Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £10,940 for the course
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How long will I study?
3 Years
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Develop the skills you need to be a leader in health and social care.
- Gain essential, qualifications for senior positions.
- Learn to lead strategically – evaluating and improving services at both systems and service levels.
Leadership has consistently been shown to be key to the effective delivery of health and social care services. Indeed, lack of leadership has been cited as a major cause of most health and social care system failures. On this course, you will learn how to lead effectively and make sustainable improvements to health and social care services.
Student satisfaction
This course scored 100% for overall student satisfaction in the Postgraduate Taught Student Satisfaction Survey 2025.
How you learn
We help you to develop the skills you need to successfully lead across the many facets of health and social care provision. Through engaging in learning and assessment tasks, you have the opportunity to actively improve service delivery throughout the programme.
You'll learn to understand strategic system level issues, solve organisational problems and devise, implement and evaluate successful service improvement initiatives. You'll also learn to strengthen teamwork, motivation, commitment and effort, and thereby improve service user outcomes.
You will learn through
- lectures and seminars
- workshop–style sessions
- live projects
- extensive independent reading and study
- self–reflection,
- peer and tutor engagement
- blended learning approaches
- online learning
- written assessments
- case studies
Applied learning
Live projects
As a student on our unique MSc programme you will maximise your learning by engaging in real world assignments. All course assessments centre on service delivery and improvement, giving you the opportunity to actively display and practice leadership. This means that you will not only gain enhanced knowledge of evidence–based management and leadership theories, but also develop the practical skills you require to lead more effectively in the workplace.
Course leaders and tutors
Anita McCrum
Senior Lecturer in Leadership, MSc Health and Social Care Leadership Course LeaderAnita's background is in adult nursing, community nursing and health visiting. She worked for many years as a frontline Health Visitor, then supporting students und … Read more
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
This module aims to help you develop an in-depth understanding of the fields of management and leadership in the contemporary health and social care context, whilst considering your role and future development.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Overarching concepts of leadership and management
- Leadership overview
- Mapping the field of leadership
- Leadership and learning diagnostic tools
- Leadership learning and development
For those studying on the apprenticeship route, the following KSB’s will be met through study of this module
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You will be able to: |
You will know and understand: |
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Knowledge |
2.1 Recognise and respond to individuals’ motivation, development stage and capacity; work in partnership to empower individuals to participate in decisions about care designed to maximise their health and wellbeing |
2.1 Motivational theory and how to apply it to participation in health and social care; the value of empowerment and co-design |
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2.2 Assess own learning needs and engage in self-directed learning to maximise potential to lead and transform care and services |
2.2 Your role, responsibility and motivation to manage your own learning; the range of tools and techniques that can be used to direct own learning, set goals and evaluate learning |
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2.4 Advocate and contribute to the development of an organisational culture that supports life-long learning and development, evidence-based practice and succession planning. |
2.4 The importance and impact of organisational culture in learning and development; techniques to influence organisational culture. |
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4.5 Develop and implement robust governance systems and systematic documentation processes |
4.5 The importance of effective governance systems and methods that can be used to ensure systematic documentation is in place |
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Behaviour |
3.3 Provide professional leadership and supervision in situations that are complex and unpredictable; instill confidence and clinical credibility in others; work across boundaries to promote person-centred care |
3.3 Theories, techniques and models of leadership and teamwork and how these can be applied across professional boundaries in health and social care |
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3.5 Identify the need for change; generate practice innovations; act as a role model; lead new practice and service redesign solutions in response to individuals’ feedback and service need |
3.5 Theories, models and techniques which can be deployed across health and social care systems to affect change at individual, team and organisational level |
This module aims to help you develop an in-depth understanding of the fields of management and leadership in the contemporary health and social care context, whilst considering your role and future development.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Overarching concepts of leadership and management
- Leadership overview
- Mapping the field of leadership
- Leadership and learning diagnostic tools
- Leadership learning and development
Elective modules
To identify and critically evaluate a specific work based service improvement project. Evaluation of service improvement has direct benefits for your organisation, and will enhance your understanding of the underpinning improvement methodologies whilst further developing your personal and professional skills.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- reflective practice
- action planning
- work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
MODULE AIM
To identify and critically evaluate a specific work based service improvement project. Evaluation of service improvement has direct benefits for your organisation, and will enhance your understanding of the underpinning improvement methodologies whilst further developing your personal and professional skills.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- Reflective practice
- Action planning
- Work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
The aim of this module is to develop your role as interprofessional educators and facilitators. This will enable you to enhance the personal and professional development of the learners in your work place allowing them to make a positive contribution to the delivery of high quality care.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
IPE theory, educational theories, sociological theories concerning professional boundaries and identities.
Policy and strategic imperatives driving modern health care education
Theories of coaching, mentoring and facilitation
Conflict resolution theories
The aim of this module is to develop your role as interprofessional educators and facilitators. This will enable you to enhance the personal and professional development of the learners in your work place allowing them to make a positive contribution to the delivery of high quality care.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
IPE theory, educational theories, sociological theories concerning professional boundaries and identities.
