Palliative Medicine for Health Care Professionals (MSc)
Provided by Cardiff University School of Medicine
About the course
Admissions criteria
In order to be considered for an offer for this programme you will need to meet all of the entry requirements. Your application will not be progressed if the information and evidence listed is not provided.
With your online application you will need to provide:
- A copy of your degree certificate and transcripts which show you have achieved an undergraduate degree in a relevant subject area such as dentistry, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy or physiotherapy or an equivalent international degree. The programme welcomes applications from paediatric-facing health care settings. If your degree certificate or result is pending, please upload any interim transcripts or provisional certificates. Or, evidence that you are a nurse with the RGN qualification.
- Evidence that you have current professional registration with the appropriate health professional regulatory body for your chosen health care profession prior to and for the full duration of the programme. Please provide your registration number (if it’s possible to check your status online) or a copy of your certificate of registration.
- A copy of your IELTS certificate with an overall score of 6.5 with 5.5 in all subskills, or evidence of an accepted equivalent. Please include the date of your expected test if this qualification is pending. If you have alternative acceptable evidence, such as an undergraduate degree studied in the UK, please supply this in place of an IELTS.
- A reference from your employer to evidence that you currently work in a clinical role including caring for patients with palliative care needs having gained at least 2 years working in a health care setting (this can be any general or specialist health care setting). References should be signed, dated and less than six months old at the time you submit your application.
- A personal statement which explains why you wish to follow this programme, what benefits you expect to gain from it, and what skills and experience you possess that make you a suitable applicant.
Application Deadline
We allocate places on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend you apply as early as possible. Applications normally close at the end of August but may close sooner if all places are filled.
Selection process
We will review your application and if you meet all of the entry requirements, we will make you an offer.
Find out more about English language requirements .
Applicants who require a Student visa to study in the UK must present an acceptable English language qualification in order to meet UKVI (UK Visas and Immigration) requirements.
Criminal convictions
You are not required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check or provide a Certificate of Good Conduct to study this course.
If you are currently subject to any licence condition or monitoring restriction that could affect your ability to successfully complete your studies, you will be required to disclose your criminal record. Conditions include, but are not limited to:
- access to computers or devices that can store images
- use of internet and communication tools/devices
- curfews
- freedom of movement
- contact with people related to Cardiff University.
Course structure
The MSc consists of three stages:
First taught stage (T1)
This stage lasts for one academic year, and consists of 3 modules at least to the value of 60 credits at Level 7.
You may leave with a Postgraduate Certificate once you have successfully completed a minimum of 60 credits, where these include all ‘required’ core modules plus one optional module.
Second taught stage (T2)
This stage continues for a further academic year to a total of 2 academic years for stages T1 & T2, and consists of a further 3 modules at least to the value of 60 credits at Level 7. Students complete the taught stages by achieving a combined total of at least 120 credits.
You may leave with a Postgraduate Diploma once you have successfully completed a minimum of 120 credits, where these include all ‘required’ core modules plus one optional module.
Research dissertation stage
This stage continues for a further academic year to a total of 3 academic years for the full MSc (all stages), and includes a dissertation of 60 credits at Level 7, to achieve a combined total of at least 180 credits at Level 7 to complete the MSc programme.
The total normal duration to complete the full MSc programme is three academic years (stages T1, T2 & R), from the date of initial registration on the programme.
The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum. Final modules will be published one month ahead of your programme starting.
Year one
Year 1 introduces core knowledge, principles and frameworks, essential communication skills, the evidence underpinning symptom assessment, symptom management and interventions, and dilemmas encountered when delivering palliative care in complex and challenging situations. It is therefore a foundation for optimising practice in palliative care in your own setting.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Palliative Care: Core Skills and Pain Management | MET831 | 20 credits |
| Physical Symptom Management (excluding Pain Management) | MET832 | 20 credits |
| Care in the Last Year of Life | MET835 | 20 credits |
Year two
The second year builds further on the evidence based approach underpinning year 1 and explores the complexities involved in end of life care, as well as opportunities to develop in other important aspects including the development of effective team working, leadership and change management, research and quality improvement. It is therefore a springboard for enhancing and developing practice and for undertaking leadership in palliative care.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Palliative Care where you Work | MET836 | 20 credits |
| Making a Difference: Developing Palliative Care Services and Implementing Change | MET837 | 20 credits |
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ethical, Legal and Complex Care Challenges in Adults | MET833 | 20 credits |
| Ethical, Legal and Complex Challenges in Paediatric Care | MET834 | 20 credits |
Year three
The MSc dissertation stage provides the opportunity for you to identify an issue of importance in their own practice and carry out an evidence based project intended to contribute to knowledge and practice in palliative care. This would be either a research project (empirical research, critical literature review) or a quality improvement project (developing business cases, proposals or guidelines) and relate to real-world challenges in palliative care.
| Module title | Module code | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Dissertation: Palliative Medicine for Health Care Professionals | MET830 | 60 credits |
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.
Enquire
| Start date | Venue | |
|---|---|---|
| 01 Sep 2025 | Distance learning | Book now |