Doctorate (PhD)
School of Health Sciences
Are you interested in a research-based degree in the field of Physiotherapy? The University of Notre Dame Australia is dedicated to building a solid and innovative research culture. The Doctor of Physiotherapy Research fits within the category of a professional doctoral degree and, as a research degree, is suitable if you aspire to the highest academic achievement with a particular emphasis on the context of professional practice. Your professional doctorate provides an extension of research training and is likely, through a research thesis of approximately 80,000 words, to examine crucial issues and developments within the profession.
The following criteria apply to students seeking admission to the Professional Doctorate program:
You may be required to demonstrate an ability to understand and communicate in both written and spoken English at a level adequate for the purpose of pursuing the program of study.
The Professional Doctorate is a research degree designed to meet the needs of professionals who aspire to achieve academic excellence and lead the development of knowledge within their profession. The program seeks to examine crucial professional topics and integrate professional experience with scholarly inquiry.
In particular, it aims to generate a research-based approach, providing answers to questions relevant to the professions or industry and encouraging a systematic way of collecting, analysing and interpreting data. For this reason, we recommend you seek the support of a relevant professional body, employer or industry group in defining your research area.
Depending on your research topic, a Doctor of Physiotherapy can lead to careers such as a physiotherapist, or clinical laboratory scientist.
The Professional Doctorate comprises coursework and a substantial research component leading to the submission of a thesis. The coursework component includes four compulsory research training courses to be completed as a prerequisite to your individual research project. The coursework will provide opportunities for you to formulate substantial elements of your planned research (e.g. topic refinement, identification and justification of the preferred research method(s), preparation of a draft proposal), and to develop personal competencies in critical analysis and scholarly writing relevant to your profession.
The completion of the coursework is facilitated by a course delivery schedule which takes into consideration that you may also be in employment during your candidature.
Full details of the program are contained in the Program Requirements.
More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions page.