Criteria

Doctoral degrees are awarded to students who have demonstrated:

1. the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication
2. a systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of professional practice
3. the general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems
4. a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.

 

Typically, holders of the qualification will be able to:

5. make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often in the absence of complete data, and be able to communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non- specialist audiences
6. continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches.

 

And holders will have:

7. the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

(The QAA, The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, August 2008, QAA 264 08/08.)

In the case of professional or creative practice the practice in itself, however successful or highly regarded by others, is not evidence that it is the result of ongoing engagement in research and advanced academic enquiry nor does it demonstrate how that research contributes to the advancement of knowledge within that practice. It follows, therefore, that, in choosing items of evidence for inclusion within the submitted portfolio, candidates should be seeking to show not only that the practice has taken place and what its nature and significance is, but also how it is the result of engagement with established practice within the field and how it develops, challenges or significantly revises that practice.