AbstractThis paper examines the factors influencing the requirements of the health care professions (other than medicine) for a proportion of doctorally educated members of the professions. The nature of the traditional Doctor of Philosophy programme is considered in relation to the position of these professions. It proposes that a more structured and clinically focused doctoral programme might be a useful alternative for some members of these professions. The development of a Doctor of Nursing Science programme is presented as an example and possible approaches to this type of programme for other health care professions are considered.