International Primary Health Care

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The vision behind this programme is to develop students´ abilities in high quality research, service and teaching in primary care by providing a programme of study characterised by rigorous academic standards, learner-oriented objectives, flexibility and relevance to real life practice. It addresses the needs of leaders, educators, researchers and change agents working to develop primary health care in different countries and settings. It will broaden your expertise and you will be expected to make a major contribution to original research, systematic review, teaching and service development in primary care.

Developed by award-winning academics

The course has been developed by academics within UCL's Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, the largest of its kind in Europe. It is the world´s first fully web-based Masters degree in primary health care. The department has been engaged in e-learning for over a decade, and the course team have won the prestigious e-Tutor of the Year Award.

Fully supported online learning

The programme is fully supported by an Online Learning Environment. You will be allocated a personal tutor, responsible for giving you overall support in academic matters, and a module tutor who facilitates online discussions and provides written feedback on assignments. This virtual classroom enables you to communicate with tutors and other students from around the world.

Your time commitment

We estimate that for each module you will need to study for an average of 12-15 hours per week during term time (approximately 40 weeks of the year).

Programme Structure

The two compulsory core modules are:

* The academic study of primary care (15 credits) [683IP02]
* Research methods for primary care (45 credits) [683IP03]

The elective modules (which are 30 credits each) are:

* International comparisons in primary health care [683IP04]
* Getting research into practice and policy [683IP08]
* Quality improvement in primary care [683IP09]
* Health informatics [683IP10]
* Narrative in health and illness [683IP16]

The dissertation module (which are 60 credits each) are:

* Research dissertation* [683IP12]
* Service development dissertation [683IP13]
* Teaching and learning dissertation [683IP14]
* Systematic review dissertation* [683IP15]

Notes:

· All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete an Induction module [683IP01] before registering.
· Students are required to pass Research methods for primary care before proceeding to the dissertation modules marked with an asterisk (*).
· A student´s selection of the elective modules is subject to the approval of the Programme Director.
· Students may take up to three of the elective modules as short courses.

How you study

When you register you will be sent an individual study pack containing a range of specially written materials to help you plan your studies and prepare for examinations. We will also provide CD-Rom-based study materials (course materials, journal articles, book chapters via hypertext links from course reading lists) and textbooks.

Virtual seminars (conducted via the Virtual Learning Environment) are facilitated, summarised and archived by a student moderator and supported by the module tutor. Online discussion forums for each module are also available for queries not directly related to the virtual seminar topic. You will be placed in small groups of between 5-15 for your online group work. Each group is allocated its own tutor who is responsible for both group process and academic content. You may also engage in separate email correspondence with one another and with the module tutor.

Assessment

Compulsory core and elective modules are assessed by one two-hour unseen written paper and two 3,000 word assignments. The only exception to this is the compulsory core module 'The academic study of primary care', which is assessed by one two-hour unseen written paper and one 3,000 word assignment.

The dissertation module is assessed by one two-hour unseen written paper and a dissertation of between 13,500 and 16,500 words including references but excluding appendices.

Examinations take place once a year, normally in June. Examinations are normally held in a student's country of residence in one of over 650 examination centres worldwide. For further details please see the Examinations section of our website.

AcademicA second class honours degree, or the equivalent, in an appropriate subject, from a university or other institution acceptable to the University.OtherEnglish languageAll students whose first language is not English must be able to provide recent evidence that their spoken and written command of the English language is adequate for the programme of study. The required level for this course is advanced level. This requirement is specified in order to ensure that the academic progress of students is not hindered by language difficulties. The required evidence may take the form of either: * Substantial education (minimum one year) or work experience (minimum eighteen months) conducted in English and undertaken no more than three years prior to the proposed date of enrolment, or * A recently obtained acceptable English language qualification or test result. The qualification or test result must have been awarded no more than three years prior to the proposed date of enrolment.Listed below are all the English language qualifications and tests that are recognised. * International English Language Testing System (IELTS)Overall grade of 7.5 with a minimum of 6.5 in the listening and reading subtests and 6.0 in the writing and speaking subtests. * Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Written English (TWE) or Essay Rating Computer based version- Score of 267, plus 5 in essay rating.Paper based version - Score of 630, plus 5 in TWE.Internet based version - Score of 109, plus 24/30 in the reading and writing subtests and 20/30 in the listening and speaking subtests. * Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English Pass at grade B.Work experienceAt least one year´s relevant work experience in primary health care.Computing requirements As this course is entirely online you must have regular access to a computer with an Internet connection. Any computer that has a reasonable internet connection. A printer and CD-ROM drive are recommended but are not essential. To test your machine you can take the taster module.Note: Applicants who do not hold the qualifications listed above will still be considered, but we will require evidence of your ability to undertake an advanced course of study. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 TOEFL paper-based test score : 630 TOEFL iBT® test: 109 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more. Work Experience At least 12 year(s) of work experience is required.