Anglia Ruskin University

Our Professional Doctorate is the first programme of its kind in the UK. Specifically designed for professionals who are already working full-time in the industry it offers an innovative and flexible alternative to a traditional PhD.

By allowing candidates to fit their studies around their work and family life the programme enables practising professional to utilise their expertise and experience to carry out groundbreaking research in their field.

This programme is aimed at experienced built environment professionals working in either the public or private sectors - architects, civil engineers, construction managers, environmentalists, planners and surveyors.

Structure

This programme typically takes 20-36 months to complete and leads to a Professional Masters (MProf) or the full Professional Doctorate upon completion of a thesis, depending on your performance.

The programme is structured to offer candidates maximum flexibility enabling busy professionals to create a schedule that fits around their existing commitments. The programme is supported but five Saturday workshops and five supervisory sessions each year, with the rest of the programme delivered online.

The workshops allow you to present your research to a critical multi-disciplinary audience of supervisors and fellow professionals in a supportive, no-threatening environment. These workshops also provide the opportunity to build lasting relationships with other industry practitioners.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out via three research papers in Stage 1, followed by the completion of a thesis and viva voce at the end of Stage 2.

Special features

Although you are required to attend just five workshops a year, our distance learning environment means you will have full support of our experienced supervisory staff throughout the entire programme. And you just as importantly, you will be part of an online community of Professional Doctorate candidates each carrying out research in a related field. So you will not only enjoy the support of your peers, you will also be encouraged to challenge each other's thinking and explore new areas and ideas.

Candidates are expected to have extensive professional experience in the industry, together with the opportunity to undertake research related to their current role and organisation.