Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £3,650 for the course
International/EU: £3,720 per 60 credits -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Develop inclusive, learner-centred teaching for health and social care settings.
- Apply educational theory to clinical, academic and interprofessional practice.
- Build confidence in assessment, feedback and facilitation skills.
- Personalise your learning through specialist module options.
- Study flexibly through a distance-learning format designed for working professionals.
The PGCert Health and Social Care Education explores pedagogical theory, inclusive teaching approaches, and assessment and feedback strategies - enabling you to strengthen and evidence your educational role while continuing in employment. Designed for professional working in practice, you’ll enhance your skills as a confident, practice-focused educator across clinical, academic and workforce settings.
Successful completion provides Level 7 credits and may contribute towards further postgraduate study in Health and Social Care Education.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
This fully online programme supports you to become a critically reflective educator with a strong understanding of how people learn in clinical, academic and interprofessional environments. The flexible distance-learning model is built to accommodate the working lives of health and social care professionals, allowing you to integrate theory with workplace practice.
Teaching and learning are grounded in applied educational theory and real-world relevance, informed by current research, practice and professional frameworks. You’ll learn from a multidisciplinary academic team – including experienced clinical educators, NMC and HCPC registrants, simulation specialists and education researchers.
You’ll learn to plan, deliver and evaluate inclusive teaching by designing learning activities, assessment strategies and meaningful feedback approaches. The teaching philosophy is dialogic, reflective and collaborative, encouraging you to learn with and from professionals across disciplines.
You learn through:
- interactive online workshops and seminars
- self-directed study and guided learning activities
- peer collaboration and interprofessional dialogue
- practical application in workplace and teaching settings
- formative and summative learning activities with developmental feedback
Key Themes
You’ll explore learner-centred approaches to teaching in clinical, academic and workplace settings. The course examines how diverse learners are supported across health and social care environments – through inclusive curriculum design, accessible teaching strategies and equitable assessment practices.
You’ll develop confidence in designing assessment and feedback strategies that promote professional growth and competence. The course considers how effective feedback, learner support and educational facilitation shape learning experiences in practice-based and academic contexts.
You’ll also examine how education operates across professions and service settings. Through reflection and collaboration, you’ll strengthen your ability to support mentorship, supervision and workforce development initiatives within your organisation.
Course Level Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- personalised academic support and module leader guidance
- structured formative feedback throughout modules
- peer interaction within an interprofessional cohort
- access to our Skills Centre for academic writing and study development
Applied learning
Live Projects
You’ll apply your learning to your professional role through live educational projects and workplace teaching activities. Each module encourages you to bring your own practice context into your studies, applying new knowledge to strengthen your professional role.
Assignments are designed to ensure immediate workplace relevance, from designing inclusive teaching sessions to evaluating educational practice or supporting learners in difficulty.
Networking Opportunities
You’ll engage with guest speakers including clinical educators, academic leaders and digital education specialists. Interprofessional collaboration is embedded throughout the programme, allowing you to learn alongside professionals from nursing, allied health, social care and medical education.
Course leaders and tutors
Nick White
Senior Lecturer In Adult NursingI am module leader for the Developing Simulation and Human Factors in Education Level 7 that is part of the MSc Healthcare Education and Clinical Simulation Lead for … Read more
Modules
Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.
Final year
Compulsory modules
Aims
This module explores principles of formative and summative assessment, examining their design, purpose, and impact on learner progression. You will explore inclusive assessment strategies, constructive alignment, and equity in practice. The module also introduces feedback models and strategies that develop feedback literacy, promote learner independence, and shape professional identity. You will engage with quality assurance processes, institutional frameworks, and wider policy drivers to inform your own practice. Through critical reflection, you will develop strategies to enhance fairness, coherence, and sustainability in assessment and feedback across diverse learning environments.
