This programme offers clinical staff practising in a range of disciplines the opportunity to construct an educational programme designed to meet their personal and professional needs. The programme is designed to give clinicians the opportunity to explore and evaluate the evidence base for their practice enabling them to develop more effective and innovative approaches to practice.

Modules offered cover a range of clinical specialities including:-

• Ergonomics
• Long term conditions
• Neurological Rehabilitation
• Paediatrics
• Sports injuries and rehabilitation

Other modules are aimed at developing the clinical leadership skills required in advanced practitioners.

The programme is interdisciplinary and students work together exploring the contribution each discipline makes to patient care. Through this approach students will develop a better understanding of other disciplines and develop approaches to working together to provide a patient led service.

Students will all have:-

• a first degree in a health related discipline classified as second class or above
• professional registration with the relevant regulatory body from their home country and/ or
• current membership of the relevant Professional Body
• relevant work experience is desirable but the applicant’s overall profile will be considered during the admission’s process

We anticipate that the programme and modules offered may be of interest to a range of health disciplines including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Rehabilitation Nurses, Sports Therapists, case managers.
In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes.
Students who apply to enter stages of the programme may be admitted through normal Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL) or Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL) processes, or through an approved articulation agreement. Therefore such applicants must be able to demonstrate and evidence that they have the required learning outcomes as listed in the modules for which they are seeking exemption.

The programme forms part of our Post Graduate Framework for Health Professions which offers a wide range of accredited short courses and modules focused around patient centred care and evidence based practice.
Full time Students complete the programme in 1 calendar year.
Part time students may take two to six years – undertaking modules at a pace to suit their busy lives.
Students are required to complete two core modules Foundations in Research and a Dissertation.
Students may choose the remaining modules from a wide range of modules and short courses offered.

The modules are studied through a variety of activities including keynote lectures, Seminar, tutorials, practical sessions, workshops, laboratory sessions, web-based learning.
Many of the modules use:-

• Presentations, which encourage students to communicate their novel ideas, make interpretations and develop critical awareness with their peers from across the disciplines
• Case studies which encourage the students to review and evaluate their own practice;
• Practical and laboratory sessions which develop new skills for management and evaluation of practice.

Self direction is encouraged from the beginning and develops throughout the modules, culminating in the dissertation where the student works interdependently with the supervisor.

The programme has been developed in accordance with underlying principles currently held at the forefront of the professional and academic disciplines. Students are asked to show originality in the application of knowledge and understanding of how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research particularly in the Research Dissertation modules. In this assessment they will be asked to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, and they will have to show originality in tackling and solving problems. Most of our students are in employment but as the assessment throughout the programme is linked to the workplace, where possible, the students will further develop the qualities needed for working in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments.

Coursework assignments are used in the assessment of all modules. In these, students have a choice the students can apply their interests to specific tiles, offering them the chance to bring originality to their assignments to gain increased knowledge, learning which is applicable to their work place.
Modules that include practical clinical skills may include a practical demonstration of skills and knowledge.

As many of the modules are related to the work setting they encourage the transferability of higher level skills and knowledge in order to review or change or transform current practice, often in line with government initiatives. The ability to understand critically, research publications, methods and analysis; conceptual thinking; reflection; group working and communication; and the skills relevant to independent life long learning are some of the transferable skills encouraged.

The students become more confident to articulate their practice in an interdisciplinary setting. This leads to advances in implementing continuing professional development, research or advanced practice in their departments and in wider context.

The Masters Programme comprises two core modules - Foundations of Research, and the Research Dissertation which may be 30 or 60 credits in value. These ensure that the students develop the skills to evaluate and develop new approaches to practice characteristic of an Advanced Practitioner. The student has a wide choice of modules to complete the programme enabling them to tailor their studies to reflect the nature of their practice.

All modules incorporate use of current literature and critical evaluation of this. This is most evident in: Foundations of Research, and the Research Dissertation. The Foundations of Research assesses the fundamental principles on which the students build their critical thinking and research knowledge. Most of the modules are process led and therefore the students can focus on their academic discipline or / and professional practice.

The programmes encourage a different way of thinking and conceptual ideas are encouraged through many exercises and assignments. The readings supplement this conceptual understanding so that they are at the cutting edge of published work in the relevant disciplines that form the evidence base for practice. Where appropriate students are able to develop new hypotheses and, where qualitative methodologies are applied, to develop a deeper understanding of the paradigm.

The modules give the students strong underlying knowledge and learning which has encouraged many students to continue on to PhD level work, take up research posts, present at national and international conferences and engage in changing professional policies.

As many of the modules are related to the work setting they encourage the transferability of higher level skills and knowledge in order to review or change or transform current practice, often in line with government initiatives. The ability to understand critically, research publications, methods and analysis; conceptual thinking; reflection; group working and communication; and the skills relevant to independent life long learning are some of the transferable skills encouraged.

Most of the students will return to the clinical environment and will be in a position to seek a post with a higher banding on the Career Framework e.g. Advanced Practitioner or Consultant status. In the past, some have continued to undertake research, acted as consultants to related commercial enterprises or have been promoted to higher grades as a direct result of completing our MSc programmes.

Several students have moved on to a career in Higher Education.

The School Help Desk provides immediate help with day to day problems. This is normally the first point of call for a student and if further advice is required the Help Desk staff will advise the student on where to go for support.

All students are allocated a personal tutor who will support them throughout the programme. Tutors are able to provide information and advice about services available to support learning or to cope with the stresses that study may bring.

Personal tutors can provide feedback and help on draft coursework essays but where the material lies outside their area of expertise the help will focus on presentation and writing style rather than on content.

Module leaders and the module teaching team provide support for students seeking help with understanding of detailed concepts being studied. Students are allocated a research supervisor at a stage when they are beginning to think about their research and prepare for the work required. The supervisor will assist with the design, ethics application and data collection for the study as well as supporting the writing required.

The Programme Leader provides support for the students from the time they enrol until they graduate. Advice is available on module choices and practical aspects undertaking part time study.

English language support is available for all students whose first language is not English.
Our School International Student Support Officer will help overseas students comply with legislation and support them to settle into the UK

The modules have been mapped against the Skills for Health competences accessed at Skills for Health website. Clinicians will find this helpful in planning an educational programme that supports their career development and in negotiating their access to educational opportunities.