Professional doctorates in England

Abstract

This article reports the results of a survey and analysis of the professional doctorates that have been developed in England over the last decade. Its aim is to identify the extent to which professional doctorates have been adopted by English universities, the rate of growth of professional doctorates programmes, and to clarify their distinctive features. By the end of the decade, professional doctorates could be found in the majority of the country's universities and in a wide range of subjects. The number of professional doctorates was still rising at a rapid rate. The article identifies 20 distinctive features that are common to the professional doctorates that together could reasonably be said to comprise 'professional doctorateness' at least as it is interpreted in English universities.