Programme Specification for Occupational Psychology D. Occ. Psych.
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Final award |
D. Occ. Psych. |
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Intermediate awards available |
PGCert, PGDip, |
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UCAS code |
N/A |
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Details of professional body accreditation |
N/A |
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Relevant QAA Benchmark statements |
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Date specification last up-dated |
May 2011 |
Profile
The summary - programme advertising leaflet
Programme content
The programme is designed to allow qualified practicing Occupational Psychologists to develop their professional competence through significant academic research. In association with the research component there is a structured programme of continuing professional development that aims to develop broader research skills
The Professional Doctorate in Occupational Psychology at UEL
- Is specially designed for working practitioners
- Has a professional practice focus both in the research and Continued Professional Development (CPD) components
- Attracts individuals from a wide range of organisational backgrounds – previous and continuing students work for organisations such as Ford Europe, UBS, The London Fire Brigade, or are independent practitioners
- Includes monthly seminars and study days for CPD
- Encourages the dissemination and publication of practitioner research
Entry requirements
The programme is only open to those candidates who hold a Division of Occupational Psychology (DOP) accredited postgraduate qualification in Occupational Psychology (e.g MSc in Occupational and Organisational Psychology). Completion of such a programme allows a candidate to enter the programme with advance standing. Candidates must have experience working as an Occupational Psychologist and have obtained or be near to obtaining full membership of the DOP.
At least two members of academic staff will review each application before a decision is made.
Applicants with either prior-certified learning or prior-experiential learning that closely matches the specified learning outcomes of the taught part of the programme will not be able to claim exemption via agreed university procedures. No exemption can be claimed against the research part of the programme or in situations where a professional body excludes it.
Where English is not the applicant’s first language, a minimum IELTS Academic English, or such qualifications as our University deems comparable, score of 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in all components, is required at entry. Such assessment of English language competence must normally have been undertaken no more than two years prior to application, though relevant and more recent study in a United Kingdom Higher Education Institution may be accepted as sufficient proof of ability.
Programme structure
The programme is offered on a full-time basis. The programme comprises university based learning and teaching, self directed learning and research in an organisational setting.
- Year 1 – students will attend weekly lectures/seminars
- Year 2 and 3 – Students will attend monthly seminars that will focus on completing their research dissertations and continued CPD
- Students will be solely responsible for seeking employment at Stage 2. Whilst the university will assist applicants it cannot accept any responsibility whatsoever for the success or otherwise of the
Learning environment
The programme involves a structured and supportive environment which includes seminars and workshops alongside individual research supervision.
The learning outcomes are achieved through:
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Practice based workshops
- Web-based learning
- Individual tutorials
- Group tutorials
- Research activities
Assessment
There are three strands of assessment that are assessed every year:
- Academic – assessed through a negotiated learning agreement
- Professional Practice – assessed through a negotiated learning agreement
- Research – assessed through:-
- research proposal and a negotiated learning agreement (year 1)
- research thesis and an oral examination (year 3)
Relevance to work/profession
The programme provides high level continuing professional development through academic reflection on professional practice. It aims to develop both the practitioner and the profession.
Research/project work
The programme is designed to inject more rigour into practitioner research. It involves the solution of real problems in real organisations. It gives students the opportunity to develop one’s own ideas, work in groups and research specialised organisational topics.
Registration of the research component can only take place following a recommendation from the relevant School Research Degrees Sub-Committee to the university Research Degrees Subcommittee of the suitability of the candidate to undertake research, of the programme of research, of the supervision arrangements and of the research environment. These approvals require appropriate academic judgement to be brought to bear on the viability of each research proposal.
Candidates for a Professional Doctorate must successfully complete all assessed elements of their programme before award of the degree can be made.
Once the research stage of the programme is reached progression will be formally reviewed annually by a Panel comprised of staff with appropriate academic and professional expertise who are independent of the candidate’s supervisory team. The School Research Degrees Sub-Committee and the university Research Degrees Subcommittee monitor the reports from these Panels.
The examination of the research component of the Professional Doctorate has two stages: firstly the submission and preliminary assessment of the research; and secondly its defence by oral examination.
Added value
- Individual development and support
- All tutors are practising Occupational Psychologists
- Opportunity to learn and enhance organisational consultancy skills
- Challenge to professional practice
Your future career
Successful students can work as Occupational Psychologists in a wide range of organisational contexts. They can progress to senior management or take up specialist positions for organisational projects. Students will be able to use their research dissertations as evidence for stage 2 of the Qualification in Occupational Psychology (QOccPsych) which will lead to full membership of the DOP as laid down by the BPS.
How we support you
- There are small tutor group/sessions
- Supervisory team for research
- Research methods training
- Specialist tutoring for research design
- Web based learning
- Carefully structured and staged course
- Individual feedback on all assessed work
- Linked specialist librarian to the course
The Graduate School is responsible for providing a focus to the support of our postgraduate research students and for our institution’s research and scholarly strategy.
