Overview

The details

Course: Occupational Therapy

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Part-time

Duration: 5 - 6 years

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: Health and Social Care (School of)

A Professional Doctorate is a specialist qualification that is appropriate if you are in, or are aspiring to, a senior professional appointment in practice, education or management in health or social care. It demonstrates your ability to undertake significant personal development and research within your specialist area of practice.

The aim of the course is to provide a unified approach to theory and practice within a professional context, so your learning is structured to allow you to develop your skills both in the workplace and within the academic environment.

Depending on your individual circumstances, your study can be undertaken over 5 years (with an additional period of completion of up to 1 year, if required). During this time, you will prepare two extended essays which chronical your personal development over the programme of study. In tandem, you also study taught modules at the University of Essex which provide you with the expertise in qualitative, statistical and other research methods required for researching healthcare.

At the end of the programme you will have prepared a 40,000 word research study, this research will make an original contribution to own area of practice.

You will have regular one-to-one meetings with your supervisor to develop your research topics and plan, and to discuss progress on your research. A full list of research interests can be found on our staff pages.

The School of Health and Social Care is proud to work closely with our Service User Reference Group (SURG). SURG is made up of service users, carers, and volunteers who generously share their first-hand experiences of health and social care. We work collaboratively with SURG to design our courses to ensure that we truly are putting the needs of patients and clients at the heart of what we do. SURG are involved as part of our course application processes and often form part of our interview panels. This helps us to be confident that we are selecting the right applicants for the course and their future careers. SURG members also support the delivery of our teaching sessions and research activity, which means you'll benefit from an insight into their lived experiences of living with a diagnosis, health condition, or circumstance. You'll find that not only does your clinical knowledge expand, but your empathy, compassion and ability to advocate develops also.

Why we're great.

Taught modules help to guide and support your development of your research skills.
Gain the tools to demonstrate your expertise in both clinical practice and academic research.
Work with staff in our School who have both clinical experience and academic credibility.

Our expert staff

Our School of Health and Social Care has an excellent reputation for research and teaching.

Our educational provision meets professional regulatory requirements and achieves high standards. We do so by having multi-professional staff with both clinical and academic expertise; our staff include sociologists and social policy and management specialists as well as clinically qualified lecturers in adult and mental health nursing, oral health, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, pharmacy, speech and language therapy, social work and sports therapy.

A unique feature of our School is that many of our staff work with local National Health Service (NHS) organisations and other local agencies, which enhances our grasp of the contemporary links between academic research, the major issues of the day and practice.

We have at our heart a commitment to making a difference to local, national and international health, social care and voluntary services through education, research and knowledge transfer. Our staff operate an 'open door' policy so are available to discuss any concerns with you throughout the year.

Specialist facilities

You are encouraged to take advantage of the research seminars held within our School where you can present your research to other staff and students, discussing your work within a supportive environment

Our Proficio professional development scheme provides you with unique opportunities to acquire a set of specialist professional skills and expand your subject knowledge

Your future

We offer doctoral preparation that integrates professional expertise and academic rigor. During your time working with us you will gain the skills necessary to make significant contribution to local and national health and social care provision through critical appraisal of current practice.

The networks you develop while with us facilitate self-development. You will engage in critical reflection upon practice; work and lead within complex, multi-professional environments where you can demonstrate expert decision-making.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

Our Professional Doctorates are only open to UK applicants(except for the Doctorate in Clinical Psychology).

You need to be registered with a UK regulatory body (where appropriate)
You should also be currently employed in management, practice or education, or in a senior position in a health or social care organisation, and possess a Masters qualification (or equivalent)
Employment in a senior position within a health or social care organisation

complete the University's online application form
provide two academic references
provide academic transcripts/certificates
provide a language certificate (if relevant)
provide a 500 word personal statement
attach a 300-word description of:
your clinical practice (for clinical programmes)
Your managerial responsibilities (for management programmes)

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

Structure

Course structure

You can study our Professional Doctorates over 5 years.

Our Programme Specification gives more detail about the structure available to our current first-year students, including details of all optional modules.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Literature Review and Critical Appraisal

(15 CREDITS)

This module provides you with an advanced understanding of the research study designs commonly used in health research. It combines a theoretical and a practical approach to enable you to search for, obtain, and understand the research literature, and provides you with the critical skills to analyse and synthesize material into a literature review.

View Literature Review and Critical Appraisal on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE

Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation

(15 CREDITS)

This module provides you with a range of techniques for collecting, analysing and interpreting data. It combines a theoretical and a practical approach to enable you to understand the collection and analysis process. At the end of the module, you will be able to design and pilot data collection instruments, conduct quantitative and qualitative data analysis using appropriate computer software, and interpret statistical and qualitative research findings. Find out more about this module at https://www.essex.ac.uk/short-courses/hs908/7/data-collection-analysis-and-interpretation

View Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Professional Portfolio 1

(30 CREDITS)

Your portfolio is central to the professional doctorate. We will support you and offer guidance through supervision. This 6000 word portfolio will be in the context of your workplace and will clearly show that you function within it at an expert level.

View Professional Portfolio 1 on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Professional Portfolio 2

(30 CREDITS)

The Professional Portfolio is a compulsory module within the Professional Doctorate in Health & Social Care programme. The module is taught over a period of a year. Student’s engage in facilitated learning and reflection on current problems within their workplace. Reflective models are taught, critically considered and applied to real world problems within practice. Over the course of the year the student build a tool kit which will enable him/her to revisit problems and identify solutions.

View Professional Portfolio 2 on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE WITH OPTIONS

(15 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Theory and Method in Health Research

(15 CREDITS)

This module examines major perspectives in social science disciplines as they are applied to health and clinical research. Research in health and healthcare needs to evaluate and account for scientific and social scientific information produced by a wide range of methods. In this module, an in-depth understanding of research methodology is facilitated through studying the philosophical foundations of methods. Furthermore, an understanding of the links between theory and method, at different levels, is also necessary for research at postgraduate level. This module therefore additionally examines some of the philosophical foundations of health-related social research and (to a lesser extent) places the origins and development of these philosophical foundations in their historical and socio-political contexts. A range of philosophical, theoretical and applied texts are examined during the course of the module.

View Theory and Method in Health Research on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 01: COMPULSORY

Health and Social Care - Research

(0 CREDITS)

You undertake a dissertation of 40,000 words on a subject relevant to your specialist area of practice. Dissertation workshops are held throughout the academic year which will help you to select a topic for your dissertation and provide guidance on writing up your research.

View Health and Social Care - Research on our Module Directory

Teaching

Taught modules underpin your research activities and meet identified deficits within your knowledge base
Create two portfolios of learning chronicling the development of expert practice
Portfolios are constructed from the specialist application of generic outcomes in areas such as risk and diagnostic reasoning
Portfolios are submitted at the end of year one and year two

Dissertation

Undertake a dissertation of 40,000 words on a subject relevant to your specialist area of practice

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

£2,393 per year

International fee

£11,275 per year

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, graduate employability, student support and more
talk to our Fees and Funding team about scholarship opportunities
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

You can apply for this postgraduate course online. Before you apply, please check our information about necessary documents that we'll ask you to provide as part of your application.

We encourage you to make a preliminary enquiry directly to a potential supervisor or the Graduate Administrator within your chosen Department or School. We encourage the consideration of a brief research proposal prior to the submission of a full application.

We aim to respond to applications within four weeks. If we are able to offer you a place, you will be contacted via email.

For information on our deadline to apply for this course, please see our ‘how to apply' information.

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If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

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The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.