Study Details: MA/PGDip/PGCert 2 Years PT
This is a part-time course aimed at allied health professionals, health and social care professionals, nurses, midwives and health visitors. It seeks to develop the skills required to teach, supervise and assess students and other practitioners, be they pre or post-registration, undergraduate or postgraduate learners, in the higher education or clinical practice setting. It also aims to develop the skills practitioners require to identify and promote initiatives which develop the culture for continuing professional development.
The programme adopts and supports interprofessional learning, and as such accommodates professional standards from a number of professional bodies.
Those practitioners who teach in the practice setting can gain accreditation for their role as practice educators (NMC, HPC, SoR, CSP, COT) and can also apply for a Higher Education Academy Fellowship which a UK recognised teaching accreditation. Those students who teach in the academic setting will gain accreditation and a recordable teaching qualification with their specific professional body as a lecturer and can also apply for a Higher Education Academy Fellowship.
The programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council for Stage 3: Practice Teachers and Stage 4: Teachers within the Standards to support learning and assessment in practice (NMC, 2008). The course has been accredited by the Higher Education Academy as meeting Standard Descriptors 1 and 2 within the United Kingdom Professional Standards Framework for teaching and supporting learning in higher education.
Courses will be assessed through a combination of a teaching portfolio, critical self evaluations, essays, projects and presentations.
Applications will be made by on line directly to UCS. On receipt of an application form, students will take part in an informal discussion. The informal discussion may be conducted over the telephone if students are distant to UCS. The informal discussion will normally be conducted by the Course Leader. This will provide the opportunity for the Course Leader to discuss the academic requirements of the programme, the practice requirements of the work based learning modules and the commitment required from the student to undertake the programme.
For those students who do not hold an honours degree this informal discussion provides the student with the opportunity to present evidence of their ability to work at this academic level. This may be through presentation of an extended curriculum vitae detailing professional qualification, work experience, conference papers presented, participation in research, clinical audit or other relevant experience.
If it is considered that the student has not been able to demonstrate an ability to work at master’s level they will be advised to take and successfully complete one, or more, appropriate honours level modules prior to being accepted onto the programme.
A professional qualification in health or social care
Evidence of the student’s ability to work at master’s level
and
Access to a health or social care environment
Access to a learner group (PGC)
Students who undertake the programme are already in employment – some undertake the programme as a requirement of their post as educators. The programme provides the means to move into posts where education is the main function of the role.
Modules for the Postgraduate Diploma include those modules studied on the Postgraduate Certificate plus (120 credits in total):
Option modules – These modules will not be offered every year. You will be advised of the options available once the programme has started.
Reflexivity in Professional Practice
Supporting Practice Learning| (Mentoring) (NB students cannot study this module if they have completed the Learning and Teaching in Context module)
Educational Technology
Enhancing Professional Practice
Students will require access to a learner group for the PgC element of the programme. They will also need to obtain additional library access during the inter-block periods when they are not attending University Campus Suffolk. Students are advised that there is a requirement for independent self-directed study during the inter-block periods, for example a 20-credit module requires about 120 hours of self-directed study.