In the
In a 2002 report, the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), states "Doctoral education in Australia is currently under pressure to become more industry focused."[7] Citing this report, Fink suggests "professional doctorates may be able to fulfill [the need to make doctoral education more industry focused] by developing and sustaining close collaboration between universities and industry. The Professional Doctorate (ProfDoc) can be seen as an alternative to the PhD because it can provide an opportunity for the business professional to gain a doctoral qualification, albeit in a different mode."[8]
Characteristics
In some respects the DProf is closer to the
Specific degree characteristics vary by country and institution. In 2011, the UK's Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education published an overview of degree characteristics for all doctoral level degrees.[9]
See also
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Doctor of Business Administration
- Doctor of Science
- Doctor of Education
- Doctor of Music
- Doctor of Psychology
- Doctor Liberalium Artium
References
- ^ "Doctor of Professional Studies (DPRS) - UniSQ Handbook". www.unisq.edu.au. University of Southern Queensland. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- doi:10.28945/44. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Powell, Stuart. "Professional Doctorate Awards in the UK, 2005" (PDF). www2.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ Brown, Kathryn. "Professional Doctorate Awards in the UK, 2010" (PDF). www2.le.ac.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
- ^ Mellors-Bourne, Robin (2016). "Provision of professional doctorates in English HE institutions" (PDF). HEFCE. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ "International Conference on Professional Doctorates". UK Council for Graduate Education. Retrieved 4 October 2016.
- ^ McWilliam, E (2002). "What can be learned from professional doctorates".
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(help) - doi:10.28945/59.
- ^ QAA. "Doctoral degree characteristics" (PDF). www.qaa.ac.uk. he Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2015.