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What makes Healthcare Management and Leadership MSc at the University of Worcester special?

The MSc Healthcare Management and Leadership programme provides an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in relation to effectively managing and leading people, processes and practices within healthcare settings. Management and leadership in the health and social care sector is increasingly important both in the UK and worldwide, with the NHS promoting specific values and principles of care (Department of Health, 2010) and the World Health Organisation highlighting the need for managers and leaders to have appropriate skills and knowledge (WHO, 2007) 

Designed specifically for existing and aspiring managers and leaders, through completion of this programme, students will develop skills to critically debate the challenges facing healthcare leaders, and the roles that clinicians, managers and the wider healthcare economy can play in reshaping healthcare services. It will also enable managers and leaders to apply their learning to their workplace environment through practical and applied leadership case studies, debates and challenges.

It is a distinct programme in that it offers learning opportunities delivered by experts from Worcester Business School and healthcare experts from Schools of Allied Health and Community and Psychology bringing together key theories of leadership and management with the specific relevance to health systems and social care.

This programme provides a developmental route for health care professionals who work at advanced level practice as managers and leaders within healthcare. It addresses the important factors influencing the management and leadership of both organisations and individuals. It aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills and resources to enable them to reach their full potential as managers and leaders. A flexible, multidisciplinary approach postgraduate achievement within a supportive environment enables students to learn with and from each other to develop professional networks, in addition to advancing their own practice.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • An environment in which students gain the confidence to meet current and shape future health and social care
  • Modules which develop critical reflection, originality, critique and synthesis to advance decision making skills in complex healthcare
  • Opportunities for the student to challenge their own values and attitudes and develop new ways of thinking in a supportive environment in relation to service design, implementation of change, patient safety and risk
  • Opportunities to examine contemporary policy, practice, leadership and management theories and how to apply them to real world situations.
  • Opportunities to explore the principles, approaches, strategies and techniques for analysing, designing and managing complex healthcare organisations.
  • Essential knowledge to manage the integration of people, systems and technologies that ensure the delivery of consistent high quality, person centric
  • Opportunities for the student to develop career progression as managers and leaders within healthcare
Entry requirements

What qualifications will you need?

Entry requirements

Either

  • An honours degree at 2:2 level or above in a health-related subject or an honours degree at 2.2 level or above in business-related subject but, in such cases, working in a healthcare environment.

Or

  • Qualifications and experience considered by the Programme Leader and/or admissions tutor to be equivalent to the All students applying via this route will be assessed and interviewed by the Programme Lead.
  • Students whose first language is not English will be expected to have reached a sufficient standard on admission to the programme (e.g., usually IELTS 6.5, with a minimum of 5 in each element, or equivalent).
  • International students must hold a qualification equivalent to a UK first or second- class honours degree.
  • UK students being sponsored by their employer must provide evidence of employer approval and payment agreement.

Other information

If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the Admissions Office on 01905 855111 or email admissions@worc.ac.uk for advice.

Course content

What will you study

Our courses are informed by research and current developments in the discipline and feedback from students, external examiners and employers. Modules do therefore change periodically in the interests of keeping the course relevant and reflecting best practice. The most up-to-date information will be available to you once you have accepted a place and registered for the course. If there are insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this might not be offered, but we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative. 

Modules

Mandatory (for MSc, see programme specification for PGCert/PGDip mandatory modules)

  • Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery (15 credits)
  • Leading and Managing People (15 credits)
  • Leading and Managing and Quality Improvements (30 credits)
  • Advanced Research Analysis 2 (15 credits)
  • Operations Strategy - Delivering Business Efficiency (15 credits)
  • Finance for Non-Financial Managers - Understanding the Numbers (15 credits)
  • Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional

  • Individual Negotiated Learning
  • Group Negotiated Learning

Healthcare Management and Leadership MSc students

students around a table and one of them is pointing three students looking towards the camera group of students standing in a line smiling at camera students in a group around a table three female students sitting together and looking towards the camera student in an orange top
Teaching and assessment

How will you be taught?

Teaching

The programme engages a student-centred approach for teaching and learning building on student’s strengths. You are taught through a blended learning approach including a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, practical activities, seminars, blended learning, online activities, enquiry-based learning, self- directed and independent learning. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and workshops are focused on developing subject specific skills.  These are applied in individual and group project work.

