This course gives practising clinicians and health service managers a step up to the next level, and provides first-class training in key competencies for those who want to enter this sector. You will enhance your leadership skills and gain a critical understanding of research into leadership and management.
The programme offers both academic rigour and the practical skills to apply what you have learned to the workplace. On this course you will work with the latest research and learn modelling and theories that you can use to analyse and improve your organisation straight away.
You will learn how to manage people, budgets, information, marketing and quality, as well as how to navigate organisational change and think creatively. For all course enquiries, please contact Graham Walker.
"This course is closely aligned with the changes that are taking place within the health service and what is being demanded in the workplace." Graham Walker, Course Director
Mode | Duration | Attendance | Start date |
---|---|---|---|
MSc/PgDip part time | 2–4 years | 2 days face-to-face per month plus supported independent learning | September 2021 |
MSc/PgCert top-up part time | 1–2 years | 2 days face-to-face per month plus supported independent learning | September 2021 |
Location | Kingston Hill |
If you are planning to join this course in the academic year 2020/21 (i.e. between August 2020 and July 2021), please view the information about changes to courses for 2020/21 due to Covid-19.
Students who are continuing their studies with Kingston University in 2020/21 should refer to their Course Handbook for information about specific changes that have been, or may be, made to their course or modules being delivered in 2020/21. Course Handbooks are located within the Canvas Course page.
Kingston Business School holds the prestigious international accreditation by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) in recognition of the excellence of its business education. This accreditation has been earned by just 5% of the world's business schools and recognises the high quality and standard of our business degree offering.
The programme you will follow depends on which qualification you want to pursue – choose from:
Teaching takes place on Thursdays and Fridays once a month during term time. Students usually take two modules per term. You will study at Kingston Hill for a total of three days per 15-credit module and six days per 30-credit module. The rest of the course is taught through guided independent study. Students are supported remotely by the course academics throughout their chosen programme.
You will start with an induction programme that introduces you to the modules, aims of the course and helps you plan your study around your professional commitments. You will then move on to the course material for your chosen qualification:
You will complete 180 credits across a minimum of 2 years, comprising seven core modules.
30 credits
This module aims to integrate theory and practice of leadership, management and organisational behaviour, towards understanding of the individual, group and organisational factors that underpin organisational effectiveness in healthcare services in a context of accelerated change. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate the characteristics of successful organisations, group dynamics and individual high performers within the context of health. In addition, the module discusses the internal, external and political triggers for change in healthcare. Students will learn to evaluate how receptive an organisational context is to change and to critically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of different models and tools for organisational change.
15 credits
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help students to develop an ability to analyse critically developments in healthcare management in the UK and other countries. Topics include evolution of health care management, new public management; marketisation and private sector involvement; decentralisation policy formulation and implementation; governance and inter-organisational collaboration, systems typology and methods of assessment, organisational and social influences, clinicians in management.
15 credits
This module aims to introduce the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. It will provide the methodology for the planning and control of resources within the health and social care environment and allow students to investigate various means of quality measurement and control and their suitability in ensuring the delivery of an appropriate and consistent service in line with the expectations of the service user.
30 credits
This module seeks to examine the key issues which influence decision making in what is often a ‘cash limited' environment. The module reviews health service finance from two contrasting perspectives.
Firstly from a ‘top down' viewpoint, in terms of the Source/s and Flow of Healthcare Funding that reviews how funding is allocated across healthcare organisations and how it is then dispersed within organisations.
Secondly, and in contrast, Health Economics for Policy Decisions then reviews how clinicians and other managers who hold budgetary responsibility should constantly review the degree to which allocated funding is being spent appropriately in order to drive clinical quality, value for money and health gain.
15 credits
This module develops student ability to understand and use information as a strategic resource in supporting the delivery of health and social care services. It covers the changing role of information and communications technology (ICT) in the light of structural changes in the NHS and social care; and the enabling role of Information Technology (IT) in facilitating communication and collaboration among professionals and patients in the health and social care sectors.
15 credits
This module explores the evidence base for, and measures the effectiveness of, the range of approaches available within the private sector which can be used to leverage improvements in public health service design and delivery. Topics include service and marketing aspects of: patient choice (choose and book), service user engagement, stakeholder involvement, service quality (fitness for purpose), service re-engineering (organisational turn-around), payment by results, demand management, marketing and differentiation / relationship management (stakeholder / professional), and relationship management (consumer / end-user). Students will also learn how to understand and balance both user and stakeholder expectations and perceptions in the effective management of service delivery.
60 credits
This is a core module for students studying at master's level. The module introduces students to the role that research methods play in developing discipline knowledge, and in providing the knowledge that underpins evidence-based practice. Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate research articles and other documents from a methodological perspective. They will develop the skills to conduct high quality research. Core factual material and learning resources will be provided electronically via Canvas. Classroom sessions will take the form of workshops where possible, and will cover topics such as reviewing research literature systematically; research design; qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and data analysis techniques; writing up and presenting research. For the dissertation, each student will have a personal supervisor who will provide guidance on planning and conducting the research, and on writing it up.
To complete the MSc top-up, you take the 60 credit Research Methods and Dissertation module.
