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Professional Practice (with pathways in Leading and Managing Integrated Services; Youth Justice; Career Education; Counselling and Psychotherapy), MA, PGCert, PGDip

The MA in Professional Practice provides the opportunity for you to advance your knowledge and contribution to the development of professional practice, by critically engaging in contemporary debates and research within your chosen profession.

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Introduction to the MA Professional Practice

You could decide to specialise in a particular area of Professional Practice by following one of the pathways below:

Alternatively, you could choose not to specialise in one particular area and study a broad range of modules from the MA in Professional Practice.

Why choose the MA in Professional Practice?

An ideal opportunity for continuous professional development, updating professional practice in line with current theory, studying at a pace set by you.
The course provides an understanding of research methodology, the interpretation of research evidence and the use of evidence in determining best practice.
Current practitioners will acquire a Master's qualification whilst investigating an aspect of practice which will enable them to make a significant contribution to the quality of service provided.
Students can disseminate their findings through publication in peer reviewed journals and participation in research conferences.

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Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 4460

Please note the following information for applicants

Fact file

Start date: January 2013

Course length: Depends upon level of study, see course tab

Study location: City site

Fees and funding:

Please see the fees and funding section.

Entry requirements: Please see the Applying section

Building up to a Masters
Those who prefer not to commit to the full masters programme at the outset can choose to enrol per one or two modules and review that decision at a later stage. The framework aims to be flexible allowing you to fit study around your professional practice and choose a pace that suits you.

CPD modules and postgraduate certificates
You could choose to study an individual module as stand-alone continuing professional development courses. University certificates of achievements will be issued upon completion of modules, and these may be used to claim exceptions should you decide to complete one of the main programmes at a later date. For example two modules would provide 60 credits and lead to a Postgraduate Certificate in Professional Practice.

Postgraduate diplomas
The pathways below highlight modules that would need to be studied when completing a postgraduate diploma in that particular pathway. It is also possible not to specialise in a particular pathway and study for a Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Practice by completing a broad range of modules, please see a typical list of modules below.

The Pathways

Study and support
The study material is delivered via blended learning, a mix of of online distance learning and face to face contact at study days. As a guide each module would typically require attendance at two to three study days, supported by six days of independent study. The study days would be spread over a period of time, with typically only one or two study days taking place in a particular week. At the study days, students will engage in:

lectures
debates
workshops
case studies
problem-based learning scenarios
tutorials
group activities and projects.

Independent study is enhanced by the use of eLearning, a flexible study mode which allows you to engage and study from a distance.

Assessment
This is 100% coursework (including essays, methodological reports, dissertations projects and business plan).

Study length
It typically takes one and a half years to complete a Masters but you could choose to take up to six years; a year to complete a postgraduate diploma but you could choose to take up to four years, around six months to complete a Certificate but you could choose to take up to two years and typically three-four months to complete a CPD module.