Building pillars of the healthcare community, this course will support healthcare professionals in their continued professional development to an advanced academic level for applied use in practice.
Sarah Crouch, Course Director

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Duration:

2 years (minimum)

Location(s):

Canterbury

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Overview

Develop your professional practice to deliver high quality healthcare services across the healthcare sector.

Advanced practice is built upon four pillars of practice; clinical practice, facilitating learning, leadership, and evidence, research and development. This course will develop your professional practice in your workplace and the practice of others you work with to provide high quality care.

Responding to changes required in response to the 10-year NHS plan and the future needs of the population requires a workforce well prepared to provide practice and services that enhance the experience of service users. The generic nature of the course supports all students from a wide variety of professions and roles to apply learning to their individual circumstances and develop advanced professional practice.

Some priority areas have been identified for the local workforce and these have been included as identified pathways (Simulation or Neonatal). This will enable individuals working in specific roles to meet the requirements of their employers. Specific modules will be required for these pathways.

Why study MSc Healthcare Practice?

On this course you will be able to identify your own specific pathway and utilise negotiated learning outcomes applicable to your own needs.

The MSc Healthcare Practice is designed to be a flexible and responsive course, meeting the learning and development needs of all healthcare professionals. It is open to both experienced and newly registered healthcare practitioners working in a range of roles and service contexts.

All about the course

The course starts with the first of four core modules, Healthcare Practice. This module provides an orientation to postgraduate study and to the healthcare agenda and challenges for the next 10 years.

The portfolio of modules you undertake will prepare you to learn across a wide learning environment which recognises your own expertise in the clinical and practice fields but supports you to consider how to make an impact in the workplace for individual patient /service user experience and for organisations. Additionally, there are two recognised specific pathways for neonatal and simulation practice. These have been developed to meet the local workforce needs.

You can also opt to study a negotiated module as a bespoke module tailored to your specific professional needs, or you may wish to select an open module which will enable you to select from a variety of modules and short courses perhaps with a specific clinical focus. These modules provide the opportunity to study and work with the support of an academic supervisor.

Most students study for this award whilst part time as they are also employed as healthcare professionals in practice. All students will be required to complete core modules for the relevant awards. The core modules are: Healthcare Practice, Leadership, Enhancing Care Through Research and Dissertation (40 or 60 credit)

Core modules are usually completed in the first Trimester of each of 3 years of study. Students select optional modules from the range offered to study in the remaining trimesters in each academic year. Each module is worth 20 credits and a total of 180 credits is required for a full MSc award.

Students should usually expect to complete their studies in 3 years.

In exceptional circumstances study must be completed before 6 years.

You can initially work towards a Postgraduate Certificate then a Postgraduate Diploma, before completing your Masters qualification. If you do not wish to complete the full Masters, you can choose to exit with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma, depending on the module credits you accrue.

Post Graduate Certificate: 60 credits

The focus of the certificate level is upon self and practice.

Post Graduate Diploma: 120 credits

The focus of the diploma is upon others and leadership and further skills evidence-based practice.

MSc Healthcare Practice: 180 credits.

The MSc includes the module Enhancing Care Through Research and a Dissertation module.

Entry requirements

You should normally possess either a relevant degree at 2.2 or above (normally a degree in a health or social science subject), and/or a professional registration to practise in health and/or social care.

Please see the module guide for module pre-requisites and co-requisites.

For more information on the IELTS (International English language Testing System) requirements for this course, please click here to visit our dedicated web page.

2:2

Honours Degree

Module information

Please note that the list of optional modules and their availability may be subject to change. We continually review and where appropriate, revise the range of modules on offer to reflect changes in the subject and ensure the best student experience. Modules will vary when studied in combination with another subject.

Core/optional modules

*Modules subject to validation

How you’ll learn

Learning and teaching strategies will involve you as an active participant; you will be encouraged to use self-evaluation and reflection on your own experience to deepen and consolidate your understanding as well as plan for your future learning. This programme recognises that you are the experts in your field of health and care practice but will facilitate you to enhance your learning to seek innovative solutions for your own practice and as a leader to transform health and care delivery. Your own emotional wellbeing and connection to Health and Care Progressive Practice will be nurtured. Modules are organised using a range of teaching and learning methods to facilitate your academic and professional development. These methods include a blend of classroom based, online and work-based learning activities. Teaching and learning methods are supported by technologies e.g. our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). A strong emphasis on building of transformational networks for learning communities and wider local and national networks is advocated.

Within some of the optional modules you may be taught in a group with students studying on the BSc. Where this occurs, you will be facilitated to explore the content of the module at a Masters level and discuss assessment requirements through specified provision of tutorials and/or online learning opportunities which will differentiate your learning needs and outcomes. Specific Masters Level learning resources (via VLE) and delivery in the classroom will be made available.

A virtual Impact Forum will be utilised with students expected to engage in formative reflection on the impact of their learning from each module on the impact of their learning on healthcare practice and provision. This will involve service-users and a collaborative approach to sharing and learning and will foster a community of best practice and integration. Learning with and from each other is also enhanced through the provision of a yearly conference where posters and research outcomes are available and presented by students completing the core research modules.

Check out our Continuing Professional Development Timetables for more information. Information about MSc Healthcare Practice can be found on pages 21-33.

How you’ll be assessed

Throughout the course your knowledge and skills will be informally assessed through a variety of learning activities. You will be encouraged to engage in self-assessment and may be actively involved in peer assessment. Formative assessment (during the module but not part of the final assessment) opportunities will be offered within each module as a part of your on-going learning.

Modules are worth 20 credits, except the research dissertation which is either worth 40 or 60 credits depending upon which option you choose to study. For each 20 credit module, the assessments are weighted at 4000 words or equivalent. Assessments include written essays/reports, critical reflections, case studies, and oral presentations.

The final stage research modules are assessed through the production of a research plan or proposal followed by a substantive dissertation/project in which the proposed research is carried out. All assessments focus on your ability to progress and integrate theory and practice enabling you to demonstrate the fulfilment of the module learning outcomes and are based on the postgraduate criteria for assessment.

Your future career

Enhancing your knowledge and understanding will contribute to your career progression and evidence that you are advancing practice according with professional skills frameworks. In addition, the skills you gain will enable you to write for professional journals and/or present at conferences, sharing best practice and raising your professional profile. Your postgraduate qualification could also help you to stand out in an increasingly competitive employment market, supporting you to consider senior, specialist or advanced roles within the health and social care arena, the independent and voluntary sector or education.

Fees

2022/23 tuition fees for this course

	UK	Overseas
Full-time	N/A	N/A
Part-time	£915 per 20 credit module	£1,610 per 20 credit module

Please note that the Advanced Assessment module in Year 1 fee is £1420.

20% Alumni Discount

We offer alumni discounts on CCCU Postgraduate Taught, PGCE Primary and Secondary, and Masters by Research courses for eligible students.

Find out if you're eligible for the discount.

Important Information on Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for all courses which last more than one academic year are payable on an annual basis, except where stated.

There will be an annual inflationary increase in tuition fees for this course where the course lasts more than one academic year. For further information read the 2022/23 Tuition fee statements and continuing fee information.

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I would like to start

I would like to study

Duration:

2 years (minimum)

Location(s):

Canterbury

Apply

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Healthcare Practice.