Dental Education

Entry requirements

This postgraduate course is open to individuals who have a first degree (or equivalent qualification or experience) in dentistry, dental nursing and allied dental professions. It may also be available to those from other backgrounds (eg healthcare managers, and educational developers) who wish to develop their knowledge of education, training and leadership in the context of dentistry.

Months of entry

September

Course content

About the course

This innovative, flexible course combines study days with supported online learning, and has a unique focus on the development of dental enucators and their teams. Relevent to dental care professionals working in the NHS, HEI, professional bodies and private sector contexts, it gives you the opportunity to deepen your understanding of dental education practices and broaden your expertise in areas of particular interest.

Key features

• Study with an inspirational, inter-disciplinary course team who are established medical and dental educators with experience spanning undergraduate and postgraduate dental, medical and healthcare education
• Explore the wide range of learning, teaching and assessment methods used across all levels of dental education and training
• Develop a supervised independent project that focuses on dental education research, innovation or improvement
• Gain the skills, attitudes and practices of an expert dental educator, acquire a deep awareness of personal responsibility and professional codes of conduct, learn to critically appraise both your own and others’ practice, and address your emerging development needs through independent and collaborative activity
• Benefit from visiting experts who make regular contributions to study days, master classes and online activity.

• This course supports your development as a dental educator, scholar and leader. It provides opportunities to develop your thinking and practice within a dynamic multi-disciplinary community of clinical educators.

  The course team models learner-centred teaching, learning and assessment practices and provides plentiful opportunities for you to rehearse them yourself. Assessments foster strong links between your learning and practice.

  Your final assignment is a supervised Dental Education Research Project in an area of professional interest, which provides a clear sense of your educational role responsibilities and the confidence to offer guidance to peers who wish to develop their own educational practices. You thus evidence emerging educational leadership capabilities along with developed skills in project design, management and evaluation.

Career opportunities

The course develops the skills and practices of those who wish to enhance their capacity to fulfil educational role(s) in dental and other healthcare education contexts. By participating on this course you will be ideally placed to respond to current and future developments in educational policies and practices.

The Postgraduate Certificate courses that lead into the MA in Dental Education are accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators; they provide a sound basis for evidencing your competence as both a clinical and educational supervisor.

The Postgraduate Diploma stage allows you to deepen your understandings and extend your skill set as a dental educator within a dynamic dental team. The dissertation stage develops your scholarship and ability to independently design, implement and evaluate a dental education research project. The research project stage position you to adopt a critical stance to existing practice and lead improvements and innovation.

It is anticipated that graduates of the course will be well prepared to assume named educational roles and responsibilities, including educational leadership responsibilities, albeit commensurate with experience..

Areas of study may include

• Year 1

• Students complete either the Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Education (PGCertDedEd) or Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Education (PGDipDedEd).

  PGCertDedEd consists of:

  • Core unit: Dental Education in Practice

  Then students choose one unit from:

  • Workplace-based learning
  • Educational Perspectives for the Workplace
  Year 2

  Students complete the Postgraduate Diploma in Dental Education (PGDipDedEd)

  PGCertDedEd consists of:

  • Core unit: Developing the Dental Team

  Then students choose one unit from:

  • Workplace-Based Learning
  • Educational Perspectives for the Workplace
  • Simulation in Practice

Fees and funding

For details on the financial support on offer at the University of Bedfordshire please visit our website: www.beds.ac.uk/pgfunding.

Qualification and course duration

PGCert

PGDip

MA