The Role of Professional Doctorates in Advancing Higher Education and Work-Based Learning

The current book is a short synopsis of Professional Doctorates (DProf) programs. It provides a practical illustration of the content of these programs, how they are structured, how to craft the required dissertations and how students can succeed in these programs. Mostly tailored for professionals in advanced practice, DProf and the cognate programs of DProf by Publications (or Public Works) are growing in popularity as they offer candidates the opportunity to merge practical experience with academic skills. DProf programmes enhance work-based learning and reflective practice skills while implementing scholarly works. This book, shaped as a practical study guide, describes the major aspects of DProf programmes, how to create a successful thesis and how to be effective in extracting scholarly research from candidates’ daily practice. Therefore, the Masters and Doctorates in Professional Practice (MProf/DProf) emphasise study inquiry in a professional setting while fostering critical reflection and career advancement through practice-based research projects. DProf postgraduate programs encourage a reflective approach into candidates’ settings of practice to develop projects and policies to change these settings and advance the quality of services provided to their customers or clients. Methodologies and methods for creating DProf dissertations and research are discussed in detail such as modes of knowledge production, reflectivity, reflexivity, critical incident analysis, middle-range theories, qualitative inquiry, reflective cycles and autoethnography.