• continue their professional and academic development by carrying out in-depth research connected to their clinical interests
• make an original contribution to knowledge in the field with a research thesis

A candidate who is awarded a Professional Doctorate will be expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

• Generated extensive knowledge in the area of research. Systematically acquired an understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of the systemic psychotherapy discipline or an area of systemic practice;
• Created and interpreted new knowledge, through original research, of a quality to satisfy peer review, which extends the forefront of the discipline and merits publication;
• Acquired knowledge of research methods that fit with systemic practice

Thinking skills.

• An ability to offer a conceptual and critical analysis of existing research and thinking
• An ability to offer a conceptual and critical analysis of clinical practice and theory
• An ability to examine the underlying assumptions and theoretical underpinnings of their research work, and to maintain self‑reflexivity throughout their study        
• An ability to consider the ethical issues of consent, confidentiality and anonymity
• An 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;
• An ability to present clearly and defend their research study, as well as showing an awareness of its limitations.

Subject-based practical skills

• 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;
• An ability to apply doctoral level research skills, including research design skills
• An ability to analyse qualitative data for systemic clinical and research purposes
• An ability to make use of the implications and applications of their research for the systemic field.
• Skills in service evaluation and design as senior systemic psychotherapist
• Skills of critical analysis for systemic thinking and practice
• Research leadership in the systemic psychotherapy field

Skills for life and work (general skills)

• An ability to make informed judgments on complex and specialist issues, often in the absence of complete data, and to be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences:
• A further development of qualities and transferable skills requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.
• Doctoral level writing skills
• An ability to carry out independent and focused study alongside the intensive demands of employment as senior practitioners

The taught part of the course comprises 2 years. Students typically complete the entire course (to submission of the research thesis) in four to five years. The maximum period of enrolment on the course is 8 years.

The normal minimum and maximum periods of research registration (from approval of the research thesis) for a Professional Doctorate are as follows:

The programme is divided into academic years, beginning in October and ending in July.

The teaching programme for the first year runs termly (3 terms), once a fortnight on Thursdays.
The first year involves:

• Reading for fortnightly seminars on research methods
• Writing a Critique of previous research (3500 - 4000 words) and
• Preparation of the Research Proposal (4000 words)

The second year of the programme involves students starting to plan and carry out their own research project. They will seek ethical approval for their research project from the relevant body.
Teaching continues, in small groups, fortnightly, during the second year.
Students complete three assignments:

• Working Paper: Consider the inter-relationship between aspects of your clinical activity and the research question which you have chosen to explore (1500 words)
• Research Presentation: Discuss the ways in which one approach to qualitative data analysis can generate knowledge relevant to clinical and professional practice
• Theoretical Positions Essay (3500 - 4000 words)

The research years of the Doctoral programme are based around individual research supervision meetings with termly Data Analysis Workshops, twice-yearly Research Symposia and twice yearly Invited Speaker sessions. 

Research supervision is offered throughout the research phase of the course.

All units must be completed and passed to gain the award of Professional Doctorate.

In order to gain a Professional Doctorate you will need to achieve 540 credits. To pass an assignment students must achieve a mark of at least 60%

Knowledge, thinking skills, practical skills and skills for life and work are all developed in the research seminars, (both within course and across doctoral courses), in small group and larger group discussions, through individual research supervision, through invited speaker presentations, through presenting their own research at various stages, through data analysis sessions, through the doctoral symposia, attending research conferences, in completing the written assessments, in carrying out their substantive research study, and in writing the doctoral thesis and defending it in the viva voce / oral examination.

Knowledge is developed through:

• Seminars to develop students’ exploration of their area of systemic psychotherapy or Practice.
• Seminars to develop students’ knowledge of research methods which fit with systemic practice and acquire an understanding of the applicable techniques for research and academic enquiry.
• Symposia at which students present their own research at different stages, and learn from each other’s research presentations.
• Invited speaker events where researchers present ways in which they have used research methodologies and the ethical issues involved.
• Individual supervision in which the student is able to present their growing knowledge and dilemmas.
• Through reviewing the literature in the area of the student’s own research.
• Through carrying out the research study in which new knowledge will be created and interpreted, and then presented to others.

Thinking skills are developed through:

• Seminars in which debate and interchange between multiple perspectives enable a conceptual and critical analysis of existing research, and of clinical practice and theory, to be developed.
• Research seminars and hands on workshops to develop the ability to conceptualise, design and implement the research project.
• Individual supervision encourages the maintenance of self-reflexivity throughout the research process.
• The writing of a research diary develops critical and self-reflexive positions.
• The analysis of the data and the discussion of its implications and applicability promote an ability to take the thinking to a different level.

 Subject-Based Practical skills are developed through:

• Designing and carrying out the research project with the help of the research seminars, research presentations and individual supervision enables students to develop doctoral level research skills.
• Data analysis sessions enable the students to develop their ability to analyse qualitative data and take part in giving feedback to their peers’ analysis. This also enables a self-reflexive position to be maintained as assumptions and absences are noted.      
• Presentations of their research thinking and its progress throughout the programme develop presentation skills, clarity of thinking and an ability to use their audience’s feedback to further develop their research.
• Writing the doctoral thesis enables students to draw out the implications for the systemic psychotherapy field.

Skills for life and work (general skills) are developed through:

• Seminars in which service evaluation and design skills for senior family therapists are acquired.
• Seminars, data analysis sessions, and symposia to enable the development of the skills of critical analysis for systemic thinking and practice
• Carrying out doctoral level research within a research community develops the ability to offer research leadership in the systemic psychotherapy field
• The writing of the Doctoral thesis hones writing skills at doctoral level
• Independent and focused study alongside the intensive demands of employment as senior practitioners: To complete the doctoral research and thesis requires considerable focus and application as all our doctoral students hold down very demanding jobs.

The main assessment method on the programme is through the written assignments:  The Research Critique, The Research Proposal, The Professional Development Paper 1, The Professional Development Research Presentation, The Theoretical Essay, The Doctoral Thesis.

However throughout the programme there is considerable emphasis placed on and the giving of ongoing feedback to doctoral students about their contributions, the development of their research designs and choice of methods, their research presentations, their data analysis, both within the research seminars and within supervision.

Knowledge is assessed by:

• All the written assignments, and the research presentation, in relation to the theories and research which are referenced.

Thinking skills are assessed by:

• the ability to critique, particularly through the Research Critique, and the theory essay, as well as the doctoral thesis and the viva voce.
• the clarity and design of the research proposal
• the ability to identify the student’s assumptions and how they take these into account in the research process, in the research critique paper, the research proposal, the professional development paper, the research presentation, the theoretical essay and the doctoral thesis.
• the originality of thought evidenced in the doctoral thesis

Practical skills are assessed by:

• The ability to carry out an analysis of data in the research presentation
• The ability to carry out the research as evidenced in research presentations and in the doctoral thesis

 Skills for life and work (general skills) are assessed by:

• The completion of the research and the writing of the doctoral thesis.
• The defending of the thesis in the viva voce.