Course description
The MSc in Health Care Practice and Clinical Health Care Practice courses run by Oxford Brookes aim to prepare, support and develop effective clinical leaders in health and social care who work in clinical practice, education, research and management. Continued developments in health and social care have resulted in the need for some professionals to take greater responsibility, autonomy and accountability for developing service provision, both from a strategic perspective and within specific areas of practice. The importance of clinical leadership is paramount in achieving this aim.
Both pathways offer opportunities for a wide range of health and social care professionals (nurses, physiotherapists, radiographers, etc) to engage in continuing professional and postgraduate academic development. For non-medical health professionals; it challenges and extends the knowledge, skills and attitudes of health and social care. There are a choice of two pathways (clinical and non-clinical) that have been developed for you to consider according to your needs and circumstances.
Note: Overseas applicants can only apply for the non-clinical strand as this pathway does not require you have a practice placement in the UK. Applicants who wish to undertake the clinical pathway must be registered and employed practitioners in the UK, and able to achieve course learning outcomes in their workplace.
Health Care Practice (non-clinical pathway) focuses on leadership, health care policy and practice development.
Clinical Health Care Practice pathway focuses on the development of clinical skills, decision-making and role development in patient care.
Course content
Your final award will depend on the number of modules you take. There is the option to study one module (20 CATS M Level) or two modules (40 CATS M Level) at any one time, working towards the completion of study at any of the three offered academic award levels:
* PGCert (3 modules worth 60 CAT credits) including compulsories (UK applicants only)
* PGDip (6 modules worth 120 CAT credits) including compulsories
* MSc (9 modules, which includes a dissertation worth 180 CAT credits)
Depending upon your chosen pathway and intended award, your modules will be from the following list:
* Advancing Professional Practice (compulsory)
* Advanced History Taking and Assessment (compulsory for the Clinical Health Care Practice award at all levels)
* Diagnostic Reasoning in Practice (alternative compulsory for the Clinical Health Care Practice award at all levels)
* Non-Medical Prescribing (alternative compulsory for the Clinical Health Care Practice award at all levels)
* Advanced Research Design (compulsory for PGDip and MSc)
* Work-Based Learning
* Independent Study
* Leadership in Health and Social Care
* Evaluation of Health Care
* Dissertation (MSc only)
There may also be an opportunity for you to undertake a module from another course in the postgraduate health and social care portfolio of courses