Please note the course details apply to 2025 entry. Details for 2026 entry for our postgraduate courses will be published from mid-October 2025.
Clinical Education MA/ PGDip/ PGCert
Key information
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Part time
Duration:
PG Cert one year, PG Dip two-three years, MA three-four years
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
The Masters in Clinical Education provides a flexible framework for pursuing your professional development goals as an educator in the health professions. The programme is carefully tailored to the needs of health professionals who engage in teaching, training, supervising, and supporting the learning of colleagues in the clinical professions. On completion of the postgraduate certificate, you will become a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). You will also be eligible to become a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) upon application.
Key benefits
- Firmly embedded in the practice of professionals working in healthcare settings.
- Links with interprofessional Continuing Professional Development.
- Relates theories of teaching and learning to the context of clinical practice.
- Designed and delivered at one of the largest centres for healthcare education in Europe.
- Located in the heart of London.
This programme provides participants, who have clinical professional experience, with the opportunity to pursue postgraduate education relevant to their professional interests and requirements. The programme aims to provide a distinctive element by combining work-based opportunities with theoretical underpinning, thus enabling participants to develop their own practice as clinical educators. Participants need to have regular teaching responsibilities as part of their role, because of course activities and also because of the programme’s focus on the connection between theory and practice in clinical education. Postgraduate Certificate The heart of the Masters in Clinical Education programme is the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education. As a recognised teaching qualification in higher education, the programme is dual accredited: successful completion of the programme awards participants Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and Membership of the Academy of Medical Educators via the expedited accredited application route. Course participants from a nursing and midwifery background will have the option of specific support in developing their teaching, as required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. As a 60-credit Level 7 award, the Certificate is comprised of one 45-credit required module that encourages grounding in pedagogic thinking and practice, and one 15- credit option module of the participant’s choice. Postgraduate Diploma Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate, and with agreement from the programme team, participants can apply to continue their study into the Diploma level. Participants at this level can pursue one further required module and three option modules from a range of interdisciplinary and discipline-specific options. The basis of the Diploma is the module Using Research in Clinical Education. This module offers participants an insight and understanding into the methodologies and methods used to conduct enquiry in clinical education settings, and an opportunity to develop their ability to systematically analyse the existing research in order to understand more about pedagogical issues in day-to-day clinical practice. The second module at this level, Researching Clinical Education, which is required to continue onto the masters level but is otherwise optional at the diploma level, takes this a step further by encouraging participants to develop their own plan for designing and conducting an appropriate enquiry in their own settings. Colleagues with an existing Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education, or a similar award, from another institution, may apply for admission at this level by requesting an Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). Masters in Clinical Education Once participants have advanced through the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma stages of the Programme successfully, and by agreement from the programme team, they can register on the Dissertation Module to complete the Masters in Clinical Education. The dissertation, which consists of an extended piece of written work of between 10,000 and 15,000 words, enables participants to demonstrate their ability to plan, carry out and evaluate a piece of research into an aspect of their academic practice. It will be an original piece of work, which might, for example, present new evidence on a familiar aspect of teaching and learning; apply established leadership models or theories to a new context; or present an independent critique of an existing body of theory.
Base campuses
Waterloo Campus
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
Guy’s Campus
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:2 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
- Participants must be working in health care professions with an educational or teaching component to their role.
- A minimum three years of professional experience, or completion of The Foundation Training Programme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all applications within four weeks. Your application will be assessed by two academics. We interview all applicants either in person or by phone.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). Your personal statement should explain why you have chosen to apply for this course at this point in your career; how this course fits into your personal and career trajectory; what this course will contribute to your work; and what you believe you can contribute to the intellectual and professional community of clinical educators on the course. It is a course requirement that you be working in a clinical capacity with the opportunity to engage in some form of teaching, training, or mentoring. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
| Other | Optional | You may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Seminars
Workshops
Self-Study
Programme modules are required face-to-face postgraduate seminar and workshop sessions, which require advance reading and preparation, as well as self-study outside the seminar sessions.
Some assigned group activities and self-directed activities must be completed outside seminar sessions.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Most participants start with the Postgraduate Certificate and begin with the required module, which starts in late September or early October, and an options module, which can start between February and April, meaning that they would likely finish the Postgraduate Certificate in about 12 months.