Professional Doctorate students will have at least two and not normally more than three supervisors, who together demonstrate an appropriate range of academic and professional experience. One supervisor shall be the Director of Studies with responsibility to supervise the candidate on a regular and frequent basis.
Outcomes
Programme aims and learning outcomes
What is this programme designed to achieve?
This programme is designed to give you the opportunity to:
- Achieve high level professional development through significant academic reflection on some aspect of your professional practice;
- Develop your skills of research and enquiry in order to provide the highest standards of service to clients
- Enhance and advance both your own practice and the profession of occupational psychology as a whole by generating new knowledge, developing new techniques of intervention or thoroughly evaluating the claims made by “issue sellers”;
- Contribute to a growing literature of practitioner research published in “mainstream” journals to enhance the evidence base of the profession.
What will you learn?
Since members of the programme will be a mixture of already highly competent professionals along with practitioners in training, the learning outcomes will vary from person to person depending on their development needs when they start. The programme is deliberately tailored to meet these individual needs. However, the following general learning outcomes are based on the comments of people who have successfully been awarded a Professional Doctorate in Occupational Psychology.
Knowledge
- A very thorough and up-to-date knowledge of theory, research and practice in your chosen research area – you will become an acknowledged expert in your field.
- An appreciation of the value of different research methodologies: many people arrive with strengths in either quantitative or qualitative methodologies; they leave with strengths in both;
Thinking skills
- You will become more critical and analytical in your evaluation of interventions; you will become a researcher practitioner as well as a reflexive practitioner;
- Your investigative skills will be enhanced so that you are better able to design interventions to address the causes and not just the symptoms of organizational ills;
- You will enhance your ability to interpret both quantitative and qualitative data and to evaluate the evidence base of professional practice.
Subject-Based Practical skills
- An ability to use software appropriate to the analysis of your data whether this be sophisticated statistical analysis (e.g. Time Series Analysis, Structural Equation Modelling, Meta-Analysis) or qualitative methodologies (e.g. Grounded Theory, Discourse Analysis, Narrative research methods);
- An enhanced ability to conduct field research and deal with the inevitable practical problems which arise;
- An ability to write for different audiences: many members arrive highly skilled in writing reports for clients; they leave with the ability also to write for an academic audience and the editors and readership of “mainstream” journals, which aids the dissemination of their work and best practice;
- A greater confidence to present your work in publications, national and international seminars and conferences, etc.
Skills for life and work
- Develop reflective practitioner skills
- Manage ones own learning and continued professional development
- Work effectively in a team
A candidate who is awarded a Professional Doctorate will be expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes:
Created and interpreted new knowledge, through original research, or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, which extends the forefront of the discipline and merits publication;
Systematically acquired an understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice;
The general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, application or understanding at the forefront of the discipline and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems;
A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry;
Ability to make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences:
Ability to continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches;
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.
Structure
The programme structure
Introduction
All programmes are credit-rated to help you to understand the amount and level of study that is needed.
One credit is equal to 10 hours of directed study time (this includes everything you do e.g. lecture, seminar and private study).
Credits are assigned to one of 5 levels:
0 - equivalent in standard to GCE 'A' level and is intended to prepare students for year one of an undergraduate degree programme
1 - equivalent in standard to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
2 - equivalent in standard to the second year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
3 - equivalent in standard to the third year of a full-time undergraduate degree programme
M - equivalent in standard to a Masters degree
Typical duration
The typical duration of this programme is 3 years full-time.
The normal minimum and maximum periods of registration for a Professional Doctorate are as follows:
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Minimum |
Maximum |
|---|---|---|
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Full-Time |
33 months |
48 months |
How the teaching year is divided
The teaching year begins in September and ends in June.
- Year 1 - A typical full-time student will attend weekly lectures/seminars. In semester A and B these sessions will cover 4 taught elements ( 2 x Professional practice and 2 x Research design).
- Year 2 - A typical full-time student will attend 9 monthly seminars. During this stage students will begin their research under the guidance from their supervisor. At the end of year 2 students will be required to submit progress reports which will be reviewed by a panel for successful progression to the next year
- Year 3 - A typical full-time student will attend 9 monthly seminars. In addition students will be expected to devote at least one day per week to their research. They will complete their research thesis and reflective log.