60 credits
This is a core module for students studying at master's level. The module introduces students to the role that research methods play in developing discipline knowledge, and in providing the knowledge that underpins evidence-based practice. Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate research articles and other documents from a methodological perspective. They will develop the skills to conduct high quality research. Core factual material and learning resources will be provided electronically via Canvas. Classroom sessions will take the form of workshops where possible, and will cover topics such as reviewing research literature systematically; research design; qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and data analysis techniques; writing up and presenting research. For the dissertation, each student will have a personal supervisor who will provide guidance on planning and conducting the research, and on writing it up.
The minimum requirement for a PgDip is 120 credits. This is gained by completing year 1 of the programme, comprising one 30 credit points module and two 15 credit points modules. And also completing the second year of the programme, comprising one 30 credit module and two 15 credit modules.
Students who complete the PgDip successfully can convert this to an MSc by completing the MSc top-up.
30 credits
This module aims to integrate theory and practice of leadership, management and organisational behaviour, towards understanding of the individual, group and organisational factors that underpin organisational effectiveness in healthcare services in a context of accelerated change. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate the characteristics of successful organisations, group dynamics and individual high performers within the context of health. In addition, the module discusses the internal, external and political triggers for change in healthcare. Students will learn to evaluate how receptive an organisational context is to change and to critically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of different models and tools for organisational change.
15 credits
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help students to develop an ability to analyse critically developments in healthcare management in the UK and other countries. Topics include evolution of health care management, new public management; marketisation and private sector involvement; decentralisation policy formulation and implementation; governance and inter-organisational collaboration, systems typology and methods of assessment, organisational and social influences, clinicians in management.
15 credits
This module introduces the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. You will cover:
Topics include:
30 credits
This module seeks to examine the key issues which influence decision making in what is often a ‘cash limited' environment. The module reviews health service finance from two contrasting perspectives.
Firstly from a ‘top down' viewpoint, in terms of the Source/s and Flow of Healthcare Funding that reviews how funding is allocated across healthcare organisations and how it is then dispersed within organisations.
Secondly, and in contrast, Health Economics for Policy Decisions then reviews how clinicians and other managers who hold budgetary responsibility should constantly review the degree to which allocated funding is being spent appropriately in order to drive clinical quality, value for money and health gain.
15 credits
This module develops student ability to understand and use information as a strategic resource in supporting the delivery of health and social care services. It covers the changing role of information and communications technology (ICT) in the light of structural changes in the NHS and social care; and the enabling role of Information Technology (IT) in facilitating communication and collaboration among professionals and patients in the health and social care sectors.
15 credits
This module explores the evidence base for, and measures the effectiveness of, the range of approaches available within the private sector which can be used to leverage improvements in public health service design and delivery. Topics include service and marketing aspects of: patient choice (choose and book), service user engagement, stakeholder involvement, service quality (fitness for purpose), service re-engineering (organisational turn-around), payment by results, demand management, marketing and differentiation / relationship management (stakeholder / professional), and relationship management (consumer / end-user). Students will also learn how to understand and balance both user and stakeholder expectations and perceptions in the effective management of service delivery.
The minimum requirement for a Postgraduate Certificate is 60 credits, gained by completing year 1 of the programme, comprising one 30 credit points module and two 15 credit points modules.
30 credits
This module aims to integrate theory and practice of leadership, management and organisational behaviour, towards understanding of the individual, group and organisational factors that underpin organisational effectiveness in healthcare services in a context of accelerated change. Students will be encouraged to critically evaluate the characteristics of successful organisations, group dynamics and individual high performers within the context of health. In addition, the module discusses the internal, external and political triggers for change in healthcare. Students will learn to evaluate how receptive an organisational context is to change and to critically appraise the strengths and weaknesses of different models and tools for organisational change.
15 credits
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help students to develop an ability to analyse critically developments in healthcare management in the UK and other countries. Topics include evolution of health care management, new public management; marketisation and private sector involvement; decentralisation policy formulation and implementation; governance and inter-organisational collaboration, systems typology and methods of assessment, organisational and social influences, clinicians in management.
15 credits
This module introduces the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. You will cover:
Topics include:
The information above reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. Updates may be made on an annual basis and revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year. The regulations governing this course are available on our website. If we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an optional module, this may not be offered.
This Leadership and Management in Health course aims to:
"Students act as their own resource in that you have a tremendous breadth of both education and practical experience... Students also act as a resource to each other and they can actually stimulate others to go on and do things that they felt maybe were beyond their scope." Graham Walker, Course Director
This course gives graduates the tools to progress rapidly in their careers, either through promotion within their current organisations or by taking positions in other organisations.
Graduates leave the course as dynamic, forward-thinking healthcare professionals and service managers who excel in their field.
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes by a mixture of highly qualified academics and healthcare practitioners with experience in the healthcare sector. The following group of staff members are currently involved in the delivery of different elements of this course. This pool is subject to change at any time within the academic year.
A range of guest practitioners will also contribute to sessions on this course. They will provide insight and specialist knowledge whilst making connections and links to real-life experience within industry. The following experts have appeared on this course recently:
This course has been rated as one of the best health management masters courses worldwide.
It was ranked 78th by the Eduniversal masters ranking 2016/17 placing the programme among the top seven in the UK.
Eduniversal ranks masters programmes from more than a thousand business schools and universities. Key criteria include: the reputation of the programmes with human resources managers, career prospects, salaries and details of first jobs. The rankings also look at the results of a satisfaction survey of recent graduates.