The Postgraduate Certificate is 60 credits, which generally corresponds to about 600 hours of work. That breaks down typically to about 70 hours of postgraduate seminar sessions (at which attendance is mandatory; generally these are study half-days which are spread over the academic year), and a further estimated 530 hours consisting of self-study, assigned group activities, reading, consolidating learning from previous study days, and preparation for and writing of assessments.
The most challenging thing for most people is that they find it difficult to balance work and postgraduate study. It is an academically rigorous course, but people who are currently on the course and have finished the course have rated it very highly and feel that their teaching practice has improved as a result of the course. You are required to have an educational component to your professional role as part of this course. This means that you have some ongoing opportunities to teach, so that you can meaningfully put the ideas in the programme to use on a regular basis (and bring your experience as a teacher into your learning and your participation on the programme).
Assessment
- Coursework
- Essays
Assessment is by coursework; no examinations are conducted on this programme. Written assignments include academic essays; compilation of and reflection on evidence of teaching; successful completion of teaching observations.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect.
Course accreditation
The programme is accredited: on completion of the postgraduate certificate, you will become a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). You will also be eligible to become a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) upon application.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take modules totalling 60 credits for the PG Cert, 120 credits for the PG Dip or 180 credits for the MA. PG Certificate: 60 credits Required modules
Optional modules In addition, you need to take 15 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:
Interprofessional Education in the Clinical Context (15 credits)
Models of Expertise (15 credits)
Simulation in the Clinical Education (15 credits)
Assessment in Clinical Education (15 credits)
Clinical Communication – Approaches to Teaching & Learning (15 credits)
PG Diploma: 120 credits Required modules In addition to meeting the requirements for the PG Cert, you are also required to take:
Using Research in Clinical Education (15 credits)
If you wish to continue to MA level, you are also required to take:
Optional modules In addition, you need to take between 30 and 45 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:
Interprofessional Education in the Clinical Context (15 credits)
Models of Expertise (15 credits)
Simulation in the Clinical Education (15 credits)
Assessment in Clinical Education (15 credits)
Clinical Communication – Approaches to Teaching & Learning (15 credits)
MA: 180 credits Required modules In addition to meeting the requirements for the PG Dip and having already taken the module Researching Clinical Education (15 credits), you are also required to take:
Dissertation (60 credits)
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Participants on the programme continue to work in various roles in health professions education.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Part time: £4,500 (PG Cert 2025/26); £4,500 (PG Dip 2025/26); £4,500 (MA 2025/26)
International:
Part time: £11,933 (PG Cert 2025/26); £11,933 (PG Dip 2025/26); £11,933 (MA 2025/26)
Please note, fees are based on each level of programme (eg. PG Cert, PG Dip, MA) and not per year. These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
- If you receive an offer before March, your acceptance deadline is 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, your acceptance deadline is one month from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, your acceptance deadline is two weeks from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, your acceptance deadline is one week from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, your acceptance deadline is three days from the offer date.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies
- Library fees and fines
- Personal photocopies
- Printing course handouts
- Society membership fees
- Stationery
- Travel costs for travel around London, between campuses and for project placements
- Graduation costs
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
This programme provides participants, who have clinical professional experience, with the opportunity to pursue postgraduate education relevant to their professional interests and requirements. The programme aims to provide a distinctive element by combining work-based opportunities with theoretical underpinning, thus enabling participants to develop their own practice as clinical educators. Participants need to have regular teaching responsibilities as part of their role, because of course activities and also because of the programme’s focus on the connection between theory and practice in clinical education. Postgraduate Certificate The heart of the Masters in Clinical Education programme is the Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education. As a recognised teaching qualification in higher education, the programme is dual accredited: successful completion of the programme awards participants Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and Membership of the Academy of Medical Educators via the expedited accredited application route. Course participants from a nursing and midwifery background will have the option of specific support in developing their teaching, as required by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. As a 60-credit Level 7 award, the Certificate is comprised of one 45-credit required module that encourages grounding in pedagogic thinking and practice, and one 15- credit option module of the participant’s choice. Postgraduate Diploma Upon successful completion of the Postgraduate Certificate, and with agreement from the programme team, participants can apply to continue their study into the Diploma level. Participants at this level can pursue one further required module and three option modules from a range of interdisciplinary and discipline-specific options. The basis of the Diploma is the module Using Research in Clinical Education. This module offers participants an insight and understanding into the methodologies and methods used to conduct enquiry in clinical education settings, and an opportunity to develop their ability to systematically analyse the existing research in order to understand more about pedagogical issues in day-to-day clinical practice. The second module at this level, Researching Clinical Education, which is required to continue onto the masters level but is otherwise optional at the diploma level, takes this a step further by encouraging participants to develop their own plan for designing and conducting an appropriate enquiry in their own settings. Colleagues with an existing Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education, or a similar award, from another institution, may apply for admission at this level by requesting an Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). Masters in Clinical Education Once participants have advanced through the Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma stages of the Programme successfully, and by agreement from the programme team, they can register on the Dissertation Module to complete the Masters in Clinical Education. The dissertation, which consists of an extended piece of written work of between 10,000 and 15,000 words, enables participants to demonstrate their ability to plan, carry out and evaluate a piece of research into an aspect of their academic practice. It will be an original piece of work, which might, for example, present new evidence on a familiar aspect of teaching and learning; apply established leadership models or theories to a new context; or present an independent critique of an existing body of theory.
