Professional Practice DProf (Business)

Overview

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.

Why study the DProf Professional Practice at Middlesex University?

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.

Teaching

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.

Students need to have a masters degree or above. They should also have a minimum of five years managerial or professional experience in a full-time senior position. Managerial experience means managerial responsibility for people, and/or functions, and/or technical expertise, and would normally, typically involve experience of change leadership.