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Health Professions Education MSc

London, Bloomsbury

This award-winning online programme from UCL Medical School equips clinicians from all professional backgrounds to deliver the highest standards of education. You can create a completely bespoke programme that suits your interests. Choose to study full-time for one year or study flexibly for up to five years, with Certificate and Diploma exit awards available. If you study flexibly, you pay only for the modules you select each year.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2023/24)
£11,800
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2023/24)
£24,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 academic year
5 academic years
Programme starts
September 2023
January 2024
Applications accepted
September 2023 entry: 17 Oct 2022 – 31 Jul 2023
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

January 2024 entry: 03 Jul – 17 Nov 2023

Applications not yet open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of a relevant upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard and relevant professional experience of health care education and training.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Our Health Professions Education programme provides the training you need to develop your career as an educator and leader in your field. The course addresses the contemporary context, educational theory, and practical teaching skills relevant to practitioners of all disciplines involved in education and training of healthcare professionals. Students develop their practice as teachers, educational supervisors, and mentors, and learn to conduct research in health professions education.

This online programme is truly flexible so that students can fit study around busy work and lifestyle commitments. It is delivered using a blend of real-time and asynchronous learning, with regular online collaborative sessions to meet your peers and your tutors. You can study full-time for one year or flexibly for up to five years, with exit awards available. If you study flexibly, you pay only for the modules you select each year.

There are no core modules. You create a bespoke programme that suits your interests. Specialist pathways are available, including leadership, primary care, and research, alongside a general pathway for those wanting broader options. Our modules range from the fundamentals in teaching, learning and assessment to topics such as clinical simulation, quality improvement, leadership, ethics, and law.

Who this course is for

This programme is suited to practitioners of all disciplines involved in the education and training of medical, nursing and other healthcare staff.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

  • You will develop your transferable skills and develop as educational practitioners, critically analyse theory, policy, and practice, and carry out research in health professions education.
  • The course applies the scholarship and research of UCL's renowned Research Department of Medical Education, with a clear focus on practical application in your working life.
  • Our programme team has extensive expertise and experience in research and practice in health professions education and training.
  • The programme is developed and ran in collaboration with experts from a variety of educational fields, including the world-renowned IOE, UCL Faculty of Education and Society, the NHS, and policymakers such as Health Education England.
  • Flexible options: study this online programme full-time or flexibly to fit around your commitments.
  • You curate your own programme to suit your interests. We offer five specialisms that are aligned to known career-progression pathways in health professions education: Health Professions Education (General), Leadership, Research, Primary Care, and Assessment.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
Newgiza University faculty building at night.

Newgiza University and UCL collaborate to deliver academic excellence

Our collaboration with newly-established Newgiza University, Egypt, will help to train engineering leaders of the future.

The foundation of your career

Our graduates are equipped to deliver excellent education in diverse contexts from university settings to clinical workplaces. Former students have taken up education leadership roles within NHS Trusts, become university tutors, and secured roles within Health Education England. Students have also continued their studies at doctoral level to focus on education research.

I'm really interested in making medical education part of my future career alongside my GP work. The flexibility of this MSc means that I can select a mixture of blended modules, some of which are fully distance learning.

Image of Dr Anjali Gondhalekar

Dr Anjali Gondhalekar

Health Professions Education, MSc

Hear from our students

Employability

Now more than ever, career options are diverse. Alongside the recognition that a qualification from a world-leading university gives you, the Health Professions Education MSc can help you explore the many different opportunities that come with studying education in the health professions.

Whether you are looking for teaching, leadership and management or research-based roles, this programme will help you to navigate educational career routes in diverse settings from universities and policy organisations to clinical workplaces.

Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are working as teaching clinicians in a range of disciplines and professional roles, while others have jobs as lecturers and researchers in clinical and non-clinical areas. Graduates can also be found working as clinical education policymakers and managers.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators. Those who successfully complete the course will be eligible to apply for full membership of the Academy of Medical Educators through a shortened assessment process.

Teaching and learning

This programme is delivered online, with a blend of real-time and asynchronous activities. We set creative assignments, encourage you to publish your work, and create a memorable experience.

Although this is an online programme, there is ample opportunities to interact with tutors and fellow students. Real-time online sessions are timetabled for every module.

A key education strategy is self-directed learning. As an adult learner, you are responsible for making the time to follow up on recommendations made during modules and to read in depth. However, tutors will be on hand and more than happy to help you should you require support.

Assessment is by coursework assignments, including essays with reflective components.

Your study time is made up of formal learning and teaching events, including synchronous and asynchronous activities online as well as independent study. As with any master's programme, your approach to study should be planned, keeping in mind other commitments you may have.

