Leadership and Management in Health PgCert/PgDip/MSc (Distance Learning)
Subject and course type
- Business and management
- Nursing, midwifery and healthcare
- Postgraduate
- Online/distance learning
Apply for a health management postgraduate course, ranked number 2 in the UK by the Eduniversal global ranking 2024. Study from anywhere, alongside your current professional responsibilities.
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Start your journey towards being a leader in healthcare management
Develop essential leadership and management skills for the health sector
Choose a course qualification most relevant for your career goals, from PgCert to a full MSc. Your chosen pathway will equip you with the practical and theoretical knowledge to effectively manage teams, influence policy and drive positive change within healthcare organisations.
Kingston’s innovative course content, combined with expert teaching, will enable you to take on leadership roles and excel in managing complex healthcare systems.
Applicants range from experienced healthcare professionals to those transitioning into healthcare management. This programme provides the tools to succeed in today’s evolving healthcare landscape.
At Kingston University, we are committed to providing a supportive and innovative environment for healthcare professionals. We strive to nurture and support students who aspire to lead and manage in complex settings.
This course is a great insight into all aspects of managing healthcare, and has benefited me in my role leading a multidisciplinary team. I learnt lots and put into practice everything from budget planning to improving organisational culture. I would recommend this course to any health professional who has a desire to learn more about how the cogs are turned in healthcare.
Why choose this course
Study with staff who all have experience within the healthcare sector, on a course that applies to public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and internationally. Students are from a wide range of clinical and administrative backgrounds which makes for valuable sharing of different perspectives.
Taught within the Kingston Business School, this course has been ranked number 2 in the UK, and in the top 60 globally by the Eduniversal masters ranking 2026. The school itself holds a prestigious international accreditation by the AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Earned by just 6% of the world’s business schools, this recognition marks the high quality of our business degrees.
With a focus on current healthcare challenges, you will gain practical skills in leadership, change management and policy development. The course is designed to ensure that you’re well-equipped to manage teams effectively and make meaningful contributions to healthcare organisations. Kingston’s strong links with healthcare providers and access to real-world case studies will enrich your learning experience.
This course offers flexible, modular learning. The programme you will follow depends on which qualification you want to pursue – choose from:
- MSc – Masters degree – minimum 2 years
- PgDip – Postgraduate Diploma – minimum 2 years
- PgCert – Postgraduate Certificate – minimum 1 year
Whichever pathway you choose, you’ll study entirely remotely. Online classes allow for flexibility around your professional schedule or other commitments.
Expand your knowledge by facilitating discussion with other practising professionals. And explore a specific area of healthcare management in-depth through your masters-level dissertation.
Ready for business
At Kingston Business School, we believe that professional success is shaped by honing your personal capacity and skillset, supported by the academic framework of knowledge. Through vocationally rich, employer-engaged and research-informed courses, we work alongside our students to help them meet personal goals and career ambitions.
Kingston Business School Accreditations
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 6% of the world's business schools and recognises the high quality and standard of our business degree offerings.
Course content
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.
MSc
You will complete 180 credits across a minimum of 2 years, comprising seven core modules.
Core modules
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.
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.
Online sessions will take the form of virtual 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.
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.
15 credits
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help you 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.
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.
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 introduces the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. You will cover:
- methodologies for the planning and control of resources within the health and social care environment; and
- 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.
Topics include:
- investigation of different planning and control strategies and evaluation of their impact upon the scheduling and control of resources and facilities;
- measuring customer satisfaction (bridging the link between expectations and perceptions, the Servqual model, a review of the role of quasi independent bodies such as the Picker Institute, Doctor Foster Intelligence); and
- evaluation of quality programmes specific to the health and social care environment (for example, Chris Wilson's model, RCN DySSy, Social Care Quality models).
PgDip
The minimum requirement for a PgDip is 120 credits. This is gained by completing Year 1 of the programme (comprising one 30-credit module and two 15-credit modules) and completing the second year of the programme (comprising one 30-credit module and two 15-credit modules).
Core modules
15 credits
This module introduces the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. You will cover:
- methodologies for the planning and control of resources within the health and social care environment; and
- 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.
Topics include:
- investigation of different planning and control strategies and evaluation of their impact upon the scheduling and control of resources and facilities;
- measuring customer satisfaction (bridging the link between expectations and perceptions, the Servqual model, a review of the role of quasi independent bodies such as the Picker Institute, Doctor Foster Intelligence); and
- evaluation of quality programmes specific to the health and social care environment (for example, Chris Wilson's model, RCN DySSy, Social Care Quality models).
