Diabetes Practice (MSc)

Course structure

This is a master’s level programme taught part-time over 2 years:

Stage T1

This stage lasts for 18 months and consists of six 20-credit modules totalling 120 credits, at Level 7, , each lasting 8 weeks. You will have the option of choosing topics within some of the modules that are aligned to your learning and clinical needs.Students who have successfully completed Stage T1 will be eligible for the Postgraduate Diploma award should they exit at this stage.

Stage T2

This stage lasts 28 weeks and consists of the 60 credit dissertation module at Level 7, during which students complete a dissertation in a special interest area of their choice negotiated with the programme faculty and supervisor.

Students who have successfully completed Stage T2 will be eligible for the MSc award.

Students may leave the course with a Postgraduate Certificate, after successfully completing 60 credits, only where these include the award of credit for three ‘required’ modules from stage T1.

Each module can also be studied on a stand-alone CPD basis to allow greater flexibility of learning tailored to individual learning requirements.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum. Final modules will be published one month ahead of your programme starting.

Year one

Taught Component

Module 1: Research and Evidence Based Healthcare in Diabetes

This module will allow you to have a robust appreciation of research, innovation, audit and service evaluation and will furnish you with the ability to challenge the evidence and to address clinically meaningful questions applicable to your clinical practice.

Module 2: Principles of Diabetes and Promoting  Self-Management

This module introduces the subject field within its daily clinical context. The module provides the opportunity for you to gain a comprehensive understanding of the classification, presentation and diagnosis of diabetes, 'pre-diabetes' and disorders of glucose metabolism and to evaluate the implications of these diagnoses.  You will be invited to explore diagnostic tests, clinical management plans, the pathophysiology, aetiology and risk factors of diabetes and the complementary roles of healthcare professionals, other professional and patients. Special consideration will also be given to structured self-management programmes, lifestyle and weight management, diabetes remission and exploring psychological approaches.

This module invites you to evaluate ways of managing those with long-term conditions and you will be able to consider relatively new approaches to management using co-creation and co-production, shared decision making, self-management and social prescribing.

Module 3: Therapeutics in Diabetes

This module provides the opportunity for you to appraise past and current therapies in the management of people with diabetes.  This will include a range of pharmaceutical / therapeutic agents, oral and injectable therapies, risk modification interventions with attention to cardiovascular outcomes, obesity management and surgery.  The module will also explore emerging therapies relevant to the management of diabetes. Critical appraisal of research evidence is an important part of the studies for this module, to inform and support the ways in which health care professionals engage in clinical and/or lifestyle management for people with diabetes.

Module 4: Assessment and Management of Diabetes Complications and Cardiovascular Disease

This module provides the opportunity for you explore the prevention, recognition and management of complications in diabetes. You will be invited to evaluate current evidence base standards and recommendations of care in diabetes.  You will also be able to explore approaches applied to screening for microvascular and macrovascular complications in diabetes with additional focus upon cardiovascular disease, and formulate evidence-based management for a range of clinical scenarios. This will support your ability to introduce early preventative and management options to support those living with diabetes and the delivery of personalised care packages.

Year two

The optional modules allow you to focus on specific groups of individuals who may require differing prevention strategies, diagnosis and/or management approaches. Students may choose two from the following options:

Option 1: Special Considerations in Type 1 Diabetes

This module provides the opportunity to evaluate the current evidence based standards and clinical practice recommendations in Type 1 diabetes. You will explore special circumstances and formulate management plans for a range of clinical scenarios including transitional care, eating disorders, and gastroparesis. You will also evaluate the evidence for technology in diabetes and develop strategies for application in clinical practice.

Option 2: Diabetes in Pregnancy

The module aims to develop clinicians able to evaluate current evidence based standards to formulate clinical management, to the highest standards, for pre-existing diabetes pre-conception, during pregnancy and post-partum, as well as assessing and managing gestational diabetes during and after pregnancy. The module also develops your evaluation skills in the delivery of holistic diabetes care to women before, during and after pregnancies

Option 3: Diabetic Foot Disease

Diabetic foot disease has significant impact on both the individual and within the community.  The module aims to enable students distinguish the contributing pathologies of diabetic foot disease and develop strategies for screening for diabetic foot disease.  Students will explore strategies for evaluating and treating peripheral vascular disease, neuropathic foot disease and formulate management approaches for wound care and infections.  Another key focus will be the creation of local clinical practice guidelines for the recognition and management of diabetic foot conditions.

Option 4: Management of Diabetes in the Acute Hospital Setting

The module aims to enable students to recognise, evaluate and manage diabetes in acute illness circumstances during in-hospital admission.  Students will explore and critique current standards and recommendations of care, the evidence base and inter-professional roles in diabetes care in order to design, develop and justify local clinical practice guidelines and decisions.

Option 5: Diabetes Care in the Elderly

The module aims to enable students to recognise and evaluate the complex considerations for diabetes care in the elderly.  This will entail learning how to distinguish between functional categories of older individuals with diabetes, evaluate special circumstances for the elderly and implications for therapeutic interventions.  Students will explore current standards and recommendations of care in diabetes, local clinical practice guidelines and formulate strategies for individualising patient care including the management of end of life care in diabetes.

Option 6: Professional Practice (Leadership and Coaching, Quality and Safety)

This module will present a number of principles impacting on the care you deliver and provides you with the opportunity to evaluate one principle in the following areas: leadership and coaching, quality and safety and team working. The leadership content is highly interactive and presents students with the tools, cycles and methods to become leaders who are cognisant of the needs of stakeholders and who can unite teams, work effectively leading and working within teams to undertake innovative, evidence based and sustainable change. The patient safety and quality content identifies drivers that impact on the patient journey across multiple health and social care settings. Content will allow students to focus on real life, clinical scenarios highlighting the importance of the quality and safety agenda in healthcare.

Stage 2 – Masters Dissertation

This consists of a 60 credit (Level 7) dissertation module delivered over 28 weeks. The aim of the dissertation is to enable the student to demonstrate their ability to undertake an audit/service evaluation, quality improvement project, or an extended literature review of an aspect of clinical practice related to diabetes. You will be allocated a supervisor to support you during this period.

Chevron right Core modules for year two

The University is committed to providing a wide range of module options where possible, but please be aware that whilst every effort is made to offer choice this may be limited in certain circumstances. This is due to the fact that some modules have limited numbers of places available, which are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, while others have minimum student numbers required before they will run, to ensure that an appropriate quality of education can be delivered; some modules require students to have already taken particular subjects, and others are core or required on the programme you are taking. Modules may also be limited due to timetable clashes, and although the University works to minimise disruption to choice, we advise you to seek advice from the relevant School on the module choices available.

Funding

Postgraduate loans

If you are starting your master’s degree in September 2024 or later, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study at Cardiff University.