Base campuses
Waterloo Campus
Waterloo campus is home of the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery and facilities for other faculties
Guy’s Campus
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, and the Institute of Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience are based at the riverside Guy's Campus, next to the Shard.
Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the modules you study.
Regulating bodies
King's is regulated by the Office for Students
UK applicants
Standard requirements
A minimum 2:2 undergraduate Bachelor’s (honours) degree
If you have a lower degree classification, or a degree in an unrelated subject, your application may be considered if you can demonstrate significant relevant work experience, or offer a related graduate qualification (such as a Masters or PGDip).
Programme-Specific Requirements
- Participants must be working in health care professions with an educational or teaching component to their role.
- A minimum three years of professional experience, or completion of The Foundation Training Programme.
International applicants
Equivalent International qualifications
English language requirements
English language band:
B
To study at King's, it is essential that you can communicate in English effectively in an academic environment. You are usually required to provide certification of your competence in English before starting your studies.
Nationals of majority English speaking countries (as defined by the UKVI) who have permanently resided in this country are not usually required to complete an additional English language test. This is also the case for applicants who have successfully completed an undergraduate degree (of at least three years duration), a postgraduate taught degree (of at least one year), or a PhD in a majority English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI) within five years of the course start date.
For information on our English language requirements and whether you need to complete an English language test, please see our English Language requirements page.
Selection process
Applications must be made online using King's Apply, the Admissions Portal. A non-refundable application fee of £85 applies.
We aim to process all applications within four weeks. Your application will be assessed by two academics. We interview all applicants either in person or by phone.
Personal statement and supporting information
You will be asked to submit the following documents in order for your application to be considered:
| Personal Statement | Yes |
A personal statement is required. This can be entered directly into the online application form (maximum 4,000 characters) or uploaded as an attachment to the online application form (maximum 2 pages). Your personal statement should explain why you have chosen to apply for this course at this point in your career; how this course fits into your personal and career trajectory; what this course will contribute to your work; and what you believe you can contribute to the intellectual and professional community of clinical educators on the course. It is a course requirement that you be working in a clinical capacity with the opportunity to engage in some form of teaching, training, or mentoring. |
|---|---|---|
| Previous Academic Study | Yes | A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing the subjects studied and marks obtained. If you have already completed your degree, copies of your official degree certificate will also be required. Applicants with academic documents issued in a language other than English, will need to submit both the original and official translation of their documents. |
| References | Yes | Two references are required with at least one academic. Professional references will be accepted if you have completed your qualifications over five years ago. |
| Other | Optional | You may wish to include a CV (Resume) or evidence of professional registration as part of your application. |
Teaching methods - what to expect
Seminars
Workshops
Self-Study
Programme modules are required face-to-face postgraduate seminar and workshop sessions, which require advance reading and preparation, as well as self-study outside the seminar sessions.
Some assigned group activities and self-directed activities must be completed outside seminar sessions.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Most participants start with the Postgraduate Certificate and begin with the required module, which starts in late September or early October, and an options module, which can start between February and April, meaning that they would likely finish the Postgraduate Certificate in about 12 months.
