May I add my agreement to this broad summary given by Chris.

At U.Hertfordshire we have 5 Professional Doctorates, but none in Art and
Design at present. We are developing one in Arts Therapies. The concept is
indeed one of applied research in the context of professional practice. It
has nothing to do with the debate about practice-based vs. "traditional"
research. I think in UK this kind of doctorate must be part-taught, i.e.
also based on a cohort model, cf. the so-called "Dearing Report" properly
entitled "Higher Education in the Learning Society" by The national
Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education. Published by HMSO. ISBN
1-85838-253-X , online at
http://www.uclan.ac.uk/other/uso/plan/dearing.htm>http://www.uclan.ac.uk/other/uso/plan/dearing.htm

Michael Biggs

At 22:01 20/02/2003 +0000, Chris RUST(SCS) wrote:
> >From time to time there is a call on this list and elsewhere for a
> discussion
>of the professional doctorate. The question is often raised in the context of
>our old friend, the practice/research conundrum (no please let's not do that
>one). Ken Friedman has called, more than once, for some consideration of
>professional doctorates as part of the doctoral education in design debate.
>
>I have always resisted this as a topic as I felt that there was a job to do in
>developing research degrees and the professional doctorate was often presented
>as an award for the most advanced practice. However I have been interested to
>find out more about these degrees recently and would like to offer a few
>comments, not least because they might dispel some of the preconceptions.
>
>I don't want to discuss practices in other countries but I would like to
>mention what happens in the UK and, particularly, in my own university. Here,
>the professional doctorate (DBA, EdD etc) is framed as a research degree which
>advances knowledge in the arena of practice. There is usually some taught
>curriculum and students are likely to be part of a clearly defined cohort but
>their teaching includes the full ration of research methods, they pass though
>similar refereeing stages as their research proposal develops and their thesis
>is comparable to a research degree thesis.
>
>The main differences are that the research is likely to be closely aligned to
>the agendas of the department they study in - the taught curriculum  draws
>heavily on the interests and research of the staff - and student's
>projects are
>based in their workplaces, dealing with issues that are directly relevant to
>their professional roles. This has a benefit of enabling students to complete
>their studies more quickly than for a PhD (4-5 years part time) since they
>face
>fewer problems of access to people and materials and are able to use working
>time and resources to advance their research, It has also been found that the
>cohort experience enables students to maintain a higher pace of study and
>support each other pro-actively.
>
>These observations are mainly from finding out about Doctorates here in
>Sheffield but it can be seen that similar conditions apply elsewhere in
>England. Bourner et al (2001) provide a detailed review and describe the
>professional doctorate as conforming to the OECD)/Frascati definition of
>applied research
>as 'an original investigation undertaken to gain new knowledge and with
>practical aims and objectives'. They state that "Whereas the 'traditional'
>Doctor of Philosophy degree is intended to develop professional researchers,
>the professional doctorate is designed to develop researching professionals."
>
>I thought this was interesting as it rather confounds any idea that there can
>be a doctorate for research and another for practice. Any attempt to introduce
>a DDes qualification in this system would soon lead to the same debates about
>the inadmissability of professional practice as such and the importance of the
>"practice of research".
>
>Of course, other people, in other places, may have different models or
>ideas to
>offer.
>
>best wishes from Sheffield
>Chris Rust
>
>Bourner, T. Bowden, R. Laing, S. (2001) "Professional Doctorates in England"
>Studies in Higher Education Volume 26, No. 1, 2001
>
>
>*******************************************
>Professor Chris Rust
>Art and Design Research Centre
>Sheffield Hallam University UK
>www.shu.ac.uk/design
>
>[log in to unmask]
>tel +44 114 225 2706
>fax +44 114 225 2603
>Psalter Lane, Sheffield S11 8UZ, UK

************************************************************
Dr Michael A R Biggs
Reader in Visual Communication

Faculty of Art and Design, University of Hertfordshire
College Lane, Hatfield, Herts. AL10 9AB
United Kingdom

Telephone  +44 (0)1707 285341
Fax  +44 (0)1707 285350
E-mail  [log in to unmask]
Internet  http://www.michaelbiggs.org.uk/pub/

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