Advancing Practice MSc (previously MSc Advanced, Social & Health Care Studies)

• The programme is open to professionals and non-professionals as well as those in practice and not in practice.
• Applicants should hold an honours degree preferably in a subject associated with health, social care or social welfare.
• If you don’t have a degree we are always open to discuss equivalents. Ask us for our admission policy.
• Some modules and awards may require specific entry criteria. This is especially so if they are associated with awards from a regulatory body such as the Nursing and Midwifery Council or Health Professions Council. Details are on the module flyers.
• Students may be asked to an informal interview, depending on their application information.
• All students are asked to supply an academic reference. Preferably from an academic who has taught you in the last few years. If this is not possible, a professional reference is required.

International Students
The programme is open to International Students who are interested in learning about health care delivery in a Western Context. However the programme emphasises the application of knowledge to individual practice and students will be assisted in applying new knowledge to their own cultural context. The programme uses enquiry based and experiential learning and depends on students taking part in discussions, group and independent learning.  

All International student for whom English is not their first language are required to achieve IELTS 6.5 or equivalency (University of Worcester admission criteria) Students may be required to undertake Language preparation prior to course commencement.

Not all modules or all awards will run every year.

Semester One, September 2010	Semester Two, January 2011
MASH4001 Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery*	MASH4001 Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery
MASH4002 Research Methods in Health and Social Welfare*	MASH4002 Research Methods in Health and Social Welfare
MASH4003 Planning Research	MASH4003 Planning Research
MASH4045 Assessment and Evaluation	MASH4046 Learning Facilitation and the Learning Environment
MASH4101 Managing and Leading People	MASH4047 Context of Learning and Leading Learning
MASH4170 Managing End of Life Care	MASH4016 Contemporary Issues in Sexual Health
MASH4080 Advancing Recovery Based Principles and Strategies in Mental Health	MASH4017 Neonatal Health Assessment
MASH4021 Independent and supplementary non-medical prescribing (Two modules)	MASH4020 Advanced Adult Health Assessment (Two modules)
MASH4012 Dissertation 1* (Two modules)	MASH4100 Managing Change and Innovation
MASH4013 Dissertation 2* (Three modules)	MASH4172 Psychosocial Issues in End of Life Care
MASH4014 Dissertation 3* (Four modules)	MASH4081 Developing Successful Integrative Interventions in Enduring Mental Illness
MASH4005 Negotiated Learning 1	MASH4025 Long Term conditions (Two modules)
MASH4006 Negotiated Learning 2 (Two modules)	MASH4005 Negotiated Learning 1
MASH4007 Negotiated Group Learning 1	MASH4006 Negotiated Learning 2 (Two modules)
MASH4008 Negotiated Group Learning 2 (Two modules)	MASH4007 Negotiated Group Learning 1
MPSY4060 Assessing Lifestyle: Assessment and Measurement Issues	MASH4008 Negotiated Group Learning 2 (Two modules)
NUTH4011/2/3 Postgraduate Certificate in Diet Therapy	MASH4161 End of Life Care and Tissue Viability
	MPSY4061 Changing Lifestyle: Groups and Communities
	MPSY4062 Changing Lifestyle: Individuals
MDVM4002 The Cost of Domestic Violence
MDVM4001Theoretical Perspectives on Gender, Violence and Interpersonal  Relationships  MDVM4003 Recognition and Response

*Mandatory modules

Module choice:  All students must undertake a total of 9 modules.
This must include MASH4001, MASH4002 and one of the Dissertation modules.

Further modules are in planning and may be added during the year. The university can offer a range of other modules in this MSc if there is sufficient demand, including in the areas of public health, leading and managing and social welfare.

Employers may be interested in MASH4008 and MASH4007 which are group negotiated learning modules. These offer the opportunity for employers to have bespoke modules designed to meet their own needs. 

To enquire about any of the above, contact the Administrator Debbie Sabbato at d.sabbato@worc.ac.uk

Teaching and Learning Methods

The teaching and learning strategies will develop your knowledge, academic and transferable skills and student autonomy.

Your experience will include seminars, presentations, lectures, small group work and independent study with tutorial support.

A number of modules will include on-line learning using the virtual learning environment Blackboard blended with attendance at university. The Sexual Health module is completely on-line.

---

Assessment

Assessments are designed to   help you develop your skills and knowledge as well as helping you to develop postgraduate level skills in critique and analysis. We will provide you with feedback throughout your course. Methods are mostly of a written nature, including essays, reports and personal independent project(s). However, there are some oral presentations and seminars, online. In addition some assessments are practical and competency based, requiring the construction of portfolios. Some modules have enquiry based assessments.

---

Time Commitment

The course can be taken full time (in up to 2 years) or part time ( in up to 6 years). Most modules are run during the day in a variety of different formats, some are half days and some full days. Modules usually occupy about 6 days but in some modules some of these days are replaced by online or independent learning. Most modules (but not all) are run over a 15 week period.

You may achieve the Advancing Practice Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma if you are unable to commit the time required to complete the Masters.

You must complete three modules for the Postgraduate Certificate, including the Mandatory module MASH4001 ‘Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery’.

You must complete six modules for the Postgraduate Diploma, including the two Mandatory Modules, MASH4001 ‘Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery and MASH4002 ‘Research Methods’.

Named Postgraduate Certificates (PGC) and Postgraduate Diplomas (PGD)
To achieve a named Advancing Practice Post graduate Certificate or Diploma you must achieve the required mandatory modules as above and your optional modules must include at least 2 modules specific to that named award. For a list of these please follow the ‘Course Structure’ link. E.g. Advancing Practice PGC (End of Life Care)

There are also three other Post Graduate Certificates which each consist of three modules.
PGC Dynamics of Domestic Violence
PGC Changing Health Behaviours
PGC Teacher in Health and Social Care

Challenging and Enhancing Service Delivery

Mandatory – should normally be undertaken before other MASH modules.

This module seeks to provide a springboard and a context for all the other modules in the MSc degree. It should normally be completed before embarking on any of our other modules. It enables the student to practice the skills of critical analysis, argument and reflection applying them to the most contemporary ideas and practices of their own discipline at the level of the MSc. With its emphasis on searching the literature and learning to read it critically, it enables the student to develop the kind of skills required for level 7 study and the political and philosophical awareness to critique their own discipline.

The kind of content explored may include:

• Politics and practice – the UK context
• Interprofessional working
• Client centred approaches to care delivery
• Managing information
• Evaluating and auditing service delivery
• Culturally competent health and social welfare services
• Evidence based practice
• Innovating change
• Clinical governance

However this will vary according to the needs of the group and the contemporary situation. The aim is to use the topics to work independently, with tutor support to apply critique and analysis to explore the background to current ideas.

The module takes a blended learning approach with the tutor as facilitator and utilises the virtual learning environment Blackboard for a WebCt for a large part of the  module delivery.

Assessment: One 4,000 word essay.

---

Research Methods
This module develops students’ knowledge of research methodology and research design, building upon undergraduate work. Students will explore the philosophy, theory and practice of research in their own discipline and professional practice (where this is applicable). Students will explore the application of selected qualitative and quantitative research methods to investigate questions about health, social welfare and care services.

Assessment: A critical analysis of a self chosen research methodology and a critical analysis of a self chosen data collection method or method of analysis or results presentation; each of 2500 words.