Professional Doctorates – Guide and Advice

This article provides information on Professional Doctorates and available subjects, entry criteria, durations, Universities and Jobs.

What are Professional Doctorates?

Professional Doctorates

A professional doctorate degree is a popular degree within the United Kingdom that sparked to life in the early part of the 1990’s. The goal of these programs is to find innovative research approaches that work to help integrate academic and professional knowledge. Applicants undertaking this type of degree are expected to:

• Make theoretical and practical contributions to their specialized field
• Develop professional practices as a result of their contributions to professional knowledge.
• Must contribute an unique section of research

Is the Professional Doctorate the Same as a PhD?

Both distinctions will allow you to be called Doctor. However, these two academic programs are not the same. A PhD program is heavily based on research which requires little taught courses. The PhD program’s nature is highly academic. Professional doctorates are more professional in nature. Recipients of a professional doctorate tend to veer more towards professional careers instead of academics.

Duration and Study Status

Depending on the individual program the time that it takes to complete that program varies. In a full time study program that student can finish their program within 2-5 years. In a part time study program that student can finish their degree program within 3-8 years. This time structure depends heavily on the individual programs as well as the specialization that the student has decided to undertake.

Qualifications for a Professional Doctorate Degree

Every program is different depending on the school and the area in which you choose to study. The only for sure way that you can ensure that you meet all the qualifications for your dream school is to contact an academic supervisor and allow them to review all of your transcripts. In most cases these professional doctorate programs will demand that the applicants have a distinguished master’s degree in the area of interest. Other universities will require that you have received a British honours degree.

The Cost and Funding Opportunities for Professional Doctorates

Depending on the university the cost could be slightly higher or lower than expected. A professional doctorate degree can easily cost as much as a PhD program except that professional doctorates do not receive the same amount of funding. Many students that conduct a professional doctorate rely on sponsorship from the companies that they currently work for. There are a few scholarship opportunities available but they involve a degree of research.

Is the Professional Doctorate Worth the Effort?

There are different subject areas which the professional doctorate would be an exceptional degree to have. Many of these programs receive full accreditation by professional agencies. The professional doctorate recipients are not scholars and the worth of the degree depends on the subject area. The following is a list of some of the few subject areas where a professional doctorate is beneficial:

• Business Administration
• Engineering
• Medicine
• Clinical Psychology
• Education

Students wishing to apply to these Professional Doctorates should consider applying up to a year before their expected start date.