Developing highly knowledgeable and skilled graduates for the health and social care professions.
This postgraduate programme in Health and Wellbeing aims to develop highly knowledgeable and skilled postgraduates from the health and social care professions, including nurses and midwives. There is an emphasis on the application of knowledge to practice and the development of leadership skills. The programme extends the knowledge base necessary for practitioners to function at an advanced level and to develop into expert or advanced practitioners, advisers, managers or educators within their particular area of expertise.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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This programme leads to the academic awards of PgCert/PGDip/MSc in Health and Wellbeing. Students may exit with a Postgraduate Certificate after completing 60 credits within a clinical pathway: Diabetes Care, Stroke Care, or Forensic Healthcare.
The Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits) has four 30 credit Modules. Two 30 credit compulsory modules (Health and Wellbeing: Challenges and Controversies and Advanced Methods in Research and Development in Health and Social Care). Students also study Critical Application of Advanced Compassionate Communication in Health and Social Care Practice and may then choose to study either Ethics and Professional Decision-making or Transforming Practice through Person-centred Collective Leadership.
Alternatively, students may study the two compulsory modules and two modules from one of the 60 credits clinical pathways - Diabetes, Stroke or Forensic Health Care.
For the award of the Master’s degree in Health and Wellbeing a further 60 credits must be completed in the form of the Master’s dissertation project.
How to apply
Students wishing to apply for a Department of Health (DH) Commissioned place should contact the Practice Education Team in their Health and Social Care Trust. The HSCT will manage your application.
Those who are not eligible for DoH Commissioned places, must apply via the University online application system. (known as the self-funded route).
Students are required to attend for at least 75% of all campus-based modules. Some modules are online – students are required to log on to the website and interact on a weekly basis.
A range of teaching and learning methods are used to enable students to develop knowledge and understanding. There is a continuous focus upon how theory is linked to and informed by practice through the use of lectures, seminars, discussions, guided reading, reflection, creative methods and debate. Online material may be used to support this. All assessment is via course work.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.
High quality apartment living in Belfast city centre adjacent to the university campus.
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At Student Wellbeing we provide many services to help students through their time at Ulster University.
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The Belfast campus is situated in the artistic and cultural centre of the city, the Cathedral Quarter.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
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Applicants must have gained:
(i) a subject relevant Honours or non-Honours degree from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or
(ii) an equivalent standard in a Postgraduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate or an approved alternative qualification; and
In addition, applicants should normally
• be working in the field of health and social care
• and, additionally, for admittance to a clinical pathway hold a registered/licensed Nursing or other Health and Social Care professional qualification
and
(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).
or as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b):
(c) In exceptional circumstances, where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route.
Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate their competency in written and spoken English through the achievement of an IELTS score of 6.0 with no individual band score (in the four bands of listening, speaking, reading and writing) below 5.5.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
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This degree covers a broad range of healthcare issues allowing for careers in health and social care, education, leisure and health promotion and management.
2024/25 Fees
Our postgraduate fees are subject to annual increase and are currently under review. See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2023/24 entry.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
