Health and Social Care (by negotiated study)

Award

MSc

Key facts

Location:: Centre of Excellence Stafford
Study option:: Part-time
Duration:: 3 Years
Start date:
School:: School of Health and Social Care

Devise your own course

Choose from a wide range of modules and study options

Align with work aims

Negotiate a course plan that reflects your professional ambitions

Study at your own pace

Flexible delivery allows you to study around work and personal life

Health and Social Care by Negotiated Learning offers a unique opportunity for you to design your own learning programme to reflect your personal and/or professional needs. You can choose from a huge range of modules and study at your own pace.

You’ll be able to develop and negotiate your course programme with our team, choosing from existing modules from across the University’s provision.

You can also take key modules at other universities if they’re not offered at Staffordshire University, with the credits you gain contributing to your award.

And if you already have credits from previous study in the past five years, they can contribute to your award if they meet your negotiated Award Learning outcomes.

The course offers many ways to individualise your programme of study, including:

Studying at your own pace and convenience
Negotiating aims and learning outcomes tailored to your experience and needs
Negotiating the nature and form of your learning activities
Negotiating an appropriate method of assessing your learning
Negotiating the title of your course

To facilitate this, a Negotiated Learning Advisor will support you throughout the course, enabling you to develop a Learning Contract that demonstrates at least 25% of the award is achieved through negotiated learning modules.

You can also use any existing academic credits you may have to contribute towards the development and outcome of the course.

We also welcome applications from groups of students whose learning needs are very similar and who may form a cohort. These cohorts could be supported by an employer or a sponsor, or they may be individuals with a shared health or social care work-based or career orientation.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MSc Health and Social Care (by negotiated study)

Course content

The course enables you to work towards a Master’s degree by gaining credits from completing individual modules that you bring together when developing your curriculum.

There are three stages to the course: PgCert (60 credits), PgDip (120 credits), MSc/MA (180 credits). Depending on your experience and requirements you can enter or exit the course at different stages.

The final award designation of MSc or MA is dependent on the balance on modules studied.

Rachel Armstrong - MA Healthcare Education (By Negotiated Study)

Video

Graduate Rachel Armstrong used the flexibility of a negotiated study programme to tailor her studies to her job.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
There are no compulsory modules for this year.

Show 2 optional modules

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 optional modules
Masters Dissertation (60 Credits)	60 credits
Project Based Change	60 credits

Entry requirements

You should hold an honours degree from a UK University or equivalent.

If you don’t have an honours degree you may still be considered if you have significant appropriate experience and can provide evidence of ability to undertake the course successfully and benefit from it. A professional portfolio indicating your achievements may be beneficial.

Facilities

Learning Spaces

We also house our new 21st century teaching and learning classrooms with integrated Wolf Vision technology to enhance interactive learning through the use of mobile technologies in theory lessons.

Libraries

We have Libraries and Service desks at both sites in Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford. All have experienced and friendly staff who can answer your IT queries, help you to access resources, show you how to research for your assignments and even help with referencing.

Some libraries are open 24/7 at key times in the academic year and we have a 24 hour help line too.

Careers

The course will help you develop advanced skills in specific health and social care provision, and your ability to think and act more strategically.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

We know that everyone learns differently. So not only do we use traditional ways of teaching like lectures, we also use problem-based learning to help you apply your skills.

For this course, you'll:

Work with others on group work
Delve deeper into subject areas in workshops
Be expected to study independently

Our teaching is supported through our Virtual Learning Environment called Blackboard. This means you can access a range of materials to support your lectures wherever you are.

We’ll also assign you a supervisor to support you throughout your dissertation.

Assessment

The way you’re assessed will depend on the modules and study modes you choose when negotiating your course plan.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
Academic writing (including how to reference)
Research skills
Critical thinking
Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our AccessAbility Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

We know that it’s important for you to be able to gauge your progress. So, your tutor will give you feedback on any practice assessments you do.

We usually give you feedback on formal assessments within 20 working days, but the format will vary for each module.

Your study time will include scheduled classes, independent learning and assessments. It will vary depending on your module choices.

Independent learning

As well as timetabled sessions, we know it’s important for you to discover things on your own terms. This could involve:

Reading journals, articles and books
Working on projects, alone or in a group
Researching in the library
Preparing coursework
Getting ready for exams

We’ve invested in state-of-the-art facilities to help you make the most of your private study time. Whether you need a library, a computer, or a lab, you’ll find it at Staffordshire University.

Fees

The expected study pattern on this programme enables you to complete modules totalling 90 credits in your first year of study and the other 90 credits, in your second year of study. Following this pattern of study you will pay the same fee for each year of study.

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you have previously completed an undergraduate degree with us, you may be entitled to a discount off your course fee for any subsequent postgraduate taught course. For further information please contact Graduate Relations.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,222 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning.

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Apply

Applications are not currently available for this course.

Enquire about this course

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at Staffordshire University, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of Staffordshire University enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations.