Institute of Technology or Polytechnic
Otago PolytechnicDoctor of Professional Practice
This course is available
Online
Level of Study
Doctoral Degree
Duration
3 years
Next start date
Expected Dec 2026
Campus
Dunedin Campus
Summary
Perfect for you if you are an expert in your field and want to create new knowledge in your area. This course is self-directed where you will reflect on your own experience and investigate your chosen issue.
About the programmeAre you an advanced practitioner who is ready to achieve a doctoral qualification while making a significant contribution to their organisation, hapū, iwi, community or professional area? This programme is delivered through our assessment of prior learning centre, Capable NZ.
The Doctor of Professional Practice captures emergent knowledge relevant to the candidate’s work and relevant for work contexts, integrating work-based knowledge with disciplinary knowledge to create new knowledge. All professional doctorates share significant features: the study is focused on generating substantial original knowledge from and about practices within a professional setting and combining it with formal disciplinary knowledge.
New synthesised knowledge informs the candidate, the organisation, the field of practice and the profession. This innovative and advanced educational programme aims to enable candidates to create new knowledge for and about New Zealand’s workplaces through applied practice and research projects; thereby facilitating the development of their personal and professional practice as leaders of practice.
Our goal is to help you design and then achieve new professional and personal learning goals, over a three year (full-time) enrolment period. These goals will be identified by you.
There are no taught courses in this programme; instead it is self-directed and you will be provided with academic support staff who will work with you by combining distance and face-to-face learning, supported by online resources. The programme will attract learners who are self-managing and highly motivated, already skilled in initiating and maximising learning opportunities.
They have well-developed higher-level thinking skills; critical as well as strategic thinkers, with global as well as organisational perspectives. They may have already investigated complex problems; they may be recognized experts in a field, as well as change agents for new and innovative practices.
They may have already demonstrated leadership and the capability to influence others. They are able to articulate their professional practice and propose innovative change with informed ideas.
Studying part-timeWe know that full-time study isn't always possible. This programme will take between three to four years to study full-time but we offer a part-time option which can take up to seven years.
Entry criteria
The Doctor of Professional Practice is a competitive entry programme, with a limited numbers of candidates accepted in any one year.
Academic requirementsProspective candidates must have: a Master’s qualification at the standard of Excellence or Credit, or the equivalent (eg A or B grade, Honours 1 or 2), and evidence to the satisfaction of the Research and Post-Graduate Committee to demonstrate: extensive professional experience of an appropriate kind, relevant to the stated field of practice (for example 7-10 years) ability and willingness to successfully undertake a self-managed academic process; an established professional relationship and/or employment/self-employment with the opportunity to undertake projects, inquiries or other work-based activity; demonstrated academic writing and researching skills at postgraduate level.
Additionally, acceptance as a doctoral student will be after developing a research proposal and undertaking an interview with representatives of the Doctor of Professional Practice programme committee.
It will also depend on the availability of academic mentoring in the area of the candidate’s research interests.
International equivalenceTo enter Otago Polytechnic's undergraduate certificates, diplomas and degrees, you need to have achieved a secondary school qualification that is equivalent to New Zealand's NCEA levels (National Certificate of Educational Achievement).
This information is available by country on our Equivalent academic entry requirements page.
English Language requirementsIf English is not your first language, you must provide: New Zealand University Entrance OR Overall Academic IELTS 6.5 with no individual band score lower than 6.0 (achieved in one test completed in the last two years), OR Acceptable alternative evidence of the required IELTS (see here for internationally recognised proficiency tests and proficiency outcomes for international students).
If you need to improve your English Language skills, we offer a wide range of English programmes.
Disclaimer
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Please note that degrees and qualifications earned via remote or distance learning are excluded from the overseas credential evaluation and recognition services provided by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE). For more information, please contact CSCSE directly: +86-10-62677800 (phone) or visit their website(external link that opens in a new tab).
You can learn more about international recognition of New Zealand qualifications on the NZQA website.