Policy and strategic imperatives driving modern health care education
Theories of coaching, mentoring and facilitation
Conflict resolution theories
The aim of this module is for you to explore your organisational landscape and develop an understanding of how you lead within that context.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
Models/theories leadership (for example transactional, transformational, situational servant, adaptive, distributed)
Understanding your organisation's environment/environmental analysis
Values, beliefs, making sense of culture, climate and structures,
Impact and importance of personal effectiveness on your leadership role in a changing environment.
This module critically explores the relationship between effective leadership and the team; it develops a theoretical and applied understanding of the human and interpersonal dimensions of leadership and management of groups and teams within complex, changing, health and social care environments.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
LO 1.
- Motivation and employee engagement.
- Applying influence, power and politics.
- Coaching and mentoring.
LO 2.
- Leading and managing diversity and diverse teams.
- Group dynamics and team effectiveness.
- The role of critical reflection in team leadership.
MODULE AIM
This module critically explores the relationship between leadership, formalised approaches to managing people and the organisation; it develops a theoretical and applied understanding of the human and interpersonal dimensions of leadership and management within complex, changing, health and social care organisations and environments.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Performance management, appraisals and reward systems.
- Inculcating creativity, entrepreneurialism and innovation.
- Organisational design and structure.
- Organisational culture, climate and values systems.
- Resilience and the role of the manager.
- Personal development and appraisal systems.
- Diagnostics of personal leadership and management styles.
To identify and successfully plan a negotiated and critically justified work based service improvement project. The service improvement project will consider benefits for the organisation and will develop your understanding of service improvement methodologies whilst enhancing your personal and professional skills.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- Reflective practice
- Action planning
- Work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
MODULE AIM
To identify and successfully plan a negotiated and critically justified work based service improvement project. The service improvement project will consider benefits for the organisation and will develop your understanding of service improvement methodologies whilst enhancing your personal and professional skills
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- Reflective practice
- Action planning
- Work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
Year 2
Compulsory modules
MODULE AIM
Leading and managing effective change has assumed pivotal importance for leaders in all health and social care organisations. As the pace of change in the external environment continues to increase and new technologies disrupt traditional ways of working; this module aims to assist you in exploring issues around change from varying perspectives, but focusing in particular on the role of leadership and organisation development (OD) in supporting sustainable change.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Change - epistemological and ontological perspectives
- Mapping the field of theories and strategies for managing change
- Introduction to organisational development (OD) as a discipline
- Types of change; Structures, Systems and People. Emergent change vs. planned approaches
- Managing change in complex systems
- Organisational growth and change
- Change curves (the sigmoid curve) and the timing of change efforts
- Change processes
- Resistance vs transition and strategies for making progress.
- Culture, organisational politics and change
- Resilience to change,
- Service user and carer engagement with change
The module aims to provide you with an introduction to research design and methods relevant to an applied area of investigation. It will enable you to consider factors that will impact on future planning and management of their investigation.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Identifying a research question
- Research methods to support quantitative and qualitative research
- Research ethics
- Literature based studies
- Service evaluation - design and methods
- Project planning and management
For those studying on the apprenticeship route, the following KSB’s will be met through study of this module
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You will be able to: |
You will know and understand: |
|
Knowledge |
2.2 Assess own learning needs and engage in self-directed learning to maximise potential to lead and transform care and services |
2.2 Your role, responsibility and motivation to manage your own learning; the range of tools and techniques that can be used to direct own learning, set goals and evaluate learning |
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4.2 Evaluate and audit your own and others’ clinical practice and act on the findings |
4.2 The range of valid and reliable evaluation and audit methods used in clinical practice |
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4.3 Alert individuals and organisations to gaps in evidence; initiate and/or lead evidence-based activity that aims to enhance clinical practice and contribute to the evidence base; support others to develop their research capability |
4.3 The range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies relevant for use in health and social care; the roles and responsibilities of those involved in research; the range of legal, ethical, professional, financial and organisational policies and procedures that will apply to your research activities; the importance and impact of research on advancing clinical practices |
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4.4 Critically appraise and synthesise the outcomes of research, evaluation and audit; apply this within your own and others’ practice; act as a bridge between clinical and research practice; promote the use of evidence-based standards, policies and clinical guidelines |
4.4 Critical appraisal techniques and how to apply new knowledge effectively to own and others’ clinical practice; the importance of integrating research into clinical practice; the range of evidence-based standards, policies and clinical guidelines which apply to own and others’ practice |
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4.5 Develop and implement robust governance systems and systematic documentation processes |
4.5 The importance of effective governance systems and methods that can be used to ensure systematic documentation is in place |
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4.6 Disseminate your work through appropriate media to further advance clinical practices. |
4.6 The value of disseminating research to advance clinical practice, enhancing the quality, safety, productivity and value for money of health and care; how to select and use media appropriately to optimise research impact. |
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Skills |
1.1 Practise with a high level of autonomy and be accountable for your decisions and omissions; work in line with your code of professional conduct, professional standards and scope of practice |
1.1 Local, national policies and procedures within your scope of practice, the professional and regulatory codes of conduct relevant to your advanced clinical practice; the importance of working within boundaries of practice; the range of physical, psychological, pharmacological, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions within your scope of practice |
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Behaviour |
3.6 Establish and exercise your individual scope of practice within legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies, procedures and codes of conduct to manage risk and enhance the care experience |
3.6 The range of legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies, procedures and codes of conduct that apply to your practice |
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3.7 Identify and manage risk in own and others’ clinical practice; be receptive to challenge and demonstrate the ability to challenge others. |
3.7 The range of evidence-based strategies to manage risk in clinical practice. |
MODULE AIM
Leading and managing effective change has assumed pivotal importance for leaders in all health and social care organisations. As the pace of change in the external environment continues to increase and new technologies disrupt traditional ways of working; this module aims to assist you in exploring issues around change from varying perspectives, but focusing in particular on the role of leadership and organisation development (OD) in supporting sustainable change.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
- Change - epistemological and ontological perspectives
- Mapping the field of theories and strategies for managing change
- Introduction to organisational development (OD) as a discipline
- Types of change; Structures, Systems and People. Emergent change vs. planned approaches
- Managing change in complex systems
- Organisational growth and change
- Change curves (the sigmoid curve) and the timing of change efforts
- Change processes
- Resistance vs transition and strategies for making progress.
