PGCert, PGDip and MSc inHealth Professions Education
Course length
1 year full-time,6 months - 3 years part-time
Start date
January or September
Location
Online with face-to-face study days
About the programme
Develop the skills and knowledge to deliver exceptional teaching, assessment, course design and educational research, so you can inspire and lead in your area of practice and ultimately improve health outcomes.
At Hull York Medical School, we not only deliver exceptional education, but teach others to do so too – using the latest pedagogical evidence-based practice. If you are as passionate as we are about delivering high quality education, your journey starts here.
Our Health Professions Education programme will equip you with the skills and knowledge to deliver exceptional teaching, assessment, course design and educational research, so you can inspire and lead in your area of practice and ultimately improve health outcomes. The programme is open to those from across the healthcare professions, so whether you work in medicine, dentistry, nursing, physiotherapy or any other relevant profession, we can help you take the next steps to enhance your teaching. Students have come to the programme from a wide range of healthcare professions, both clinical and non-clinical.
We offer three routes – a Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma and MSc – all of which are flexible and designed to fit around your busy work schedule and home life.
Teaching is delivered by experienced clinical and non-clinical academics and researchers from our Health Professions Education Unit (HPEU), a group dedicated to advancing health professions education. We extend knowledge boundaries on workforce research, recruitment, selection and widening access, workplace-based learning, curriculum development, professionalism and assessment to enhance practice and understanding.
Meet the Programme Directors
Book a one-to-one chat with Dr Amaya Ellawala or Dr Amelia Kehoe to learn more about our MSc in Health Professions Education.
Get the answers to your questions about what you'll study, life at Hull York Medical School, support, finance, how to apply and more.
Contact Us
[email protected] 01904 321690
Watch...
Discover Health Professions Education
Course overview
2 mins
A different kind of medical school
Our school
5 mins
One-to-one chat
Discover Health Professions Education
Thursday 4 June, 18:00 - 19:00
Whether you're a prospective student or currently preparing your application, our webinars are a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the content of our Health Professions Education course, how it's taught, and the exciting career development opportunities on offer.
You’ll also have the chance to speak directly with the Programme Directors, Dr Amaya Ellawala or Dr Amelia Kehoe, and get answers to your questions.
Teaching
Flexible study options
Whether you wish to study at a distance or with a mix of online and onsite face-to-face contact, our distance and blended programmes are ideal. These programmes mean that you can study at any time of day and have maximum flexibility. We regularly teach students from across the UK and worldwide. You can also tailor programme content based on your interests and learning requirements by choosing from a range of optional modules.
The accelerated route allows you to complete the PGCert within a 6-month period.
Qualifications
Accreditation and awards
Because this course is accredited by Advance HE, you will be able to apply for Fellowship or Associate Fellowship upon completion of the Certificate and a reflective portfolio. This status is recognised by professional bodies as reaching international standards to deliver high quality education. You will have the right to use the post-nominal letters FHEA or AFHEA - qualifications highly recommended for those looking to work in the education sector.
In recognition of the excellent standards of teaching, assessment, research and scholarship provided on the programme, our Certificate is also accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) – the multi-professional body which sets the standards for clinical teachers in the UK. Upon completion of the Certificate, students can apply for membership of the Academy (MAcadMEd). Achieving MAcadMed is strongly recommended for those aiming for senior educational roles in a clinical setting.
We recently won the 2024 ASME institutional ‘commitment to scholarship’ award. The award claims exceptional commitment to ‘Advancing Scholarship in Medical Education’.
Study routes
This course offers flexible study options to suit your individual needs through the following routes.
Modules
The Postgraduate Certificate consists of three modules (60 credits); the Postgraduate Diploma consists of six modules (120 credits); and the MSc programme (180 credits) consists of six modules (120 credits) and a research project (60 credits).
All modules are subject to availability and this list may change at any time.
