Program Overview

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Applied Health Studies - PgCert, PgDip, MSc

Overview

Providing flexible and engaging distance learning opportunities to students keen to succeed in today's challenging health and social care environment.

Revalidation

The University regularly ‘refreshes’ courses to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible. In addition, it undertakes formal periodic review of courses in a process called 'revalidation’ to ensure that they continue to meet standards and are current and relevant. This course will be revalidated in the near future, and it is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described in this prospectus.

Summary

This part-time programme leads to the academic awards of PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Applied Health Studies and was revalidated in July 2020.

The Postgraduate Certificate can be completed over one year and is awarded after successfully completing 60 credits at level 7. Students have the choice of five pathway options each consisting of 2, thirty-credit modules.

The pathways are:

• Continence Care
• Developing Practice
• Neuroscience Care
• Stoma Care
• Urology Care

The programme responds to the desire of current graduates working within the area of health and social care as they seek to develop their practice and better equip them to meet the demands of advanced practice roles and responsibilities. Changing health and social care requirements demand highly knowledgeable and skilled graduates from the health and social care professions. The programme particularly extends the knowledge base necessary for practitioners to function at an advanced level, to develop into expert or advanced practitioners, advisers, managers or educators within their particular area of expertise offering sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments. There is emphasis upon the application of knowledge to practice, thus enhancing the leadership capacity.

About this course

About

This part-time programme leads to the academic awards of PGCert/PGDip/MSc in Applied Health Studies and was revalidated in July 2020. It is due to be revalidated again in March 2026.

The Postgraduate Certificate can be completed over one year and is awarded after successfully completing 60 credits at level 7. Students have the choice of five pathway options each consisting of 2, thirty-credit modules.

The pathways are:

• Continence Care
• Developing Practice
• Neuroscience Care
• Stoma Care
• Urology Care

The Postgraduate Diploma requires the successful completion of a further 2 thirty-credit compulsory modules at level 7, Advanced Methods in Research and Development in health and Social Care and Global Perspectives in Transforming Health.

The MSc involves the completion of a 60 credit level 7 evidence-based dissertation project.

91% of staff in the School hold a recognised teaching qualification and

More than 80% of staff are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy, 5 are Senior Fellows and 2 are Principal Fellows. Six hold Fellowships of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice (CHERP). One member of staff has received the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award Fellowship while another 2 have received the University’s Distinguished Research Fellow and Distinguished Research Fellowship Award. The School has a track record of academic promotions up to, and including, professorial level for Learning and Teaching related activities.

Results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework show that 96% of Nursing and Health Science research was judged to be of international excellence or world leading.The Institute of Nursing & Health Research takes the lead in delivering research and evidence-based practice education to ensure that students are exposed to research active staff and are given the opportunity to reflect upon the impact research and evidence have on practice.

The School has an active Educational and Professional Issues Research Group which links with CHERP and several members of the Subject Team have been awarded CHEP (Ulster) Development Funding, Teaching Development Grants from the Higher Education Academy which has supported innovations in the areas of small group teaching and online assessment.

In addition, a number of the Subject team are both current and previous presidents of their specialty's relevant European associations, EANN and EAUN.

Attendance

This is a fully online, part-time programme, students are expected to engage regularly with the programme and online activity and interaction will be monitored and recorded.

Start dates

• September 2026
• January 2027

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Students with special needs will receive a personal assessment of additional support required in line with the recommendations as outlined in The Special Education Needs and Disability (NI) Order 2005 (SENDO) Please see our webpage:

Modules

Year one

• Underpinnings of Neuroscience Care
• Enhancing Neuroscience Practice
• Critical Application of Advanced Compassionate Communication in Health and Social Care Practice
• Developing Practice Through Innovation
• Advancing Care for People with Continence Disorders
• Advancing Care for People with Urological Disorders
• Advancing Care for People with Stoma
• The Fundamentals of Adult Continence Promotion
• The Fundamentals of Urology
• The Fundamentals of Stoma Care

Year two

• Advanced Methods in Research and Development in Health and Social Care
• Global Perspectives in Transforming Health

Year three

• MSc Project

Standard entry conditions

Entry Requirements

Applicants must:

(a) have gained

i) an Honours or non-Honours degree from a University of the United Kingdom or Republic of Ireland or from the Council for National Academic Awards, the National Council for Educational Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council, from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or ii) an equivalent standard in a Postgraduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate or an approved alternative qualification;

AND

(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent); or in the case of international applicants whose first language is not English is a minimum acceptable score for the British Council IELTS of 6.0 (with no contributing band of less than 5.5) or equivalent.

OR

(c) In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, and can demonstrate evidence of successful completion of a minimum of 10 credit level 6 study or above, OR wishes to complete a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence of successful completion of level 6 study or above or that which is used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.

AND

In addition, applicants must: i) demonstrate that they are working with the appropriate client base to facilitate study; and ii) be currently registered with a Professional Health Care or Regulatory Body within their own country (where that is available).

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

All applicants to the University (from the UK and overseas) are required to show evidence of English language proficiency.

The Applied Health Studies Programme requires applicants to provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent); or in the case of international applicants whose first language is not English is a minimum acceptable score for the British Council IELTS of 6.0 (with no contributing band of less than 5.5) or equivalent.

If you do not meet the English language requirement we will give you a conditional offer subject to you meeting the requirement before the commencement of the course.

Exemptions and transferability

Studies pursued and examinations passed in respect of other qualifications awarded by the University or by another university or other educational institution, or evidence from the accreditation of prior experiential learning, may be accepted as exempting candidates from part of the programme provided that

(a) they shall register as students of the University for modules amounting to at least the final third of the credit value of the award at the highest level in respect of a Master’s award and at least 50% of the credit value of the award in respect of a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate award

[(b) no exemption shall be permitted from the dissertation

Careers & opportunities

Career options

Students on this programme are expected to be working within the fields of healthcare and/or social care. On completion of this programme of study we expect students to continue in their employment with an enhanced range of transferable and subject specific skills to benefit their employer, communities, individual patients/clients and their families. We also expect graduates to achieve a higher personal profile within their organisation thus enhancing their prospects of promotion and/or career development. A number of students may progress to other postgraduate and doctoral level studies and choose from a range of courses available in the School of Nursing and the wider University.

Work placement / study abroad

Work-based learning forms a key element in these programmes especially but not exclusively for the completion of the clinical modules and their assessment. All students undertaking the Applied Health Studies programmes at postgraduate level will be working in some capacity within a health and social care environment (see entry requirements). This will enable students to combine procedural knowledge with declarative knowledge in context in order to produce professional knowledge, impacting positively on employability and career progression.

Fees and funding

10% Alumni Discount

Are you a graduate of Ulster University? Did you know you could be eligible for a 10% fees discount.

Tuition Fee Loans Available

Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).

2026/27 Fees

Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2026/27 fees will be announced in due course.

See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2025/26 entry.

View Available Scholarships

See if you can access financial or other forms of support, including mentorship to excel in your studies.

Additional mandatory costs

There may be an additional cost of a set of headphones with integrated microphone to use during online lectures and some assessment types. These headphones are essential to cut down background noise when participating in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra which is an audio / visual virtual classroom, however they do not need to be an expensive item and simple headphones such as those provided with mobile phones can be used.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.