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MA, MSc

Professional Practice

MA/MSc Professional Practice programme is a part-time, work-related learning programme designed for participants from private, public and third sector settings such as education, local government, public services, health and social care, human resources, administrative services, cultural industries, arts etc. It offers opportunity for Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning or Credit Transfer. 

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Professional Practice

Key information

Start
Autumn term
Location
Medway
Study mode
3 years part-time

Distance learning

Fees (per year)
UK: £3,400
Typical offer
2.2 or above
All entry requirements

Overview

Who is the programme for? 

This Master's programme offers you the opportunity to attain academic recognition for the skills, knowledge and experience that you have developed in the workplace. Focusing on a specific area of practice relevant to your work, it builds on your work experience and qualifications to enhance your career progression.

You explore your profession further and consider the professional challenges associated within your specific area of practice, with modules that have been designed to help you review and analyse the current debates relevant to the professional context in which you are working.

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.

Request for APECL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning) or Credit Transfer

You are encouraged to convert prior learning achievements into University of Kent academic credit via Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning. To be eligible for accreditation, prior learning must be at the appropriate and relevant to the programme's learning outcomes. For further information, visit our APECL webpage

Study structure

Taught by expert academics, you broaden your expertise, deepen your knowledge and hone your research skills while gaining a recognised qualification to help progress your career. The programme is delivered through a variety of teaching methods, including taught sessions and work-based learning, self-study, case-study analysis, individual and group tutorials, projects and presentations. Online learning recourses are available on our virtual learning environment Moodle. 

Teaching is delivered at our Medway campus on average four long weekends a year, Monday - Friday, 09.00-17.00. 

Alternative exit awards

The programme has the following alternative exit awards, subject to credit numbers: 

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice  (60 credits)
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice (60 credits - 120 credits in total). 



Digital and Lifelong Learning (DaLL) 

The Digital and Lifelong Learning (DaLL) programmes are designed to enhance career progression and foster intellectual and professional development. The Centre is 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.


The course

What you'll study

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. You study a combination of core and optional modules. You have the option to take modules of personal and professional interest from the Centre for Professional Practice and/or the University of Kent Module Catalogue, enabling you to review and analyse the current debates relating to key issues relevant to the professional context in which you are working.

Modules

The programme is designed to be studied on a part-time basis over three academic years (on average four weekends a year at Medway campus). In some cases modules that include practical skills may require practical demonstration of skills and knowledge.

Stage 1 (Year 1)

You take the following core modules:

WL883 – Evidence-Based Practice (30 credits)

WL815 – Learning and Development (30 credits)

Stage 2 (Year 2)

You take the compulsory module plus a module equalling 30 credits from across the Centre or University catalogue (subject to availability and student numbers).

Optional modules may include: 

WL814 - Inter-professional Working (30 credits) 

WL825 - Special Area of Study (30 credits)

Stage 3 (Year 3)  

WL816 - Work-related Project and Dissertation (60 credits)

Taught sessions are delivered in a welcoming, supportive and flexible academic environment, by an academic team with extensive professional practitioner experience. They are experienced in delivering work-related programmes and understand the constraints of balancing a career with the demands of higher education.

How you'll study

Postgraduate taught modules are designed to give you advanced study skills, a deeper knowledge of the subject, and the confidence to achieve your ambitions.

Entry requirements

2.2 or above

The Professional Practice programme is suitable for professionals from a variety of private, public and third sector settings such as health and social care, education, local government and public services.

Applicants are normally required to have a minimum of two years’ professional experience and hold an undergraduate degree or equivalent professional qualification.

If you do not hold the required entry qualification(s) but believe that you would be able to participate in this programme and have the potential to work at Master's level please contact us.

Requests for APECL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning) or Credit Transfer

You are encouraged to convert prior learning achievements into University of Kent academic credit via Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning. To be eligible for accreditation, prior learning must be at the appropriate and relevant to the programme's learning outcomes. For further information, visit: https://www.kent.ac.uk/cpp/programmes/apecl.html

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.

Fees and funding

The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for this course are:

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

Tuition fees may be increased in the second and subsequent years of your course. Detailed information on possible future increases in tuition fees is contained in the Tuition Fees Increase Policy.

The 2026/27 annual tuition fees for UK postgraduate research courses have not yet been set by the Research Councils UK. This is ordinarily announced in March. As a guide only, the full-time tuition fee for new and returning UK postgraduate research courses for 2025/26 is £5,006.

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.

You'll need regular access to a desktop computer/laptop with an internet connection to use the University of Kent’s online resources and systems. We've listed some guidelines for the technology and software you'll need for your studies.

General additional costs

Find out more about student accommodation and living costs, as well as general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

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

International scholarships

Unlock your potential with scholarships up to £5,000

Your future

Building on Kent’s success as the region’s leading institution for student employability, we offer many opportunities for you to develop the specific skills and aptitudes that employers will value.

A postgraduate degree in professional practice is a particularly valuable and flexible qualification that can open the door to exciting careers in many professions. Our graduates have gone on to work as head teachers, head of human resources and organisation development, college and university administration managers. Most recent graduates have gone on to work for companies in the UK such as Medway NHS Foundation Trust, The Thinking Schools Alliance, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, Kent, Surrey and Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company (KSS CRC), Rochester Grammar School, Chatham Grammar School for Boys and the University of Kent.

Postgraduates earn

£6,000
more per year than graduates (Graduate Labour Market Statistics, 2021).

A degree can boost average lifetime earnings by over

£300,000
Graduate employment outcomes - Universities UK

Ready to apply?

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.

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