As a guide, a 15-credit module is recommended to equate to 150 study hours. This can include attending synchronous teaching, reading background literature, participating in online discussions, and writing your assignments. For the awards, this translates to:

  • A total of 600 hours total for the PG Cert
  • A total of 1,200 hours for the PG Diploma
  • A total of 1,800 hours for the MSc

You may be involved in demanding clinical work and/or have family or other personal commitments which will place considerable demands on your time. Balancing your work, personal life and a challenging degree can be challenging. We strongly encourage our students to plan time for personal study, notably to read recommended books and articles during the course as well as related material that you find yourself.

Modules

Full-time students are expected to complete all 180 credits within one academic year.

You can choose from five pathways.

1. MSc in Health Professions Education

The most flexible route.

2. MSc in Health Professions Education (Leadership)

Develop your expertise in key elements of leadership theory and practice.

3. MSc Health Professions Education (Research)

Focus on key elements of educational research theory and practice.

4. MSc in Health Professions Education (Primary Care)

Designed specifically for clinicians working in primary care.

5. MSc in Health Professions Education (Assessment) 

Develop your expertise in key elements of assessment theory and practice.

More about our pathways

Your research project is a 10,000-12,000-word piece of work.

if you wish to complete a report by undertaking desk-based research in the form of a literature review, you must select the pre-requisite 'Conducting Literature Reviews for Clinical Education Research' module.

If you wish to complete a dissertation by undertaking empirical research such as collecting data from research participants, you must select the pre-requisite 'Writing a Research Proposal for Clinical Education Projects' module.

Flexible/modular students must apply for the MSc (180 credits), but you can choose to exit the programme with a Postgraduate Diploma (120) or Postgraduate Certificate (60) once you achieve the required number of credits.

If you study flexibly, you pay only for the modules you select each year. The fee is based on the credit value of those modules relative to the full-time fee for the programme. For 2023/24, the module fees for those studying flexibly are:

  • 15 credits: £983
  • 30 credits: £1,967
  • 60 credits: £3,933

Fees for subsequent years may increase or vary. See below.

There is a maximum time limit to complete each award:

  • PG Certificate (60 credits): Aim to complete within 2 years.
  • PG Diploma (120 credits): Must be completed within 5 years.
  • MSc (180 credits): Must be completed within 5 years.

You can choose from five pathways.

1. MSc in Health Professions Education

The most flexible route.

2. MSc in Health Professions Education (Leadership)

Develop your expertise in key elements of leadership theory and practice.

3. MSc Health Professions Education (Research)

Focus on key elements of educational research theory and practice.

4. MSc in Health Professions Education (Primary Care)

Designed specifically for clinicians working in primary care.

5. MSc in Health Professions Education (Assessment) 

Develop your expertise in key elements of assessment theory and practice.

More about our pathways

Students who continue to the MSc must undertake a research project, which is a 10,000-12,000-word report or dissertation.

if you wish to complete a report by undertaking desk-based research in the form of a literature review, you must take the pre-requisite 'Conducting Literature Reviews for Clinical Education Research' module in your diploma year.

If you wish to complete a dissertation by undertaking empirical research such as collecting data from research participants, you must select the pre-requisite 15-credit 'Writing a Research Proposal for Clinical Education Projects' module in your diploma year.

The project is a very challenging exercise which requires a high level of understanding. We advise all students studying flexibly to complete all other modules before beginning their dissertation or report.

Compulsory modules

PGME Dissertation



Optional modules

















Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits for the MSc. Students can choose to exit with the interim awards PG Diploma (120 credits) or PG Certificate (60 Credits). Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Health Professions Education.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.

Where you'll study

Student in a lecture theatre

The Medical School is based in Bloomsbury in the heart of London. Working closely with several major teaching hospitals, we provide a world-class medical education. Core medical education is provided at UCL and three clinical campuses. The Bloomsbury campus has clinical facilities at University College Hospital (UCH), the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, the Heart Hospital, and the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital. The Royal Free campus in Hampstead is the site of the Royal Free Hospital. The Whittington campus in Archway is the site of the newly refurbished Whittington Hospital, with a new Undergraduate Education Centre.

Find out more about the UCL Medical School

Visit us

All open days and events

Online - Open day

Educating health professionals – progressing your career through UCL MSc in Health Professions Education

The UCL Medical School hosts a virtual event where they give short presentation about the programme, including details on different modules, how this programme could enhance your career, student experience and then answers questions.

Watch on demand event

Online - Open day

MSc Health Professions Education Webinar

Watch this taster session of the MSc Health Professions Education programme.

Watch on demand event

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2023/24) £11,800
Tuition fees (2023/24) £24,200

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

There are no anticipated additional costs for this programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

For programmes commencing in the 2020/21 academic session, e.g. before 1 August 2021, there is an application processing fee of £80 for online applications and £105 for paper applications. For programmes commencing from 1 August 2021 (in the 2021/22 academic session), there is an application processing fee of £90 for online applications and £115 for paper applications.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Health Professions Education at graduate level
  • why you want to study Health Professions Education at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2023-2024

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

UCL Medical School
UCL Medical School

uclms.postgraduate@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.