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Postgraduate professional development

Offering an innovative undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing professional development (CPD) portfolio, the Faculty provides flexible and responsive provision for professionals seeking to enhance health and social care delivery whilst progressing in their careers.

Our experienced team of lecturers offers a range of CPD training to the whole health and social care workforce. Our teaching, support and resources are student-focused and attract individuals from a wide range of backgrounds including those with non-traditional qualifications or experience and those who have not studied for a number of years.

We recognise that our professional development students are in full or part-time employment and have many personal commitments and we therefore strive to provide a learning experience which is flexible whilst designed to meet professional needs and learning requirements.

View our CPD modules

Studying with us

Edge Hill University recognises that training in the area of the caring professions can be demanding and is committed to ensuring students can access support throughout their course. All students have access to the advice and support available through Student Services, such as Careers, advice on childcare support and student finance.

  • Providing extensive learning resources at our Ormskirk and Aintree campuses and access to library facilities at NHS study centres in Merseyside, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
  • Offering free, one-to-one counselling sessions.

Further support is delivered by:

  • Pathway Co-ordinators – offering advice on pathway routes and negotiating specific pathways, monitoring student progression and achievement.
  • Student Liaison Officers – supporting students in practice in particular pathways.
  • Academic leads – managing student issues relating to deadline extensions and mitigating circumstances.
  • Faculty staff – supporting mentors in practice and offering advice on student support.

Working while you Study

Effective time management is often the key to success at university and although finding the time to study between other aspects of everyday life can be challenging, most CPD students succeed in striking the balance between their studies and work and personal commitments. It is likely that you already have the skills to effectively prioritise tasks and manage your time successfully – you probably do this everyday at work. Speak to your employer before commencing your course to see how they can support you.

Try to plan ahead time to study especially when approaching an assignment deadline. You might be able to identify regular times every week that can be set aside for study. It is also a good idea to set up a quiet place to study away from work and home distractions, such as the phone or television.

Individual programme leaders will be able to advise how many hours you will need to spend in lectures and seminars for a specific course and whether any placements are required.

Placements

For some health professional development programmes it may be a requirement of the course that you are working in a relevant area to meet the learning outcomes. For students on the Return to Practise programme, we will provide placements as part of the programme. We have excellent relationships with NHS Hospital and Community Trusts meaning we can offer work-based learning opportunities across a variety of care contexts, with placements at over 600 locations in Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire.

Courses

Postgraduate certificates and postgraduate diplomas

Our postgraduate CPD programmes are usually for health and social care practitioners with existing higher education qualifications who want to study a specific subject at a higher level or gain a higher qualification to help them progress in their career.

A Postgraduate Certificate of higher education (PG Cert) is a level 7 academic qualification requiring 60 credits, while postgraduate diplomas carry 120 credits. They are usually studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years. Further study could include a master’s degree.

Master’s degrees and research degrees

A master’s degree is a course of academic study leading to a level 7 qualification such as a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master’s by Research (MRes), or Master of Surgery (MCh). You will need to earn 180 credits at level 7 to achieve a master’s degree and the majority of our programmes can be studied on a part-time basis. Usually incorporating both taught sessions and research, they are designed to give you a comprehensive understanding of a subject and to assist you in progressing your career.

Postgraduate medical education

Medical Education programmes associated with the Faculty’s Postgraduate Professional Education portfolio are provided by the Health Research Institute (HRI). The HRI is a provider of innovative multi-professional postgraduate education and practice-based research, which supports the development of all professionals working in the field of health and social care to improve service delivery, treatment, care, and health. Many of these programmes have been developed with, and are delivered with, external NHS trusts and organisations and are accredited by professional bodies.

Length of study
Individual modules of study
NHS Health Education North West-funded modules 

Short courses

In addition to our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine also offers several shorter professional development courses.  Some start in both September and February meaning that if you miss the September intake you do not always need to wait a year to begin studying. Additionally, our wide range of CPD modules can be also studied individually on a stand alone basis.

The Non-Medical Prescribing programme provides an exciting and challenging opportunity for nurses, midwives and relevant allied health professionals to expand their roles to meet the needs of their patients and service users to improve access to appropriate medication. It is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to prescribe safely and appropriately within your area of practice and current non-medical prescribing legislation.  This is available as either undergraduate (Level 6) and postgraduate (Level 7).

