Doctor of Professional Practice in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DProf TESOL) – Online September 2025, January 2026 entry

The Doctor of Professional Practice (DProf) in TESOL programme is designed for educational practitioners who wish to conduct practice-focused research within their professional context.

This is a part-time, online programme at PhD level for experienced professionals who are seeking to effect positive change within educational organisations.

Start date
15 September 2025 or 27 January 2026
End date
Depends on course duration
Duration
Six years part time or five years if eligible for direct entry to second year
School
International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI)
Apply now Register your interest

Course type

Postgraduate professional doctorate, leading to a Doctor of Professional Practice (DProf) award.

Entry requirements

  • Good performance on a postgraduate degree in TESOL, for example, MSc, MA or MEd) or a related subject such as education, educational research. The Institute also considers applicants who do not have a Master’s degree but can evidence significant professional experience combined with alternative qualifications at postgraduate level.
  • Evidence of relevant professional experience, as presented in application documents.
  • English language proficiency. See English language requirements for postgraduate students. Applicants who need to provide an English test score should refer to profile 7-D for details of acceptable tests and scores.

You do not need to provide a full research proposal to apply for this programme. The initial stage of the DProf TESOL will guide you through developing a proposal.

This is a six-year programme that allows for entry into either first year or second year. Entry to second year will be considered for applicants who can evidence excellent performance on a relevant Masters programme in addition to significant professional experience. To enquire about eligibility for second year entry, please send a transcript and description of your professional experience to ielli-dprof@st-andrews.ac.uk.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. If you require further information about entrance requirements for this programme, please email ielli-dprof@st-andrews.ac.uk.

Application deadline

  • Monday 4 August 2025 for September 2025 entry
  • Thursday 8 December 2025 for January 2026 entry

Application requirements

  • a CV containing your personal details with a history of your education and employment, paid or voluntary, to date, as well as any publications or conference presentations delivered
  • a personal statement  of 500 to 1000 words that describes your professional context, your reasons for applying to the programme, and possible areas of focus for your research, with an explanation of why these are relevant to your professional context
  • two references, at least one of which must be academic
  • academic transcripts and degree certificates
  • a sample of your academic writing, for example, an assignment from a previous degree programme or a published academic article or report

Evidence of English language proficiency is required if English is not your first language. If you have not yet taken an English language test, this can be submitted at a later date. Any offer of a place would then be conditional on attaining evidence of your English language competence. Applicants who need to provide an English test score should refer to profile 7-D for details of acceptable tests and scores.

Course details

The Doctor of Professional Practice (DProf) in TESOL programme is designed for educational practitioners who wish to conduct practice-focused research within their professional context. This is a part-time, online programme at PhD level for experienced professionals who aspire to, or are already working in, leadership roles within educational organisations, or who wish to advance their classroom practice through research.

During your studies on the programme, you will develop research skills through taught modules and by producing a portfolio of scholarly work such as journal articles, edited book chapters, CPD materials, or policy documents. This portfolio will contribute to the enhancement of practice within your educational community, while also developing your professional profile.

Highlights

  • A flexible online structure that allows you to engage in study alongside professional and personal commitments
  • The ability to complete doctoral research focused specifically on TESOL
  • A focus on practice-based research that benefits your professional context
  • The gradual development of a portfolio of scholarly work, which will enhance your professional profile during the programme
  • Support in applying for professional recognition, where appropriate, for example, HEA and BALEAP fellowships
  • The opportunity to engage with professional development opportunities within the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute and the wider University

Programme structure

The DProf TESOL has two main components, making up a total of 540 credits for the programme:

  • Supplementary studies: 120 credits. 60 of these may be awarded as Advanced Standing Credits for students who enter directly into second year.
  • A portfolio that consists of:
    • professional projects: 360 credits
    • an integrative critical analysis: 60 credits

Supplementary studies

You will choose taught modules at Masters level over the initial four semesters of the programme, or three semesters for students who enter into second year.

Modules

The supplementary studies modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue.

If you are a first-year entry student, you will take all four modules from the following list.

If you are a second-year entry student who has completed an MSc TESOL qualification at the University of St Andrews or a masters with a similar curriculum, you will take Being a Doctoral Practitioner, Planning Professional Projects, and then choose another 30 credits.

If you are a second-year entry student who has not completed an MSc TESOL qualification at the University of St Andrews, you will take all four modules from the following list.

