Program Overview

This programme leads to the academic awards of PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Palliative Care. The Postgraduate Certificate is awarded after completing 60 credits and the Postgraduate Diploma after completing 120 credits.

For the Postgraduate Diploma there are four compulsory modules: Principles of Palliative & End of Life Care (30 credits), Loss, Grief & Bereavement (15 credits) Therapeutic Communication Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals (15 credits) and Advanced Methods in Research and Development in Health and Social Care (30 credits). Students then choose optional modules to the value of 30 credits including: Person Centered Practice (15 credits), Leadership in Professional Practice (15 credits), Professional Decision making and Accountability (15 credits) and Advanced knowledge in Symptom Management in Palliative Care (30 credits).

To gain the master's award, a further 60 credits must be completed in the form of the masters Dissertation Project module.

Attendance

This course is delivered part-time.

Start dates

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

A range of teaching and learning methods are used to enable students to develop knowldege and understanding. There is a continuous focus upon how theory is linked to and informed by practice through the use of lectures, seminars, discussions, guided reading, reflection, creative methods and debate. Online material may be used to support this. All assessment is via course work.

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise.  The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff.  This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.