Health Research PGDip

Course overview

Our PGDip in Health Research offers intermediate research training to health professionals, research staff and research students. Receive high quality learning and teaching aimed at those with a professional interest in researching health and social care, often within National Health Service settings.

You will:

• Receive teaching from active health researchers

• Choose from optional modules, giving you flexibility and greater depth of study in particular aspects of research that meets your personal and professional interests

• Have access to our Health Sciences Library, with computing facilities, a broad range of books and journals

Develop and Connect

You register initially for the Postgraduate Certificate programme. On satisfactory completion of the Certificate, you may progress to the Postgraduate Diploma. All programmes are part-time and flexible.

Most modules are taught across four consecutive days, usually with a gap of several weeks between modules. Typically, the Certificate can be gained after six months of study and the Diploma after a further year.

Modules include Statistical Methods, Systematic Reviews, Clinical Trials, Applied Qualitative Health Research and Health Economics. Classes include a lively mix of students from a range of health disciplines.

Course details

Our Diploma builds on the introductory research skills you have gained through the Certificate. You will study four 15-credit modules. The choice of optional modules allow you to tailor the course to your own interests. These subjects include:

• Qualitative research
• Systematic reviews
• Clinical trials
• Health economics and statistics for health research.

Course structure

The list shown below represents typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our terms and conditions.

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Health Research PGDip in the course catalogue

Year 1 compulsory modules

Year 1 optional modules (selection of typical options shown below)

Learning and teaching

Teaching is delivered through lectures, practical classes, tutorials, seminars and supervised research projects. Extensive use is made of IT, and a wide range of materials are available to enable students to study at their own pace and in their own time to enhance and extend the material taught formally. You’ll have access to electronic copies of all teaching materials through our Virtual Learning Environment, and to the library’s extensive collection of online journals.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment is predominately by coursework, which takes place during the semester in which the module is taught.

Your results in all modules count towards the final qualification.

Applying

Entry requirements

You will already have successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research before joining the Diploma. The Certificate provides 60 credits; the additional four modules you will study on the Diploma make your total credits up to 120.

We also welcome people who have not studied for the Certificate but want to undertake individual modules. They should hold a degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, a profession allied to health, social work, health management, a biological science, or have relevant vocational experience.

You should be working in a health or social care-related environment.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in any component. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Science (6 weeks) and Language for Science: General Science (10 weeks). 

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

How to apply

Application deadline

A rolling application deadline stands for this programme.

Start dates for this programme are:

• 9 October 2023
• 9 November 2023
• 5 February 2024
• 4 March 2024

You can apply here or for more information on the application process please contact our admissions team.

Applications are considered on the basis of the applicant’s qualifications and experience. Applications may close before the deadline date if numbers accepted reach capacity.

Deadline for applications is around one month prior to the anticipated start date.

The ‘Apply’ link at the top of this page takes you to information on applying for taught programmes and to the University's online application system.

If you're unsure about the application process, contact the admissions team for help.

Read about visas, immigration and other information in International students. We recommend that international students apply as early as possible to ensure that they have time to apply for their visa.

Admissions policy

School of Medicine Taught Postgraduate Policy 2024

This course is taught by

School of Medicine

Contact us

School of Medicine Postgraduate Admissions

Email: pgmed-admissions@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Fees

UK: £8,166 (Total)

International: £18,334 (Total)

Read more about paying fees and charges.

For fees information for international taught postgraduate students, read Masters fees.

Additional cost information

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

If you have the talent and drive, we want you to be able to study with us, whatever your financial circumstances. There may be help for students in the form of loans and non-repayable grants from the University and from the government.  Find out more at Masters funding overview.

Career opportunities

Many of our successful participants work in the UK National Health Service or in universities associated with the NHS and its research projects. Graduates of this course have gone on to research degrees, research fellowships, and research posts within the NHS and the university sector.

Careers support

We encourage you to prepare for your career from day one. That’s one of the reasons Leeds graduates are so sought after by employers.

The Careers Centre and staff in your faculty provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more about Careers support.

Related courses