Healthcare Practice MSc - 2026/7
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Level 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MSc Healthcare Practice
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Healthcare Practice |
| PGCert | Healthcare Practice |
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Part-time | PTA61117 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
NHS England (2023) NHS Long Term Workforce plan. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/nhs-long-term-workforce-plan-v1.2.pdf Department of Health (2004) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process. Available at: https://www.nhsemployers.org/system/files/2021-07/The-NHS-Knowledge-and-Skills-Framework.pdf
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences - School of Health Sciences
Programme Leader
WARD Hayley (Health Sci.)
Date of production/revision of spec
15/11/2024
Educational aims of the programme
- Provide students with the opportunity to develop their academic strength and ability though a flexible framework; the broad structure allows the student to control their own direction of professional development, laying foundations for their future careers and employability.
- Support students to become critically reflective in their analysis of themselves, thus enabling them to formulate plans for their own personal development and foster resourcefulness and resilience in themselves.
- Create resourceful and resilient innovative thinkers able to recognise the need for, implement and re-evaluate change, successfully enhancing services within health and social care to provide sustainable practices.
- Support students to develop digital competence and capability, by adopting new technologies and digital enhancements, engaging with opportunities for sustainable and resourceful solutions to health and social care challenges.
- Empower students to develop global and cultural capabilities through practice that is inclusive of the uniqueness and diversity with the workforce, and the population accessing health and social care services.
- Challenge the student to delve into theories of leadership that can be systematically applied to their practice, ensuring they lead by example.
- Enable the student to apply an advanced awareness of ethical and professional best practice when making personal and professional decisions.
- Equip students to apply a comprehensive knowledge of techniques and methodologies within research design to facilitate positive change through their final year research project; key skills which they will be able to apply to any future career in healthcare, thus improving employability.
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Ability to critically evaluate self and formulate plans for ongoing personal and professional development. | CPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Demonstrate caring and compassion decision making, to ensure inclusive, ethical, and professional practice. | KCPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Ability to apply theories of leadership to professional practice, and the provision of care within their organisation. | KCPT | PGDip, MSc | |
| Thrive with digital capability, utilising complex information, problem solving and innovative approaches within own practice. | KCPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Develop confidence and competence in the critical appraisal of literature (inclusive of national policy and research) to evaluate the evidence, showing appreciation of research design and methodologies. | KCPT | PGCert, PGDip, MSc | |
| Ability to apply research design knowledge and techniques to develop practice through final year research project. | KCPT | MSc |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Part-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied part-time over three to five years, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Parts of this programme may be studied outside of the standard University structure and may be subject to professional body requirements.
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Unstructured (3-5 years) - FHEQ Level 7
Module Selection for Unstructured (3-5 years) - FHEQ Level 7
This programme is studied part-time over two-five years, all students are required to be registered Health Professionals, based in a UK healthcare environment.
The programme encourages student flexibility and choice with regard to module flow, however choice module selection may be subject to individual module pre-requisites.
MSc Healthcare Practice
To achieve the principle award of MSc Healthcare Practice a student must complete 180 credits with a minimum of 150 credits at FHEQ Level 7, with the remainder at FHEQ Level 6. Core modules and choices for this MSc principle award are:
- Developing Yourself Professionally and Personally - 15 credits
- Application of Decision Making - 15 credits
- Leading People in Health and Social Care OR Patient Safety, Quality and Risk OR Transforming Services for Quality - 15 credits
- Research Design and Methodology - 15 credits
- 60 credits of choice modules (selected either from the School's CPD catalogue, subject to availability OR consideration will be given for RPL of externally gained credits that are applicable to the Programme Aims. Please see RPL regulations for further guidance).
- Dissertation (Research Project) - 60 credits
Two subsidiary awards are available within this programme:
Post Graduate Diploma Healthcare Practice
To achieve the subsidiary award of PGDip Healthcare Practice a student must complete 120 credits with a minimum of 90 credits at FHEQ Level 7, with the remainder at FHEQ Level 6. Core modules and choices for this subsidiary award are:
- Developing Yourself Professionally and Personally - 15 credits
- Application of Decision Making - 15 credits
- Leading People in Health and Social Care OR Patient Safety, Quality and Risk OR Transforming Services for Quality
- Research Design and Methodology - 15 credits
- 60 credits of choice modules (selected either from the School's CPD catalogue, subject to availability OR consideration will be given for RPL of externally gained credits that are applicable to the Programme Aims. Please see RPL regulations for further guidance).
Postgraduate Certificate Healthcare Practice
To achieve the subsidiary award of PG Certificate Healthcare Practice a student must complete 60 credits from the programme core modules list, a minimum of 45 credits at FHEQ level 7 with the remainder at FHEQ level 6.
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | Y | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
The School of Health Sciences is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This programme is specifically designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas, enhanced detail is provided within each module specification:
Digital capabilities: Students will develop their digital capabilities by the critical use of information, problem solving and innovative approaches, such as technology enhanced learning. These skills will be transferable to their professional role, whilst working in a dynamic, modern health or social care environment, currently driven by the need for innovation in digital health and transformation of services. Within the Dissertation (Research Project) module, students must use digital technologies to search electronic databases to identify contemporary relevant literature within their area of focus, and utilise appropriate technologies to support the undertaking of their research project. For many mature students returning to education, this can be a new skill, that ultimately supports their ongoing professional development.
Employability: All students on the programme will be employed professionals working within a health or social care setting. The motivation for following the programme of study will be personal and professional development, the flexible nature of this programme, through choice modules, allows the individual to design a programme that best suits their needs, future career aspirations and employability
Global and cultural capabilities: To mirror the diversity within Health and Social care environments, the programme incorporates perspectives and practices from a range of cultures, thus enabling students to diversify their knowledge and reflect on different experiences in a healthcare setting. The importance of equity, diversity and inclusion, is core to this pathway. The HCR3017 Application of Decision Making module cultivates global and cultural capabilities by urging students to consider diverse perspectives in decision-making. Whether assessing patient needs or addressing workforce issues, students are encouraged to consider different cultural norms preparing students for working in a health care system with a diverse workforce and patient population.
Resourcefulness and Resilience: Throughout the programme students are guided to develop the ability to reflect, evaluate, adapt, and respond flexibly to ever changing needs of health and social care practice. This pillar, and an understanding of self is fundamental to the development of safe and effective healthcare professionals. Commencing the programme with HCR3018 Developing Yourself Personally and Professionally, allows the student the opportunity to assess, evaluate and develop their personal resourcefulness and resilience from the outset.
Sustainability: Students are encouraged to recognise and respond to the need for sustainable health and social care provision. Appreciate the importance of their role in supporting sustainability within workforce, resourcing, and wider provision of health and social care services, which align with environmental and societal well-being. As noted within the NHS Long Term Workforce plan, a needed growing skill is leadership; a core element within this programme, is the requirement for students to undertake a leadership module. This ensures a sustainability of workforce planning and ensures our students lead organisations with consideration of sustainability.
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.