Programme of study for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Education 2024/25

This doctorate is tailored to those wishing to develop academically in clinical or medical education. Candidates will already have experience of delivering education for healthcare professionals, in a university or healthcare setting (for example as a doctor, nurse, allied health professional, dental or veterinary practitioners).

Candidates may undertake study for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Education (DClinEd) in the Institute of Medical Education in the School of Medicine, under the supervision of a member of staff who satisfies the eligibility requirements specified by the relevant committee. Supervisors will be appointed at the commencement of the programme of study.

The requirements for the degree, including periods of study and examination requirements are set out in Ordinance X and its associated regulations.

The programme is available on a part-time basis only. The standard period of study is five years, and the maximum time limit for thesis submission is seven years. 

Candidates may, with the approval of the relevant committee, submit their thesis before the end of the standard period of study provided that no candidate shall present for examination before the completion of the three years of study. This may be particularly relevant to candidates granted Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). See the ‘Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)’ section of this page.

There are two modes of attendance for this programme, in-person and distance learning. In-person candidates will normally attend a combination of in-person, hybrid, and online modules, and in-person supervision, and are expected to meet the University’s attendance requirements as set out in Ordinance X, Research Degrees.

Distance learning candidates will normally attend online modules and are not required to attend the university in person but may do so by arrangement with the programme leader or supervisor. 

The mode of attendance should be agreed at the start of the programme, and will form part of the University’s academic offer. Requests to change study mode during the course of the programme will be considered by the relevant committee. Both study modes are part-time.

Entry (without APL) is normally in either September or January.

The following may be accepted as candidates for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Education:

• graduates of a Masters degree in a subject area relevant to the proposed research
• graduates with an upper second class honours degree or above in a subject area relevant to the proposed research
• where the applicant’s first language is not English, an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall score of 6.5 with no less than 6.0 in each component skill.

This programme is normally only open to professionals working in healthcare, such as medicine, pharmacy, nursing and midwifery, and the full range of allied health professions (with an entry on the appropriate register) or healthcare-related areas in practice or education, who have a minimum experience of two years full time (or equivalent part time) in practice and involvement in education and training as part of their current role.

Candidates who have achieved Masters level accreditation for study within an approved university or equivalent institution may apply for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) with respect to taught module components of the programme as follows.

Candidates may be granted APL for up to 90 credits of modules specified for the programme, and therefore be exempted from the requirement to complete those modules. They will complete the remaining modules specified for the programme.

Where candidates have previously completed all 120 credits of taught modules specified for years one and two of the programme, or their equivalent, they may be granted APL with respect to these components. In this case, however, they will be required to complete a further 60 credits of modules in the form of both modules specified for year 3. These are specified in the ‘programme of study outline’ section of this page.

APL may not be granted beyond 120 credits or against the year 3 modules.

All applications for such accredited prior learning are considered on their merits according to the University’s published Accreditation of Prior Learning policy, and awards of credit transfer are made at the discretion of the relevant committee.

The following will apply:

• applications should be made at the time of application and, in all cases, applications must be processed by the end of the first semester
• accredited prior learning may be granted only against the taught modules within the programme and may be granted only if the prior learning relates to the programme
• accredited prior learning is not allowable, in any circumstances, against the thesis or the thesis preparation components.

Entry with APL (at 90 credits) can take place on the first day of any month.

On entry to the degree candidates will declare a specialist field of study, in which they will concentrate their studies, and from which they will develop the topic of their thesis. All candidates are appointed a supervision team charged with discussing and advising on the coherence of modular choices in relation to the intended thesis area (specialist field of study).

Candidates are required to study modules totalling 150 credits in the absence of Accredited Prior Learning (APL).

Year 1

• Thesis planning

Compulsory modules (60 credits)

For candidates starting studies in September:

• MEDS5106M Learning and Teaching in the Clinical Context (30 credits)
• MEDS5107M Assessment and Evaluation in the Clinical Context (30 credits).

These modules are delivered in a hybrid mode and are normally taken by candidates whose study mode is in person. 

For candidates starting studies in January:

• MEDS5141M Teaching and Learning in the Clinical Context (30 credits)
• MEDS5142M Assessment and Evaluation in the Clinical Context (30 credits).

These modules are delivered online and are normally taken by candidates whose study mode is distance learning.

Year 2

• Thesis planning

Compulsory modules (60 credits)

• MEDS5116M Developing Educational (30 credits)
• MEDS5109M Researching Clinical Education (30 credits).

These modules are delivered online and may be taken by both in-person and distance learning candidates.

Year 3

• Thesis preparation and transfer panel. Where candidates been granted APL, transfer may take place earlier.

Optional modules (60 credits)

• MEDS5130M Directed Study (30 credits), or 
• MEDS5140M Research Practice (30 credits).

These modules may be delivered online or in person, and may be taken by both in-person and distance learning candidates.

Candidates who have been granted APL against all year one and one further appropriate 30 credit module will be expected to study both year 3 modules MEDS5130M Directed Study (30 credits) and MEDS5140M Research Practice (30 credits), in their first year of study.

Year 4

• Research and thesis writing

Year 5

• Research and thesis writing

Transfer

Candidates will in the first instance be accepted provisionally to the degree of Provisional Doctor of Clinical Education. After the initial period of provisional registration, candidates are subject to the process whereby they are formally assessed and, if successful in the assessment, are transferred to the specific degree category of Doctor of Clinical Education. 

