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MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Teaching and Education)

About the course

This course is designed to help professionals improve their knowledge and application of the skills directly related to their roles as research-informed educators of Evidence-Based Health Care.    

The MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Teaching and Education) will position you to integrate theory and research evidence, critical reflection and principles of design, assessment and evaluation in planning and delivering effective education in evidence-based medicine and health care. It can be taken part-time alongside work commitments, generally over two to four years.

The MSc is a joint course between the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and the Department for Continuing Education. The course is led by staff from the renowned Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine in Oxford.

This course has teachers and contributors who are internationally recognised leaders in the field of evidence-based health care, research-led teaching and experts in medical education and research. The flexible structure of the course has been devised to suit people studying alongside professional commitments and to accommodate student choice.

The aims of the course are for you to:

  • continue your professional development as educators, support the professional development of others, and to play a leading role in furthering education in evidence-based health care;
  • foster your leadership in the teaching and education of evidence-based health care throughout the health professional education continuum;
  • enable you to develop your teaching role in clinical and educational settings, including the use of educational technologies and online/virtual environments;
  • teach core concepts of evidence-based health care including research methods, critical appraisal, biostatistics, and translational science effectively and with confidence;
  • undertake effective course design and evaluation in evidence-based health care;
  • broaden and deepen your knowledge of relevant theoretical frameworks and educational research evidence;
  • inform practice with the best available evidence regarding effective methods and approaches to education in evidence-based health care; and
  • develop skills to undertake rigorous evaluation of educational interventions including evidence syntheses and small-scale research studies contributing to the evidence-base for effective education in evidence-based health care.

Course structure

The MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Teaching and Education) is a part-time course. You will take four core modules and two option modules, followed by a dissertation.

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

Core modules

You will take the following four core modules:

  • Teaching Evidence-Based Practice
  • Developing Practice in Medical Education
  • Course Design, Assessment and Evaluation
  • Developing Online Education and Resources.

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.

  • Complex Reviews
  • Economics of Healthcare
  • Introduction to Statistics for Health Care Research
  • Introduction to Study Design and Research Methods
  • Knowledge into Action
  • Meta-analysis
  • Mixed Methods in Health Research
  • Qualitative and Mixed Methods Systematic Reviews
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Randomised Controlled Trials
  • Realist Reviews and Realist Evaluation
  • Systematic Reviews

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

Assessment for each module will be based on a written assignment. The dissertation will be on a topic chosen in consultation with your supervisor and the course director and should not normally exceed 15,000 words.

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

It is anticipated that most part-time students commencing this course are already in employment. The MSc offers health care professional educators opportunities to enhance their working lives by:

  • updating and improving their educational practice
  • facilitating effective and timely decision making in education
  • developing and applying research critically to improve teaching and learning for individuals, peers and organisations
  • disseminating and translating knowledge for improving educational practice
  • opening up new career opportunities.

Achieving the MSc will put graduates in a strong position to take on leadership roles in education in their field and to gain accreditation as educators with relevant professional bodies.

Students may also apply to go 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.

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