Program Overview

Health Professions Education (PGCert, PGDip, MSc) – online

Overview

This online programme is for those interested in developing themselves in a health professions educational role, and offers the flexibility of learning to suit those currently employed.

Application Deadline

Monday 1 September 2025

Programme Details

Starts

September 2025

Duration

• MSc: three to five years
• PGDip: two years
• PGCert: one year

School

School of Medicine

Fees

• MSc: £15,800
• PGDip: £10,530
• PGCert: £5,270

Why Study This Course?

This interactive programme will cultivate teaching practice which instils the principles and values of interprofessional education to support the development of the future and current healthcare workforce.

Highlights

• A fully online part-time programme which offers flexibility of learning to suit those currently employed in a healthcare or academic setting
• As an interprofessional and interdisciplinary programme, it provides opportunities to learn collaboratively about a range of educational contexts and teaching practices
• Experiential and immersive learning opportunities mean learners undertaking the modules can have real-time interactive experience of the concepts being taught
• An award-winning learning technology infrastructure and support provides innovative, interactive and flexible learning and supports the student learning journey
• Staff from a variety of disciplines and healthcare backgrounds with expertise and experience in educating healthcare professionals
• Membership of the Academy of Medical Educators through our accredited PGCert

Programme Content

The programme content will cover a range of approaches and methods of teaching, learning and assessment where learners will engage in independent and group study. Aspects of the programme will be interprofessional and interdisciplinary, enabling learners to reflect on and share their own teaching and learning practices.

Teaching and Delivery

• May include lectures, seminars, facilitated workshops, and tutorials
• Online with a mixture of some real-time, scheduled teaching and some independent study
• Access learning materials at a time convenient to you
• All scheduled teaching will take place in GMT or BST when online attendance is required

Degree Project

• Sustained critical analysis, to develop and improve your research skills, and produce an extended piece of written work
• Options:
  • An empirical piece of research
  • A systematic review
  • An extended research proposal (including ethics application)

Modules

Year 1 (PGCert)

• Fundamentals of Designing and Facilitating Learning: explores the fundamentals and theoretical underpinning of designing and facilitating learning for health professions education
• Impact of Learning: focuses on the key principles of assessment, evaluation and feedback and how these can be used to determine impact on learning

Year 2 (PGDip)

• 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
• Research Methods in Education: covers the fundamentals of research methods for health professions education

What It Will Lead To

Careers

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.

Skills

• Critical thinking and creativity
• Analysis and appraisal
• Problem solving and decision making
• Personal leadership and project management
• Interpersonal communication and team working

Why St Andrews?

• Academic staff in the School of Medicine provide expertise from a variety of disciplines and healthcare backgrounds
• Institutional memberships of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) and the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE)
• Alumni community with access to alumni clubs, the Saint Connect networking and mentoring platform, and careers support

Entry Requirements

PG Cert

• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a health profession or in a relevant field
• 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
• A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a health profession or in a relevant field
• Or completion and award of our PGCert Health Professions Education within five years of the programme start date

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

English Language Proficiency

If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability.

Scholarships and Funding

• St Leonard's funding opportunities
• Graduate discount (15% off tuition fees)
• NHS Staff Discount (10% off tuition fees)