In addition, post graduate students will have a minimum of two meetings with their Personal Academic Tutor times to coincide with key points such as induction or assessment. When undertaking the dissertation module, a supervisor will also be allocated for additional support in the last semester.

The University places emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning   capabilities that will equip them for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement. A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and also the Personal Academic Tutoring system enables students to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help them to flourish and be successful.

Location of teaching

This course is delivered in the UK at the University of Worcester campuses by University of Worcester staff from the School of Allied Health and Community, School of Psychology and the Business School. In Hong Kong the course is delivered by Hong Kong Management Association.

Contact time

In the UK a full-time student can expect to have approximately 12 to 15 hours per week contact time as part of weekend teaching blocks.  The programme comprises 6 mandatory taught modules with teaching and learning activities running across two semesters. These modules are block taught. A 15-credit module is taught in 2 x 2-day blocks; a 30-credit module is taught in 4 x 2 day blocks. 

In Hong Kong teaching hours will be structured around a three-day block weekend basis and delivered as a full-time programme only. This includes a 3-hour Friday evening session followed by two 6-hour days (Saturday and Sunday). These weekends will occur twice per semester. 

For UK and Hong Kong students, in the final semester when students will normally be undertaking the dissertation, they will have less classroom contact time in order to do more independent study. Individual supervision will be provided on a one to one basis of a total of 6 hours.

Typically contact time will be structured around:

  • Lectures and seminars (face to face and online) 
  • Workshops (face to face and online) 
  • Group work (problem and enquiry-based learning)  
  • Work-based learning Placement (face to face, online and self-directed)  

Online activities will focus on:

  • Group tutorials based upon focussed activities
  • Assessment workshops
  • Problem-based learning
  • Skills development workshops

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, full time students are expected to undertake around 24 hours of personal self-study per week. Part time students are expected to undertake around 6 hours of personal self-study per week. Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources.

Duration

  • 12 months full-time
  • 4-6 years part-time

Timetables

Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings.

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes staff from Worcester Business School and Schools across Health, Life and Environmental Sciences on both sites.

Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and (as at February 2021) 80% per cent of lecturers at the University of Worcester have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.  You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments both within the UK and Hong Kong. Each module, on both sites, has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade.

Assessment methods include a range of coursework assignments such as essays, reports, project plan, presentations and a dissertation. The precise assessment requirements for an individual student in an academic year will vary according to the mandatory and optional modules taken, but a typical formal summative assessment pattern, for a full-time student on both sites, for each year of the course is:

Semester 1

1 research proposal
1 critique
Personal development plan 1 reflective essay
Essays

Semester 2

1 report-based case study 1 essay
1 individual or group presentation 1 peer assessment
1 reflective report

Semester 3

Dissertation

The precise assessment requirements for part time students will vary according to the modules selected.

All assignments, from both UK and HKMA, will be marked, moderated and follow the same process and module assessment. They will all be presented at the same exam board regardless of the location of the course delivery.

You will receive feedback on formative assessments and on formal assessments undertaken by coursework.   Feedback is intended to support learning and you are encouraged to discuss it with personal academic tutors and module tutors as appropriate.

You will receive feedback on formal coursework assessments within 20 working days of hand-in.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document.

Careers

Where could it take you?

Graduate destinations 

Almost all students are already in employment therefore their aim is to enhance their current role by introducing more effective ways of working within their employing organisations. Students may also use the skills and qualification as a platform for their career enhancement. This may involve moving into more strategic management and leadership roles within healthcare.

As part of the journey of professional and role development students are encouraged to continue on their academic journey through access to a range of higher degrees including PhD and other taught doctorates.

Costs

How much will it cost?

Fees

The current fees can be found within the tuition fees document on our figure out finances page.

Postgraduate loans

The Government will provide a loan of up to £11,836 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2022 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs.

For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.

There should not be any other additional course related costs. However, you will require access to computers either personal or through UK sites. Travelling to university campuses and parking will need to be covered by the student.

Access to all relevant journals will be available through the Universities on line library access. Books are available within the Hive.
How to apply

How do you apply?

If you're interested in applying for this course and have any questions please do get in touch with us via the contact details below.

Full time applications Part time applications

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Admissions

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

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