The Postgraduate Certificate is 60 credits, which generally corresponds to about 600 hours of work. That breaks down typically to about 70 hours of postgraduate seminar sessions (at which attendance is mandatory; generally these are study half-days which are spread over the academic year), and a further estimated 530 hours consisting of self-study, assigned group activities, reading, consolidating learning from previous study days, and preparation for and writing of assessments.
The most challenging thing for most people is that they find it difficult to balance work and postgraduate study. It is an academically rigorous course, but people who are currently on the course and have finished the course have rated it very highly and feel that their teaching practice has improved as a result of the course. You are required to have an educational component to your professional role as part of this course. This means that you have some ongoing opportunities to teach, so that you can meaningfully put the ideas in the programme to use on a regular basis (and bring your experience as a teacher into your learning and your participation on the programme).
Assessment
- Coursework
- Essays
Assessment is by coursework; no examinations are conducted on this programme. Written assignments include academic essays; compilation of and reflection on evidence of teaching; successful completion of teaching observations.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect.
Course accreditation
The programme is accredited: on completion of the postgraduate certificate, you will become a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA). You will also be eligible to become a Member of the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME) upon application.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Structure
Required modules
Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take modules totalling 60 credits for the PG Cert, 120 credits for the PG Dip or 180 credits for the MA. PG Certificate: 60 credits Required modules
Optional modules In addition, you need to take 15 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:
Interprofessional Education in the Clinical Context (15 credits)
Models of Expertise (15 credits)
Simulation in the Clinical Education (15 credits)
Assessment in Clinical Education (15 credits)
Clinical Communication – Approaches to Teaching & Learning (15 credits)
PG Diploma: 120 credits Required modules In addition to meeting the requirements for the PG Cert, you are also required to take:
Using Research in Clinical Education (15 credits)
If you wish to continue to MA level, you are also required to take:
Optional modules In addition, you need to take between 30 and 45 credits from a range of optional modules that may typically include:
Interprofessional Education in the Clinical Context (15 credits)
Models of Expertise (15 credits)
Simulation in the Clinical Education (15 credits)
Assessment in Clinical Education (15 credits)
Clinical Communication – Approaches to Teaching & Learning (15 credits)
MA: 180 credits Required modules In addition to meeting the requirements for the PG Dip and having already taken the module Researching Clinical Education (15 credits), you are also required to take:
Dissertation (60 credits)
King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.
Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.
Employability
Participants on the programme continue to work in various roles in health professions education.
Tuition Fees
UK:
Part time: £4,500 (PG Cert 2025/26); £4,500 (PG Dip 2025/26); £4,500 (MA 2025/26)
International:
Part time: £11,933 (PG Cert 2025/26); £11,933 (PG Dip 2025/26); £11,933 (MA 2025/26)
Please note, fees are based on each level of programme (eg. PG Cert, PG Dip, MA) and not per year. These tuition fees may be subject to additional increases in subsequent years of study, in line with King’s terms and conditions.
Deposit
- If you receive an offer before March, your acceptance deadline is 20 March.
- If you receive an offer between 1 March and 20 May, your acceptance deadline is one month from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer between 21 May and 15 July, your acceptance deadline is two weeks from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer between 16 July and 10 August, your acceptance deadline is one week from the offer date.
- If you receive an offer from 11 August onwards, your acceptance deadline is three days from the offer date.
Please visit our web pages on fees and funding for more information.
Additional Costs
In addition to your tuition costs, you can also expect to pay for:
- Books if you choose to buy your own copies
- Library fees and fines
- Personal photocopies
- Printing course handouts
- Society membership fees
- Stationery
- Travel costs for travel around London, between campuses and for project placements
- Graduation costs
Funding
To find out more about bursaries, scholarships, grants, tuition fees, living expenses, student loans, and other financial help available at King's please visit the Fees and Funding section.
Application closing date guidance
We encourage you to apply as early as possible so that there is sufficient time for your application to be assessed and we may need to request further information from you during the application process.
The final application deadlines for this programme are:
· Overseas (international) fee status: 25 July 2025 (23:59 UK time)
· Home fee status: 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
If the programme becomes full before the final application deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications. Please note, you will not be eligible for an application fee refund if we are unable to process further offers because places are filled and we close the course before the final application deadline.
Key information
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Part time
Duration:
PG Cert one year, PG Dip two-three years, MA three-four years
Credit value (UK/ECTS equivalent):
UK 180/ECTS 90
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2025
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