Find better ways to motivate and engage learners in clinical education with our online MA Medical Education. Discover how to create medical education programmes that achieve maximum results, improve teaching practice and develop the expertise needed to lead medical education in your workplace.
- Study full-time or part-time online alongside your professional commitments
- Apply what you've learned directly to professional work
- Conduct research and practical work in our outstanding research facilities
- Develop industry contacts and enjoy networking opportunities and support from Academic Advisors and the student office
Study options
- Starting in
- September 2025
- Location
- Distance Learning
- Fees
- Home: £4,100
Overseas: £8,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
The course fee is charged per annum for 3 years. Note that fees may be subject to an increase on an annual basis - see details on our tuition fees page.
What you'll study
This MA Medical Education has been specifically designed for doctors, dentists, senior nurses, allied health professionals and academics, involved in undergraduate or postgraduate teaching of clinicians.
It aims to attract committed educators working in and around clinical contexts, who seek to both improve teaching and learning. You'll gain a deep understanding of how to evaluate and improve curriculum; and you'll understand more fully the educational potential of the working environment.
You will be given opportunities to develop knowledge and skills as educators, using your own practice and workplace setting as a research context. You will engage with like-minded colleagues and analyse the nature and dynamics of teaching and learning in clinical education, drawing on a wide range of educational theories. This programme requires you to become an active researcher of clinical education in order to develop teaching and learning opportunities for students.
Structure
- Five compulsory modules
- Compulsory 12,000-15,000 word dissertation
Students who have a Certificate in Learning and Teaching from Queen Mary may apply for 30 credits of advanced standing; meaning you will be required to do less modules to gain the MA.
Furthermore, students who have completed a relevant PGCert programme at Queen Mary or another UK institution can apply to enter the course with 60 credits of advanced standing.
Applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) onto this course:
You should think about APL around the same time that you apply for your course. If you intend to transfer prior certificated credits, please read the information about our accreditation of prior learning process and complete the APL form.
Compulsory/Core modules
This module will introduce students to key theories relevant to teaching and learning in the clinical context. It will enable students to engage in deep analysis and interpretation of patterns and practices of learning and teaching that occur in and around clinical settings. The module will focus particularly on the role of planning, delivering and evaluating teaching and learning in the clinical setting. It will provide participants with knowledge and skills that will enable them to develop and refine the quality of their interactions as teachers and educational leaders in their clinical workplace settings.
Through this module students will develop: a critical understanding of curriculum theory, policy and practice, and the history of curriculum development in clinical education; skills in leading and managing curriculum evaluation and development in clinical education; a comprehensive understanding of way curriculum is comprised of different levels (mandated, enacted, experienced), and the implications of this for developing curriculum evaluation in clinical education.
This module adopts an experiential approach to exploring the issues in designing and conducting research in clinical education. Students will develop skills and critical insight relating to data collection, analysis and writing for different audiences. The module introduces students to different paradigms in educational research and strategies, their philosophical underpinning and relevance as ways to shape a specific research inquiry. As a part of this module, students will identify a specific issue in clinical education, outlining its interest to them, and justifying it as a focus for a research project. They will then devise a literature search strategy, gather and review key literature and produce a literature review. This module also raises participants' awareness as how research can be used as a lever for change in educational practice and policy.
In this module, students will explore the concepts of innovation in medical education and its implementation into practice. Through critical analysis of a variety of models of education, leadership and innovation, students have the opportunity to reflect upon their own experiences and how they have been influenced by many of these theoretical positions. A variety of activities aid in the navigation of the complex relationships between change and stasis for individuals, groups and systems, culminating in the students creating their own educational innovation to put into practice.
This new module aims to support participants in their development and completion of a sustained research inquiry in the field of clinical education. It is designed to facilitate participants who are clinical practitioners in a wide variety of health professions/medical specialities to carry out research which will inform development in clinical education. Finally, participants will also be supported to develop a paper for presentation/publication, on the basis of their completed dissertation research.
In this module students will apply theories from higher education to clinical education, highlighting both the transferable aspects, as well as the more unique aspects of education for health professions. Students will consider clinical and communication skills, simulation, assessment of competence and e-learning for health professionals. They will also critique current practices, review existing innovations and try to create new innovations for their own personal context of clinical education.
