Dentistry

Advanced and Specialist Healthcare (Advanced Dental Clinical Practice) - MSc

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The MSc Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Articulated Pathway (Advanced Dental Clinical Practice) is a part-time Master’s-level programme studied over 18 months. It provides the route for FGDP post-registration Diploma and other appropriately qualified students to achieve a full Master's qualification.

Overview

The programme is delivered by Kent's Global and Lifelong Learning (GLL) team, based at the Medway campus. It is a joint collaboration between GLL and the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) (FGDP (UK)).

Who is the programme for?

Candidates who have successfully completed an FGDP post-registration Diploma or other appropriate programmes may apply for direct access entry with advanced standing of 90 credits to the next available MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare cohort.

The programme fosters intellectual and professional development of experienced healthcare practitioners allowing them to extend and deepen the analytical and critical reasoning powers which underpin practice (e.g. in organisational leadership and change, health and welfare systems, organisations and services and advanced technical procedures and practices).

The programme aims to:

  • provide supervision for advanced practitioner-centred research that builds a culture of evaluation and enquiry into the practice environment
  • equip experienced practitioners for their role in challenging, questioning and realigning strategies for specialist practice
  • develop confident senior practitioners who are able to participate in the development of practice, and work effectively with organisational interests and evidence-based processes within complex multidisciplinary teams.

Global and Lifelong Learning 

Global and Lifelong Learning offers flexible part-time academic work-related programmes for Postgraduate and Undergraduate students. Our programmes are founded on the belief that employers can benefit from the University of Kent’s academic and research excellence, quality teaching, design and development activities to create positive change and to forge new knowledge within their organisation.

We work with a wide range of external partners and employers to create distinct and original work-based and work-related developmental and educational solutions, which respond to the unique workforce challenges experienced by employees and organisations across the region and beyond.

Global and Lifelong Learning's programmes are designed to enhance career progression and foster intellectual and professional development and practice.

Entry requirements

Entry to the programme is via an approved articulation arrangement route. Applicants need to have successfully completed an FGDP Post-registration Diploma programme or other appropriate qualification; this provides 90 credits in the form of approved Accreditation of Prior Experiential and Certificated Learning (APECL).

Applicants must also be working in a dental workplace setting.

All applicants are considered on an individual basis and additional qualifications, professional qualifications and relevant experience may also be taken into account when considering applications. 

International students

Please see our International Student website for entry requirements by country and other relevant information. Due to visa restrictions, students who require a student visa to study cannot study part-time unless undertaking a distance or blended-learning programme with no on-campus provision.

English language entry requirements

The University requires all non-native speakers of English to reach a minimum standard of proficiency in written and spoken English before beginning a postgraduate degree. Certain subjects require a higher level.

For detailed information see our English language requirements web pages. 

Need help with English?

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.

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Course structure

Duration: 18 months part-time

Students enter via an approved articulation arrangement route having gained 90 credits from the approved Accreditation of Prior Experiential and Certificated Learning (APECL) from the successful completion of a FGDP post-registration or other appropriate programmes. 

To achieve the MSc in Advanced Specialist Healthcare (Advanced Dental Clinical Practice), in addition to demonstrating successful completion of the FGDP post-registration programme or other appropriate qualifications, students must successfully undertake two core modules totalling 90 Master's-level credits.

Students, who successfully complete the whole articulated pathway, are eligible for the award of the MSc in Advanced Specialist Healthcare (Advanced Clinical Dental Practice).

There is no interim exit award associated with this route. Students who only successfully complete one module will be awarded the appropriate credit and be provided with a University transcript.

Modules

The programme is designed to be studied on a part-time basis over two academic years (on average four weekends a year at Medway campus).

In Year 1, you study the following core module:

WKBL882 - Research Skills (30 credits).   

In Year 2, you study the following core module: 

WKBL816 - Work-related Project and Dissertation (60 credits).

Teaching

Teaching and assessment

The assessment strategies for the programmes within the MSc Advanced and Specialist Healthcare framework are designed to support the development of academic and professional practice. Participants will be expected to show novel and fresh approaches in their application of knowledge to their practice. The assessment methods used are designed to show the depth and breadth of experiential knowledge and the relation this has to participant’s professional practice.

Some modules that include practical clinical skills may require practical demonstration of skills and knowledge.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

