PG Cert / PG Dip / MSc Health Professions Education

All candidates must have an existing teaching role in their workplace, with an interest in pursuing an academic career in healthcare education or heathcare education research.

PG Cert

• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a health profession or in a relevant field (including but not limited to Health Sciences). If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.

Or

• Significant professional or other relevant experience alongside evidence of prior alternative learning such as professional qualifications or certifications.

PG Dip/MSc

• Evidence of having completed at least one 30 credit module at a minimum of SCQF level 9 (or equivalent) within five years of the programme start date.

And

• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a health profession or in a relevant field (including but not limited to Health Sciences). If you studied your first degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.

Or

• Completion and award of our PGCert Health Professions Education within five years of the programme start date

In reviewing applications for the programme, the School of Medicine looks especially at whether St Andrews is a good match for your specialist interests. The Programme Convenor is happy to be contacted and, if necessary, to set up a meeting in person or virtually so that you can discuss your plans and to ensure that St-Andrews is the best place for you to pursue a Masters degree.

If you have any queries concerning the programme or your suitability for it, you are encouraged to make contact in advance of your application.

The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Some academic Schools will ask applicants to achieve significantly higher marks than the minimum. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place, as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.

Application requirements

• A CV that includes specific details of your current role and a history of your education and employment to date
• A personal statement explaining why you have applied for this course, how it relates to your personal or professional ambitions, and how your academic and professional background show you have the skills needed to work effectively at postgraduate level
• Two original signed references, one from your current employment and one academic reference
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates
• Candidates will attend a 30-minute online interview and must achieve a satisfactory score

For more guidance, see supporting documents and references for postgraduate taught programmes.

For fees and funding options, please visit website to find out more

The University's global reputation makes its graduates highly valued by employers. The Health Professions Education programme is aimed at individuals who wish to develop their health professions educational role, follow an academic career in health professions education or healthcare education research, or pursue a PhD or MD.

In addition to broadening your subject knowledge and applying established techniques of research and enquiry, you will develop and demonstrate essential skills such as:

• critical thinking and creativity
• analysis and appraisal
• problem solving and decision making
• personal leadership and project management
• interpersonal communication and team working

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.

Year 1 - PG Cert

Learners will normally be required to complete two core modules.

Semester 1

• Fundamentals of Designing and Facilitating Learning: explores the fundamentals and theoretical underpinning of designing and facilitating learning for health professions education. You will consider different methods of learning, reflect and apply their critical understanding of learning to their own academic and or health or social care environment.

Semester 2

• Impact of Learning: focuses on the key principles of assessment, evaluation and feedback and how these can be used to determine impact on learning. You will learn how quality can be achieved, measured and maintained in education.

On completion of the required modules, totalling 60 credits at level 11, learners may wish to exit the programme with a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) in Health Professions Education.

Year 2 - PG Dip

Learners will normally be required to complete the core module, along with two optional modules. Optional modules allow you to shape the degree around your personal and professional interests.

Semester 1

Optional modules are expected to be offered in the following areas:

• Leading and Designing Teaching Programmes in Health Professions Education: focuses on considerations for designing, developing, implementing and evaluating an undergraduate or postgraduate credited short programme or course of study targeted at health professionals.
• Contemporary Global Issues in Health Professions Education: explores the drivers of debate and change, applying theoretical models for understanding complex and wicked problems within health professions education.
• Interprofessional Education: Design, Delivery and Assessment: focuses on design, delivery and assessment and examines the in-depth evidence base for interprofessional education in a variety of contexts.
• Health Humanities Approaches within Health Professions Education: focuses on how health and medical humanities can be integrated within health professions education, exploring a range of arts and humanities approaches that can help to optimise, broaden and deepen learning outcomes.

Semester 2

• Research Methods in Education: covers the fundamentals of research methods for health professions education. You will be provided the opportunity to critique, appraise and plan a research proposal.

On completion of the required modules, totalling 120 credits at level 11, learners may wish to exit the programme with a postgraduate diploma (PGDip) in Health Professions Education.

Year 3 - MSc

The final part of the MSc programme is the end of degree project. This takes the form of a period of supervised research where you will undertake an in-depth investigation into a chosen topic in health professions education.

Through the project you will show your ability to undertake sustained critical analysis, develop and improve your research skills, and produce an extended piece of written work that demonstrates a high level of understanding of your area of study. A flexible approach will be offered to suit the learner with respect to project options.

All options available will develop research skills to help with future intentions to study at the higher level of PhD or MD.

• Option 1: an empirical piece of research
• Option 2: a systematic review
• Option 3: an extended research proposal (including ethics application)