Assessment
- In the taught modules, assessments will include exams, written essays, group projects, research proposals and presentations
- Assignments for each module will engage you in researching and developing clinical education within your own workplace setting
Teaching
Teaching will be delivered predominantly via weekly online webinars, which will also be recorded for asynchronous access. The online workshops are designed to generate informed discussion around key topics, and may involve student presentations, group exercises and open discussion as well as teacher-led lectures and presentations. There will also be pre- and post-workshop activities to stimulate further reflection, insights and learning, and you will be encouraged to engage in asynchronous online discussions with your peers and course tutors.
You will be taught by academic staff who are engaged in scholarship at the leading edge of medical education. The course team are all active medical educators themselves, and thus are intensely interested in studying the intricate and sometimes problematic relationship between theory and practice in education.
The direction of individual study will be guided by the formal study sessions attended, along with the overview offered by the reading lists and also the assignments and tutorials within which you will be able to pursue your own particular areas of interest. You will take an active role in your own learning by reading widely and reflecting on and developing your knowledge, understanding and critical abilities.
Where you'll learn
Facilities
At Queen Mary you will have access to a number of advanced facilities, including:
- access to our bespoke QMPlus online learning platform
- access to online library facilities and reading materials
- access to video and audio recordings of lectures and other online resources
- access to our campus facilities if you decide to visit at any point during your course
- Watch our video to discover online study at Queen Mary
For programme-related questions, please email
ihse-dl-enq@qmul.ac.uk
About the Institute
Institute of Health Sciences Education
The programme is taught at the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE). The IHSE has a long history in medical and clinical education. In addition to a wealth of advanced courses, it conducts medical education research and evaluations, and leads quality assurance processes.
The Institute is part of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry – a leading UK medical and dental school and major faculty of Queen Mary University of London, which is at the forefront of medical education and research. We continue to make a real impact on health-related challenges for the benefit of local and global populations while providing the best in modern medical training. Our academics are leaders in their respective fields committed to sharing their expertise with aspiring clinicians and health professionals.
Career paths
This programme will give you a significant advantage in applying for leadership roles in education. For registrars, it will give you a competitive advantage when applying for positions as consultants.
- 100% of Institute postgraduate taught graduates are in highly skilled work or graduate study (2020/21)
Fees and funding
Part-time study
September 2025 | 3 years
- Home: £4,100
- Overseas: £8,500
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Part-time study
January 2026 | 3 years
- Home: £4,000
- Overseas: £8,000
EU/EEA/Swiss students
Queen Mary alumni can get a £1000, 10% or 20% discount on their fees depending on the programme of study. Find out more about the Alumni Loyalty Award
Funding
There are a number of ways you can fund your postgraduate degree.
- Scholarships and bursaries
- Postgraduate loans (UK students)
- Country-specific scholarships for international students
Our Advice and Counselling service offers specialist support on financial issues, which you can access as soon as you apply for a place at Queen Mary. Before you apply, you can access our funding guides and advice on managing your money:
Entry requirements
UK
Degree requirements
A 2:2 or above at undergraduate level in a relevant subject.
Additional information
The programme has been specifically designed for Doctors, Dentists, Senior Nurses, Allied Health Professionals and Academics, who are involved in undergraduate or postgraduate teaching of clinicians. Applicants need to have at least one year of experience in practice as a clinical educator to be considered for this programme. This includes experience in teaching in the clinical context.
Find out more about how to apply for our postgraduate taught courses.
International
English language requirements
The English language requirements for our programmes are indicated by English bands, and therefore the specific test and score acceptable is based on the band assigned to the academic department within which your chosen course of study is administered. Note that for some academic departments there are programmes with non-standard English language requirements.
The English Language requirements for entry to postgraduate taught and research programmes in the Institute of Health Sciences Education falls within the following English band:
Band 4: IELTS (Academic) minimum score 6.5 overall with 6.0 in each of Writing, Listening, Reading and Speaking
We accept a range of English tests and qualifications categorised in our English bands for you to demonstrate your level of English Language proficiency. See all accepted English tests that we deem equivalent to these IELTS scores.
Visas and immigration
Find out how to apply for a student visa.