  • ET5641 Being a doctoral practitioner: provides you with an overview of expectations for students on the DProf programme, and for professional doctorates in general. Through the module, you will analyse the skills and foundational knowledge needed to complete your studies, for example, methodologies for conducting classroom-based research and understandings of researcher-practitioner identity, and work towards developing a personal toolkit of skills and knowledge for success as a doctoral practitioner. You will also consider in detail key concepts relevant to the programme, such as reflective practice, explorative practice and appreciative inquiry.
  • ET5642 Planning for professional projects: provides support in planning out a full proposal for the professional projects component of your portfolio, as well as mapping out a timeline for successful completion of all aspects of the DProf programme. You will consider what the different outputs that make up your professional projects should be and how these will form a thematically coherent body of research. You will also reflect on likely challenges you will face during the programme and how you will address these.
  • ET5605 Action research for educational practitioners: provides a learning experience in which you can reflect on concepts and theories you are studying in other modules and connect them with classroom practice. The module explores the combined value of reflection and action research for classroom practitioners, providing a means for language teachers to understand their classroom contexts and to plan responses to challenges in these contexts.
  • ET5604 Education and researching: teachers are increasingly expected to be evidence-informed or even evidence-led, consuming, creating and sharing research. This module addresses how we evaluate the quality of research to decide what is rigorous and informative for our practice, how we can build on existing research when planning our own interventions, and how to design, pilot and reflect on the effectiveness of different data collection instruments. We consider a range of research contexts and values to help you actively engage with pedagogical research.
  • ET5643 Self-directed study A and ET5644 Self-directed study B: These double-sized modules are intended to support you through developing and enacting a self-directed study on TESOL. The module assessment is self contained but may support the development of research skills or knowledge that will inform the later doctoral portfolio. This module is intended for those practitioners who already have a strong focus in their research plan and want to learn about a methodology or topic in greater depth, such as completing a pilot study or action research cycle. You will be supported through identifying issues and discourses in an area of practice, devising a small-scale study with a coherent methodology and underpinning philosophical stances, resulting in an output which draws connections between theory and practice.

The modules listed here are indicative and choices are regularly updated at module catalogue.

DProf TESOL students have access to the full range of Masters-level modules offered in the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute, drawing upon our TESOL and International Education masters as well as the four doctoral-only modules, ET5641-4. If you are a first-year entry student, you will have free choice of 60 credits. Students skipping the first year through Advanced Standing will consult with their supervisor as to whether ET5604 and ET5605 are required or if these can be replaced with optional modules.

Semester 1 choices include:

  • ET5601 Second Language Acquisition
  • ET5602 Linguistics for language teachers
  • ET5603 Language Teaching Methodology
  • ET5607 Leadership and Management in International Education
  • ET5608 Trends and Policies in International Education
  • ET5626 Online Programme Design
  • ET5643 and ET5644 Self-Directed Study A/B

Semester two choices include:

  • ET5606 Organisational Development in International Education
  • ET5621 Teaching EAP
  • ET5622 Assessment and Evaluation in Education
  • ET5623 Technology for Teaching
  • ET5624 English Medium Instruction
  • ET5625 Teaching Young Learners
  • ET5643 and ET5644 Self-Directed Study A/B

The modules listed here are indicative. There is no guarantee they will run for 2025-2026 entry. A list of the most up-to-date modules is available in the module catalogue.

Teaching

The modules are delivered in a variety of ways, such as:

  • recorded lectures
  • recorded mini-lectures
  • podcasts
  • online written forums with students resident in other parts of the world
  • intensive feedback sessions on your work

In these modules, you will integrate theory and practice by discussing and critiquing theoretical concepts and frameworks and applying them through a range of practical assessments.

Assessments include:

  • a variety of different types of written assignments
  • presentations
  • development of teaching plans
  • material development
  • assessed online written forums

Two of the compulsory modules you will take are only offered to DProf TESOL students and are designed to help you:

  • acquire the skills you need to succeed as a doctoral practitioner
  • formulate a proposal for the 'professional projects' component of the programme

You will need to submit a proposal for your professional projects work and undertake a progress review at the end of the supplementary studies component of the programme. Passing this progress review will allow you to move on to the professional projects component.

Portfolio (professional projects)

This part of the portfolio will total 35,000 to 40,000 words and will normally include three or four outputs, which might include journal articles, book chapters, lesson plans, CPD workshops, editorial board service, policy papers, or anything of a suitable academic standard as negotiated with your supervisor. At least one of the journal articles submitted for assessment should be in a peer-reviewed international or national journal and published before completion of the programme, whether in print or online. A submission might therefore, for example, include one conference paper, one book chapter, one journal paper, and CPD workshop materials. 

