Professional Practice - MA, MSc

Teaching

Teaching and assessment

As the prime objective is to enhance professional practice applied within your workplace or the context of your practice, you will be expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of conceptual and analytical skills.

All assessment and preparatory tasks are designed to allow you to develop expertise in the application of professional practice within the specific context of your working profession.

 Assessments can be through:

• Oral presentations
• Written assignments
• Work-based projects
• Portfolio assessments
• Reflecting learning submissions
• Action Learning Sets

In Stage 3 you complete a dissertation of 10,000-12,000 words.

Programme aims

This programme aims to:

• foster the intellectual and professional development of experienced practitioners to extend and deepen their analytical and critical reasoning capabilities underpinning practice-based learning
• develop experienced practitioners' competence in applying theoretical and practice skills to advance change and leadership in organisations
• equip experienced practitioners with the knowledge and understanding to enhance and extend their professional practice experience through work-based learning.
• enable you to develop your skills in higher-level reflection in relation to work-based practice
• provide experienced practitioners with opportunities to gain interdisciplinary perspectives on professional practice through collaborative inter/multidisciplinary exchange
• develop the critical and analytical capabilities of experienced practitioners in relation to project management, data analysis and interpretation of data
• provide supervision for advanced practitioner-centred research that builds a culture of critical evaluation and enquiry in the practice environment
• equip experienced practitioners for their role in challenging, questioning and realigning strategies for work-based practice
• develop practitioners who will actively participate in shaping strategic organisational interests
• develop opportunities for self-directed learning and reflection
• enable experienced practitioners from a diverse range of educational backgrounds to access and participate in learning that seeks to capture reflection on experience gained in everyday organisational practice
• enhance the experienced practitioner’s programme of personal development.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• experiential learning, such as theory, concepts and how they apply to practice
• reflection on learning, leadership styles and approaches gained through practice
• principles of strategic decision making in organisations
• principles and practice involved in inter-professional working
• reflective evaluation in relation to theoretical methodological frameworks
• practice-based research and enquiry
• principles of theory testing in practice in relation to enhancing and developing practice
• project management skills
• professional knowledge in your special area of practice
• your professional profile in relation to current practice that informs into personal career plans.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual skills in the following:

• presenting critical, analytical reasoning and experiential learning in organised, written and oral formats
• the critical analysis of case studies
• engaging in experiential learning that demonstrably enhances practice
• the ability to develop a reflective professional portfolio
• the design and implementation of a programme of practice-based enquiry
• collecting and analysing qualitative or quantitative data from experiential learning to inform evidence-based enquiry
• designing, implementing, analysing and presenting a substantial research project (the dissertation).

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following:

• engaging with members of multidisciplinary teams
• strategic operational planning for organisations
• being able to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of change management
• being able to enagage with evidence-based practice
• methodologies for evaluating analysing and appraising organisational practice.

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in the following:

• evaluation
• report writing
• reflection on experiential learning
• effective use of skills related to experiential learning in a practice setting, to establish a future personal plan within the context of professional development
• independent learning skills required for continuing professional development.

Careers

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.

Study support

Flexible programmes

At the Centre for Professional Practice 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. The Professional Practice programme provides 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 in designing and delivering work related programmes, providing valuable contributions to the design, development and delivery of current professional practice programmes. With strong links to local and national employers, the Centre is able to ensure that our programmes are contemporary.

The Centre is also responsible for developing and accrediting postgraduate programmes delivered by NHS Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex (Postgraduate Dental Deanery), Kent Community Health NHS Trust and the New Horizons Teaching School Alliance, Rochester Grammar School and Brompton Academy 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 inter-professional working. You can obtain further information about these programmes from the Centre.

Dynamic publishing culture

Staff publish regularly and widely in journals, conference proceedings and books, both nationally and internationally.

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.