MSc Health Research (Part Time)
Course
options
Key Details
- Attendance
- Part Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 3 years
- Course Start Date
- September 2025
Course Overview
Elevate your career with our flexible MSc in Health Research, tailored for both clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals.
This versatile, multi-professional programme equips you with essential knowledge and practical skills in health research, whilst also giving you the flexibility to customise your learning through a wide range of optional modules. You'll gain the tools to drive better healthcare outcomes, improve patient well-being, and shape the future of health and care policy.
Your studies will emphasise the analysis and evaluation of research context, the experience of research participants, and the design and delivery of effective health research and research-related activity. In your final year, you'll apply your enhanced knowledge and skills in your own research-related project.
This programme is informed by the latest research capability frameworks, including the NHSE Multi-professional Practice-based Research Capabilities Framework (2024) and the NIHR Research Practice Experience Capabilities in Practice (2023). Programme development has also been informed by insights from internal and external stakeholders.
This fully online, part-time programme offers maximum flexibility—whether you're in the UK or abroad. You can choose to study individual modules as standalone Continuous Professional Development (CPD), with the option to import these into the part-time MSc within five years, or enrol directly into this part-time MSc.
Study and Modules
Structure
In year one, you'll study a mix of compulsory, methodological, and optional modules. This ensures you'll gain a firm foundation of knowledge as well as the flexibility to tailor your learning experience to your career aspirations and goals, either to pursue general research or to specialise in a specific research area.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Modules are taught fully online over 12 weeks, with one module taken per term. Some optional modules may be taught on campus through face-to-face study days.
A 20-credit module at level 7 requires approximately 200 effort hours to complete successfully, including 70-80 hours of asynchronous and live online learning, practice-based and/or academic supervision (if applicable), and assessment preparation. Additionally, you're expected to conduct independent study, such as finding, evaluating, and applying evidence to support your academic writing and thinking. This independent work not only enhances your learning experience but also helps build a robust evidence base for your professional practice.
Our modules consist of asynchronous learning which you'll engage with flexibly, on a day and time that's convenient to you. Our learning's been carefully curated to include a wide range of engaging and informative online learning resources and activities. You'll also attend supported live online sessions including focused tutorials and webinars. Additionally, some modules may involve practice-based activity requiring practice-based supervisory support.
Module organisers are experienced academics with a strong research background. Modules are further supported by teams of knowledgeable academics and research practitioners with appropriate specialist expertise and the experience to help you apply your academic learning to practice.
Assessment
Assessments across the programme have been designed to ensure diverse assessment methods to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles and abilities. Our assessments purposefully develop research capability and skills in analysis, evaluation, and dissemination that are part of everyday research practice in health and care. Types of assessments include reflective writing, research proposals and commentaries, research protocol/report analysis, examinations, oral and poster presentations, evaluative conversations, and portfolio development.
Structure
In year two, you'll continue to study a blend of compulsory, methodological and optional modules. You'll also continue to have the flexibility to individualise your learning experience to meet your own learning objectives, whether for general research or for specialisation in a specific research area.
Compulsory Modules
Optional A Modules
(Credits: 20)Optional B Modules
(Credits: 20)Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
In year two, as before, modules are taught fully online over 12 weeks, with one module taken per term.
Each 20-credit module requires approximately 200 study hours, including 70-80 hours of structured learning and independent research work to support your academic writing and professional practice.
You'll engage with flexible asynchronous learning, curated online resources, and live tutorials and webinars at times convenient to you. Some modules may include practice-based activities with supervisory support.
Module organisers are experienced academics with a strong research background. Modules are further supported by teams of knowledgeable academics and research practitioners with the specialist expertise and experience to help you apply your academic learning to practice.
Assessment
In year two, assessments will continue to include diverse methods such as reflective writing, research proposals, protocol analysis, examinations, presentations, and portfolio development. Assessments are designed to accommodate different learning styles while developing essential research skills in analysis, evaluation, and dissemination for health and care practice.
