Modules

The course has been designed primarily for health and social care professionals such as support workers, nurses, social workers, paramedics and other allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counsellors and those providing holistic therapies.

The development of graduate skills and attributes is an essential feature of our course and as such individual module content will encourage you to explore new ideas and challenge existing views on contemporary health issues affecting everyday practice.

By the end of the course, you will have the ability to identify and propose solutions to problems which capitalise on the potential for enhanced health and wellbeing for patients, clients, residents, and wider groups; through the development of health improvement strategies at individual, organisational and wider societal levels.

The modules in our course are aligned to three themes:

Theme 1: Research Skill Development

The ability to make use of current best evidence is often seen key to effective practice (NES, 2015) and is also the first step in research skill development (Newell and Burnard, 2011). Students will be required to draw on relevant theoretical knowledge and be able to locate, review and evaluate research findings relevant to health and related issues across a range of disciplines. Students will also be expected to make use of best evidence as a tool to underpin decision-making and problem solving, in order to improve and advance their practice. These skills are transferable, not only to other modules in the programme, but to the realities of professional practice and multi-agency working (QAA, 2008b).

Theme 2: Professional Development

There are compelling reasons for improving the professional development skills of practitioners which are mainly centred upon sustaining and improving professional competence, enhancing opportunities for career progression and keeping abreast of new technology and practice (Scottish Government, 2013). In addition continued professional development is required to respond to the needs of a much better informed and more sophisticated public who demand a higher duty of care and level of service (Scottish Health Council, 2014).Students undertaking this programme should be keen to explore new ideas and challenge existing views in order to encourage effective and leading edge practice. By improving their ability to lead change within rapidly evolving and complex care systems, honours graduate students will have the potential to positively influence the quality of care and shape future practice locally, nationally and internationally (NES, 2015).

Theme 3: Contemporary Healthcare Issues

Students participating in modules within this theme are expected to be able to critically evaluate outcomes of health and other social care interventions, adjust care accordingly and acquire the skills to contribute with proficiency and confidence to effective multi-professional/ multi-agency working. They should also be able to critically reflect on the links between the health and care issues under study and peoples’ individual experience of health and wellbeing, which are set against a cultural backdrop. Students will also be encouraged to develop a wider view where they see these contemporary issues in relation to the wider structural elements relevant to maintaining and improving health and well-being. These attributes are vital to the development of a future workforce (Scottish Government, 2013) and also in the development of the current workforce which is underpinned by the Four Pillars of Practice (NES, 2015).

You will study at least one module from each theme which will allow you to acquire a holistic range of graduate and other transferable skills that are essential to work successfully and professionally within the health and social care sector.

Areas of study

In your 1st year, you will study the following:

Core Modules:

Evidence, Research and Academic Skills (20 credits)

Contemporary and Global Issues in Health (20 credits)

Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifespan (20 credits)

The Psychology of Health and Wellbeing (20 credits)

Optional Modules:

Fundamentals and Professionalism in Health (20 credits)

Working in Health and Social Care (20 credits)

In your 2nd year, you will study the following:

Core Modules:

Critical Research Appraisal (20 credits)

Optional Modules:

An Introduction to Palliative Care (20 credits)

Essentials of Dementia Care (20 credits)

Professionalism in Health and Social Care (10 credits)

Supporting People Facing Loss (20 credits)

The Proactive Learner (10 credits)

Therapeutic Communication (20 credits)

In your 3rd year, you will study the following:

Core modules:

The Honours Dissertation (40 credits)

Optional Modules:

Effective Teaching in Practice (20 credits)

Improving Population Health (20 credits)

Leadership in Health and Social Care (20 credits)

Quality Improvement & Safety in Care (20 credits)

Teaching & assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials as well as individual and group activities either online or in the classroom to ensure your degree provides a you with a strong set of transferrable skills, such as presentational and communicative skills.

Our Professional Health Studies degree uses a variety of assessment methods. The below list provides a guide to the types of assessment methods you can expect:

online class tests

asynchronous discussions

written reports

presentations

case studies

Course structure

Find out more about the structure, learning outcomes, compulsory and optional modules in this course.

BSc (Hons) Professional Health Studies Course Structure