Programme Specifications

Programme summary

1. Programme Aims

This multi-disciplinary Postgraduate Programme in Healthcare Management and Governance is aimed at professional healthcare managers, those wishing to move from another field within healthcare and those working in specialist management areas wishing to broaden their expertise.

The programme is delivered as a series of short courses for part-time study and aims to:

• Provide a current view of management and governance in healthcare encompassing both organisational issues and specialist areas. It particularly focuses on the integration of management processes into strategic and operational planning for the provision of a high quality health service;
• Develop participants knowledge, increase job competencies and develop professional potential; and
• Suit the needs of working professionals who do not have an opportunity for full-time study.

2. Relevant subject benchmark statements and other external reference points used to inform programme outcomes:

The Programme conforms to the benchmarks published by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in respect of Masters awards in business and management in 2002. Specifically the programme meets the requirements of a specialist programme for career development in that it is intended to prepare health professionals for a specialist career pathway.

3. Programme Learning Outcomes

3.1 Knowledge and Understanding

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The framework of governance in healthcare will be taught by means of short lectures, group work and discussion with examples of systems and structures being given by the lecturers.

• Tools and techniques used in healthcare governance will be taught by means of lectures, case studies and syndicate exercises.

• Governance principles and practice relevant to the healthcare sector will be taught by means of case study analysis, lectures and group work.  The emphasis in this element will be upon enabling the students to develop critical thinking in respect of the application of general principles to particular situations.

• Systems and healthcare governance will be taught by means of lecture and case study review. An overview of systems theory in healthcare will form an integral part of the teaching of this element.

• Research methodology will be taught by means of lectures, group work and syndicate discussions. The essentially individual nature of research undertaken by students will necessitate the support of much of the formal teaching by guided study and reading and individual work within the tutorial sessions.

3.2 Skills and other attributes

a. Subject-specific cognitive skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Identify methods for establishing an effective and integrated management and governance system. This will be taught by means of lectures and group work including the analysis of case study materials and presentation of results

• Assess a range of risk assessment tools and select the most appropriate for use in given situations will be taught by means of short lectures and analysis of case study materials.

• Critically analyse healthcare management and governance issues and present possible intervention strategies will be taught by means of short lectures, cases study analysis group work and syndicate exercises.

• Evaluate the effectiveness of any interventions this will be taught by means of lectures and short presentations, case study analysis and group work. The emphasis will be upon the development of a critical facility that will enable the selection of the most appropriate criteria for intervention evaluation.

• Guided reading and encouragement to use on-line data sources will also serve to enhance the attainment of all of these intended learning outcomes.

b. Subject-specific practical skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Produce management systems and related policies for their organization will be taught by means of lectures and guided discussions, group work and short presentations

• Use a range of risk assessment tools and carry out risk assessments within their own organization this will be taught by means of lecture, case study analysis and other group work.

• Devise and maintain systems for the collection, interpretation and presentation of data on untoward incidents will be taught by means of lectures and case study review. Students will be encouraged to examine and evaluate the data collection systems within their own organization. This will be reinforced and supported within the tutorial sessions

• Develop effective risk control strategies for healthcare will be taught by means of group work and discussion, short lectures and case study evaluation. Emphasis will be placed upon the development of systems that are both robust and cost-effective.

• Design a research tool appropriate to healthcare governance management will be taught by means of lectures, group work and guided reading. This will be supported by individual guided study facilitated by means of the tutorial sessions.

c. Key transferable skills:

On successful completion of this programme, students should be able to:

• Establish management systems [will be taught by means of lectures, group work and discussion and case study analysis. Guided reading will reinforce learning]

• Communicate with a range of stakeholders will be taught by means of case study analysis and discussion , group work (including videoed group work), role play and short lectures.

• Motivate others to take action [will be taught by means of lectures, case study analysis, group discussions and role play]

• Present technical and complex concepts in a form which is understandable to managers will be taught by means of case study review, group work, role play and short lectures.

• Use information systems and communications technology, and knowledge management appropriately in acquiring analyzing and communicating information [will be taught by means of demonstrations, short lectures, group work and guided reading. Students will be encouraged further to access on-line data sources]

• Develop research skills, including data collection, analysis and presentation [will be taught by means of lectures, group work, case study analysis and guided reading. This will be enhanced and reinforced through tutorials]

4. Programme structure

4.1       Modules

* by distance learning

4.2 For full details of the specific assessment requirements for each module see the Module Specification.

5. Criteria for Progression and Degree Award

5.1 In order to be eligible for an award, candidates must not only satisfy the requirements of Regulation XXI but also:

5.1.1 To be eligible for the award of Postgraduate Certificate candidates must have accumulated 60 credits.   Candidates may undertake either BSP672+ or BSP678+, plus either BSP673$ or BSP679$, plus either BSP679# or BSP674#.

5.1.2 To be eligible for the award of Postgraduate Diploma candidates must have completed modules with a total modular weight of 120. 

Candidates must also have accumulated at least 100 credits and achieved module marks of not less than 40% in further modules with a total module weight of 20.

5.1.3 To be eligible for the award of MSc candidates must have satisfied all of the requirements outlined in 5.1.2 and in addition must have achieved 60 credits from BSP677, the Masters Project. 

5.2 Candidates who have the right of re-assessment in a module may choose to be re-assessed in the University’s special assessment period.

6. Relative Weighting of Parts of the Programme for the Purposes of Final Degree Classification