Doctor of Philosophy in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences

Purpose

This qualification will enable health-care professionals to function with advanced intellectual and research competencies in complex and ill-defined areas of health by focusing on a transdisciplinary team approach of comprehensive health and individual well-being across the total life span. Health-care professionals will also be given the opportunity to build on their mono-and multi-disciplinary knowledge-base through transdisciplinary health training. The qualification will equip health-care professionals with the ability to conduct high level research and make significant and original academic and professional/practice contributions in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences.

Successful completion of this qualification will also enable health care professionals from various disciplines to assist communities to exercise increasing control over and improvement of their own health and well-being. The health-care professionals will also be able to act as leaders, consultants, educators, specialist practitioners and researchers in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences.

This qualification will enable health care professionals to improve their leadership capabilities in transdisciplinary health.

Rationale

Sub-Saharan Africa faces many challenges regarding the health and well-being of its citizens. The countries in this region did not meet the millennium goals set for 2015 for the reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health and the combatting HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases. Medical costs have skyrocketed and the cost of treating preventable conditions is passed on to everyone through increased taxes and, in the future, health-insurance premiums. The context of health has changed and is complex and dynamic. There is greater emphasis on primary health-care delivery, access to health care for everyone and a community-based approach in the promotion of health, as well as a focus on overall well-being.

Health has become a wide-ranging field that encompasses every profession related to the health sciences, from nursing to fitness specialists. This phenomenon has an effect on society as a whole and necessitates a re-evaluation of the nature of access to and provision of health-care services. Working in this complex and dynamic field of health care can therefore be a challenge to health-care providers who were mainly trained in a single, illness-focused discipline and a structured environment of hospital and clinic services. Also there is a shift to holistic health care for all people across their lifespans through a transdisciplinary approach that provides health-care services to people where they are needed and with a focus on the individual's well-being.

In the AUTHeR research unit (Africa Unit for Transdisciplinary Health Research), a transdisciplinary, holistic approach towards health and well-being is being followed. The research unit is cognisant of the health continuum, ranging from pathology to optimal health and well-being. The Unit endorses the Constitution of the World Health Organisation's definition of health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". The relevance and importance of this approach lies in the understanding of health problems from different perspectives, integrated into a holistic approach to the solving of health problems and the enhancing of well-being. Researchers from different backgrounds (disciplines/scientific fields) get the opportunity to transcend separate conceptual, theoretical and methodological frameworks, and to share their ideas and results, thus enhancing knowledge in order to understand and alleviate health problems and enhancing well-being, resulting in an improved quality of life. The Unit further believes that when people understand the factors that affect their health, they become empowered to improve their health through changed habits and behaviours. Therefore it is expected of health professionals to ensure a healthy community is maintained and to take responsibility for their own well-being, as well as that of their communities.

At present, there are many health-care professionals who are working in health-care environments that require changes in the provision of health care and the role of each health-care professional within a health team tends to become vague. However, the healthcare in the present context is integrated and often requires transdisciplinary approaches. Also, there have been several requests from learners in Health Sciences programmes and health-care professionals to integrate the various disciplines so as to enable them to act in a proactive manner to be able to enhance the holistic health and well-being of individuals.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences will therefore be accessible to all health-care professionals with a Master's Degree in Health Sciences or health-related disciplines and will provide health-care professionals with the expertise to fill this gap in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and help them to make the transition into the present changed, complex and dynamic world of health and well-being. This qualification will enable learners to gain first-hand experience of how to operate within a transdisciplinary team and how to apply their skills within the boundaries of such a team.

The input from professionals and promoters from different disciplines, as well as input on forums from fellow students will promote the importance of transdisciplinary team work. Successful completion of this qualification will therefore enable health-care professionals from various disciplines to assist communities to exercise increasing control over and improvement of their own health and well-being, by applying the knowledge they have gained. The health-care professionals will also be able to act as leaders, consultants, educators, specialist practitioners and researchers in transdisciplinary health sciences. It will afford them the opportunity to be actively involved in transdisciplinary health research. The qualification is in line with international trends, as universities worldwide are offering transdisciplinary programmes to address the complexity of health care.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL)

Principles of RPL assessment

The assessment processes involved with RPL are the same as those followed for awarding credits in a formal setting. An RPL candidate seeking credits for previously acquired skills and knowledge must still comply with all the requirements as stated in learning modules and learning programmes and qualifications. The difference is the route to the assessment. RPL assessment takes a holistic view of the process of assessment where the context of the learning as well as the context of the person who is being assessed is taken into account. Some of the principles applied in contexts where a holistic view of assessment is implemented, are:

• Subscription to the principle of and values of human development and life-long learning. This supports the RPL purposes to access, equity and redress for people who would prefer to further their studies.
• Allocation of a high priority to learner-centred support systems that will assist in the preparation for assessment. Selection of the assessment methods will be based on contexts and practicability; they must be agreed upon by the assessor and the candidate - in other words, they must be "fit for purpose" assessment methods.
• A learner-centred and developmental approach where assessments are not used to penalise candidates for what they don't know, but to shape and form decisions around educational planning.
• The recognition of the rich diversity of knowledge and learning styles which candidates bring into an assessment process. Some students perform best in acting, hands-on, searching from available materials rather than memorise sources of information. A holistic approach to assessment considers all these principles.

