Professional Doctorates

Professional doctorate programmes are increasingly the choice of professionals in a number of fields, particularly health and education.

Professional Doctorates at Keele provide rigorous, structured programmes of advanced study and research, equivalent in status to a PhD but usually taken on a part-time basis and reflecting professionally focused contexts. They are normally completed in 6 years.

Programmes are delivered using blended face-to-face and online means, as students are usually in full-time work whilst on programme. Initially, students take taught modules with assessments that are designed to explore and structure the research project. After successfully completing these assignments, students undertake their research project under the guidance of supervisors. The final degree is awarded on the successful submission and examination of a thesis (of 60,000 words) in the same way as for a PhD.

We offer Professional Doctorates in:

How long does a Professional Doctorates take?

These programmes are usually offered on a 4-8 year part-time basis, normally completed in 6 years.

When can I apply?

Applications for 2023/24 have now closed. They will reopen for 2024/25 in March 2024.

Professional doctorate programmes have a single entry each year, usually October. Please visit the course pages for additional information.