Professional Doctorate in Ecological Building Practices

This programme was validated in February 2009 and is commencing with the first cohort of candidates in April 2009 from the UK, Canada and Sierra Leone.

This professional doctoral research degree offers the opportunity to explore and develop practice in relation to environmental issues and is open to those working in the built environment professions of architecture, building and construction, planning, development, engineering, production industrial and manufacturing design, and others whose work can or could relate specifically to an ecological or sustainable built environment.

The Professional Doctorate in Ecological Building Practices is managed and delivered in collaborative provision between the University of Wales Institute Cardiff's School of Art & Design (CSAD) and the Graduate School for the Environment, Centre for Alternative Technology (GSECAT). GSECAT is regarded as Europe's leading eco-centre and has been engaged in practical research in the environment and sustainability for over 30 years.

The Professional Doctorate degree recognises contribution at a doctoral level to professional knowledge, products or processes, and which is at the forefront of the discipline. Unlike a traditional PhD the Professional Doctorate is based largely around practice, with short attendance periods at either GSECAT or UWIC. The delivery is also supported by the UWIC Virtual Learning Environment.

The programme is modular, there are two parts, it is customised around the individual and there two entry points. Part A is at Masters Level and Part B is at Doctoral Level. Student entry A is for students without a Masters, or without 120 credits at Postgraduate level and therefore they enrol on the MSc programme in Ecological Building Practices and transfer to the Doctorate after completing 120 credits. Student entry B is for students who already have 120 Postgraduate credits. However, for the latter students if they have not undertaken a Research Methods module, with the same or similar content as that which is part of the MSc in Ecological Building Practices then they must undertake the Research Methods module from the UWIC validated programme, after undertaking the Contextualising Professional Change module.

All the modules, at Part A or Part B will be usually delivered over two days for face-to-face tuition (supported by the UWIC VLE for additional lectures and workshops) and are scheduled to suit working professionals (Friday/Saturday attendance). There are three exceptions: EBP14 and EBP18 from the MSc and Contextualising Professional Change at Part Two. Modules include seminars, lectures, workshops, tutorials, presentations and other research events at GSECAT and UWIC, with a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment to support students throughout their studies. All modules have extensive learning materials available online.

Part B is comprised of three research modules. Each forms an integral part of the doctoral degree and a continuation of the Professional Development Portfolio module, which is undertaken twice, see Figure 1 above. The outcome of these modules is a thesis, which may be supported by, and relate to, the work produced during the period of enrolment on the programme. Examples of supporting work could be drawings, computer programs, planning or legislative documents, results and analysis of physical testing, models, or design and subsequent analysis of buildings and processes of building. The thesis will specifically relate to practice in the environmental context. Part B will usually take between two and four years of study.

Entry qualifications;
For both entry points candidates must be working in a field which relates specifically to an ecological or sustainable built environment.

Part 1 - An honours degree (or equivalent) from an approved University

Part 2 - one of the following;

i. The successful completion of Part

ii. A masters degree of an approved University obtained by research or advanced study

iii. Completion of a minimum of one year full time or two years part time supervised postgraduate work in the same academic discipline
iv. Satisfactory evidence equivalent to ii. or iii above that the applicant has sufficient relevant expertise, experience or qualification beyond graduation for the purposes of completing the Professional Doctorate in the times stated below.

In each of the above cases the Research Degrees Committee will require satisfactory evidence that the applicant will be able to complete the Professional Doctorate in a minimum of 2 years full-time and 3 years part-time.

Further information can be found from Dr John Littlewood and Dr Simon Tucker.