Professional Practice

Entry requirements

Minimum entry requirements for both the Postgraduate Certificate and MSc Professional Practice:

• First Degree (minimum 2:2) and above OR evidence of higher level study undertaken within the last five years
• Experienced professional practitioners without the above will be given the option to undertake a 15 credit module from the programme (as a stand-alone module). If successful you will be eligible to join the programme.

If you have successfully completed the PG-Certificate Professional Practice you may apply to be readmitted to complete the MSc, provided that the maximum period of registration for the programme will not be exceeded.

Months of entry

January, September

Course content

These PGCert and MSc programmes are for professional health and social care practitioners who have a commitment to the enhancement of personal and professional development. They offer a modular, work-based / work-focused and flexible approach to postgraduate education in areas related to health and social care.

Both the PGCert Professional Practice and the MSc Professional Practice can be taken as stand-alone programmes. The MSc Professional Practice is also a progression route from the PGCert Professional Practice. You can choose to study at PGCert or MSc level. Throughout both programmes you will be encouraged, though critical reflective practice, to explore contemporary professional practice within an integrated and inter-professional context. The modules are designed to allow you to gain the maximum from your learning experiences, in, from and related to the workplace.

For the PGCert Professional Practice, the main aims of the programme are:

• to enhance your personal and professional development
• to encourage you to develop as a critical, reflective and flexible learner and to develop an enquiring, critical and creative approach to professional practice and life-long learning
• to enhance critical, analytical, professional, research and communication skills and promote the ability to relate these skills to the workplace
• to enhance your knowledge and understanding of effective team and inter-professional working
• to prepare you for professional leadership roles.

In addition to the above, the MSc Professional Practice, aims to develop your ability to create new knowledge and understanding related to professional practice through engagement in and/or with research.

By completing either programme, you will enhance your knowledge and understanding of effective team and inter-professional working, you will be motivated in your own personal and professional development; develop as a critical and reflective practitioner and gain critical insight into the evidence base surrounding your own area of interest.

At PGCert level you can choose to study the General Professional Practice route, or specialise in one of the following areas:

• Neonatal
• Midwifery
• Intensive Care
• Cardiac Care

At MSc level, you would study the General Professional Practice route, but have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of elective modules to meet your interests and area of specialism.