Doctor of Professional Practice

The Doctor of Professional Practice (DrPP) is a multi-professional course, not restricted to health professionals, which recognises that contemporary professional practice encompasses a variety of disciplines. The DrPP enables professionals from a wide range of professions or disciplines to create knowledge that advances practice using advanced research skills, creativity, critical thinking, advanced problem-solving and knowledge translation skills, along with analytical and conceptual abilities.

The concept of professional practice is an overarching term that defines all occupations that involve actions rooted in context; actions that are underpinned by education and a body of knowledge. This course fosters innovation and creativity, providing you with the opportunity to critically analyse, synthesise and enhance concepts, meanings and intentions that underpin the theoretical dimensions of actions relating to your professional practice or discipline. The DrPP facilitates you to independently add to and enhance the body of knowledge that determines and defines your professional focus on practice. The professional focus of the DrPP is defined by a piece of advanced independent work specific to your area of professional practice.

The DrPP course contains three Level 8 taught modules (totaling 120 credits) and an independent research project (300 credits) that is assessed by a viva voce examination. You can complete this course as a full-time or part-time student taking advantage of flexible modes of learning accessible through attendance, distance learning or a combination of both. The course structure is dependent on whether your mode of study is full-time or part-time.Full-time routeThe full-time route lasts a minimum of three years. The three taught modules are delivered in Year 1 of the course. The first module is the Advanced Independent Work Preparation and Management module which prepares you for undertaking the final piece of advanced independent work. This module also includes support with academic writing and the key skills necessary for studying at doctorate level.In Semester 1, you also commence the Project Specific Negotiated Learning module. This module spans across Semester’s 1 and 2 to spread the work-load and assessments across the first year of the course. The Promoting Scholarship by Writing for Publication module commences in Semester 2. You start to work on a piece of advanced independent work in the module Professional Practice Advanced Independent Work. This provides you with an opportunity to develop areas of interest leading to the development of an article for publication that relates to the piece of advanced independent work.In Year’s 2 and 3, as a full-time student, you continue with the piece of advanced independent work in the module Professional Practice Advanced Independent Work, at the end of which you submit a robust doctoral-level advanced independent research project. Part-time route The part-time route lasts a minimum of four years. The taught component is delivered across the first and second year of the course. The first module in Semester 1 is Advanced Independent Work Preparation and Management which prepares you for undertaking the final piece of advanced independent work. You also receive support with academic writing and the key skills necessary for studying at doctorate level. The Promoting Scholarship by Writing for Publication module commences in Year 1, Semester 2, at the same time as you start to work on a piece of advanced independent work in the module Professional Practice Advanced Independent Work. This provides you with an opportunity to develop areas of particular interest leading to the development of an article for publication that relates to the piece of advanced independent work. The Project Specific Negotiated Learning module begins in Year 2, Semester 1, and spans into Semester 2, to spread the work-load and assessments across the academic year. In Years 3 and 4, as a part-time student, you continue with your piece of advanced independent work in the module Professional Practice Advanced Independent Work, at the end of which you submit a robust doctoral-level piece of advanced independent work