Indicative content:
Principles of assessment in health and social care education
Formative and summative assessment: design, application, and impact
Inclusive assessment and equity in practice
Constructive alignment
Feedback models in practice
Feedback strategies in contemporary practice
Assessment and feedback in professional identity formation
Quality assurance, policy, and institutional framework(s)
This module introduces you to contemporary knowledge, skills, and behaviours required to teach and facilitate others’ learning effectively. You will explore a range of educational theories and pedagogies that underpin teaching and learning, enabling you to apply them directly within your health or social care setting. The module focuses on creating inclusive and engaging learning environments, helping you design effective and motivating learning experiences that respond to diverse learner needs.
You will critically examine how educational philosophies shape your teaching practice and develop your understanding of assessment strategies that support learning. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to make informed, reflective decisions about how best to support the learners in your practice area.
Indicative content:
Contemporary learning theories
Educational philosophies and practice
Interprofessional Education
Technology-Enhanced Learning
Inclusive pedagogy and equity
Motivation and engagement
Designing learning activities
Assessment strategies for learning
Elective modules
This module enables you to explore and apply advanced knowledge, skills, and values related to workplace learning, with a focus on supporting learners or colleagues experiencing professional difficulties. You will critically examine mentoring, coaching, and supervision models and their use across diverse, inter-professional settings. Emphasis is placed on the value of early, constructive support for individuals, teams, professions, and organisations.
Through engagement with evidence-based frameworks, you will develop strategies to support learners in difficulty, using a range of communication and support approaches. You will also reflect on your own development needs and create a personalised action plan. By the end of the module, you will be equipped with the insight and tools to foster an inclusive learning culture and support others through challenges.
Indicative content
Mentoring, coaching and supervision models
Inter-professional working
Supporting learners in difficulty
Communication strategies
Personal reflection
Evidence base evaluation
This module enables you to explore the pedagogical foundations of simulation-based education in health and social care. You will examine how experiential learning, scenario design, and structured debriefing techniques can enhance learner development, support reflective practice, and build critical thinking. You are encouraged to apply inclusive and psychologically safe approaches when designing simulation activities that mirror real-world challenges and promote service improvement.
Throughout the module, you will critically reflect on the role of simulation in advancing quality assurance, patient safety, and educator development. You will consider the responsibilities of the simulation educator and how to lead and facilitate meaningful simulation experiences that engage diverse learners.
Indicative content
Pedagogical foundations of simulation-based education
Simulation and quality improvement
Patient and service user safety
Inclusive simulation practice
Role of the simulation educator
Structured debriefing models
Scenario design and learning alignment
Leadership and facilitation in simulation
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- mentorship and supervision
- clinical education
- patient education
- simulation facilitation
- practice development
- education advisory roles
Previous graduates have progressed into roles within NHS Trusts, higher education institutions and professional education providers.
The PGCert is the beginning of our Health and Social Care Education pathway, strengthening your inclusive teaching and assessment practice. You can progress to the PGDip to broaden your expertise in curriculum design, educational leadership and policy-informed development. The MSc then enables you to undertake a substantial master’s level research or educational development project aligned to your professional context – demonstrating advanced critical analysis and strategic influence in health and social care education.
If you already have relevant postgraduate credits, you may be able to enter the pathway at an appropriate stage, subject to university regulations.
Equipment and facilities
This is a fully online distance-learning course, so you’ll need regular access to a PC, laptop
or Mac with reliable internet connectivity, as well as the digital literacy to engage with Microsoft Teams and Blackboard.
On this course you use:
- our Blackboard virtual learning environment
- Microsoft Teams for live sessions and collaboration
- digital academic resources
A significant proportion of learning is self-directed, enabling flexibility alongside your professional commitments.
Where will I study?
You study this course online from any location
Entry requirements
All students
Normally, a first degree, professional qualification in a related health care subject, and 2 years post qualification experience.
International students require an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill area.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £3,650 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.
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.
International students
Our tuition fee for international/EU students starting distance learning study in 2026/27 is £3,720 for 60 credits
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.
