Program Overview

Doctor of Professional Studies in Psychological Trauma

Overview

Our DProf course recognises the achievements of practitioners in the disciplines of psychological trauma. The DProf facilitates the generation of original knowledge that comes out of experience and practice and enables a fresh and meaningful contribution to be given to practice-based knowledge and dialogue.

Course Details

• Level: Postgraduate
• Duration: 4 years
• Location: Online
• UK Fees: £3,485 per year (2025/26)
• International Fees: £7,542 per year (2025/26)

Course Modules

Review of Personal & Professional Learning

• Module Content: Experiential exercises to create an open group culture from which support can be gained. Opportunity to reflect critically on personal and professional journeys.
• Module Aims: The aim of this module is for students to produce a sustained and persuasive argument concerning how their personal and professional experience as senior practitioners has equipped them for the high level work required to engage with this Doctoral programme.

Tools and Skills for Your Research Project

• Module Content: During the module students will critically examine their existing skills, and identify areas of development required, in order to be able to gain and utilise the necessary skills for becoming effective doctoral level researchers and for the transferrable skills required in their future careers.
• Module Aims: The aim of this module is to allow students to undertake a detailed assessment of their own knowledge, skills and abilities and to apply this to the national researcher development framework in order to identify areas in which advancement of their existing skills and knowledge is required during their doctoral studies.

Current Professional Debates

• Module Content: Thirty-six hours of experiential Continuing Professional Development (as defined by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy) that are facilitated by the student (e.g. workshop, seminar, conference presentation), and/or led by qualified and experienced practitioner academics in the fields of Counselling and Psychotherapy and/or Psychological Trauma, who are nationally recognised as ‘experts’ in their fields.
• Module Aims: The aim of this module is for students to demonstrate their ability to contribute to their own strategic development as a researcher-practitioner, and to probe specialist areas of Counselling, Psychotherapy, and/or Psychological Trauma research and practice.

Research Proposal & Ethical Approval

• Module Content: The context, focus and question for the proposed research project forms the basis of the content in this module. Students will develop a rationale for the project’s value, usefulness and originality and locate this in the wider context of issues, debates and methods within the disciplines of either Counselling, Psychotherapy or Psychological Trauma.
• Module Aims: To enable students to establish advanced research practice in Counselling, Psychotherapy or Psychological Trauma.

Publishable Article

• Module Content: This module will introduce writing for publication to different audiences. The elements and stages involved in the production of publishable work will be explored in sessions and experiences of this discussed.
• Module Aims: The overall aim of the module is to enable student to produce a range of publishable quality pieces of work that speak to different audiences, and to enable them to effectively communicate and disseminate their ideas and application to their areas of practice.

Thesis (Psychological Trauma)

• Module Content: This module provides an opportunity for students to undertake a research project, normally empirical in nature, and focussed on their current practice.
• Module Aims: The module aims to provide the student with an opportunity to investigate systematically and in-depth a topic of direct relevance for his or her chosen area of application.

Who You'll Learn From

• Christina Buxton: Senior Lecturer
• Dr Marie Chollier: Senior Lecturer
• Professor Peter Gubi: Professor
• Professor Andrew Reeves: Professor

How You'll Learn

• Teaching: Takes place in concentrated blocks and via group tutorials.
• Assessment: Via written work, a thesis and viva.
• Online Learning: This course is designed around real-time online study.
• Support: All teaching and learning activities are online.

Entry Requirements

• Home Students:
  • 2:2 honours degree or above.
  • MA/MSc in a Psychological Trauma-related discipline graded at 65% or above for the research dissertation.
  • Experience or training in a range of research methodologies.
  • Substantive therapeutic practitioner experience (in the field of psychological trauma) is also required.
• International/EU Students:
  • 2:2 honours degree or above.
  • MA/MSc in a Psychological Trauma-related discipline graded at 65% or above for the research dissertation.
  • Experience or training in a range of research methodologies.
  • Substantive therapeutic practitioner experience (in the field of psychological trauma) is also required.
  • Students whose first language is not English will need to demonstrate competence of IELTS level 7.00.

Fees and Funding

• Home Students: £3,485 per year (2025/26)
• International Students: £7,542 per year (2025/26)
• Additional Costs: Students are expected to fund the cost of any CPD workshops/research conferences and other external researcher development activities in addition to the tuition fees.

Your Future Career

• Job Prospects: This course assists in the development of practitioner-researchers who, with a doctorate and a research reputation, can go on to fulfil therapeutic, academic and management positions in their chosen areas of work.
• Careers Service: The University has an award-winning Careers and Employability service which provides a variety of employability-enhancing experiences; through the curriculum, through employer contact, tailored group sessions, individual information, advice and guidance.