RPL processes and procedures

The Faculty of Health Sciences endorses the view that Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) constitutes an essential element of the transformation of access and admissions policies at higher education institutions in South Africa. The transformation of access and admissions policies is intended to increase participation and to broaden access to higher education in order to produce graduates with the skills and competencies necessary to meet the human resource needs of the country. Therefore, should a candidate apply for admission without the stated admission requirements, a comparison will be made of the previous learning and experience of the candidate, howsoever obtained, against the learning outcomes required for this specific qualification, and a candidate can be accepted for purposes of the qualification if he/she meets all the requirements.

The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be conducted in a valid, reliable and equitable way and that it will form part of the existing policy on the admission and credit accommodation to prospective or current students at this institution. An applicant's prior learning is evaluated in accordance with the relevant procedures, and the applicant is found either competent or not yet competent.

Entry Requirements

The admission requirement to this Doctoral Degree is a Master's Degree in Transdisciplinary Health Sciences or a health-related discipline at Level 9.

This qualification comprises one compulsory module at Level 10.

• Thesis: Transdisciplinary Health Sciences, 360 Credits.

Demonstrate advanced, systematic and specialist knowledge, understanding and skills to undertake research on individual, community and/or interdisciplinary level by applying appropriate research methods and techniques to identify, analyse and formulate complex real-world research problem(s) in the domain of transdisciplinary health promotion and to communicate and defend, orally and in writing, substantial ideas.

• Demonstrate critical knowledge and critical understanding of international and national population trends and community needs; evaluate these trends and needs and arrive at conclusions, with special focus on health promotion, both globally and in South Africa.
• Undertake and prepare a critical and relevant literature survey; apply theories and specialised tools and techniques to identify and analyse complex real-world health problems and draw valid, reliable and relevant conclusions from different sources.
• Defend results of the research effectively and ethically in a thesis and present this verbally to specialist and non-specialist audiences using the resources of an academic-professional discourse and using Information and Technology.
• Critically synthesise and evaluate existing and new data and compose research articles for publication in accredited national and/or international journals.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across all the Exit Level Outcomes

• Perform a critical analysis of applied theory and use specialised tools and techniques with specific reference to the knowledge of transdisciplinary health and how it relates to the research topic.
• Show understanding of national and international population trends and community needs and provide solutions to the health and well-being of individuals from an integrated transdisciplinary approach.
• Defend the approved research topic in the form of an oral and written presentation of the research proposal.
• Successfully defend the results of the thesis to an audience of specialists and non-specialists by critically reviewing the assessments and professional applications.
• Make an original, in-depth and publishable academic contribution to the selected field of interdisciplinary health research produced in a thesis or in a series of (four or five) subject-related journal articles accepted and/or published in a journal of international standard.

Integrated Assessment

The institution's assessment policy requires that assessment in qualifications be based on the following premise: The assessment approach of the institution is one of appropriate, continuous formative and summative assessment activities within an outcomes- and source-based higher education environment.

According to the General Academic Rules of the institution for Doctoral Degrees, the required structure of a Doctoral Degree is prescribed by faculty rules provided that the research product submitted for examination, makes a distinct contribution to the knowledge of and insight into a subject field and produces proof of originality, either by the revelation of new facts or by the exercising of an independent critical value judgment. For this qualification, the student may either submit a thesis or write a series of original articles for publication. These outputs will be assessed according to very specific criteria, in line with the institution's standards and the Faculty's requirements for (Doctor of Philosophy) PhD research outputs.

Summative Assessment: The thesis will be assessed by at least three examiners (one internal examiner, and two external examiners. (The inclusion of an international examiner is advised).

Formative Assessment: As part of the formative assessment the candidate should be able to

• Formulate and defend a research proposal.
• Defend the proposed study to a research committee of the research entity and the scientific ethics committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
• Defend the results of the study to a research committee of the research entity and the ethics committee of the Faculty of Health Sciences.
• Take part in four to six weekly discussion sessions with promoter/s.