There is an increasing need for health professionals to be directly or indirectly involved with a range of research, evaluation, service audit or governance activities. Current policy and practice developments are placing greater emphasis on the Clinical Academic Career pathway and there are now many health professionals with a clinical/practice and research focus to their roles. These developments point to the need for rigorous, high-quality, interdisciplinary and flexible research training programmes to prepare health professionals for these challenging and rewarding roles.
The MRes Health Research provides this. There is a strong emphasis placed on the application of knowledge and skills. The course can be taken as an advanced qualification in its own right, or as excellent preparation for doctoral level study. Stand-alone modules are available for those interested in Continuing Professional Development.
Course objectives
The MRes Health Research develops skilled and knowledgeable multi-disciplinary healthcare researchers, able to understand and confidently use research techniques appropriate to their practice/subject area. Helping students to become conversant with approaches used by other social and healthcare researchers is also key as well as developing practical research skills, for example, in user involvement and the use of new technologies.
The course builds capacity and capability in individuals, and the healthcare workforce more generally, by promoting lifelong learning. It supports those who wish to access a range of research career pathways, and/or further research training by advancing knowledge, research and practice in different settings. There is a focus on both skills and experience concurrently and an emphasis on proactive team and network collaborations.
Entrance requirements
Candidates should hold a degree or degree equivalent from a university or college recognised by the University of Stirling. A professional qualification plus relevant education and/or experience may also be accepted as equivalent. Candidate selection follows consideration of a written application, professional references and possible review of prior academic work or interview.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency such as a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 6 in each skill) or TOEFL: Listening 23, Reading 23, Speaking 23, Writing 23.
Funding
information on possible sources of funding
Modes of study
Full time campus route: September
Part time and online/distance learning route: September and February
CPD modules available September and February
Course start date
Part-time: September and February
Full time route: September (campus-based). September and February (online/distance)
Stand-alone modules: most modules are available as Continuing Professional Development
Structure and content
The MRes Health Research has an interdisciplinary framework drawing on the expertise of researchers and practitioners from many different fields in nursing, midwifery, the allied health professions and public health. The campus-based route of the programme is part of a suite of MRes courses developed concurrently by six subject areas at the University of Stirling (Applied Social Science; Education; Film, Media and Journalism; Management; Nursing, Midwifery and Health and, Sports Studies).
Unusual in healthcare courses, this multi-disciplinary MRes develops practical and transferable skills, e.g. report writing; team working; literature searching and critical appraisal. We also collaborate online including using virtual classroom technologies (Blackboard Collaborate) The course combines high quality with flexibility and choice. Practical experience and enhanced employability is another important focus, with the opportunity for either a 10 or 20 day research placement offered to all MRes students. The exploration of new and innovative methods is a core feature of the course, with optionality and flexibility in course design ensuring an individualised, bespoke learning experience.
The modules taken will differ slightly depending on whether a student is taking the campus-based or online/distance learning route of the course.
Core generic modules:
- Research Design and Process
- Qualitative Data Analysis
- Quantitative Data Analysis
- The Nature of Inquiry
Disciplinary specific and mandatory modules:
- The Practice of Health Research 1 and 2
- Health Research Dissertation (for full MRes award)
Examples of optional modules:
- Research Ethics and Governance
- Public Health Approaches
- Health Research Placement
Full-time students will be expected to take 12 months to complete the MRes course. Part-time students are expected to take two or three years.
Delivery and assessment
Learning, teaching and assessment strategies
A variety of learning experiences and assessment tasks will stimulate interest, encourage participation and develop transferable skills, including:
- Advanced literature searching and annotation
- Designing research projects individually and as part of a team
- Creating funding proposals and ethics applications
- Writing research papers for submission to journals
- Data analysis exercises
- Verbal presentations
- Viva
Awards: It will be possible to exit the course with a Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research, a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research or a Master’s in Health Research, depending on the number of modules undertaken and credits awarded.
Preparation
Contact the School for information on your timetable and reading lists.
Why study Health Research - Masters at Stirling?
Course Director
Dr Tessa Parkes
RAE rating
In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), 20 percent of research in Nursing, Midwifery & Health was described as ‘World-leading’ and a further 65 percent as of ‘International Significance’, placing us firmly as the leading nursing and midwifery department in Scotland, and one of the top ten in the UK.
Staff in our Research Centres and courses are keen to work with MRes students to meet identified learning goals in both research dissertation and placement activities through active mentoring and supervision. For further information about our Research Centres and courses, visit: http://www.stir.ac.uk/nmhealth/research/
Find out more
http://www.nm.stir.ac.uk/applicants-pg
