University College London (UCL)
Medical Education MSc
London, United Kingdom
MSc
DURATION
5 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* programme only available on a modular flexible basis
The MSc in Medical Education is designed for health professionals who want to develop their teaching, leadership, and curriculum development skills. The program covers key areas such as educational theory, assessment methods, and curriculum design, helping students improve their effectiveness in teaching and training future healthcare workers. It’s structured to suit busy professionals, with flexible learning options that combine online modules and in-person sessions, allowing students to balance their studies with work commitments. Throughout the course, students explore how to implement evidence-based teaching practices and foster a positive learning environment.
The program emphasizes practical understanding and skills, encouraging students to reflect on their own teaching methods and explore innovative approaches to medical education. It provides a solid foundation in research methods, enabling students to critically evaluate educational practices and contribute to improvements in training programs. The courses prepare learners to take on leadership roles in educational settings, whether in academic institutions or healthcare organizations. Overall, the MSc aims to build confident educators who can enhance medical training and support lifelong learning in health professions.
UCL Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to postgraduate students, including our UCL Master's Bursary for UK students and our UCL Global Master's Scholarship for international students. You can click the link below to search via the scholarships finder for awards that you might be eligible for. Your academic department will also be able to provide you with more information about funding.
External Scholarships
Online aggregators like Postgraduate Studentships, Scholarship Search, Postgraduate Funding and International Financial Aid and College Scholarship Search contain information on a variety of external schemes.
If you have specific circumstances or an ethnic or religious background, it is worth searching for scholarships/bursaries/grants that relate to those things. Some schemes are very specific.
Funding for disabled students
Master's students who have a disability may be able to get extra funding for additional costs they incur to study.
Teaching and learning
The programme is flexible/modular, requiring on-site attendance only during the contact days of teaching sessions. The contact days include workshop-style discussions and practical application 'simulation' sessions.
Assessment is through a range of written assignments:
- literature reviews
- teaching reports
- research proposals
- critical evaluations
- the final Master's dissertation.
Each module takes approximately two months to complete. Each provides around 18 hours of face-to-face teaching in a block of three consecutive days (all 10 am-4 pm), plus a separate 30-minute online tutorial.
If you study a maximum of four modules per academic year, you will receive around 72 hours of face-to-face teaching over four teaching blocks in both the PG Cert year (one) and the PG Dip year (two), plus two hours of online tutorials. The blocks begin in October and run every couple of months until April/May.
If you study fewer than four modules per year, you join the required number of teaching blocks and 30-minute tutorials (one each per module).
The master’s year has five in-person days (each 10 am-4.30 pm), totalling roughly 32.5 teaching and discussion hours. These are scheduled every couple of months from October until June. You also receive at least five 30-minute online tutorials with a supervisor.
Each module at the Certificate and Diploma levels requires 130 further hours of self-directed study. Over the two-month duration of a module, this equates to around 15 hours per week. The Master’s year requires about 560 hours of self-directed study. Over a nine-month period, this also equates to around 15 hours per week. Your self-directed study comprises pre-reading, reviewing notes taken at the teaching days, follow-up reading, and drafting and writing assignments.
A Postgraduate Diploma comprising eight core modules (120 credits) is offered. A Postgraduate Certificate comprising four core modules (60 credits) is offered.
Modules
Flexible
This flexible, modular Master’s programme can be completed in 3-5 years. This is a cumulative programme. You can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate after completing year one, or a Postgraduate Diploma after completing the first two years.
By attending face-to-face teaching days at the RCP, you will receive expert teaching, tailored support through one-to-one tutorials, networking opportunities with a variety of like-minded professionals, and access to unique medical education resources.
Year 1
You take four three-day modules (Modules 1-4), studied face-to-face at the Royal College of Physicians. What you will learn:
- To adopt a learner-centred teaching approach, structure teaching, and set objectives that enhance your students' learning.
- To apply educational theory and educational research to your own teaching practice, including small group, large group, bedside and opportunistic clinical teaching settings.
- How to use educational innovations within medical education.
- To recognise how assessment theory should inform practice in the assessment of medical competence.
- To select and use a range of assessment methods with confidence.
- To appraise both medical trainees and peers within evidence-based structures.
- To maximise your effectiveness as educational supervisors and gain confidence in your management of trainees requiring additional support.
Year 2
You take four three-day modules (Modules 5-8), studied face-to-face at the RCP. You may choose to replace either Module 7 or Module 8 with another UCL module (which may be delivered online). What you will learn:
- Further knowledge and understanding of the research evidence, theory, and practicalities of course and curriculum design.
- Practical experience in course design and evaluation.
- To critically select, develop and evaluate written, electronic, clinical skills and patient-related resources to support learning in medical education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- The foundational knowledge and skills to conduct research in medical education.
- To apply your educational research knowledge through writing a proposal for a small research project.
- To identify and gain the skills and attributes of effective educational leadership in medicine.
Year 3
You complete a research thesis or report in medical education with regular meetings with a designated tutor. What you will learn:
- To conduct a comprehensive, critical review of research evidence and educational theory in a chosen area of medical education practice.
- To develop and employ your research skills in medical education.
- An in-depth knowledge of the controversies, evidence and theory relating to the area of study.
- Further knowledge and understanding of the research evidence, theory, and practicalities of course and curriculum design.
- To critically select, develop and evaluate written, electronic, clinical skills and patient-related resources to support learning in medical education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
- The knowledge and skills to conduct research in medical education.
- To apply your educational research knowledge through a small research project.
Compulsory modules
- Clinical Teaching and Principles of Assessment
- Teaching and Learning in Medicine 1
- Teaching and Learning in Medicine 2
- Educational Supervision, Teaching and Assessment in Clinical Practice
- Research Methods in Medical Education
- Advanced Teaching Skills
- Dissertation Study Module in Medical Education
Optional modules
- Course and Curriculum Design in Medical Education
- Advanced Clinical Education
Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment, and module content and availability are subject to change.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Medical Education. Upon successful completion of 120 credits, you will be awarded a PG Dip in Medical Education. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Medical Education.
What this course will give you
This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities:
- The strengths of two world-leading institutions: UCL Medical School and the Royal College of Physicians.
- A highly talented teaching team comprised of RCP educationalists, UCL academics and experienced clinical educators.
- The programme addresses several important aspects for medical educators: educational theories and teaching methods, curriculum development, research in medical education and the role of AI in medical education.
- Participants gain knowledge of teaching and learning processes, develop practical skills and techniques, and gain a deeper understanding of the evidence and theory underpinning current thinking in medical education.
- Students benefit from the resources of the RCP Wellcome Library, a world-class medical education library.