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The University of Southampton
Health SciencesPostgraduate study

Doctorate in Clinical Practice

PLEASE NOTE CLOSED TO ADMISSIONS

The Doctorate in Clinical Practice (DClinP) is for experienced health and social care practitioners who wish to pursue a high level career in clinical practice.

It takes three to four years to complete full time, and between four and seven years to complete part time.

Introducing your degree

From day one of this interprofessional doctorate in Clinical Practice, you will be working alongside research supervisors who will give you the skills and experience to succeed. Ultimately, this course will equip you with the applied skills and knowledge for high-level leadership and strategic healthcare roles anywhere in the world. The course comprises both a modular taught component and a major piece of clinically focused research leading to submission of a thesis and a viva. This programme is run in conjunction with the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR), which has a world-class reputation for using technology to improve quality of life.

Level: 8

Duration: three to four years full time; four to seven years part time

This Doctorate in Clinical Practice uses the Researcher Development Framework to enable you to develop your skills: particularly those of analysis, interpretation and application.

Throughout this clinical doctorate you will also become better at systematically acquiring new knowledge, and also at explaining your findings to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, the University of Southampton was rated a very creditable second place in the country for its nursing activities.

As a member of our research community you will be one of the drivers of continuing success.

View the programme specification document for this course

To Apply

You can apply to register to undertake a postgraduate degree using the online postgraduate application process. 

For further information on this clinical doctorate programme, please contact: DClinP Programme Lead: Tracey Harding.

Clinical doctorate applicants must submit an outline research proposal which fits the research interests of the Faculty. Academic references are required and applicants will be interviewed.

Applications must be submitted by 1st June, with the programme commencing annually on 1st October. (Late applications may be considered).

Students wishing to be supervised by the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research need to select ISVR during their online application.

Key facts

The programme is for health and social care practitioners who wish to develop careers that span clinical practice and research.

Photo of Wanicha Pungchompoo
I chose Southampton because of the University’s reputation in Health Sciences and its renowned Palliative and End of Life Care Research Group. When I return to Thailand I plan to use the knowledge I’ve gained here to help improve the quality of life for my patients.
Wanicha PungchompooDoctorate in Clinical Practice

Typical entry requirements

Upper second-class honours degree or higher in a relevant subject and/or a higher degree in a health related subject (or an equivalent standard in other qualifications approved by the University); plus a professional qualification leading to registration with the appropriate professional body, and a minimum of three years relevant clinical/professional practice.

Selection process

An outline research proposal which fits the research interests of the Faculty.

Satisfactory academic references.

Clinical doctorate candidates whose first language is not English are also required to reach a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English. In Health Sciences, the minimum requirements for English Language IELTS scores for international students applying for a postgraduate research programme are:

Direct entry: 6.5 IELTS overall and a minimum of 6.0 in each discipline (reading, writing, listening and speaking). In addition, applicants will be encouraged to complete a 6 week pre-sessional English Language Programme.

6.0 IELTS overall and a minimum of 5.5 in each discipline: Applicants must successfully complete the 6 week pre-sessional English Language Programme, before starting their postgraduate research programme on 1st October.

5.5 IELTS overall and a minimum of 5.0 in each discipline: Applicants must successfully complete the 10 week pre-sessional English Language Programme, before starting their postgraduate research programme on 1st October.

Please note that students who do not pass the pre-sessional programme will have failed their conditions of offer for the clinical doctorate programme and will not be permitted to start the postgraduate research programme.

This page contains specific entry requirements for this course. Find out about equivalent entry requirements and qualifications for your country.

Typical course content

This Doctorate in Clinical Practice (DClinP) is made up of core and option modules.

The core modules focus on: research skills, clinical leadership and service development, decision making, developing research in practice, and governance.

You then choose your option modules from a range offered within the University.

For all taught modules there will be between five and 15 study days led by experts in their field. Most modules are time tabled over five module days.

Throughout this clinical doctorate your learning will be assessed by the programme lead to ensure that you are making satisfactory progress.

You will undertake a research project, during which you will work closely with a supervisory team to conduct a piece of research and produce a thesis.

Each module on this clinical doctorate is assessed independently. Some link directly to the research project, others to clinical/professional development. The core modules are listed below. Option module(s) 40 credits (L7) are also taken.

The taught programme consists of 90 ECTS points (50 at doctoral level and 40 at Master's level) to be gained through a combination of core modules, some of which may be chosen from the portfolio of modules offered by the Faculty. The programme comprises five core modules, with a further 20 ECTS points being selected from an approved range of modules offered within the University provided their place in a cohesive personal pathway is justified.

You may choose to take EITHER the level 7 core module The Essence of Decision Making OR the level 7 core module Diagnostic Assessment and Decision Making.

HLTH8011 Leading, Implementing and Communicating Research

HLTH6095 People, Politics, Practice: Contextualising Health Care Research

HLTH6118 Governance in Action

HLTH8009 Leading Innovative Services for Quality Improvement

HLTH6079 The Essence of Decision Making

OR

HLTH6074 Diagnostic Decision Assessment and Decision Making

HLTH6124 Research Thesis

Tuition fees

Fees for postgraduate research degrees vary across the University. All fees are listed for UK, EU and international full-time and part-time students alphabetically by course name.

Postgraduate Fees

Scholarships, bursaries, sponsorships or grants may be available to support you through your course. Funding opportunities available to you are linked to your subject area and/or your country of origin. These can be from the University of Southampton or other sources.

Explore funding opportunities

Study locations

University of Southampton

University of Southampton Highfield Campus

Based on the University's main Highfield campus, Health Sciences is si...Find out more

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