Name: Professional Practice Community & Social Care: Policy & Practice, DProf
Price: £2,625 per year GBP

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Attendance

Location

Start

Duration

5-7 years

Start

September 2025

Delivery

Online learning

Our unique Doctor of Professional Practice qualification in Community Social Care Policy and Practice is delivered entirely online, offering you a flexible route into doctorate-level study. It’s aimed at current social work, care and community professionals who want to develop advanced research skills which will empower them to have a positive impact on practice and policy.

This course is being reapproved under the University’s normal cycle of review. As such, the course structure and content may be changed to enable the University to deliver a better quality of educational experience to students.

Are you interested in developing the skills you need to make sense of the social world within which your profession operates? This course will equip you with the essential knowledge and skills you need to undertake research in community practice, social work, social care and policy.

It will enable you to make an original contribution to professional knowledge through advanced academic enquiry. You’ll develop an understanding of how applied research can inform, develop and impact upon professional community practice and the development of social policy.

As well as learning how to understand and undertake research, you’ll discover how to appraise and synthesise a substantial body of knowledge at the forefront of your discipline and harness it to bring about positive change in your area of practice .

Why study with us

This is the first course within the UK to deliver totally online doctoral study. Through various interactive online learning opportunities, you’ll develop your own supportive research community.
Because it’s delivered totally online, you can work flexibly and fit the demands of this course around your everyday work and other commitments.
In this course you make a contribution to both theory and practice in your field, and develop professional practice by making a contribution to professional knowledge.

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What you'll do

You’ll benefit from expert support from a selected supervisory team throughout the course. During the course you’ll get to engage with professorial staff who are international experts within their chosen field.
You’ll benefit from the best and most contemporary research and professional practice to ensure that course content is relevant to your future career, or further studies.
You’ll engage in developing original research that will have an impact on professional practice and/or policy, as well as theory.

Modules

This module introduces you to a range of methods for generating and analysing quantitative data, in order to identify a role for the statistical methods in the identification, description and resolution of practical research problems. An additional aim is to provide you with the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the philosophy of statistical testing, its technical aspects and deficiencies

Module code: SW4803

This notional module encompasses the thesis stage of the DProf Community and Social Care: Policy and Practice programmes and, as such, builds upon the modules undertaken at the taught stage. The module aims to support you to design, plan and undertake your research thesis. It will support you to identify your preferred research paradigm and provide you with an advanced understanding of how to apply your chosen methodology in your selected area of community based research. Upon successful completion, you will have made a significant and original contribution to a specialised field of inquiry demonstrating a command of methodological issues and engaging in critical dialogue with peers.

Module code: SW5800

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

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Academic expertise

Dr Jacqueline Williams

Course lead Doctor of Professional Practice (Dprof) Community and Social Care: Policy and Practice.

Future careers

This doctoral qualification could enable you to move into academia or professional research as well as increasing your status and advancing your career within your professional field.

Entry requirements

A minimum of two years professional experience within your chosen field, plus a minimum of a BA/BSc (honours) degree 2.2 or above or international equivalence. International students are also required to prove their abilities in written English.

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, this may include children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB).

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Fees and funding

2025/26

Online part-time£2,625 per year

International

Online part-time£2,625 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

This course makes use of online tools to create a rich and productive learning environment. The taught element takes place over the first two years and enables you to learn the underpinning knowledge and research skills necessary to complete a doctoral thesis and become an established research professional.

You’ll participate in online lectures, discussion groups and a supportive ‘virtual café’ which will allow you to interact with other students and researchers and support each other’s learning.

The assessments in the first two years are a combination of written assignments and presentations. Once you’ve successfully completed the taught element of the course, you’ll progress onto the thesis.

Through a process of intensive online supervision, you’ll undertake your own piece of original research which you’ll write up as a thesis. Finally, this thesis will be orally examined through a viva voce, which you’ll be required to attend in person.

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This course is delivered by the School of Health, Social Work and Sport

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

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