Program Overview

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Doctor of Professional Studies (Transdisciplinary) by Public Works

Course Overview

The Doctor of Professional Studies (Transdisciplinary) by Public Works (DProf Public Works) is unique in the UK for its transdisciplinary approach to thinking, practice, and practitioner research. You will be a high-achieving professional practitioner who has a capacity for critical reflection and is motivated by curiosity - both hallmarks of successful learning. You will already have a substantial amount of outputs in the public domain that influence the practice and thinking of your colleagues, teams, members of your sector, and beyond.

Why Undertake Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) by Public Works at Middlesex University?

This programme encourages you to think about things differently and creatively and to derive new energy from other ways of seeing, thinking, knowing, and doing, starting with looking at the familiar as if it is strange and moving towards developing a transdisciplinary attitude to everything you do. It is a paradigm shift.

The programme is distinct at other levels: its collegial support; diversity range; enhancement of individual agency; expanded exposure to readings beyond disciplines; its networking and its timescale. It is open to all professional areas and roles. The focus of your research will be defined by your particular work context, role, and agency and by your own unique area of interest.

About Your Course

What Will You Study on Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) by Public Works?

Your task on this doctoral programme is to select and organize your public works for submission and prepare a context statement. Regular contact with your adviser and consultant is essential for progress to be made at the correct academic level and also helps to ensure the effective management of any problems which may arise during your period of registration.

If you are a candidate at the start of your second study period, your adviser reports to the doctoral assessment board on the quality of your draft work for the proposed degree, with particular reference to the content, rationale, and length of the context statement, and its relation to the public works.

If progress is deemed satisfactory, you may continue to prepare your work for submission. Once your adviser is satisfied that your intended submission, taken as a whole (the public works and the context statement), is likely to be considered to fulfill the requirements for the award of the DProf by Public Works, the work may be submitted for examination.

If concerns about quality are raised by the adviser when they report to the doctoral assessment board, they will advise you that the draft work must be submitted to a programme approval panel (known as the 'registration panel'). A registration panel consists of:

• an independent chair
• DProf programme leader
• your adviser
• at least one independent member with experience of assessing research at the appropriate level.

This panel evaluates your work and states what improvements need to be made before it can be submitted for final examination.

Teaching and Learning

How is the Doctor of Professional Studies (DProf) by Public Works Facilitated?

Your procedural task on this doctoral programme is to select and organize your public works for submission and prepare a critical commentary on them to be presented for written and oral examination.

To reach that stage, you will need to develop in levels of criticality to mature your critical commentary to doctoral level. Regular attendance at the virtual cafes and contact with your supervisory team are essential for progress to be made at the academic level and also helps to ensure the effective management of any problems which may arise during the allocated period for this programme. Your supervisors attend supervision meetings regularly to share insights and support the programme’s transdisciplinary approach.

There will be a review after 6 months to see how you are getting on and whether you have enough support or are able to engage sufficiently with the support offered. The virtual cafes are excellent networking spaces attended by a mixture of candidates, faculty, and guests who are graduates of the programme. Presentations for discussion are given by both faculty and candidates and can range from the ‘provenance’ of your public works to critical lenses with which to critique them; from conceptualizing practice to nuances in ethics; from radical creativity to insight-ing; from the complicated to the complex; from disciplinary to transdisciplinary; and how to write beautifully and coherently. There are also mock viva presentations where you can be an audience or present. All sessions are recorded and readings to support the workshops uploaded onto the Public Works platform in case you miss the occasional one.

Assessment

The degree is assessed through written submission, 25,000–45,000 words critique of your public works. This is presented for oral examination to a chaired viva panel of examiners. This programme nominates three examiners – a research academic; a representative from your sector who is a proficient practitioner; and an internal examiner with experience in examining doctorates and well-versed in public works doctorates.

Facilities and Support

Our Sheppard Library

Our Sheppard Library has over 1000 study areas with and 600 computer spaces, with some areas open 24 hours a day.

Make the Most of Our Free Laptop Loans, E-books, Printing, and Photocopying

Learn more about our facilities and support.

Entry Requirements

This is a programme for individuals with substantial professional experience at a senior level who have, through public works, made considerable impact on their profession, on practice, and on knowledge that supersede or complement more traditional entry requirements. You need to be fluent in both written and spoken English. The application process includes a preparatory meeting with academic admissions tutors, an independent review of your works to see if they meet our criteria, a formal application, and an interview.

If you decide that you do not meet the full criteria for the Public Works doctoral route e.g., you may not have enough public works or you want to carry out a piece of innovative research rather than a critical commentary on what you have already done, you may wish to consider the transdisciplinary practice Doctorate in Professional Studies.

There are two entry points every academic year, in September and in January. The head of this programme is Professor Kate Maguire. It is important that you have a conversation with the Academic Admission Leads for this programme before formally applying: contact to set up an appointment. It is a competitive programme with limited places, and a chat will be the opportunity to decide whether to proceed to application and if you do, you will find the conversation helpful with the process. All enquirers will be invited to our introductory workshops. The application process involves a detailed statement and your public works. Our Admission Leads will give you guidance on how to do this. The selection committee will decide whether your works are substantial enough to send to an independent reviewer in your sector or area of influence. Your entry into the programme depends, in the first instance, on that review outcome before you can proceed to the next stage of interview.

Fees and Funding

UK Students

Part-time students: £6,300 per year

International Students

Part-time students: £8,900 per year

Fees Disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation, and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review, and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review, and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

Student Testimonials

"The DProf by Public Works programme has helped me to assess my contributions to the field over the years and chart out a course for the future. The process requires a constant questioning of one's contributions starting with the most basic question – "why is this important?" The process requires introspection and the reassessing of one's assumptions and this has inevitably led to excellent personal and professional growth."

Dr. Rohan Bedi

Senior Executive, Money Laundering Risk (AML)

"As an experienced consultant in the arts and cultural sector, I had carried out a lot of research over several years and wanted to find a way to find time for reflection on this body of work and my working practices. The DProf by Public Works programme at Middlesex was ideal as I was able to continue with my work whilst studying. The process was an amazing learning experience and gave me the chance to validate my work which would not have been possible with a conventional doctorate programme."

Dr. Susanne Burns

Development Consultant

"This has been a truly transformative experience. It allowed me to privilege professional knowledge generated in and through work, research, and practice at doctoral level. This is something we desperately need in an environment where knowledge is more often created in complexity and through the interplay of the person, workplace, organization, and context. A doctorate for the future?"

Dr. Ruth Pilkington

Academic Developer, Higher Education