15 credits
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help you 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
PgCert
The minimum requirement for a Postgraduate Certificate is 60 credits, gained by completing Year 1 of the programme, comprising one 30-credit module and two 15-credit modules.
Core modules
15 credits
This module introduces the basic concepts of service operations management applicable to the health and social care environment. You will cover:
- methodologies for the planning and control of resources within the health and social care environment; and
- 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.
Topics include:
- investigation of different planning and control strategies and evaluation of their impact upon the scheduling and control of resources and facilities;
- measuring customer satisfaction (bridging the link between expectations and perceptions, the Servqual model, a review of the role of quasi independent bodies such as the Picker Institute, Doctor Foster Intelligence); and
- evaluation of quality programmes specific to the health and social care environment (for example, Chris Wilson's model, RCN DySSy, Social Care Quality models).
15 credits
This module aims to provide you with an understanding of strategic health management and governance in organisational, political, and socio-economic contexts. It will help you 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.
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.
This course has given me confidence in my abilities in management in the health sector, and developed my critical thinking, strategic thinking and writing skills. These skills have supported me in my day-to-day working activities and allowed me to think ‘outside the box', which I may not have done prior to the course. The course taught me that personal reflection is important in both my personal and professional life.
Career opportunities
This programme offers excellent opportunities to advance your career in healthcare management. You’ll graduate with strong leadership, communication and decision-making skills that are highly valued by employers in healthcare.
This course applies to public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and internationally. Graduates go on to pursue roles as healthcare managers, policy analysts and leaders within public health organisations.
Kingston University’s network of healthcare partnerships help us to prepare graduates for health management roles. The emphasis we place on real-world learning ensures you are well-prepared to step into leadership positions in the healthcare sector.
Teaching and assessment
This course is taught entirely online, allowing you to study from anywhere in the world, fitting around your personal and professional commitments. During your Leadership and Management in Health MSc degree course, you’ll be taught via:
- Online sessions
- Independent study
When not attending timetabled sessions, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for exams. Your independent learning is supported by a range of excellent facilities including online resources, the library and CANVAS, the online virtual learning platform.
As a student at Kingston University, we will make sure you have access to appropriate advice regarding your academic development. You will also be able to use the University's support services.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 180 credits across a year (typical for a postgraduate course) would equate to 1,800 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- 13% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered online.
Type of assessment
MSc
- Coursework: 100%
PgDip
- Coursework: 100%
PgCert
- Coursework: 100%
MSc (top up)
- Coursework: 100%
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| MSc part time | £6,270 |
| PGCert part time | £3,900 |
| PGDip part time | £3,900 |
| International | |
| MSc part time | £9,880 |
| PGCert part time | £6,300 |
| PGDip part time | £6,300 |
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| MSc part time | £6,270 |
| PGCert part time | £3,900 |
| PGDip part time | £3,900 |
| International | |
| MSc part time | £9,880 |
| PGCert part time | £6,300 |
| PGDip part time | £6,300 |
Fees for future course years
MSc part time
If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.
If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.
PgDip part time
If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.
If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. Find out more through the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Leadership and Management in Health MSc at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
Get a 40% reduction in fees for taught masters or postgraduate diploma courses with September start dates. Find out more.
Receive up to £5,000 towards tuition in your first year of study. Find out more.
Get a 15% reduction in tuition fees. Find out more.
For its alumni, Kingston University offers a 10% discount on full-time and part-time postgraduate degree course tuition fees. Please read our alumni discount page to find out more.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Courses involving placements or direct work with vulnerable groups may require a DBS check or other security checks.
Specific courses may require uniforms, specialty clothing, or specific equipment like lab coats and safety shoes.
If you choose to do a placement year, travel costs will vary depending on your location. These costs could be up to £2,000.
Some courses may require professional memberships.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop-down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
For courses that select on application alone, applicants should normally receive an initial decision or a request for more information within four to six weeks of receipt of their application. Our admissions team will notify you of the decision by email.
Learn more about the postgraduate application process in detail.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students say
I strongly recommend the MSc to those who intend to further their education in this field. As part of my professional and personal development, I searched for part-time studies that would fit around my full-time job. I was delighted this course offers an impressive curriculum for part-time studies. The knowledge, skills, behaviour and experience I have learnt have helped me with my day-to-day role. I am very impressed with the series of lectures which were very interactive. My professional background is within intensive care nursing, and I have furthered my career as a clinical duty manager in private healthcare.