- Culture, organisational politics and change
- Resilience to change,
Service user and carer engagement with change
Elective modules
MODULE AIM
To identify and critically evaluate a specific work based service improvement project. Evaluation of service improvement has direct benefits for your organisation, and will enhance your understanding of the underpinning improvement methodologies whilst further developing your personal and professional skills.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- Reflective practice
- Action planning
- Work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
The aim of this module is to develop your role as interprofessional educators and facilitators. This will enable you to enhance the personal and professional development of the learners in your work place allowing them to make a positive contribution to the delivery of high quality care.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
IPE theory, educational theories, sociological theories concerning professional boundaries and identities.
Policy and strategic imperatives driving modern health care education
Theories of coaching, mentoring and facilitation
Conflict resolution theories
The aim of this module is to develop your role as interprofessional educators and facilitators. This will enable you to enhance the personal and professional development of the learners in your work place allowing them to make a positive contribution to the delivery of high quality care.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
IPE theory, educational theories, sociological theories concerning professional boundaries and identities.
Policy and strategic imperatives driving modern health care education
Theories of coaching, mentoring and facilitation
Conflict resolution theories
MODULE AIM
To identify and successfully plan a negotiated and critically justified work based service improvement project. The service improvement project will consider benefits for the organisation and will develop your understanding of service improvement methodologies whilst enhancing your personal and professional skills
INDICATIVE CONTENT
The content of the module will be driven by personal and organisational goals negotiated at the start of the module. Key areas will be:
- Organisational structures
- Project management and evaluation
- Change management
- Selecting and using evidence
- Reflective practice
- Action planning
- Work based learning and organisational goals
- Action learning set methodology to support learning and progression through the module.
Final year
Compulsory modules
This module will enable you to develop a proposal and then plan and conduct an in-depth investigation of a topic that contributes to professional practice. It provides the opportunity to apply an understanding of research methods to the investigation and allows you to demonstrate your ability to work with relative autonomy in undertaking a sustained, in-depth piece of independent learning. It promotes the dissemination of findings to your professional community.
INDICATIVE CONTENT
This module is essentially an individual, self-directed piece of work the contents of which will be specific to your professional area and interests. You will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge base relevant to the topic of interest as well as knowledge and understanding of appropriate research methods.
Students must submit a proposal for approval and this is a mandatory element of this module. You will be advised and supported through the proposal stage and necessary internal and external ethical and scientific approval processes. Approval from the reviewers on behalf of the Faculty Research Ethics Committee is essential before students can progress with their study.
You will be advised about the necessity of obtaining SHU ethical and scientific approval for your project. This and other ethical approvals outside of SHU e.g. NHS will be supported.
Future careers
This course prepares you for
- leadership and management positions in the NHS or other health or social care providers
- further studies
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEntry requirements
All students
A first degree or an appropriate professional qualification considered to represent equivalence to a degree. N.B. In some circumstances experience of degree level study along with leadership/management experience will be considered.
Where English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 is required, with no individual element below 5.5.
Previous work experience of a professional role and management or leadership context that will support the work-based learning elements of the course and will enable you to learn in practice.
You will be considered on an individual basis and will be accepted if you can satisfy the course team that you have a commitment to completing your proposed pathway of study and you fulfil the specific admissions criteria.
You must be prepared to be intellectually challenged; to reflect upon your practice and to consider how this can be applied to improve your service and the experiences of your service users. This improvement will be based upon critical evaluation and application of theory and evidence and new understanding. You should be motivated, able to actively contribute to discussion and debate, and prepared to study independently to explore the policy, theoretical and research literature that underpins effective managerial and leadership practice.
Additional information for EU/International students
This course is not open to international students who require a student visa to study in the UK. If you are an international applicant but do not require a student visa, email our Admissions Team to find out whether you’re eligible to apply.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £10,940 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £3,650 per year.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 277.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
