Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences Education

Purpose

After completing the programme the students will have mastered the skills to be independent researchers. The programme will address the needs of a variety of stakeholders, including institutions where Health Sciences are taught, all of whom require knowledgeable teachers and researchers and leaders in the field of Health Sciences Education. This programme has the potential to inform national and even international policy decisions on Health Sciences Education. Given the above, the health services of the country and the continent will eventually benefit from the programme.

Rationale

In most parts of Africa health sciences education is provided by discipline-trained clinicians or scientists who do not have any formal educational training. Few universities have medical education departments and most health professions educators train by "intuition". In order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Africa requires one million additional, well trained health care workers. In an effort to partially address this challenge, a Masters programme in Health Sciences Education (MPhil in HSE) was implemented at Stellenbosch University in 2008. To date 40 health professionals have enrolled in this programme. It became apparent that a significant number of these students developed a keen interest in educational research and wish to pursue such interest at doctoral level.

The National Plan for Higher Education indicates that research plays a key role in the production, advancement and dissemination of knowledge and the development of high level human resources. Health Sciences Education is a recent field of study in South Africa and this programme will contribute towards establishing standards of excellence in Health Sciences Education research at national and international level.

It is believed that a cadre of highly skilled health professionals will ensure optimal training of under and postgraduate health sciences students, which should have a beneficial impact on health care delivery in South Africa and the rest of the African continent.

It is assumed that learners are competent in Health Sciences Education at NQF Level 9.

Access to the Qualification

• Masters of Philosophy: Health Sciences Education.
• Masters of Philosophy: Higher Education.
• Other equivalent Masters degree.

A dissertation of 360 credits.

• Demonstrate critical insight, maturity of judgment and experience to undertake independent advanced study and original research in a specialised field of knowledge.
• Generate new knowledge, understanding and insight, and exploring uncharted territory in a chosen field.
• Apply specialised knowledge in the relevant context.
• Undertake independent advanced study and original research in Health Sciences Education.
• Engage in academic discourse within the national and international community of scholars in this particular field.
• Generate and defend a comprehensive and new knowledge base in the area of study.
• Produce a scientifically sound and original research dissertation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes

• The research field and its implications are critically evaluated, analysed and justified in a research report.
• A research proposal is compiled in accordance with the institutional research policies and procedural criteria.
• The proposal is presented according to the institutional research policies and procedural criteria.
• Medical and research ethics and legal issues pertinent to research in technology are critically reflected on, included in the proposal and adhered to during the research process.
• Relevant and recent information on the research area is gathered from a wide variety of sources.
• Information is critically analysed, evaluated and discussed in a detailed literature review.
• Appropriate research design and methodology are selected, described, justified and defended in terms of the research topic.
• Data is analysed using the relevant statistical tools.
• The dissertation is written up according to the institutional research policies and procedural criteria.
• Findings are communicated to peers through oral/poster presentations and/or institutional seminars and publications.

Integrated Assessment

Assessment is aligned with the University's policy for the assessment of doctoral studies and involves the submission of a doctoral dissertation which will be examined by at least three unattached examiners appointed by Senate on the recommendation of the Faculty Board. At least two examiners will be external (i.e. not employed by the University). Each of the examiners will submit a written, signed report on the dissertation, which will be reviewed by the Faculty's Committee for Postgraduate Training (CPT), which will make a recommendation to the Faculty Board, which will, after review, make a final recommendation to Senate.

The dissertation must reflect original research that makes a significant contribution to the field of Health Sciences Education at the international level.

An oral examination shall in general be required for the doctoral degree. Such oral examination shall be conducted by at least two of the three examiners.