Transfer must take place no later than 36 months of study and is dependent upon the candidate having passed all taught modules that have been delivered and examined up to the point of Transfer. Candidates must successfully complete the transfer review process in order to continue with their studies.

The decision to transfer will be based on the submission of appropriate material for assessment and all candidates must undergo an oral examination by an assessment panel which must include at least two independent individuals who have not been involved in the supervisory support of the candidate. 

To allow flexibility to explore the most appropriate format, as needed for academic or other reasons, and notwithstanding the candidate’s study mode, there are three possible models for a research degree transfer:

• fully in person (all parties together on campus for a face-to-face viva)
• fully remote (all parties complete the viva via Microsoft Teams or Zoom)
• hybrid (some parties are in person whilst others are online).

These are described in the relevant University guidance, currently the Policy and guidance for online research degree transfer and final examinations.

Candidates are required to prepare a collection of documents for transfer:

• 1. A report of progress to date (maximum 1,500 words), which should include:
  • a synopsis of work carried out, including modules studied and research preparation and investigation conducted
  • a review of learning from the modular study
  • a critical appraisal of the ways in which the modules studied have contributed to the developing research
    proposal
  • a copy of all module feedback sheets and a list of module marks should be attached.
• 2. A research proposal (6,000 words maximum, excluding draft ethics submission), to include:
  • introduction. The rationale for the research and the context of the data collection.
  • literature review
  • methodology including theoretical framework, research questions and methodology (rationale and data collection and analysis procedures).
  • draft ethics submission
  • expected results (short)
  • timeline.

If the assessment panel is not satisfied that the candidate is able to progress the project as proposed, the panel may recommend a deferral and resubmission. This resubmission must be complete within six months.

Candidates are required to submit a thesis for examination of up to 55,000 words in length in the area of their specialist field of study and satisfy the examiners as specified in Ordinance X and its associated regulations.

Candidates must submit their thesis for examination for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Education by no later than 84 months (seven years) of study.

Where the progress and quality of the candidate’s research justify it (including those with APL) a candidate may apply for a reduction to their period of study in order to submit at an earlier stage (no earlier than the end of 36 months of part-time study).

Following examination, the examiners will be asked to make one of the following recommendations:

• a) Pass.
• b) Pass (subject to the correction of ‘editorial and presentational corrections’ or ‘minor deficiencies’): these corrections must be made within four or twelve weeks respectively from the date of the oral examination. The internal examiner is responsible for ensuring that ‘editorial and presentational corrections’ or minor deficiencies are corrected by the candidate. The degree will not be awarded until confirmation that the corrections have been completed is received.
• c) Fail: the candidate has no further opportunity for submission.

If the thesis is not considered to be of sufficiently high standard to recommend the award of the degree but there is evidence of the potential of a successful submission, then the examiners may recommend a referral, whereby the candidate will be granted permission to resubmit the work in a revised form for the degree of Doctor of Clinical Education within a period of eighteen months, on one occasion only and on payment of an additional fee.

• Discover, interpret and communicate new knowledge through original research of publishable quality which would satisfy peer review and/or contribute to scholarship within a professional context.
• Independently and proactively formulate ideas and design, develop, implement and execute plans by which to evaluate these.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of techniques applicable to own research and engage with the relevant ethical or legal issues in the specialist educational field.
• Present and defend research outcomes which extend the forefront of the discipline and/or relevant area of professional practice.
• Take a proactive and self-reflective role in working and develop professional relationships with others where appropriate.
• Demonstrate systematic and extensive knowledge of the subject and expertise in generic and subject professional skills.
• Critically and creatively evaluate current issues, research and advanced scholarship in the relevant field of education.

Candidates for the Doctor of Education (Clinical Education) will have had the opportunity to acquire the following abilities as defined in the modules specified for the programme:

• the skills necessary to undertake a higher research degree and/or for employment in a higher capacity in industry or area of professional practice
• evaluating their own achievement and that of others
• self-direction and effective decision making in complex and unpredictable situations
• independent learning and the ability to work in a way which ensures continuing professional development
• critically to engage in the development of professional/disciplinary boundaries and norms.

Achievement for the Doctor of Education (Clinical Education) will be assessed by a variety of methods in accordance with the learning outcomes of the programme and will involve the achievement of candidates in:

• evidencing an ability to conduct original and independent broad and in-depth enquiry within the discipline of clinical and health professions education and /or professional learning or within different aspects of the area of professional practice normally leading to published work
• drawing on and/or developing a range of research techniques and methodologies appropriate to enquiries into clinical and health professions education and practice
• demonstrating independent critical ability in the application of breadth and depth of knowledge to complex issues within clinical and health professions education and practice
• drawing on a range of perspectives on the area of study
• evaluating and criticising received opinion
• making reasoned and well-informed judgements on complex issues within the specialism whilst understanding the limitations on judgements made in the absence of complete data
• the written style and overall presentation of the thesis.

Candidates will normally be deemed to have failed the programme and be asked to withdraw if:

• they fail to meet the requirements for taught modular study namely: marks at or above 50% in all of the compulsory modules
• they fail to satisfy the transfer assessment panel, or 
• they fail to satisfy the examiners in the research thesis.