Program Overview

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Professional Doctorate in Health Practice - DHealth

Overview

The Professional Doctorate in Health Practice (DHealth) is a part-time multi-professional programme leading to a doctoral award. It will enable you to advance your skills, knowledge and practice through research engagement. You will be an experienced practitioner seeking to develop your research capacity, transform practice and make a direct contribution to knowledge in your professional environment.

Programme Structure

A period of structured learning activity and assessment (‘module stage’) is followed by independent doctoral inquiry and the production of a research thesis.

Year 1 – Modules

• Critical Perspectives 1: Context, Policy & Health Practice
• Critical Perspectives 2: Knowledge to Care

Year 2 - Modules

• Research Practice
• Pilot Inquiry (Health)

The DHealth modules support the development of knowledge and skills for doctoral level professional practice, including critical thinking, and synthesis of knowledge and practice. You will explore contexts for health practice: policy, professional identities; research methods and methodology; evidence appraisal & literature review; knowledge mobilisation and co-creation. You will also have the opportunity to conduct a pilot study on an element of your research topic. Through your work in the modules and with the support of a Personal Tutor, you will generate and refine a plan for your research thesis.

Years 3-5

Thesis stage: with support of an expert supervisory team, you will pursue a piece of independent research resulting in a thesis (50000 words). This stage begins after successful completion of the module stage- usually in Term 2 of year 3.

Research Interests

Research in health-related practice in our Faculty is led by the Centre for Social Care, Health and Related Research (C-SCHaRR).

There are four designated clusters within the C-SCHaRR centre representing cross-cutting research themes of relevance for more than one area of professional practice:

• Knowledge2Care –concerned with knowledge mobilisation, co-creation, patient and public involvement and engagement, implementation science (all DHealth students benefit from insights from this cluster, as its researchers lead on the Critical Perspectives 2 module)
• Family, Gender & Health –gender and health; children and young people’s health; family and health experiences
• Person-Centred Ageing -research to support and improve quality of life for older people and those with dementia; work with and on all settings including community, hospital, care homes, prisons.
• The Elizabeth Bryan Multiple Births Centre – a partnership with the Multiple Births Foundation (MBF) which carries out research on all aspects of multiple births.

Fees & How to Apply

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament.

Award: DHealth

Starting: Sep 2025

• Mode: Part Time
• Duration: 4-7 years
• Fees: £2,503 in 2025/26

International students

Sorry, this course is not available to International students.

Entry Requirements

Professional doctorates are designed for mid-career and senior professionals who have previous higher level study, and significant professional experience.

Research proposal

As part of your application, you are required to upload a personal statement / proposal. Due to the developmental nature of this course, there is no need to provide a comprehensive research proposal at application. However, you must outline your practice and research interests in one-two pages:

• Current area of practice: Describe your professional role and –if relevant – how it has developed. Identify the setting in which you currently work.
• Research interests: what aspect of your role / practice are you interested in investigating? What experience or involvement in research activities have you had?

Postgraduate funding

Graduate Scholarship

If you are a BCU graduate enrolling onto a PhD programme for the first time, you could receive a 20% fee reduction via our Graduate Scholarship.

Doctoral loans

Government-backed loans of up to £29,390 are available to UK, Irish and eligible EU nationals studying postgraduate doctoral courses in any subject area.

Course in Depth

Level 7 modules Level 8 modules Thesis

Level 7 modules

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 60 credits):

• Research Practice 60 credits

Level 8 modules

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (not credit bearing as Level 8 /research modules):

• Critical Perspectives 1: Context, Policy & Health Practice
• Critical Perspectives 2: Knowledge to Care
• Pilot Inquiry (Health)

Thesis

In order to complete this course a student must also successfully complete:

• Research Thesis

Employability

After you've completed this course, you will be able to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate your ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

You'll also continue to undertake theoretical and/or applied research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas, or approaches.

The course will also give you the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Facilities & Staff

Our PGR Hubs are designed to be a base for you throughout your postgraduate degree. These spaces are designed to support you to research, study, collaborate and network, as well as grab a well-earned cup of tea whenever you need!

Our PGR Hub at City South Campus has been recently refurbished to provide optimised facilities for PGR students. It is located in room SCT237 in the Seacole Building, where you’ll find:

• Bookable PGR hot desks: 22 networked workstations, allowing you to connect your laptop, two desktop PCs and two accessible/standing desks
• Kitchenette area with fridge and microwave, and teabags, coffee and sugar available to the PGR community courtesy of the Research Office
• PGR social and collaboration space
• Day-use lockers
• Meeting rooms with movable acoustic screens
• Two 2-4 person acoustically secure meeting pods.

Our staff

• Dr Kate Thomson
• Dr Anne Robbins
• Professor Fiona Cowdell
• Professor Judith Dyson
• Professor Joanne Brooke
• Dr Elizabeth Bailey
• Professor Kerry Gaskin
• Dr Thomas Hopkins
• Dr K Louise McKnight
• Dr Andrea Page
• Professor Annalise Weckesser