Filters
Learning and Teaching (Certificate core module)
This module will introduce you to the key principles of teaching and learning in the health professions.Core
20 credits
Research Approaches in Health Professions Education (Diploma core module)
An introduction to key concepts in quantitative and qualitative research to form a research question, plan a methodological approach and method for data collection and analysis, and write a research proposal.Core
20 credits
Dissertation (Masters core module)
Gain the experience of conducting independent research and presenting your findings in written and spoken form.Core
60 credits
Assessment and Feedback
Explore key principles and practices underpinning effective assessment and feedback.Optional
20 credits
Professional and Reflective Practice
This module will provide you with the tools and framework to reflect critically on your practice as a health professions educator, especially in relation to learning, teaching and assessment.Optional
20 credits
Teaching Clinical Reasoning
Gain the tools and framework to reconsider the ideologies, theories and concepts underpinning current clinical teaching to develop a more explicit approach to the teaching of clinical reasoning in health professions education.Optional
20 credits
Contemporary Issues in Health Professions Education
Reconsider the ideologies and assumptions underpinning current models of curriculum, course and assessment design within health professions education, and think about current issues that affect our everyday practice.Optional
20 credits
Leadership in Health Professions Education
Become better equipped to be involved with shaping your institutional and personal leadership approaches.Optional
20 credits
Implementation Science for Advanced and Chronic Care
Develop critical skills in implementation science so that you can lead change in key advanced and chronic care issues such as shared decision-making, advance care planning, and medication management.Optional
20 credits
Teaching and assessment
How is the programme taught?
Our programmes are delivered primarily through distance learning, with optional face-to-face opportunities. Tutors on the programmes are leading scholars and practising experts in a wide variety of disciplines, including dentistry, nursing, medicine and pharmacy with a clinical, educational or research background.
You will take part in:
Weekly online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) activities
The VLE provides you with easy access to online resources and is where you will complete learning tasks.
Discussions with your peers and the Programme Team
Your peers hold a wealth of knowledge and experience. You will work together on activities through the VLE and during study days.
Face-to-face and online study days
Our optional face-to-face study days involve interactive workshops to explore ideas with your peers. They are a brilliant opportunity to share good practice and network with colleagues from a range of healthcare professions.
Meetings with your Programme Tutor
You can meet with your Programme Tutor for guidance and support.
Teaching and assessment
How is the programme assessed?
Certificate and Diploma
You will be assessed through written assignments - see each module for more information.
Masters
Your assessment is a literature review or a major research project (dissertation) covering a subject of interest to you. The MSc is assessed through a presentation and written dissertation. The Masters programme has a strong record of publishable work.
HULL YORK MEDICAL SCHOOL Stories
A significant portion of my role involves the education of pre-registration allied health professionals, where I help to facilitate their transition from university to clinical practice. The programme has really helped me to develop the skills and knowledge I need to design and deliver teaching, complete assessments, and facilitate educational research, leadership and placements for students.
Lisa Flynn
Careers
Career prospects
Teaching experience and the associated skills and knowledge you will develop on this programme are increasingly in demand by employers.
Many of our graduates from the Certificate go on to study the Diploma and Masters programmes, and forge exciting careers as educators, leaders, researchers, practitioners and clinicians. Previous alumni now hold senior roles such as Dean, Head of School, Education leads, Senior Lecturer and more. We hope their stories will inspire you to take this next step on your career path. The programme is also an excellent stepping-stone for pursuing a PhD/MD in health professions education or a clinical academic career.
Intercalation
An ideal option for intercalation
We welcome applications from Medicine students to intercalate on our Masters level programme, to be completed in one year.
The programme uniquely enables intercalating students to gain an excellent understanding of education and research principles at an early career stage, which can facilitate and shape future clinical academic careers, as well as those aspiring to senior educational leadership positions.
entry
Entry requirements
Part-time Certificate: Applicants to the Certificate must hold a relevant undergraduate degree or its equivalent and have access to an appropriate level of teaching activity (we recommend around 18 hours which should ideally consist of a few separate events) during the year of the programme. Academic waivers may be possible in exceptional circumstances.
