The side of the Radcliffe Camera through a black gate
The Radcliffe Camera, seen from the Bodleian Quad
(Image Credit: Christopher Wills)

MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Systematic Reviews)

About the course

This is a course for health professionals seeking an understanding of the importance of systematic reviews in healthcare as well as the practical skills to conduct them. Training is provided in the fundamental principles of evidence-based healthcare and research design, with more specific training in the conduct of basic and more complex systematic reviews.

The MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Systematic Reviews) is designed for health care professionals and researchers seeking to consolidate their understanding and ability in contextualising, carrying out, and applying systematic reviews appropriately in health care settings.

The course aims to provide a structured training in designing, conducting, and interpreting high-quality systematic reviews in health care. 

The course also aims:

  • to introduce the basic concepts and skills of evidence-based health care, including how to formulate a clinical research question, search for evidence, critically appraise evidence for sources of bias, and apply evidence to health care settings
  • to describe in detail different types of research methods and identify the strengths and weaknesses of different study designs.

Students on the course will:

  • learn how to design a systematic review research protocol
  • gain a more detailed understanding of the process involved in conducting a systematic review
  • develop the skills to conduct, report and update a systematic review
  • gain a familiarity with basic and advanced techniques for the analysis of quantitative systematic review data: meta-analysis, meta-regression, network meta-analysis, diagnostic meta-analysis, individual patient data meta-analysis
  • gain an understanding of and reasons for more complex systematic reviews in health care, such as realist reviews, reviews of clinical study reports, prognostic reviews, and meta-synthesis
  • explore new paradigms in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis
  • gain sufficient training to conduct systematic reviews independently.

Compared with the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care, this degree will suit those with a particular interest in and requirement for training in the conduct of systematic reviews relevant to evidence-based health care.

The MSc is a joint course offered between the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and the Department for Continuing Education. The course works in collaboration with the renowned Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford.

The course has teachers and contributors who are internationally recognised leaders in the field of evidence-based practice and systematic reviews. The flexible structure of the course has been devised to fit with the structure of specialist training and to accommodate student choice. The course also includes a series of optional methodology clinics with members of the faculty. 

Teaching is tailored to those with a minimal prior knowledge of systematic reviews and delivered by an experienced team of tutors from the University of Oxford, who actively work to advance the practice of evidence-based health care through the conduct and dissemination of systematic reviews.

Course structure

The MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Systematic Reviews) is a part-time course. You will take four core modules and two option modules, followed by a dissertation, which will take the form of a systematic review. 

The majority of modules are run over either an eight, or fifteen week learning cycle. This allows for a choice of options to be taken over the two to four years that you attend the course. 

Core modules will introduce you to the principles of evidence-based health care, as well as the core skills and methods needed for research design and conduct. Further option modules will provide you with specific skills in conducting basic systematic reviews, meta-analysis and broader forms of evidence synthesis, such as realist reviews, reviews of clinical study reports and diagnostic accuracy reviews.

Core Modules

You will take the following four core modules:

  • The Practice of Evidence-Based Health Care
  • Systematic Reviews
  • Complex Reviews
  • Meta-analysis

Optional modules

You will then choose two additional modules from the following options. Please note that not all modules are guaranteed to run every year.

  • Economics of Healthcare
  • Essential Medical Statistics
  • Introduction to Study Design and Research Methods
  • Qualitative and Mixed Methods Systematic Reviews 
  • Realist Reviews and Realist Evaluation

Teaching format

Most modules are either delivered fully online or in a blended format, however, some modules are only delivered with a blended format that includes a five day attendance in Oxford, and some are only run entirely online. In any given year, not all delivery formats for a module may be available.

Further details about the course and modules can be found on the course page, on the Department for Continuing Education Website (See Further Information and Enquiries).

Blended format

An initial period of self-directed study is spent on introductory activities using a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This is followed by a week spent in Oxford for supported face-to-face teaching, and then a further period of Post-Oxford activities (a mixture of self-directed and supported distance learning also delivered through the VLE). The final week of each module is for self-directed personal study, shortly followed by the assignment submission.

Fully online format

Fully online modules are delivered through the VLE with the first week allocated to self-directed introductory activities. 

For some courses, you will have a number of units to work through which are released week by week. Each unit includes a mixture of supported and self-directed learning with discussion forums, tasks and activities. You will then have five weeks of self-directed personal study with use of a revision forum and the requirement to submit an assignment electronically the following week. These courses that usually run over a 15 week period.

For other courses, five consecutive days of synchronous and asynchronous teaching sessions will be followed by a further period of activities (a mixture of self-directed and supported distance learning also delivered through the VLE). The final week of each module is for self-directed personal study, shortly followed by the assignment submission. These courses usually run over an eight week period.

Attendance

As a part-time student, you will be required to attend a minimum of two modules (one of which must be a compulsory module) ‘in person’ in Oxford. Each ‘in person’ module requires you to attend a week (five days) in Oxford for supported face to face teaching. Your other four modules can be made up of a mix of ‘in person’, or fully online modules. For additional note: All students are required to attend a minimum of one module in each academic year on course. This can either be ‘in person’ or fully online.

Resources to support your study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

The Rewley House Continuing Education Library, one of the Bodleian Libraries, is situated in Rewley House. The department aims to support the wide variety of subjects covered by departmental courses at many academic levels. The department also has a collection of around 73,000 books together with periodicals. PCs in the library give access to the internet and the full range of electronic resources subscribed to by the University of Oxford. Wi-Fi is also available. The Jessop Reading Room adjoining the library is available for study. The department provides various IT facilities, including the Student Computing Facility which provides individual PCs for your use.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and/or the Department for Continuing Education and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and/or the Department for Continuing Education.

Most students have the opportunity to either meet, or contact their supervisor at least once per month.

Assessment

Assessments are conducted at the end of each module and comprise a written paper, submitted via an online portal. The dissertation will be on a topic chosen in consultation with your supervisor and the course director.

Students typically submit a ‘Notification of Provisional Title’, a calendar year before their dissertation submission date. A full draft is usually submitted two months prior to the submission deadline. The final submission is usually due on the last working day of September, for the given year of completion.

Graduate destinations

Most part-time students starting this course are already in full-time employment. The MSc offers health care professionals opportunities to enhance their working lives by:

  • updating and improving their clinical practice
  • facilitating effective and timely decision making in health care
  • identifying and applying research critically to improve their own and others’ practice
  • disseminating and translating high quality evidence for patient and public benefit
  • opening up new career opportunities.

Past students have also gone on to study for the part-time DPhil in Evidence-Based Health Care and all graduates are invited to be part of an international alumni network where success is shared and new initiatives are supported.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Was this page useful?*