Portfolio (integrative critical analysis)

Alongside the portfolio, you will write a reflective synthesis of all elements of the programme and explain the contribution you have made to professional practice in your chosen area.

This part of the portfolio will total 12,500 to 15,000 words, and will normally include the following:

  • description of the academic and intellectual context for your professional projects
  • a synthesis of your publications to demonstrate a coherent theme
  • critical reflection on your professional development during the programme
  • explanation of professional impact and contributions to knowledge resulting from your research

Assessment for the award of Doctor of Professional Practice (DProf)

The combination of professional projects portfolio and integrative critical analysis is considered equal to a thesis, so there is no separate thesis in this programme. As with a traditional PhD, your work will be evaluated for a doctoral award through a viva voce examination. If, following any revisions or resubmission after your viva, your work does not meet the requirements for the award of Doctor of Professional Practice, it will be considered for the award of either Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip).

Further particulars regarding curriculum development.

Students at the University of St Andrews must achieve at least 7.0 on the St Andrews 20-point grade scale to pass a module. To gain access to Honours-level modules, students must achieve the relevant requisites as specified in the policy on entry to Honours and in the relevant programme requirements.

To find out the classification equivalent of points, please see the common reporting scale.

The University’s Student Services team can help students with additional needs resulting from long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities webpage.

The DProf community is home to a support network of more than 50 doctoral students at various stages of the programme. As a community, we host weekly online drop-ins during the semester, regular research seminars and CPD events, an EAP conference, and an optional doctoral residential summer school which runs every year in the last week of June and first week of July. We also regularly hold social events and alumni dinners linked to major conferences.

The University’s Student Services team can help students with additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.

Fees

Home and overseas

Students will pay an annual fee for the duration of their studies, either five or six years. This fee will be £5845 for the first year of study, and any increase in fees will be capped at a maximum of 5% per year. The fee is the same for all students, regardless of residence, and can be paid by instaments.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to students each year. You can apply for a range of scholarships through a single application, however, competition for scholarships is intense. The vast majority of DProf students either self-fund or receive support from their employer.

15% Recent Graduate Discount

If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.

Your future

TESOL online information sessions

If you are unable to visit St Andrews before you apply, IELLI offers TESOL online information sessions to discuss the programmes.

Postgraduate online information events

The Admissions team holds in-person visiting days and online information events throughout the year to offer prospective postgraduate students a chance to experience the University’s unique atmosphere and the quality of the teaching on offer.

Teaching awards

IELLI is home to several award-winning lecturers, with more than 30 prizes awarded to our staff.

Mark Carver was recognised for his work on assessment and feedback scholarship with an Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Excellence award from the McCall MacBain Foundation.

Clarice Chan won a faculty teaching award in a previous role at the University of Hong Kong, as well as an Outstanding Article award from the Association of Business Communication.

Lori Davis was awarded one of six annual Teaching Excellent Awards in 2022. Lori was recognised for the energy and enthusiasm she brings to her classes and her commitment to embedding sustainability within her teaching, as well as her work mentoring colleagues and contributing to the University's widening access programmes.

Stefan O’Grady won the 2024 TOEFL New Scholar Award.

Kerry Tavakoli won a Teaching Excellence Award 2018.

Paula Villegas was nominated for a Students’ Association Excellence Award in 2023 for outstanding commitment to inclusivity for her work on the Online Programme Design module. In 2024, she won a St Andrews Teaching Excellence Award and a BALEAP Impactful Collaboration Award.

Areas of research and scholarship

The programme is led by Dr Mark Carver, with supervisors chosen from across the Institute. More details about the work of the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute can be found on the IELLI website and the University's Research Portal. You will typically work under the supervision of academic staff from the Institute, but in some cases additional supervisors will be employed externally.

Particular areas of research and scholarship focus for the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute include:

  • Academic integrity
  • Assessment and feedback, peer assessment
  • English for Academic Purposes (EAP)
  • Initial teacher education
  • Intercultural competence
  • International student experience
  • Mobile and Computer Assisted Language Learning
  • Professional development in TESOL
  • Qualitative research synthesis
  • Vocabulary acquisition and testing
  • World Englishes, English as an International Language, and English as a Lingua Franca

IELLI lecturers are frequently invited to present at international conference around the world. To see if anyone is due to visit your region, follow us on social media:

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

Contact us

Phone
+44 (0)1334 46 2255
Email
ielli-dprof@st-andrews.ac.uk
Address
International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI)

University of St Andrews 
Kinnessburn 
Kennedy Gardens 
St Andrews 
KY16 9DJ

International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute (IELLI) website