Health Professions Education

Health Professions Education

PgDip
Health professions education

Course details

The Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education is an accredited teaching qualification delivered at level 9 of the National Framework of Qualifications, which is tailored to the needs of health professionals who support learners in clinical and non-clinical settings. 

Learning on this online programme is supported by a 'Community of Inquiry' pedagogical model, meaning that you will learn with and from peers, experienced clinicians and academics within the field of health professions education.

Learning will also be supported through weekly synchronous (webinars, small group tutorials, teaching demonstrations) and asynchronous (videos, interactive web-based content, discussions, self-directed reflections) activities. Instructional design for learning resources will be guided by best practice in higher education including universal design for learning (UDL) principles (AHEAD, 2021), and contemporary approaches to formative and summative assessment (National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2021).

This programme will provide you with the skills and knowledge to:

  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of key principles and theories of health professions education
  • Critically appraise and reflect upon their teaching in order to develop a personal teaching philosophy within a health professions education context
  • Apply their understanding of appropriate theories of learning to their own teaching contexts
  • Integrate theory and practice in relation to learning, teaching and assessment strategies
  • Demonstrate an awareness of curriculum design issues to promote an inclusive environment
  • Use a student-centred learning approach in his/her teaching practices
  • Draw critically upon appropriate literature to inform teaching practice
  • Design curricula including learning and teaching methodologies, assessment strategies and evaluation models in accordance with participants’ own discipline requirements
  • Design a technology enhanced learning (TEL) framework to support student-centred learning in a blended learning environment
  • Evaluate self-development as a teacher through a systematic and critical application of established frameworks describing the features of the effective and excellent educator
  • Demonstrate development in generic capabilities such as communication skills relevant to a range of teaching roles including online learning activities (communication and collaboration) with students (e-moderation skills)
  • Plan and maintain continuing development as an educator through critical application of professional development processes such as reflective practice and peer review

This one-year part-time programme takes place over two academic semesters: two modules are completed in the first semester (September-December) and two modules are completed in the second semester (from January onwards).

In the first semester you will be introduced to health professions education, and what it means to build your identity as an educator. Module one offers a foundation in educational theories that help to explain how learning takes place, and can be nurtured, in health professions education settings. Module two provides in-depth learning around evidence-based teaching and learning methods which can be used in a variety of health professions education settings.

In the second semester, you will be introduced to the topic of assessment and feedback in health professions education, as well as how to evaluate sessions, modules and programmes.

The programme modules are as follows:

Module name Credits Assessment method
Introduction to Health Professions Education 15 Online activities (individual and group)/teaching demonstration
Principles of Teaching and Learning 15 Online activities (individual and group)/teaching demonstration
Assessment as/for/of Learning in Health Professions Education 15 Online activities (individual and group)/teaching demonstration
Curriculum Design and Evaluation 15 Online activities (individual and group)/teaching demonstration

We are proud to be a recognised University of the National University of Ireland (NUI). All RCSI programmes are accredited by the NUI.

Recognition by Ministries and bodies in all jurisdictions must be determined by the individual applicants.

We are pleased to confirm that a number of our recent graduates, that are domiciled in the United Arab Emirates and in the Kingdom of Bahrain, have successfully had their certificates recognised by the Ministry of Education in their respective countries.