MSc programmes
From autumn 2011, the Department of Old Age Psychiatry will offer a master's degree in MSc Advanced Care in Dementia. More details about this course follow.
The course will be offered for full-time and part-time study
Part-time study will involveone day per week of lectures, seminars, tutorials and project work and the equivalent of at least one additional day of self-directed study to write essays, prepare presentations, dissertation, reading material and eLearning tasks.
Overall Aim
Equip health and social care professionals with the knowledge and high-level analytical skills needed to critically assess research evidence and practice related to the delivery of dementia care.
Overall Learning Outcome
By the end of the course, students will be able to identify and implement changes based on research evidence within a care setting and be able to manage and deliver research independently within their roles, to improve dementia care.
Target audience
Nurses, occupational therapists, care home managers, social workers, psychologists, GPs, dementia care trainers and other allied health and social care professionals.
Course Content
Clinical Science of Dementia – Core Module 30 Credit at Level M
The module aims to develop an up to date knowledge and understanding of the neurobiological basis of dementia and link it with the clinical presentation of disease. The module also aims to equip the student with expert knowledge of evidence-based pharmacological approaches to the treatment of both cognitive and non-cognitive symptoms.
Care in Dementia - Core Module 30 Credit at Level M
To provide an advanced level of knowledge and expert understanding about: 1) key issues relevant to caring for a person with dementia; and 2) the main evidence-based approaches and interventions used when caring for a person with dementia.
Leadership and Change in Dementia Care - Core Module 15 Credit at Level M
This module will provide an overview of healthcare leadership models and the theory of change management, and how these might be applied in practice. An overview of service improvement techniques will be evaluated. The principles of coaching as a technique for individual and service improvement will be explored. The key drivers and policies which influence strategy and service development in dementia care will be discussed.
Evidence Based Decision Making in Healthcare - Core Module 30 Credit at Level M
This course aims to develop health care practitioners’ managers’ and educators’ skills in accessing, appraising, synthesising and using research findings. It is grounded in evidence-based practice and therefore the focus is on practice research.
Material from the field of evidence-based health care will be presented, supplemented by relevant material from other disciplines such as the psychology of knowledge and epidemiology. Content includes the concept of evidence-based healthcare, the nature of evidence, systematic review, advanced literature searching, critical appraisal, assessing effectiveness, the role of evidence in forming judgements, using evidence in daily practice; sources of resistance to evidence and student-led presentations of evidence of effectiveness relating to an area of their own clinical practice.
Principal Methods for Healthcare Research - Core Module 15 Credit at Level M
1) To introduce principal research methods and their use in the healthcare setting; 2) To provide a foundation for subsequent research modules and practice; 3) To enhance skills for critiquing published research; 4) To provide students with an understanding of techniques applicable to future research work; 5) To enable students to understand how knowledge for healthcare is advanced through research.
Dissertation in Advanced Care in Dementia - Core Module 60 Credit at Level M
The aim of this module is to provide students with an opportunity to draw on their previous research training in dementia care to plan and carry out a relevant empirical clinical research project under supervision. They will be expected to critically evaluate any findings in relation to current dementia care practice.
To find out more:-
For more information on the course and how to apply, please visit us on the King’s College Online Prospectus, MSc Advanced Care in Dementia
If you have any further queries, please contact:-
Ben Harrison, Programme Administrator
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 0508
mscacid@kcl.ac.uk
Dr Angela Hodges, Programme Leader
Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 0772