Primary Care – (M.Sc.)

Qualifications and durations:
- MSc in Primary Care (up to 8 years)
- Postgraduate Diploma (up to 6 years)
- Postgraduate Certificate (up to 4 years)
- CPD credits (duration varies)
Overview:
The postgraduate programme in Primary Care is designed for GPs and Specialist Registrars in General Practice providing a lifelong learning framework for professional and practice development. The programme offers an innovative blend of knowledge-based, activity-based and experiential learning, designed in partnership with GPs, to be highly relevant to contemporary General Practice.
- select from a range of clinical and non-clinical units
- offered in a variety of part-time modes- distance, face-to-face and online
- practice-based learning and work-based projects
- provides an evidence-based, problem-solving and clinically reasoned approach to primary care
- developed in partnership with Postgraduate Deaneries
- complementary to GP Curriculum
- developing specialist clinical competencies
- accreditation of prior learning from other relevant courses
- fast track entry recognising prior achievement
- recognition of prior experience
Available and planned units include:
- Musculosketal medicine- common and advanced, Sports Injuries and Rehabilitation
- Exercise for Health, Palliative Care, Dermatology, Diabetes, Mental Health
- Practice-based Enquiry, Evidence-based Practice, Professional Practice
- Learning and Teaching, Leadership, Commissioning for Primary Care
Learning and teaching:
Our programmes are modular, consisting of self-contained units, are offered on a part-time and year-round basis. They are delivered in a variety of formats depending on the need of the subjects studied so you might experience e-learning, distance education, face-to-face teaching or work-based units, or combinations of these modes.
You should ensure you are aware of the delivery mode and time period when selecting your study units. As you progress through each unit and successfully pass the assessment, you will receive credit for the units, this will provide you with a clear indication of your academic progress.
Methods of Assessment:
Assessment varies between units and can consist of a combination of work-based projects, coursework essays, critical reviews, oral presentations and clinical examinations. We also place strong emphasis on developing presentation and communication skills including critical academic writing, which, in many units, is part of the assessed work.
Career development:
The Primary Care Programme is specifically designed as a lifelong learning programme in which students can take units at any time to suit their career and practice needs and professional development.
It is appropriate for GPs and GPs in training in terms of:
- developing as a GP with Special Interest
- developing a portfolio career
- preparing for CCT
- developing employability skills
- re-accreditation and revalidation
- developing a specific practice speciality
- assuming a leadership or partnership role
- preparing for an educational role
- developing an academic interest
Other health professionals will find similar benefits for their own professional area and can take many of the units as cpd and obtain an MSc, PG Diploma or PG Certificate in Professional Development.
Applicants must:
- have a first degree or equivalent
- be currently practicing in a primary care or community setting
International students are welcome to apply, and will need to be in a position to fulfill primary care practice and experiential requirements in their own country.
English requirements:
IELTS 6.5 (with not less than 6.0 in each of the four components).
TOEFL 580 (paper-based test) or 237 (computer-based test) with a score of not less than 4 in TWE or 92 (internet based test) with at least 21 in Writing, 21 in Listening, 22 in Reading, 23 in Speaking.