(MSc) Master of Science
Health Research
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Health and Social Care (School of)
Colchester Campus
Masters
Full-time
MSC B99012
28/11/2012
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A degree with an overall 2:1.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
This degree will offer an opportunity to study research methods in relation to issues of health in an inter-disciplinary environment.
The course offers a grounding and substantive introduction to the key methodological and theoretical components required to undertake health related research from a social scientific perspective.
It combines quantitative and qualitative research perspectives from the areas of sociological research methods and the specific application of these research methods to the burgeoning health context (burgeoning in the sense of an ageing population and increased need for health care).
It will be best suited for graduates who wish to pursue a career in health related research, or employment in health related governmental and non-governmental organisations, or to pursue further postgraduate study to doctoral level.
The degree forms part of an institutional ESRC funded Doctoral Training Pathway.
Consequently, the course content, aims and outcomes will be closely allied to ESRC criteria.
Currently this means that the degree scheme is focussed on developing areas of scholarship in terms of the issues of 'Health, Well-being and Psychosocial Issues', 'Understanding Individual Behaviour', and 'Global Economic Performance, Policy and Management'.
Course Outcomes
1. To provide advanced training in researching psychosocial aspects of health and wellbeing.
2. To provide a solid understanding of the qualitative and quantitative approaches to researching issues of health and healthcare.
3. To provide firm knowledge of core substantive areas of social science research methods and health, e.g. health policy, public health, epidemiology, medical sociology.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Advanced understanding of key explanatory frameworks in research methods applied to the study of health
A2: Advanced understanding of the principles of research design
A3: Knowledge of the relationships between relevant academic theories and empirical health-related research
A4: Ability to translate principles of research design into both qualitative and quantitative studies
A5: Understanding of the role of computer assisted analysis in research
A6: Advanced understanding of the role of well formulated and relevant research questions
A7: Understanding of relevant ethical and legal issues around health related research
A8: Advanced understanding of the underlying epistemological and ontological positions common in health-related research
A9: Plan and carry out, with supervision, health related research to a high professional and ethical standard
Learning methods
Lectures, seminars, workshops
Assessment methods
100% coursework - written assignments and presentations
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Advanced knowledge of how to systematically gather and critically appraise relevant evidence bases
B2: Ability to review and analyse competing theories and evidence
B3: Ability to engage in advanced debates of theoretical, practical and research issues
B4: Ability to develop and construct appropriate research questions to investigate research related issues
B5: Advanced knowledge of qualitative data collection methods and techniques and existing repositories of qualitative data
B6: Advanced knowledge of quantitative data collection methods and techniques and existing repositories of quantitative data
B7: Interpret empirical evidence from different forms of research
Learning methods
Lectures, seminars, workshops
Assessment methods
100% coursework - written assignments and presentations
C: Practical skills
C1: Perform advanced and systematic search for information relevant to specific topics
C2: Perform evaluation and appraisal of existing research and the evidence base
C3: Process and analyse qualitative data using a software package (e.g. MaxQDA)
C4: Process and analyse data using a statistical software package (e.g. SPSS, Stata)
C5: Demonstrate ability to analyse data from different sources using appropriate techniques
C6: Demonstrate ability to conduct work in a self-directed manner and the ability to appropriately use time management techniques
Learning methods
Lectures, seminars, workshops
Assessment methods
100% coursework - written assignments and presentations
D: Key skills
D1: Able to communicate effectively verbally in a group; able to summarise and communicate complex findings to others; able to communicate with professional and lay audiences appropriately; able to write well-structured and well-argued essays
D2: Able to use Internet resources, word processing packages; spreadsheets and statistics packages; presentation packages; data analysis software
D3: Ability to read and interpret tables of data and statistics from a variety of official sources
D4: Able to use advanced knowledge and cognitive skills to address theoretical, practical and research problems
D5: Able to work effectively with others, in particular able to adopt a collegial approach to participation in group discussions and providing feedback to peers.
D6: Ability to reflect upon ones own knowledge and research practice
Learning methods
Lectures, seminars, workshops
Assessment methods
100% coursework - written assignments and presentations