  • Provide supervision for advanced practitioner centred research that builds a culture of evaluation and enquiry into the practice environment.
  • Equip experienced practitioners for their role in challenging, questioning and realigning strategies for specialist practice.
  • Develop confident senior practitioners who are able to participate in the development of practice, work effectively with organisational interests, evidence-based processes, and within complex multidisciplinary teams.
  • Enable practitioners to critically evaluate their own area of practice informed by evidence-based research and grounded in self-reflection
  • Provide a culture of lifelong learning that values and respects practice as the context for building and testing theory to enhance services for patients /clients/ consumers/customers and their families.
  • Enable experienced practitioners from a diverse range of educational backgrounds to access and participate in a multidisciplinary working environment. Support a programme of personal development that underpins practice development and personal planning.
  • Support a programme of personal development that underpins practice development and personal planning.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • Theories of reflective practice which will equip the learner in delivering quality services in health and social care settings.
  • Leadership styles to develop theory and skills appropriate to specialist areas of practice.
  • Strategic decision-making in healthcare services and other health and social care and organisational settings.
  • A specialist area of practice with emphasis on developing both the clinical skills and skills to evaluate quality and assess clinical or general practice.
  • Critical analysis of models of care of patients, clients, service users, customers and consumers through evidence-based practice.
  • The learning process of collaborative working in an area of specialist practice.
  •  Practice-based research and enquiry underpinned by concepts of patient/client assessment, such as critical analysis of medical, health and social care factors.
  • Theory-building and theory-testing in professional practice including holistic factors such as health or disease, treatment and sociologic economic factors.
  • Data Management and the main statistical principles and methods used in area of practice.
  • The key ethical and legal principles governing area of practice. 

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills to:

  • Demonstrate critical and analytical reasoning to review and analyse contemporary practice.
  • Prepare and present clearly reasoned and justified argument in securing practice change and development.
  • Apply work-based learning to demonstrably enhance services.
  • Develop a comprehensive professional portfolio that identifies the utility of intellectual skills in practice.
  • Design and implement a programme of practice-based enquiry.
  • Collect and analyse data from practice to inform evidence-based enquiry including the statistical analysis of data.
  • Undertake and report ethical analysis of practice research project-plans.
  • Understand the importance to professionalism of positive critique, response to feedback and reflective practice. 

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills to:

  • Demonstrate effective engagement in team working appropriate to workplace.
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of change management in healthcare services/
  • Develop new roles that support the interface between the strategic aims of service and practice.
  • Present and argue an evidence based case for service change and development.

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills to:

  • Enable acquisition of skills of evaluation and enquiry that support the practitioner in making a contribution to professional knowledge in their subject field.
  • Ability to design and implementation of a research programme with a clear analysis of the outcomes and recommendations for future action.
  • Clear and detailed reporting and accounting for the implementation and outcomes of an applied development project.
  • Skilled utilisation of action learning set approaches to solve problems and identify solutions.
  • Effective use of work-based learning to establish a future personal plan within the context of lifelong professional development.
  • Use of supervision to inform and enhance learning approaches in the workplace.
  • To communicate with clarity in academic settings and in professional / work place settings.     
  • Show evidence of critical self-reflection and the ability to enhance professional competence on the basis of feedback. 

Fees


The 2023/24 annual tuition fees for this course are:

  • Home part-time £5850
  • EU part-time £5850
  • International part-time £5850

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk.

Your fee status

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Additional costs

General additional costs

Find out more about general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent. 

Funding

Search our scholarships finder for possible funding opportunities. You may find it helpful to look at both:

We have a range of subject-specific awards and scholarships for academic, sporting and musical achievement.

Search scholarships

Research

Study support

Flexible programmes

We recognise and understand the individual needs of working professionals, who participate as non-traditional part-time learners, and the balance required between study and the specific areas within which they operate. Our flexible programmes of study provide inclusive and coherent educational and work-related opportunities, which provide you with the opportunity to study either individual modules or to work towards a postgraduate certificate, diploma or Master’s degree. Taught sessions are delivered in a welcoming, supportive and flexible academic environment, by an academic team with extensive professional practitioner experience.

Professional links

Our staff have a wealth of experience and knowledge working in public, private, health and third sectors, providing valuable contributions to the design, development and delivery of current professional practice programmes. With strong links to local and national employers, we are able to ensure that its programmes are contemporary.

We are also responsible for developing and accrediting postgraduate training courses delivered by NHS Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex (Postgraduate Dental Deanery), Kent Community Health NHS Trust and the New Horizons Teaching School Alliance, with whom the University of Kent has close working relationships.

Continuing professional development (CPD) courses

We offer a number of CPD courses in evidence-based practice, research skills, collaborative and interprofessional working. You can obtain further information about these programmes from us.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books, both nationally and internationally. Among others, they have recently contributed to: Primary Dental Care; Dental Nursing; British Dental Journal; Journal of Public Health and publications produced by the General Dental Council.

Global Skills Award

All students registered for a taught Master's programme are eligible to apply for a place on our Global Skills Award Programme. The programme is designed to broaden your understanding of global issues and current affairs as well as to develop personal skills which will enhance your employability.

Apply now

Learn more about the application process or begin your application by clicking on a link below.

You will be able to choose your preferred year of entry once you have started your application. You can also save and return to your application at any time.

Apply for entry to:

Contact us

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United Kingdom/EU enquiries

MSc at Medway

Admissions enquiries

T: +44 (0)1227 768896

E: information@kent.ac.uk

Subject enquiries

T: +44 (0)1634 888929

E: llpgadmin@kent.ac.uk

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International student enquiries

Enquire online

T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk

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