About the course

The course combines conceptual, theoretical and practical learning approaches to the study of health and social care practice and will provide the opportunity for you to develop skills and expertise to an advanced level. The MSc is grounded in professional practice and will offer the opportunity to create and interpret new knowledge through research and advanced scholarship. 

There are a number of routes available: 

• MSc Health Sciences 
• MSc Health Sciences (Clinical Education) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Leadership and Management) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Neonatal Practice) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Heart Failure Practice) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Critical Care Practice) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Ethics and Law) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Ethics and Palliative Care) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Safeguarding) 
• MSc Health Sciences (Child Care Law) 

Broad educational aims of the programme are to:

• Demonstrate the capacity for critical enquiry, analysis and application of knowledge in your practice, and to support innovations in health and social care.
• Demonstrate effective self-management and leadership skills to effect change in health and social care.
• Engage within a learning programme consolidating and extending theoretical knowledge and practice skills relevant to your own discipline, facilitating academic and professional development to enhance the delivery of quality care.
• Promote and enhance your skills in critical reflection, evaluation, professional decision making and leadership to inform best practice.
• Promote effective collaboration, interdisciplinary and interagency working practices.
• Engage with work-based learning to support the development and implementation of evidence-based practice; establish and lead projects in your practice setting.

Course structure

This programme will be delivered on a modular basis, normally completed within five years, or on a part-time basis, normally completed over three years.

Taught Modules

The list of modules below are offered in the 2021/22 academic year. We expect to offer the same modules in the future but this may change due to staff availability. If the modules change we will inform you during the admissions process.

How the course is taught

Course delivery adopts a blended approach with synchronous and asynchronous work, lead lectures and specific workshops during the modules. These will enable you to review your learning and share ideas. The University’s virtual learning environment will be used to facilitate online discussions, blogs, e-learning, conditional release tasks and access to a wide range of web-based learning resources and research tools.

How you'll be assessed

Each module on the programme is formally assessed. A range of assessments (summative and formative) will be used in the programme, such as written assignments, learning logs, reflective accounts, programme agreement plans, practice reports, problem-solving exercises and oral/poster/video presentations. Regular compiling of evidence of experiences and reflecting on what has actually been achieved will be part of the learning process to diagnose strengths and weaknesses and identify areas for new learning.  Each method of assessment is supported by clear criteria for marking. The pass mark is 50% for all elements of assessment.

Entry Requirements

Academic entry requirements

The programme is designed for experienced health and social care professionals, involved in leading and developing contemporary professional practice. All students who have applied and meet the entry requirements will be invited to an interview with the programme lead.

Potential/prospective students will typically:

• Hold current first level professional registration with a relevant regulatory body, e.g. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) etc.
• Be working in clinical practice. Some potential/prospective students may be managers, educators or researchers within a healthcare setting.
• Hold an undergraduate second-class honours degree or higher in a related subject. Practitioners with extensive practice experience and no formal undergraduate degree will be considered for entry on the basis of evidence presented within their professional portfolio and discussion at interview.

English Language Entry Requirement for International Students

This programme is available to international students working in the UK.  As an international student, you should have appropriate professional registration and meet the following NMC IELTS criteria.

Funding

Modular - Prices can be found here 

Student loan available but restrictions apply - contact us for further information

It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in this case, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our Financial Support Team.

Our expertise

Facilities

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences utilises modern teaching facilities, including skills labs and the anatomy suite where appropriate, to enhance and support the student learning experience. All facilities are equipped with computers, internet access and projection equipment. Rooms are designed to be flexible and can be used for larger groups, also more informally for small groups working together. 

The learning resources available to students on the programme include: 

• An extensive collection of materials relevant to postgraduate study held in both the main university library on Keele's main campus, and in the health library on the campus of Royal Stoke University Hospital. A number of relevant journals are also accessible online to all registered students and are accessible from anywhere in the world with a University username and password.
• The Keele Learning Environment (KLE) provides easy access to a wide range of learning resources including lecture notes and presentations, discussion boards and blogs, enabling students and tutors to discuss topics, access information about the programme and modules, and access other materials designed specifically for particular modules.
• Computers for student use are situated in both the main library and also in the health library.