PhD by Published, Creative or Established Work PhD
About this course
The Professional Doctorate by Published, Creative or Established Work is a distinctive course within Nottingham Trent University's portfolio of research degrees. Candidates who successfully complete the degree will be entitled to use the title ‘Doctor’.
This course is aimed at senior professionals who have already undertaken work at the highest level in their sphere of professional practice, and who now wish to convert that work into a doctoral degree. Applications are welcomed from the United Kingdom and internationally.
Candidates do not undertake new research during their time on the course. Instead, they must submit a portfolio of existing work in advance of enrolling on the course. This is evaluated by researchers with expertise in the relevant area, to ensure that it demonstrates doctoral level contribution to knowledge or practice. For example, the work may have advanced or changed the law, policy or practice in some way.
What you’ll study
While traditional academic outputs, such as peer reviewed journal articles, may form part of the portfolio, this is not essential. There is scope to include a range of non-traditional outputs within the portfolio, as long as these are of direct relevance to the needs of legal practice, commerce, industry, culture, society, and to the public and voluntary sectors. However, some level of dissemination will be required. While this does not necessarily require outputs to have been published in a conventional format, candidates must usually be able to demonstrate that their work has been made available to, or has conferred a benefit, beyond the individual’s own organisation.
While images, performances and artefacts can be considered for inclusion in the portfolio, in the context of law it is envisaged that outputs will predominantly be in a written format, such as:
- Driving or drafting of policies or procedures at national or international level e.g. via a leadership or draftsman role;
- Practice-related research or investigation carried out outside an academic context e.g. for a professional regulatory or organisation such as the Higher Education Academy;
- Judgments or arguments/opinions which advance or change the law or legal practice; and
- Outputs that have been adopted for use by a wider audience, locally, regionally, nationally or internationally, such as a legal profession or sub-section thereof.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
How you're taught
Successful applicants will work under the supervision of an academic expert to produce a unifying thesis (approximately 20,000 words). The thesis will engage critically with relevant theory and literature in the field, explain and contextualise the work, and demonstrate professional and/or organisational change as a direct result of the work.
The award is assessed by way of (a) the portfolio of work and unifying thesis; and (b) a viva voce examination.
Except for the viva voce examination, there is no requirement for attendance in Nottingham, though some candidates may choose to do so, in order to meet face to face with their supervisor
Careers and employability
Further details, including the profiles of current students undertaking Research degrees in Law, can be found on our Research degrees in Law page.
Entry requirements
UK students
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
International students
Unfortunately, this course is not open to international students
Additional requirements for international students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
How to apply
All applicants will be required to submit a proposal to the Doctoral School which will be considered by the relevant School Research Degrees Committee (SRDC).
The proposal would normally include:
a) Details of the existing body of published, established or creative work to be considered for the research award; and
b) A one-thousand-word statement which sets out the significant contribution to knowledge; and
c) A statement which outlines the applicant’s contribution to the body of the existing published or creative works.
The School Research Degrees Committee will make a recommendation to the Doctoral School regarding the admission of the candidate.
In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may be admitted with the approval of the University Research Degrees Committee (URDC).
Prior to submitting your proposal, please contact the course leader, Pamela Henderson, for initial review of your body of work.
Visit the Doctoral School’s step by step guide to make an application.
Please read our notes on the University’s commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
All applicants will be required to submit a proposal to the Doctoral School which will be considered by the relevant School Research Degrees Committee (SRDC).
The proposal would normally include:
a) Details of the existing body of published, established or creative work to be considered for the research award; and
b) A one-thousand-word statement which sets out the significant contribution to knowledge; and
c) A statement which outlines the applicant’s contribution to the body of the existing published or creative works.
The School Research Degrees Committee will make a recommendation to the Doctoral School regarding the admission of the candidate.
In exceptional circumstances, a candidate may be admitted with the approval of the University Research Degrees Committee (URDC).
Prior to submitting your proposal, please contact the course leader, Pamela Henderson, for initial review of your body of work.
Visit the Doctoral School’s step by step guide to make an application.
Please read our notes on the University’s commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.
