The Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology has been designed around placement learning, where students acquire professional skills through a health-related placement. This placement learning is supported by a series of supportive interactive seminars.
Students will be taught in small groups using a variety of methods, chosen to allow them the opportunity to attain the learning outcomes for each module. These include interactive seminar sessions, student presentations on real world experiences, discussion activities, individual reflection tasks, guided reflection, online activities, role plays and contributions from our service user and carer group as well as guest speakers who are registered Health Psychologists.
Seminars are scheduled fortnightly on Wednesdays in the first year, and monthly on Thursdays in the second year. Sessions run from 10am -12 noon in the morning, and 2-4pm in the afternoon. In addition, students are expected to attend the invited speaker seminar series which is scheduled from 4-5pm in the second year. The extended lunch break between 12 noon and 2pm in the middle of the day is to enable students to meet with supervisors and module leaders for supervision.
In addition to the seminars there is a two-day Induction Programme and an annual Welcome Back meeting in September, and a Student-Led Conference which takes place in June. The Conference is an opportunity for students to build confidence in presenting their work through poster, oral presentations, or workshops. Second year students organize the Student Conference and this adds to their professional development.
All the teaching is supported by Blackboard, a virtual learning environment.
The Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology has been designed around placement learning, where students acquire professional skills through a health-related placement. This placement learning is supported by a series of supportive interactive seminars.
Students will be taught in small groups using a variety of methods, chosen to allow them the opportunity to attain the learning outcomes for each module. These include interactive seminar sessions, student presentations on real world experiences, discussion activities, individual reflection tasks, guided reflection, online activities, role plays and contributions from our service user and carer group as well as guest speakers who are registered Health Psychologists.
Seminars are scheduled fortnightly on Wednesdays in the first year, and monthly on Thursdays in the second year. Sessions run from 10am -12 noon in the morning, and 2-4pm in the afternoon. In addition, students are expected to attend the invited speaker seminar series which is scheduled from 4-5pm in the second year. The extended lunch break between 12 noon and 2pm in the middle of the day is to enable students to meet with supervisors and module leaders for supervision.
In addition to the seminars there is a two-day Induction Programme and an annual Welcome Back meeting in September, and a Student-Led Conference which takes place in June. The Conference is an opportunity for students to build confidence in presenting their work through poster, oral presentations, or workshops. Second year students organize the Student Conference and this adds to their professional development.
All the teaching is supported by Blackboard, a virtual learning environment.
Assessment
Students will initially be required to produce an individual learning plan with a Gantt Chart which details the different competences and describes their plans to complete them over the course of the programme. This is submitted to an Assessment Board for approval, in the January after students begin studying on the programme.
Once approved, students are able to complete the range of assessments, which including case studies, a consultancy contract, reflective reports, a communication skills evaluation and two journal articles with associated commentaries. All assessments involve real-life contexts and are usually based around opportunities from placement-based learning. There are two submission dates per year; these are usually in January and June. At least one piece of work needs to be passed each year, in order to progress. Work on this award is only awarded Pass or Fail.
At the end of the period of study, and when all assessments have been passed, and approved by a Progress Board, students will be asked to submit a portfolio which contains the work which has been passed and includes an Abstract. Students will then be able to progress to the Viva Examination module. All students will take part in a viva voce examination, where they will discuss their portfolio with an Internal Examiner and an External Examiner who are registered Health Psychologists usually working in a similar area of research. Students must receive pass marks in all assessments, have attended at least 80% of the supportive programme, and perform successfully at the viva examination in order to receive the Professional Doctorate qualification.
Students will initially be required to produce an individual learning plan with a Gantt Chart which details the different competences and describes their plans to complete them over the course of the programme. This is submitted to an Assessment Board for approval, in the January after students begin studying on the programme.
Once approved, students are able to complete the range of assessments, which including case studies, a consultancy contract, reflective reports, a communication skills evaluation and two journal articles with associated commentaries. All assessments involve real-life contexts and are usually based around opportunities from placement-based learning. There are two submission dates per year; these are usually in January and June. At least one piece of work needs to be passed each year, in order to progress. Work on this award is only awarded Pass or Fail.
At the end of the period of study, and when all assessments have been passed, and approved by a Progress Board, students will be asked to submit a portfolio which contains the work which has been passed and includes an Abstract. Students will then be able to progress to the Viva Examination module. All students will take part in a viva voce examination, where they will discuss their portfolio with an Internal Examiner and an External Examiner who are registered Health Psychologists usually working in a similar area of research. Students must receive pass marks in all assessments, have attended at least 80% of the supportive programme, and perform successfully at the viva examination in order to receive the Professional Doctorate qualification.
Learning support
Throughout the Professional Doctorate programme, students will be supported by individual supervision from their Staffordshire University supervisor(s). Face-to-face meetings with supervisor(s) tend to be every two weeks in the first year, and then every four weeks in the second year, although students will be expected to keep in regular contact by e-mail.
In subsequent years, students are expected to work as independent learners, where they will be working closely with their supervisors and the module leaders. Supervision sessions may either take the form of a face-to-face meeting, or via MS Teams, however, there must be a minimum of six face-to-face meetings per year. Continuing students will also be required to attend the Welcome Back programme and Annual Conference, and will be invited to the supportive programme such as the Psychology Department seminars and CPD workshops at the University throughout this time.
Additional support
If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.
Feedback
We strongly encourage students to discuss the suitability of their placement (or other) opportunities for each piece of assessment with their supervisors and the relevant module leaders before they engage with them. The module leader will advise on whether the opportunity fits the assessment criteria requirements.
Formative methods of assessment are also used to provide feedback on progress and to assist in preparation for summative assessments (below). These include examination of 3-page plans (module leaders) and final drafts (supervisors) of pieces of assessed work and eventually the overall portfolio including a mock viva examination. Formative feedback will be provided for each piece of assessed work through e-mail, face-to-face meetings, and/or MS Teams meetings.
*Apart from the Advanced Research Methods module where the module leader will also comment on a full draft of your work.
We strongly encourage students to discuss the suitability of their placement (or other) opportunities for each piece of assessment with their supervisors and the relevant module leaders before they engage with them. The module leader will advise on whether the opportunity fits the assessment criteria requirements.
Formative methods of assessment are also used to provide feedback on progress and to assist in preparation for summative assessments (below). These include examination of 3-page plans (module leaders) and final drafts (supervisors) of pieces of assessed work and eventually the overall portfolio including a mock viva examination. Formative feedback will be provided for each piece of assessed work through e-mail, face-to-face meetings, and/or MS Teams meetings.
*Apart from the Advanced Research Methods module where the module leader will also comment on a full draft of your work.