Quality Assurance and Doctoral Education: A Case study -

England

Janet Bohrer

QAA

Quality Assurance: formal engagement

• QAA: revision of section one Code of practice (influences included Improving Standards in RDPs HEFCE 2002 and joint skills statement by the research councils)

- Special review of research degree programmes - Incorporated in the revised institutional audit

process from 2006• Other: Bologna Process, international

dimensions, sector wide discussions e.g. Redefining the Doctorate (Park 2007)

Understanding Context

• Frameworks developed and revised through sector wide discussion and consultation• QAA Discussion paper included 18 questions;

- Q7-10: summary report to working group revising the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ published August 2008)

• Feedback / benchmarking- HEFCE Qualification rates- HEA Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) - i-graduate, international student barometer- Reports from representative bodies e.g. UUK, UKCGE,

RCUK

Personal experience

• Doctoral School• Code of Practice• Access to library• Access to courses• Events

• Motivations • Feedback

• Doctoral Poster Event Feb 2009

Some Challenges

• Nature of ‘doctorateness’- Professional doctorate

• Joint doctorates

• Perception of quality – ‘value for money’ internationally

References

• The Society for Research into Higher Education ‘The Doctorate Worldwide’ edited by S Powell and H Green. Open university press

• HEFCE 2002 Improving Standards in Postgraduate Degree Programmes www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/2002/rd11_02

• HEA Report (2007) ‘Redefining the Doctorate’ Chris Park www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/research/redefining_the_doctorate.pdf

• QAA Discussion Paper about doctoral programmes www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/doctoralProg/progressMarch08.asp

• HEFCE Qualification entry and completion www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2007/07_28/ http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09_04/ 

• HEA Postgraduate Research Experience Survey www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/surveys/pres

• HEPI www.hepi.ac.uk/pubs.asp?DOC=Reports • Institute of Education www.ioe.ac.uk