The Return to Professional Practice programme is for nurses and healthcare professionals who wish to reactivate registration with their professional body, or who wish to refresh their knowledge and skills before applying for jobs in healthcare. Practitioners who originally obtained their registration from countries outside Europe and wish to practice in the UK are also be able to access this programme but must initiate their application with the relevant professional body.

Surgical First Assistance in Operative Procedures is for qualified practitioners working as scrub practitioners or who are employed in an assisting role. You will gain the knowledge and experience that will enable you to safely and competently assist surgical procedures with the skills listed by the Perioperative Care Collaborative (2012) Position Statement as being within the role of a Surgical First Assistant. You will also acquire an understanding of the professional boundaries and legalities of the role.

Fees and finance

Fees and any funding arrangements vary between courses. The information below applies only to Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine professional development courses.

Fees are charged according to programme structure, as some programmes have fees charged per year rather than per module. Please check your programme descriptor for further details. Programmes which charge fees on a module by module basis adopt the following structure.

The cost of modules on these programmes is determined by the credits awarded and the programme that you are studying. Module fees are indicated on individual module pages.

Invoices are generated on enrolment. Students who are self-funded are able to cancel their place on the module up to 14 days from the start date without incurring any costs.

Fees can be paid in instalments by prior arrangement. Unpaid fees will be subject to the University Credit Control procedures.

Finance advice

Students working on laptops

Our Finance Advisers can give you advice and information about grants, loans and bursaries and offer you a confidential financial health check.

Money matters

For comprehensive information about the financial support which may be available to UK and eligible EU students joining courses at Edge Hill University.

Find out more about money matters

NHS Health Education North West-Funded Modules

NHS Health Education North West funds Post-Qualification Learning for professional health and social care staff under their remit. Post-Qualification Learning follows a modular structure and a limited choice of modules can be studied on a stand alone basis or towards a post-qualification award.

Staff should contact their Line Manager and Trust Lead to discuss availability and how to apply. Please note that the CPD Apply NW application tool is no longer in operation.

FAQs

How can I pay my fees?
Paying your fees in instalments
Money matters
Getting more information on a course or module
Visiting the University before you apply
Can I get credits for previous learning or work experience?
I’m new to academic study/I haven’t studied an academic course for a while, do you offer any help with academic writing?
Do you offer any help with finding childcare?
How long are CPD module sessions (lectures/seminars)?
How will I be assessed?
Can I pay my tuition fees/course fees in instalments?

Apply

Apply for Health, Social Care and Medicine CPD standalone modules on an employer or self funded basis

Our wide range of CPD modules can be studied individually. Following completion, you can continue your studies with other modules and work towards an award. Many modules start in September and February meaning that if you miss the September intake you do not always need to wait a year to begin studying.

To apply for CPD modules running from April 2024 to July 2025, please access the online module application form.

Applications for the modules in the 2024/25 academic year will go live on 3 April 2024.

NHS Health Education North West-Funded Modules

NHS Health Education North West funds Post-Qualification Learning for professional health and social care staff under their remit. Post-Qualification Learning follows a modular structure and a limited choice of modules can be studied on a stand alone basis or towards a post-qualification award.

Staff should contact their Line Manager and Trust Lead to discuss availability and how to apply.  Please note that the CPD Apply NW application tool is no longer in operation.

Apply for Health and Social Care CPD BSc and MSc Programmes

Entry requirements and application details for our CPD degree and Masters pathway programmes are given on the individual course pages, which are listed here:

To apply for any programme please access the online application form on the individual programme webpage.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Edge Hill University recognises that learning may take place in any context and operates accreditation procedures to formally recognise learning gained elsewhere both for admission to a programme and, where appropriate, for the award of credit which can be counted towards a qualification award requirement. Prior learning may be certified (from another institution/awarding body) or experiential (drawn from life/work experience). For more information and an application form please contact your School RPL Administrator:

Some RPL claims may require students to provide further information to support their claim,

For example:

Students who have undertaken our Medical Leadership module HEA4117 may be able to use this in place of CPD7004 when using towards the PG Cert Workplace-based Postgraduate Medical Education. Candidates should demonstrate how they meet CPD7004 Learning Outcomes.

Advice on Recognition of Prior Learning: CPD7004 for students who have successfully completed HEA4117

Enrolment instructions for CPD modules and programmes

Please note that this information is for Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine Continuing Professional Development (CPD) students only.

All the information you need about enrolment can now be found on our CPD enrolment page.