Postgraduate Course

Postgraduate Diploma Medical and Clinical Education

How to apply

Overview

The details

Course: Medical and Clinical Education

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Part-time

Duration: 2 - 5 years

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: Health and Social Care (School of)

We understand that you may not have the time to do a full-time degree, so our CPD pathways allow you to study flexibly, in the way that best suits you. The structure, mode of delivery and level of support allow you to progress towards a qualification at postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma or Masters level.

Medical and Clinical Education (MaCE) was developed in response to requests from local GPs, nurses and allied health professionals. The desire of these practitioners to develop their teaching and assessing skills, and to pursue an accredited programme, reflects the increasing recognition of the value of work-based learning in professional education.

The programme provides you with a systematic and critical understanding of the key concepts underlying learning, teaching and assessing in the medical and clinical practice environment. It enables health care professionals to acquire advanced skills in teaching and assessing students in a medical and clinical practice context.

This is a modularised pathway and you can choose to study part-time between two and five years. Teaching contributions are drawn from expertise across the University's academic departments and many modules are supported by Moodle, our online learning environment.

This course will:

Enable you to apply your understanding of educational, legal and ethical frameworks and healthcare policy to enable others to learn and enhance their own professional practice, thereby being a positive role model for your students
Help you engage in quality enhancement and improve students' learning experiences.
Ensure you acquire a range of transferable employment-related skills, most importantly, independent learning skills for continuing professional development
Create flexible, inter-professional learning pathways to develop educators for the clinical professions

The School of Health and Social Care is proud to work closely with our Service User Reference Group (SURG). SURG is made up of service users, carers, and volunteers who generously share their first-hand experiences of health and social care. We work collaboratively with SURG to design our courses to ensure that we truly are putting the needs of patients and clients at the heart of what we do. SURG are involved as part of our course application processes and often form part of our interview panels. This helps us to be confident that we are selecting the right applicants for the course and their future careers. SURG members also support the delivery of our teaching sessions and research activity, which means you'll benefit from an insight into their lived experiences of living with a diagnosis, health condition, or circumstance. You'll find that not only does your clinical knowledge expand, but your empathy, compassion and ability to advocate develops also.

Professional, statutory and regulatory bodies

We are committed to embedding the NHS Constitution Values (which are strongly reflected in our University values) into everything we do. They define the behaviours and expectations of all our staff and students underpinning the work we do in the university, clinical arena and other workplaces.

We understand that not all of our students and staff are employed within the NHS but these values uphold the underlying principles of excellent care as a standard, and as such we expect that anyone who cares for others will aspire to uphold these values.

For us, involving not only our students, but service users, experts by experience, carers and NHS/non NHS professionals in the creation and delivery of all programmes is vital.

Why we're great.

Choose to study part time, between two and five years, and create a bespoke course that is right for you
Gain the skills and understanding of key concepts underlying learning, teaching and assessment in the medical and clinical practice environment
Work alongside experts in your field with a wide range of clinical and academic experience

Our expert staff

With us, you benefit from the expertise of staff from a wide range of clinical and academic backgrounds. This means that you gain a well-rounded education that is research-led and clinically relevant. Where we feel you will benefit, we bring in additional specialists direct from the field.

Specialist facilities

The School of Health and Social Care is located at two sites; in the Kimmy Eldridge building on the Colchester campus and in the Gateway Building on the Southend campus.

As one of our CPD students, you may be taking modules at either campus or online to suit your needs, which means that you can access facilities across both campuses as required.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

Current registration with a relevant professional regulatory body.
A relevant first degree, or equivalent e.g. professional experience and responsibility.
Current involvement in teaching and assessing in practice, plus 3 years healthcare experience.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

For non-native speakers of English, an IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 580/240.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Structure

Course structure

Our research-led teaching is continually evolving to address the latest challenges and breakthroughs in the field. The following modules are based on the current course structure and may change in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: CORE

Learning, Teaching and Assessment

(30 CREDITS)

This module enhances critical expertise in both the facilitation and assessment of learning in practice and higher education. You will learn about philosophies of learning and explore contemporary thinking about assessment and feedback. You will consider how the critical use of teaching, learning and assessment strategies enable learners engaged in professional development to gain the capability to function as effective practitioners. Successful completion of this module may make you eligible to gain Fellowship of AdvanceHE (FHEA). Participants who successfully complete this module (as well as HS951) and are employed as a General Practitioner (GP) in a registered GP Training Practice can qualify as GP trainers.

View Learning, Teaching and Assessment on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 02: CORE

Learning Organisations and Quality Enhancement

(30 CREDITS)

This module provides health professions educators with the self-determination and conceptual knowledge to improve their practices as educators and the ability to promote positive change within their learning environments and organisations. On this module, you will develop an evidence-based and critical understanding of quality enhancement, and evaluate the complex influences that impact on learning in clinical communities and organisations. Participants who successfully complete this module (as well as HS950) and are employed as a General Practitioner (GP) in a registered GP Training Practice can qualify as GP trainers.

View Learning Organisations and Quality Enhancement on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 03: CORE

Course Design and Development

(15 CREDITS)

This module explores the many variables involved in designing and developing curricula capable of delivering a valuable and transformative learning experience. Focusing on education in the health professions, this module will enable you to design a unit of learning whilst considering the political, social, philosophical, professional influences and assumptions embedded in health professions education. You will be encouraged to take a democratic approach to curriculum design, leading strategies and learning experiences that shapes the contemporary and future health profession workforce.

View Course Design and Development on our Module Directory

COMPONENT 04: CORE WITH OPTIONS

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 05: CORE

HS954-7-SP

(15 CREDITS)

View HS954-7-SP on our Module Directory

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

TBC

Annual fees depend on the number of modules taken.

International fee

TBC

Annual fees depend on the number of modules taken.

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

Take a look at our guide to making your application.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

We recognise the importance of your previous academic learning and professional experience, and you can use both to gain credit value towards the specific programme you are interested in, known as Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning or APEL.

APEL is dependent on many factors. If you are interested in this option please email us at cpd@essex.ac.uk before you apply. It is necessary to highlight any prior learning before you apply as the modules you wish to study may be dependent on this. For further information on our AP(E)L procedure, please review the University's Quality Enhancement information.

Please note: there is an administration fee for the APEL process. More information can be found in our fees document on our funding page

A sunny day with banners flying on Colchester Campus Square 4.

Set within 200 acres of award-winning parkland - Wivenhoe Park and located two miles from the historic city centre of Colchester – England's oldest recorded development. Our Colchester Campus is also easily reached from London and Stansted Airport in under one hour.

Find out more

View from Square 2 outside the Rab Butler Building looking towards Square 3

If you live too far away to come to Essex (or have a busy lifestyle), no problem. Our 360 degree virtual tour allows you to explore the Colchester Campus from the comfort of your home. Check out our accommodation options, facilities and social spaces.

At Essex we pride ourselves on being a welcoming and inclusive student community. We offer a wide range of support to individuals and groups of student members who may have specific requirements, interests or responsibilities.

Find out more

The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.