The MSc Health Studies (Community Health) is a top-up qualification which consists of one core module; the MSc Dissertation (HLS) module (60 credits). It is designed to allow holders of the PgDip Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (SCPHN) to continue their studies and complete a master's dissertation.
Th MSc dissertation module is delivery fully online and will normally take up to one year to complete*.
The dissertation is an opportunity for you to demonstrate, through independent work, your ability to apply theoretical principles as studied throughout your postgraduate studies. You will be expected to demonstrate a critical understanding of scientific research in a dissertation of approximately 13,500 - 15,000 words.
*The module delivery is currently under review as part of the yearly module amendment process. Students will normally undertake a research or quality improvement protocol which will take up to one year to complete.
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Upcoming Postgraduate EventsThe MSc supports graduates of the following postgraduate diplomas to achieve a master’s award by undertaking one core dissertation module:
The dissertation module provides students with the opportunity to explore an area related to health or social care and normally involves undertaking a research or quality improvement protocol*.
*The module delivery is currently under review as part of the yearly module amendment process. Students will normally undertake a research or quality improvement protocol which will take up to one year to complete.
of UWS graduates are in employment or further study
of UWS research is recognised as world-leading, internationally excellent, or recognised internationally (REF 2021)
You must:
Applicants will typically possess a bachelor degree, or equivalent. In the absence of a degree, where entry requirements do not conform to the general entry requirements, other evidence can be considered on an individual basis in line with UWS Regulations 2.13 – 2.36 (Recognition of Prior Learning – RPL / Recognition of Credit).
In addition, applicants should possess a Postgraduate Diploma Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting / School Nursing / Occupational Health Nursing) or a Postgraduate Diploma Specialist Practitioner District Nurse.
Candidates will be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting/ School Nursing/ Occupational Health) or as a Specialist Practitioner: District Nurse.
Candidates will also be a Registered Nurse or Midwife on Parts 1 or 2 of the Nursing and Midwifery Council professional register.
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. The qualifications below must have been gained within two years of the start of your course.
General English language requirements at UWS: International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
Exceptions to this level of IELTS scoring exist for some accredited or professionally-recognised courses (see section below for more details).
SOCIAL WORK DEGREES
For our BA (Hons) Social Work and MSc Social Work programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
All stated English tests are acceptable for admission for both home/EU and international students for this programme:
For our research degrees (MRes, MPhil, PhD, DBA, DProf) applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For Health, Nursing & Midwifery courses that lead to, or require professional registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council, applicants are required to have an IELTS or Occupational English Test (OET)*.
For such courses, the IELTS score is as follows:
* Note that the Occupational English Test (OET) will now be accepted in addition to IELTS as proof of a Nurse's English Language Competence (Nursing & Midwifery Council, 2019).
For our BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science, BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science and MSc Advanced Biomedical Science programmes, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
For our Certificate of Higher Education courses, applicants are required to have an IELTS score as follows:
TOEFL IBT*: 78; no sub-test less than:
* Please note that TOEFL is still acceptable for admission to this programme for both home/EU and international students.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use TOEFL to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level courses. We therefore still accept TOEFL tests taken in the last two years for admission to this programme.
West African Senior School Certificate of Education (WASSCE) including acceptance of WAEC Scratchcard*
*UWS will accept a WAEC scratchcard confirming that an applicant has achieved C6 or above as evidence of meeting English language requirement from Nigeria if the student graduated within the last 5 years. After 5 years applicants would be required to provide the WAEC Certificate.
Applicants who do not meet the minimum English language requirements have the option to study one of our preparatory and pre-sessional English courses. The UWS courses available are:
The employing organisation will have responsibility to confirm occupational health record clearance and ensure successful applicants are registered on the PVG scheme, managed and delivered by Disclosure Scotland (or equivalent).
The MSc builds upon your previous PgDip studies but allows you to explore in depth, an area related to health or social care related to your interestes or career ambitions.
The MSc Health Studies (Community Health) programme consists of one core module: MSc Dissertation (HLS) module (60 credits at SCQF Level 11). The MSc dissertation, taken together with your relevant PgDip, should allow you to reach the achievement of the NMC standards of proficiency for public health nurses (NMC, 2022).
The Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) will be used to deliver learning and teaching materials.
You will be offered a minimum of eight hours of individual academic supervision for your chosen dissertation topic.
You will have access to a range support services at UWS including library, academic skills, wellbeing and IT support.
Assessment is based on the quality and standard of the submitted dissertation.
The completion of the MSc provides evidence of self-motivation and a level of academic standing which supports career development.
Many of the skills, such as time management and articulate writing skills, which are developed during the module, are sought after by employers who are searching for staff who are capable of taking on leadership roles within teams.
Students who successfully complete 120 credits (PgDip) / 180 credits (MSc) with achievement of the NMC standards of proficiency for specialist community public health nurses (NMC, 2022), will be eligible for registration with the NMC on the SCPHN part of the professional register.
£1,070 per module (20 credits)
£1,680 per module (20 credits)
£1,680 per module (20 credits)
£1,070 per module (20 credits)
£1,760 per module (20 credits)
£1,760 per module (20 credits)
£2,330 per module (20 credits)
The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.
In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs like study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms.
Fortunately, there is a great deal of financial support available to help students meet the cost of their study. This ranges from:
The sections below provide details of additional costs that your course may involve along with any financial support that may be available.
You can also find additional information in our Postgraduate Money, Fees & Funding section.
Students on certain degrees will incur some additional costs not covered by their tuition fees. These could be for things like specialist equipment, study materials, work placements, graduation, membership of relevant organisations or costs related to carrying out fieldwork.
For students on course with an element of fieldwork, there may also be extra costs for travel and accommodation.
Please contact the course leader for details of the additional costs associated with this course.
Post-qualification: You will already be registered on the NMC register, and therefore following successful completion of the PgDip, you will need to pay an application fee to the NMC for the subsequent qualification to be recognised.
Tuition fees are calculated based on where you are from and what you are studying. Some courses also involve additional costs, such as mandatory field trips, equipment or studying abroad.
Find out how much it will cost you to study at UWS as a postgraduate student.
Scottish students studying at postgraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
English, Welsh and Northern Irish students studying at postgraduate level at UWS are entitled to various funds and support towards tuition fees and living costs.
EU students studying at postgraduate level of UWS may be eligible for SAAS funding, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
There are several scholarship and incentive schemes available to international students studying at postgraduate level at UWS, as well as support to meet the costs of childcare and various sources of additional funding.
UWS administer a range of discretionary and childcare funds. These are designed to support students who are experiencing financial difficulty or struggling to meet the costs of childcare.
Becoming a student can have an impact on your entitlement to certain benefits. It may mean you are no longer eligible to claim a benefit you have been receiving, or your new income from student funding may affect the amount you are able to receive.
If there isn’t a statutory source of funding for you or your course, or you are in need of additional financial support, you may wish to consider more alternative sources of funding such as trust funds and scholarships.
Choosing to become a student can have a big impact on your budget and you may need to reassess your spending to account for a reduced income. We’ve put together some guidance to help you manage your money and make the right financial choices for you and your family.
All students should apply directly to the University through our online application system. Before you apply, you should check that you meet our entry requirements and you should have all your supporting documents ready.
The first stage of the process is to complete the initial application form. You will then receive a follow-up email with further instructions relating to your application including documents that you will need to forward to support your application, e.g. degree transcripts and certificates etc.
Most courses don't have a formal closing date, but they will close when they are full; apply early to avoid disappointment. There may also be funding deadlines that apply to you.
The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) applies to all international students and researchers (apart from exempt nationalities) who are subject to UK immigration control and are intending to study or research at postgraduate level in certain sensitive subjects.
Students and researchers who are nationals of EU countries, the European Economic Area (EEA), Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the United States of America do not need an ATAS certificate.
An ATAS certificate may be required for certain taught postgraduate master's degrees for international students at UWS.
For the latest information on ATAS and details of eligibility and how to apply for a certificate check the UK Government's dedicated ATAS web pages.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Our friendly admissions teams are here to help!
The programme has not been open to international applicants for some time as it is not a full Masters and we have not been able to guarantee placements for international students
UK based prospective students
If you’re applying from within the UK, our applicant enquiry team is here to guide you every step of the way.
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