masters medical education online

Our online Clinical Education programme takes advantage of our world-renowned expertise to enhance your abilities to teach and assess students in a clinical environment.

This is an ideal programme for those with an educational role in relation to healthcare professionals and veterinary practitioners, including doctors, nurses, dental practitioners, clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, those involved with veterinary education or associated scientists (biomedical or social).

What will I learn?

Our aim is to help you reflect upon, and share thoughts about, your practice, while increasing your understanding of how to apply educational theories and evidence from the literature. As a result you will learn the knowledge and skills you need to deliver, develop and research high-quality clinical education in your own discipline.

This programme is affiliated with NHS Education for Scotland and the University’s Global Health Academy.

• Global Health Academy
• NHS Education for Scotland

Upon completion of the Postgraduate Certificate, and by meeting qualifying criteria, you will be eligible to apply for fellowship of the Higher Education Academy.

We are members of the Academy of Medical Educators and on completion of the Postgraduate Certificate and by meeting their qualifying criteria, you can apply for membership through the shortened route.

Online learning

Our award-winning online learning technology is fully interactive and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

Our online students not only have access to Edinburgh’s excellent resources, but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

We host online open days where prospective students and applicants can meet some of the tutors and students, and experience the online tutorial rooms.

Studying online at Edinburgh

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree:

• Postgraduate online learning

Programme structure

There are three courses at the certificate stage and three at the diploma stage. This is followed by your thesis in the third year.

We deliver lectures and tutorials online and you will be expected to use self-directed learning, peer-discussion boards, tutorials, peer presentations and other similar e-learning activities to help engage with and get the most from the course materials.

During term time, you should be prepared to spend an average of 15-20 hours per week engaged in study, with study time intensifying prior to submission of your assignments.

Accelerated routes are available in discussion with the programme team.

Year 1: Certificate

Courses previously offered include:

• Principles of Teaching and Learning
• Assessment, Examinations and Standard Setting
• The Curriculum

Year 2: Diploma

You will study Research in Clinical Education along with 2 elective courses. Please see the programme structure links below, for the choice of elective (optional) courses.

Please note that elective courses will run subject to demand. You will be notified in advance if an alternative course choice is required.

Year 3: Masters

A research report of approximately 15,000 words. You can choose to submit this as a paper for publication with a supporting commentary.

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD)

Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) is aimed at working professionals who want to advance their knowledge through a postgraduate-level course(s), without the time or financial commitment of a full Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate.

You may take a maximum of 50 credits worth of courses over two years through our PPD scheme. These lead to a University of Edinburgh postgraduate award of academic credit. Alternatively, after one year of taking courses you can choose to transfer your credits and continue on to studying towards a higher award on a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme. Although PPD courses have various start dates throughout a year you may only start a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme in the month of September. Any time spent studying PPD will be deducted from the amount of time you will have left to complete a Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate programme.

Please contact the programme team for more information about available courses and course start dates.

• Read more about how the programme is structured

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Career opportunities

This programme has been designed to enhance your prospects as a teacher and instructor in human or animal health.

It promotes high quality clinical education by helping you reflect upon and share insights about your practice, to understand and apply educational theories and evidence from literature, and to help you develop a good solid foundation in clinical education and educational research upon which to build your academic career.

Fees and costs