UTM Doctor of Professional Practice: Transforming industry experience

Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Roslina Mohammad

📝 Summary

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) successfully organized a Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP) Virtual Open Day, attracting nearly 60 participants interested in pursuing a doctoral pathway that integrates professional practice and real-world industry impact. The DPP is a collaborative programme involving eight UTM faculties, designed for experienced working professionals to pursue a doctoral qualification while remaining actively involved in their careers. The programme places professional practice and real-world industry challenges at the core of the doctoral journey, with a focus on developing original and innovative solutions with demonstrable industry impact.

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 – Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through the School of Graduate Studies (SPS), UTM Kuala Lumpur, successfully organised the Doctor of Professional Practice (DPP) Virtual Open Day 2026, attracting nearly 60 participants keen to explore a doctoral pathway that integrates professional practice, academic rigour and real-world industry impact.

The session brought together prospective candidates from various professional and industry backgrounds for a programme briefing and question-and-answer session.

The briefing was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Ts. Dr. Roslina Mohammad, Head of DPP Coordinators, UTM, who provided an overview of the programme structure, admission pathways, assessment requirements and the central role of the Capstone Project.

Also present was Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Sukri Ali, Head of Division, SPS, UTM Kuala Lumpur, who provided further insights into the programme and its relevance to experienced professionals.

Questions focused on admissions, programme structure, supervision, study flexibility and Capstone Projects, reflecting growing interest among working professionals in pursuing a doctorate while remaining actively engaged in their careers.

The UTM DPP Virtual Open Day 2026 highlighted the programme’s collaborative approach, bringing together eight UTM faculties to support working professionals in transforming real-world industry challenges into doctoral-level impact

The UTM DPP is the first programme of its kind in Malaysia and is implemented as a PAKAT collaborative programme involving eight engineering, science and technology faculties at UTM.

These comprise the Faculty of Civil Engineering (FKA), Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FKE), Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (FKM), Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying (FABU), Faculty of Computing, Faculty of Chemical and Energy Engineering (FKT), Faculty of Artificial Intelligence (FAI), and Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT).

Through this multidisciplinary collaboration, candidates benefit from expertise across different disciplines in addressing complex professional and industrial challenges.

Designed specifically for experienced working professionals, the DPP enables candidates to pursue a doctoral qualification while remaining actively involved in their careers.

Unlike a conventional research doctorate, the programme places professional practice and real-world industry challenges at the core of the doctoral journey, with the Capstone Project providing a platform to develop original and innovative solutions with demonstrable industry impact.

The Capstone journey progresses through six Industrial Projects (IP1–IP6), covering problem identification, development, implementation, performance assessment, and contributions and impacts.

The DPP students’ journey illustrates the progression from intake through six stages of professional learning and technical reporting, supported by two Project Audits, before culminating in the Capstone Project Final Examination and graduation

Prof. Ts. Dr. Safian Sharif, professor at FKM, UTM, encouraged industry professionals to view the DPP as a platform to contribute their industrial knowledge and experience to academia.

He highlighted the role DPP candidates can play as ambassadors connecting UTM with industry, bringing real-world perspectives into academia while transferring knowledge, research and innovation back to their organisations.

Recognising candidates’ professional commitments, DPP classes are delivered 100 per cent online, while supervision meetings may be conducted either online or face-to-face.

The programme comprises eight structured courses, six Industrial Projects, two Project Audits and one Capstone Report.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate professional or research outputs arising from their Capstone Projects. The doctoral journey culminates in a viva voce, where candidates present and defend the originality, professional contribution and industry impact of their Capstone Project.

The Virtual Open Day also provided information on admission requirements, programme fees, research proposal preparation and alternative entry through the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning for Access, Level 8 (APEL.A T8) pathway for eligible Malaysian applicants.

Through the DPP, UTM seeks to develop professionals who can lead change, solve complex industry problems and create measurable impact for their organisations, industries and society. The next intake for the UTM DPP is scheduled for October 2026.