Part-time Diploma or Masters: Applicants who have completed the certificate and/or diploma modules elsewhere and wish to progress to the Diploma or MSc may apply for transfer of credit. Applicants without an existing qualification can, in exceptional circumstances, apply for credit for experiential learning.
Full-time Masters: Applicants to the full-time MSc must hold a relevant undergraduate degree or its equivalent. Students must have access to an appropriate level of teaching activity (we recommend around 18 hours which should ideally consist of a few separate events) during the year of the programme. Applicants to the full time MSc must ensure they have sufficient protected time in order to commit to studying the full programme (180 credits) in one year, evidenced in the personal statement.
Intercalating medical students must have successfully completed a minimum of three years of an MB BS or comparable medical qualification.
This programme is not eligible for CAS student visa for international students.
Accreditation of prior learning
The Medical School considers applications for accreditation of prior certificated learning (APCL) or for accreditation of prior experiential learning (APEL) on an individual basis. Applicants applying without first completing the Certificate in Health Professions Education will need to have an equivalent qualification, approved by the Department. Please contact us to discuss.
English language requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must have one of the following:
- IELTS: 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in each component
- PTE Academic: 61, with no less than 55 in each component
- CAE and CPE (from January 2015): 176, with no less than 169 in each component
- TOEFL: 87, with a minimum of 21 in each component
- Trinity ISE: level 3 with Merit in all components
- LangCert B2 Communicator High Pass (minimum score 33/50)
- WASSCE: C5
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
UK (Home) and International (including EU)
Fees listed are for 2026 entry. Fees are reviewed on an annual basis and may change for future years.
PGCert
- 1 year: £4,480 (part time)
PGCert Accelerated Route
- 1 year: £4,480 (part time)
PGDip
- 1 year: £8,960 (part time)
- 2 years: £4,480 (part time)*
Fee for completion of PGDip in one year as a higher level award following prior completion of PG Cert stage: £4,480**.
MSc
- 1 year: £13,440 (full time)
- 2 years: £6,720 (part time)*
- 3 years: £4,480 (part time)*
Fee for completion of MSc in one year as a higher level award following prior completion of PG Cert and diploma stages: £4,480**
Fee for completion of PGDip and MSc stages in one year following prior completion of a PGCert stage: £8,960**
*The fees listed for part time study relate to the current year only, fees for subsequent years are subject to confirmation.
**Applicants who have previously completed a Hull York Medical School Health Professions Education award or an equivalent from another institution and who want to apply for a higher level award for this programme should apply for the appropriate course, the fees will be charged as per the stated stage fee listed above.
Funding
There are a number of funding options available to help with costs and support your postgraduate study. To apply for funding, you will need to hold an offer to study at Hull York Medical School.
Reduced tuition fees
We are delighted to support the development of the Medical School community by offering reduced fees of up to 50%. Please see tuition fees above.
Yorkshire and Humber Deanery
Funding is available for the Certificate through the Yorkshire and Humber Deanery, subject to availability, for GPs who wish to become a GP trainer.
Hull York Medical School Intercalated Student Bursaries
We offer two bursaries worth 50% of the tuition fee to intercalating Hull York Medical School MB BS students who meet widening participation criteria.
applying
How to apply
To apply, submit an online application on the University of York website.
You don’t need to complete your application all at once - you can save and finish it later.
Apply now
Applications for September study should be received by 17 August 2026.
For study in January, the deadline for applications is generally November 2026 (date tbc).
HULL YORK MEDICAL SCHOOL Stories
We are immensely proud of our Health Professions Education programmes. These are flexible to suit the needs of busy healthcare professionals, and are designed to inspire critical thinking and support the development of excellent educational and research practice. Our staff are a mixture of practitioners, academics and researchers, who are passionate about health professions education. We know you will enjoy being part of a diverse cohort, studying in a research-active environment and discussing key topics with peers and subject matter experts. We look forward to welcoming you to Hull York Medical School.
Dr Amaya Ellawala and Dr Millie Kehoe
