Teaching & modules
Modules
Courses are divided into modules, and students on this course take the following distance learning modules totalling 60 credits in each academic year. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Required modules
Year 1
All students are required to take:
- Evidence and Research as the Basis of Care (30 credits)
- Research Practice Experience 1 (15 credits)
- Issues in the Conduct of Healthcare Research (15 credits)
Year 2
MSc and PG Dip students are required to take:
- Research Practice Experience 2 (30 credits)
Year 3
MSc students are required to take:
- Dissertation in Clinical Research (60 credits)
Optional modules
MSc and PG Dip students are also required to take 30 credits of optional modules in Year 2. At least one of these must be from the following list:
- Health Economics (15 credits)
- Clinical Leadership (15 credits)
- Social Research Methods for Public Health (15 credits)
- Introduction to Clinical Trials (15 credits)
Students can also select from a wider range of relevant HE level 7 options in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care Short Courses catalogue.
Please note that not all options are available via distance learning, so please check the mode of delivery before you apply.
Optional module enrolment is subject to approval by the Programme Lead and the option Module Lead, and must be able to be accommodated within your course timetable. Students are required to make an application for each option and must meet the entry requirements. All optional modules have a minimum number of students required for the module to run. Should this figure not be reached, students would be required to choose an alternate option module from the range available.
Teaching methods - what to expect
You will learn through a combination of online teaching, directed e-learning and self-study:
| Years | Lectures, seminars and feedback | Self-study |
|---|---|---|
| 1 & 2 | Approximately 150 hours in each year (25% of total study) in directed activities such as online learning, and directed practice experience. | Approximately 450 hours in each year (75% of total study) of independent self— directed study. This includes preparing for scheduled sessions, follow-up work, wider reading, project work, self-directed practice experience, and completion of assessment tasks. |
Location
King’s College London is located in the heart of London, across five campuses, Waterloo, Strand, St Thomas’ and Guy’s and Denmark Hill. This course is delivered via distance learning using both synchronous and a-synchronous learning methods. Please note that some of the optional modules run by the Faculty are delivered in person, so please check the where each module is taught.
Assessment
- Coursework
- Dissertation
Your performance will be assessed through a combination of coursework assignments, and a dissertation. Forms of coursework assessment may typically include written assignments such as essays and portfolios.
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. We may need to request further information from you during the application process.
- Our first application deadline is 11 May 2026 (23:59 UK time). · The final application deadline for applicants seeking NIHR Insight Programme funding is 30 April 2026 (23:59 UK time)
- The final application deadline for applicants seeking a Mental Health Mission Scholarship is 1 June 2026 (23:59 UK time) · The final application deadline for applicants seeking NIHR Credentials Framework bursary is 1 July 2026 (23:59 UK time).
- The final application deadline (for applicants not seeking funding) is on 25 August 2025 (23:59 UK time)
After the first application deadline, if the programme becomes full before the final deadlines stated above, we will close the programme to further applications.
Key Information
Course type:
Single honours
Delivery mode:
Online
Study mode:
Distance Learning
Duration:
PG Cert one year part time, PG Dip two years part-time, MSc three years part-time
Application status:
Open
Start date:
September 2026