Professional Practice DProf (Business)

Why study the DProf Professional Practice at Middlesex University?

The Business School's DProf is designed to raise the level of professional capabilities of practicing senior managers and executives. It does this by developing your skills of reflective practice, by enhancing your knowledge of leading-edge areas of business, and by providing an opportunity to develop your capabilities in practice-based research by means of a major research project.

Our DProf is designed for busy senior managers and executives who want to gain new insights and perspectives into leadership and management based on critical exploration of their own evolving professional practice. It is particularly appropriate for those wishing to improve their capability to lead and manage change in an established or new organisation without having to seek time off for formal study. A key role is played in your capability enhancement by the capstone research project, which enables senior practitioners to improve their professional practice by undertaking rigorous research into that practice.

Course Highlights

• It is the professional equivalent of the academic PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), but designed specifically to support participants in undertaking practice-based research into their workplace activities. While the knowledge gained from this research is equally rigorous to the PhD, it is distinctive in that the participant is placed at the centre of their research investigation, and their findings tend to be highly applicable within their organisation
• It provides participants with the opportunity to enhance their professional capabilities at an advanced level. These capabilities will feed into, and be evaluated through, the participant's research project
• Because senior professionals have achieved a significant amount of both formal and informal learning, sometimes over many years, the DProf provides an opportunity to make a claim for academic credits against relevant prior learning
• Participants' study paths and projects are tailored to meet their individual needs and interests, and those of their organisations
• Each participant may choose a subtitle for their doctoral award which reflects their chosen specialism (See the list of subjects/professions in the 'Subject focus' section under the Course Content tab)

For more information, please contact [email protected]

About your course

What you will study on the DProf Professional Practice?

The course is divided into three main phases: the first and second last for a minimum of one semester (6 months) each, and the third continues for a minimum of three further years. During the first two phases of the course, you will be supported by online study resources, peer-group discussions, and the support of a personal academic advisor. For the third phase of the programme of study, you will undertake a major research project that focuses on the work you are undertaking in your organisation as senior professionals, typically in a change leadership role.

Throughout the course, which is studied part time, your focus is on your professional activity in an organisational context. The DProf provides a structured framework for critically understanding your work-based activity, and equips you to operate as a reflective professional practitioner. The research project provides an opportunity for you to critically evaluate the learning you have achieved while leading significant change in the workplace, and to express this in writing in a systematic way that is both informed by and informs relevant theory.

How will be DProf Professional Practice be taught?

You can start the DProf in October each year, and you study part-time, typically over a period of four years. The programme was specifically designed for busy professionals who are unlikely to be unable to attend a university on a regular basis while studying for their doctorate. All study is therefore undertaken by distance learning, using modern communication technologies, including: web study resources, online discussion forums, email, Skype, etc.

Moreover, each participant has the support of a dedicated academic advisor throughout their period of studies, in addition to drawing on tutors, a possible specialist consultant and other participants in their cohort. We do not have conventional lecture or seminar classes on campus, nor do we require attendance at residencies, summer schools, or block teaching periods. This means that there is no need for overseas students to acquire a student visa, because residence in the UK is not required for study on the programme. Of course, all programme participants are welcome to visit us on campus any time they wish, whether it is to use our extensive on-campus facilities, or to meet their academic advisors and other programme staff. The only mandatory attendance is at our Induction Day, which immediately precedes the start of the programme.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2024/25 academic year: 

UK students¹

Part-time students: £6,300 

International students²

Full-time students: £8,900

Help from your employer

Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.

Fees disclaimers

1. UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

2. International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.

At all times we’ll aim to keep you well informed of how we may need to respond to changing circumstances, and about support that we’ll provide to you.