Structure
In your final year, you'll apply your enhanced knowledge and skills in your own research-related project.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
Teaching and learning in your third year focuses on providing the support and supervision required for you to complete your Health Research dissertation successfully. Your dissertation equates to around 600 hours of effort. Although this will include asynchronous and live online learning to support your project design, implementation, and evaluation, most of this time will be spent in independent study. You'll be allocated a dissertation supervisor, who will meet with you regularly throughout the year to provide personalised guidance and support for your project.
Assessment
In your third year, you'll undertake an extended project which may include systematic review, primary data collection (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods), or secondary analysis.
Employability
After the Course
The knowledge, skills, values and behaviours you'll develop on this MSc can enhance your career progression across health and care roles, including clinical research practitioner, early career researcher, doctoral student, biomedical scientist, medical clinician, advanced practitioner, manager and leader, and pharmaceutical or medical technology roles. Whatever route you choose, you'll contribute to knowledge generation and health improvement.
The programme creates a learning community where you'll build networks and collaborations, adding value to your degree and opening opportunities to contribute to important health research projects.
Upon graduation, you may develop as a researcher in roles including clinical research fellow, clinical academic, embedded researcher, or within wider research networks, extending to lead roles in academic or clinical research programmes.
You can also develop your ability to mentor and supervise others developing research capability, facilitating research education within health and social care. This enhances your career trajectory alongside professional practice, strengthening your team role and providing opportunities to make a real difference.
Careers
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
- Eligibility for further study options (master's or doctoral degrees) across the health and care sectors.
- Eligibility for clinical academic jobs, e.g. working in research groups in universities or as a lecturer-practitioner).
- Clinical research roles, including those requiring recognition and approval by professional and regulatory bodies.
- Lead roles (Director of Research, Research Training Programme Director).
Discover more on our Careers webpages.
Entry Requirements
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical UK Entry Requirements
Degree classification
Bachelors degree - 2.2 within the last 5 years
Degree Subject
Health Care subject
- Additional Entry Requirements
We can consider current Registered Healthcare professionals (including Nurses, Midwives, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists) with a minimum of 2 years post registration practice experience, working at Band 5 and above in a suitable clinical facing role with equivalent evidence of recent study in the last 5 years which includes
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Two or more degree level 6 CPD modules achieving 55% and above
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One or more Masters level 7 CPD modules achieving 50% and above
Memorandum of Understanding
You must submit a Memorandum of Understanding at the time of application. Your manager will need to confirm that you will be given the time and resources required for the programme.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
- This course is open to
UK and International fee-paying students. Choose UK or International above to see relevant information. The entry point is in September each year.
- Typical International Entry Requirements
Degree classification
UK Bachelors degree - 2.2 or equivalent within the last 5 years.
Degree Subject
Health Care subject
- Additional Entry Requirements
We can consider current Registered Healthcare professionals (including Nurses, Midwives, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Physiotherapists) with a minimum of 2 years post registration practice experience, working at Band 5 and above in a suitable clinical facing role with equivalent evidence of recent study in the last 5 years which includes
-
Two or more degree level 6 CPD modules achieving 55% and above
-
One or more Masters level 7 CPD modules achieving 50% and above
Memorandum of Understanding
You must submit a Memorandum of Understanding at the time of application. Your manager will need to confirm that you will be given the time and resources required for the programme.
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- English Foreign Language
Applications from students whose first language is not English are welcome. We require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading):
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IELTS: 7.0 overall (minimum 6.5 in all components)
We also accept a number of other English language tests. Review our English Language Equivalencies for a list of example qualifications that we may accept to meet this requirement.
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
If you do not meet the English language requirements for this course, UEA International Study Centre offer a variety of English language programmes which are designed to help you develop the required English skills.
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- Admissions Policy
Our Admissions Policy applies to the admissions of all postgraduate applicants.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2025/26 are:
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UK Students: £10,675
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International Students: £22,700
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Please see Additional Course Fees for details of course-related costs.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
To apply please use our online application form.
Further information
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying, please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.