BACKGROUNDER

FacultyofHealthDisciplines•NewDoctoralProgramsSuiteJuly4,2019

AU’sFacultyofHealthDisciplinesistakingthestepstoofferasuiteoffivedoctoralprograms,buildingoncurrentmaster’sandpost-master’sdegreeprograms.Thesedoctoralprogramsrespondtogrowingsocietal,healthcareandlearnerneedsforadvancedcredentialsinthehealthdisciplines.

Theprogramswillbeoffereddigitallyandincommunity,removingmanyofthetime-and-placebarriersinherentintraditionaldoctoralprograms.FHDproposestoofferfivenewdoctoralprograms:

§ DoctoralStudiesinHealth:PostMastersCertificate(DSH:PMC)§ DoctorofHealthStudies(DHS)§ DoctorofNursing(DN)§ DoctorofPsychology(DPsych)§ DoctorofPhilosophyinHealthDisciplines(PhD)

PROGRAMDEVELOPMENTTIMELINE—currentlyintheduediligencephase.ManyapprovalsareoutsideFHD’scontrol;however,thegoalistooffertheDoctoralStudiesinHealth:PostMastersCertificatein2021,followedbytheprofessionaldoctoratesandPhDoneyearlater.

PROGRAM ATAGLANCEDoctoralStudiesinHealth:PostMastersCertificate(DSH:PMC)

§ prerequisitefortheDHS,DNP,DPsychandPhDinHealthDisciplines§ firstofitskindinCanada§ one-year,fixed-courseprogram(September–June)§ commonfirstyearofstudyforallstudentscompletingoneofthenewFHD

doctoralprograms;studentsbegintheirdoctoralprogramjourneywithamanageableone-yearcommitmentendingwithacredential

§ alsocanbecompletedasastandalonecredential§ buildsafoundationofdoctoral-levelknowledgeandskillsthatmaybeused

forcareerpurposes,ortocontinueonwithadvancedstudy

DoctorofHealthStudies(DHS)

§ professionaldoctorate§ interdisciplinaryandfocusingonreal-worldapplicationofthehealth

disciplinestocontemporaryproblemswithinthefieldofhealth§ respondstothegrowingdemandforscholar-practitioners§ idealformaster’sdegree-preparedindividualswhoholdadegreeinhealth

studiesorarelatedhealthdiscipline,andwhoseektofurthertheirappliedresearchandscholarship

§ ofparticularinteresttooccupational,physicalandrecreationtherapists,socialworkers,kinesiologists,pharmacistsandhealthpromotionspecialists

DoctorofNursing(DN)

§ professionaldoctorate§ developsinnovativeleaderswellpreparedtocontributetothecomplex

Canadianhealthcaresysteminadigitalage§ graduateswillhaveskillsinknowledgesynthesisandtranslationthatwill

enablethemtoleadhealthsystemsandeducatefutureprofessionals§ doesnotleadtolicensureasanNP§ studentswillalreadybepracticingnurses,nursepractitioners,healthcare

administratorsornursingeducators

DoctorofPsychology(DPsych)

§ professionaldoctorate§ forindividualswithmaster’sdegreesinprofessionalpsychologyandwhoare

already-licensedandpracticingclinicians§ explorescholarship,leadershipandadvocacyinthecontextoftheirownwork§ advancedclinicalsupervisionthroughinnovativevirtualinternships

DoctorofPhilosophyinHealthDisciplines(PhD)

§ preparestheprofessionalhealthresearcherforacareerinresearchandacademia

§ servinghealthprofessionalslivingindiverseregionsandcommunitiescurrentlyunder-representedintraditionaldoctoralprogramsinCanada

PROFESSIONALDOCTORATES—research-basedandpractice-oriented,respondingtothechanginglandscapeofdoctoraleducation,andthegrowingneedforworkingprofessionalstobalanceadvancededucationwithcareerandfamilycommitments.

DISSERTATIONBYPORTFOLIO—demonstratesthebodyofworkalearnerhascompletedintheirdoctoralprogram,relevanttotheirownprofessionalandacademicworkandsupportingdiverseapproachestoknowledgecreation,mobilizationanddissemination.

CLINICALPRACTICE—AUisdevelopinganewwayofconsideringhowinternshipscanworkbetterforlearners,includingexploringhowavirtualinternshipmightfitintheCanadianlandscape.