Application deadline
Sunday 17 August 2025
Entry requirements
All candidates must have an existing teaching role in their workplace, with an interest in pursuing an academic career in healthcare education or healthcare education research.
Candidates should have either a relevant degree or work experience, specifically:
- A 2.1 Honours undergraduate degree in a health profession or in a relevant field, including but not limited to Health Sciences. (If you studied your degree outside the UK, see the international entry requirements.)
OR
- Significant professional or other relevant experience alongside evidence of prior alternative learning, such as professional qualifications or certifications.
In reviewing applications for the programme, the School of Medicine looks especially at whether St Andrews is a good match for your specialist interests. The Programme Convenor is happy to be contacted and, if necessary, to set up a meeting in person or online so that you can discuss your plans and to ensure that St Andrews is the best place for you to pursue your educational pathway.
If you have any queries concerning the stand-alone module or your suitability for it, you are encouraged to make contact in advance of your application.
The qualifications listed are indicative minimum requirements for entry. Obtaining the listed entry requirements will not guarantee you a place as the University considers all aspects of every application including, where applicable, the writing sample, personal statement, and supporting documents.
Application requirements
You will need to supply the folllowing with your online application:
- CV that includes specific details of your current role and a history of your education and employment to date
- Degree Certificate and Academic Transcripts
English language proficiency
If English is not your first language, you may need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. See approved English language tests and scores for this course.
Alternative study options
This stand-alone module forms part of a full Health Professions Education online programme which cultivates teaching practice that instils the principles and values of interprofessional education to support the development of the future and current healthcare work force. The Health Professions Education programme can be studied at PGCert, PGDip and MSc level. Find out more.
Module details
You will explore the most important considerations in designing, developing, and delivering your educational programmes.
Learn how to lead educational development and curriculum design, and evaluate the success of a curriculum, as well as how to iterate and improve on it. At the end of the course you will be able to produce evidence-based proposals for your curriculum.
Highlights
- A fully online part-time module which offers flexibility of learning to suit those currently employed in a healthcare or academic setting.
- As an interprofessional and interdisciplinary programme, the stand-alone module provides opportunities to learn collaboratively about a range of educational contexts and teaching practices.
- Experiential and immersive learning opportunities mean learners undertaking the module can have real-time experience of the concepts being taught.
- Award-winning learning technology infrastructure and support to provide innovative, interactive and flexible learning and to support the student learning journey.
- Staff from a variety of disciplines and healthcare backgrounds with expertise and experience in educating healthcare professionals.
- 15 Credits at SCQF Level 11 awarded by the University of St Andrews and a certificate of award.
The module content will cover a range of approaches and methods of teaching, learning and assessment where learners will engage in independent and group study. Aspects of the programme will be interprofessional and interdisciplinary, enabling learners to reflect on and share their own teaching and learning practices. The course will provide the opportunity to learn with, from and about each other’s educational contexts.
Action learning sets will be utilised to bring a challenging or complex issue to discuss and share ideas for resolution. Learners will be able to develop a toolkit which should enhance their problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, and teaching strategies.
Academic staff in the School of Medicine provide expertise from a variety of disciplines and healthcare backgrounds. There is a wide range of experience in educating health professionals in a range of community and acute care settings, in interprofessional education, and in educational research. The School of Medicine has institutional memberships of the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) and the UK Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE).
Teaching
This stand-alone module is taken during one semester, from September to December.
The course will be delivered online with a mixture of some real-time, scheduled teaching and some independent study where there is flexibility of accessing learning materials at a time convenient to your own circumstances. All scheduled teaching will take place in GMT/BST when online attendance is required.
The module delivery platform is supported by an award-winning learning technology infrastructure. This innovative and interactive platform allows you to access all of the programme resources, announcements, timetable, and lectures (both live and recorded). To help build a sense of community online, this platform also hosts a discussion board for you to engage in threaded discussions with other learners on the course.
This programme will involve approximately 2 hours of weekly scheduled online attendance throughout the semester. The rest of the workload hours would consist of a range of activities, which can be undertaken in your own time during the semester. These may consist of preparatory reading and reflection, assignment preparation, small group work, and participation in online discussion forums.
There are a broad range of sources of support within the School and the wider University, which are available to you as a postgraduate student studying online. Throughout your programme you will be allocated an Adviser of Studies to provide academic support and advice.
The University has a mature and established Student Support Service able to offer advice on any welfare matters. The University Information Technology (IT) services can help if you require support, advice, or guidance with an IT issue. Academic and study skills support is available to students throughout their University studies, and also provides opportunities that support professional and personal development.
Fees
£1450
Funding and scholarships
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
NHS Staff Discount
The University of St Andrews offers a 10% discount to NHS-funded staff who wish to undertake the programme.
15% Recent Graduate Discount
If you have graduated from the University within the last three academic years, you may be eligible for a 15% discount on postgraduate taught tuition fees. Terms and conditions apply.
After your course
Careers
The University of St Andrews’ global reputation makes its graduates highly valued by employers. The Health Professions Education programme is aimed at individuals who may wish to develop their healthcare educational role, or wish to follow an academic career in healthcare education or healthcare education research, or pursue a PhD or MD.
In addition to broadening your subject knowledge and applying established techniques of research and enquiry, you will develop and demonstrate essential skills such as:
- critical thinking and creativity
- analysis and appraisal
- problem-solving and decision making
- personal leadership and project management
- interpersonal communication and team working
The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students in building their employability skills.
Further study
St Andrews offers a vibrant and stimulating research environment. One of the great strengths of our research degrees is the collegiate atmosphere which enables access to expertise beyond your formal supervisors and the ability to conduct interdisciplinary research.
Research students are supported by a supervisory team throughout their studies and are assessed by means of a substantial thesis of original research.
PGCert in Health Professions Education More modules in Health Professions Education
What to do next
Online information events
Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.
Postgraduate online visiting days
We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online visiting days.
Contact us
- Phone
- +44 (0)1334 46 3599
- medicine@st-andrews.ac.uk
- Address
- School of Medicine
Medical and Biological Sciences Building
North Haugh
St Andrews
KY16 9TF