What you will study when
| Curriculum | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Stage |
Academic |
Professional |
Research |
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Year 1 |
Theoretical and philosophical underpinnings to applied research |
Professional Practice |
Research skills |
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Year 2 and 3 |
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CPD |
Dissertation: Research Thesis, reflective practitioner |
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Year 1 Level |
UEL Module Code |
Module Title | Credit |
Status |
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D |
PYD105 |
Research |
30 |
Core |
| D | PYD108 | Research Design | 30 | Core |
| D | PYD401 | Professional practice | 30 | Core |
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D |
PYD402 |
Professional practice in the real world | 30 |
Core |
Requirements for gaining an award
Year 1
- Three modules will be assessed by a Negotiated Learning Agreement. Each student will have to produce a 5 000 word proposal for the 2nd research methods module). All modules will be assessed at D level
Year 2
- The research element will be reviewed at the end of June in accordance with Part 9 of the Manual of General Regulations (Annual monitoring requirements – section 9)
Year 3
- Assessment is by:
- 55 000 word thesis
- A 5 000 reflective log
And an oral examination
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching and learning
Knowledge is developed through
- Lectures
- Seminars
- Tutorials
- Independent reading
Thinking skills are developed through
- Tutorials
- Feedback on written skills
- Group activities
- Reflection on research methodology
Practical skills are developed through
- Workshops
- Independent study and practice
- Supervision, tutorials and specialist assistance
Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through
- All of the above
- Collaborating with colleagues on the programme
Assessment
Knowledge is assessed by
- Written assignments e.g. research essay, research dissertation
- Reflective log
Thinking skills are assessed by
- Written assignments
- Seminars
- Research dissertation
- Reflective log
Practical skills are assessed by
- Reflective log
- Seminar work
Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by
- Tutorial
- Written assignments
- Reflective log
Quality
How we assure the quality of this programme
Before this programme started
Before this programme started, the following was checked:
- there would be enough qualified staff to teach the programme;
- adequate resources would be in place;
- the overall aims and objectives were appropriate;
- the content of the programme met national benchmark requirements;
- the programme met any professional/statutory body requirements;
- the proposal met other internal quality criteria covering a range of issues such as admissions policy, teaching, learning and assessment strategy and student support mechanisms.
This is done through a process of programme approval which involves consulting academic experts including some subject specialists from other institutions.
How we monitor the quality of this programme
The quality of this programme is monitored each year through evaluating:
- external examiner reports (considering quality and standards);
- statistical information (considering issues such as the pass rate);
- student feedback.
Drawing on this and other information, programme teams undertake the annual Review and Enhancement Process which is co-ordinated at School level and includes student participation. The process is monitored by the Quality and Standards Committee.
Once every six years an in-depth review of the whole field is undertaken by a panel that includes at least two external subject specialists. The panel considers documents, looks at student work, speaks to current and former students and speaks to staff before drawing its conclusions. The result is a report highlighting good practice and identifying areas where action is needed.
The role of the programme committee
This programme has a programme committee comprising all relevant teaching staff, student representatives and others who make a contribution towards the effective operation of the programme (e.g. library/technician staff). The committee has responsibilities for the quality of the programme. It provides input into the operation of the Review and Enhancement Process and proposes changes to improve quality. The programme committee plays a critical role in the quality assurance procedures.
The role of external examiners
The standard of this programme is monitored by at least one external examiner. External examiners have two primary responsibilities:
- To ensure the standard of the programme;
- To ensure that justice is done to individual students.
External examiners fulfil these responsibilities in a variety of ways including:
- Approving exam papers/assignments;
- Attending assessment boards;
- Reviewing samples of student work and moderating marks;
- Ensuring that regulations are followed;
- Providing feedback through an annual report that enables us to make improvements for the future.
Listening to the views of students
The following methods for gaining student feedback are used on this programme:
- Module evaluations
- Evaluation of the whole course at the end
- Feedback from tutorials
- Student representation on programme committees (meeting 2 times year)
Students are notified of the action taken through:
- Circulating the minutes of the programme committee
- Feedback from student representatives
- Publishing summaries of module evaluations
- Providing details on the programme noticeboard
Listening to the views of others
The following methods are used for gaining the views of other interested parties:
- BPS
- Employers
- Feedback at supervisors meetings
- Questionnaires to former students
Further Information
Alternative locations for studying this programme
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Where you can find further information
For further information about the course please contact Carla Gibbes on c.gibbes@uel.ac.uk. For information/application pack please contact the programme administrator Ann Stapleton on 0208 223 4501
The course team consists of
- Carla Gibbes - Programme Director Chartered Occupational Psychologist
- Mark Holloway - Academic and Professional Tutor Chartered Occupational Psychologist
- Donald Ridley - Academic and Professional Tutor Chartered Occupational Psychologist
Further information about this programme is available from:
- The UEL web site (http://www.uel.ac.uk)
- The student handbook on UEL direct (http://www.uel.ac.uk)
- Module study guides on UEL direct (http://www.uel.ac.uk)
- UEL Manual of General Regulations http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
- UEL Quality Manual http://www.uel.ac.uk/qa/
- Regulations for theAcademic Framework http://www.uel.ac.uk/academicframework/
- The Graduate School http://www.uel.ac.uk/gradschool/index.htm/
- The School of Psychology http://www.uel.ac.uk/psychology
- Current External examiners
- External examiner reports (available from UEL virtual learning environment (UELPlus or Moodle))
