Professional Doctorates are research degrees specifically designed to meet the needs of practicing professionals. Although professional doctorates involve a number of taught modules in the first year of the research degree the majority of the programme involves a research project and the writing of a thesis in the same way as the more traditional PhD. The normal duration of a Professional Doctorate is 3 years full time and 5 years part time. If the professional doctorate is designed to meet the needs of a professional body this might lead to a full time programme only. Professional Doctorates have a distinctive degree title, which can introduce a new degree type that needs to be approved by Graduate Board and Senate and which will be added to the Ordinances and Regulations If a new degree type is necessary it is approved at the same time as the programme The professional doctorate will have its own set of Learning Outcomes that are approved as part of the programme approval process