Applied Health Research

MSc

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Key facts

Course code

MSC-AHR

Start dates

September 2025 / September 2026

Application deadline

1 September for a September start.

Course length

Full time: 1 year (3 semesters)

Part time: 2 years (6 semesters)

Academic level

7

Academic credits

180

This course is not available to students classed as International for fees purposes.

Overview

The importance and value of research is recognised in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (NHS LTWP) (2023), with a need for a continuous approach to the development of staff skills, knowledge and expertise. This is vital to the provision of high-quality care, supporting, delivering and leading high-quality research, maintaining professional registration and ensuring staff have rewarding careers to recruit, retain and reform our health and care services.

While research awareness is a compulsory component of all registered healthcare, social work and public health professional's initial education and training, this often does not prepare them well to integrate and engage with research practice.

This Applied Health Research programme has been designed to support students in developing knowledge and skills that enable them to begin integrating a research element into their existing role.

student looking at monitor in library

How to apply

Entry requirements

  • a first degree, or prior learning at the equivalent appropriate level
  • evidence of current professional registration with an appropriate professional body, such as, the Health Care and Professions Council, Nursing and Midwifery Council or General Pharmaceutical Council
  • access to appropriate mentor support within your area of practice to develop your research project.

Terms and Conditions of Enrolment

When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.

Application process

Apply through our Moodle platform.

Tuition fees

Please see the fees note
CPD Home (UK) part time
NHS funded

CPD Home (UK) full time
NHS funded

CPD Home (UK) part time
NHS funded

CPD Home (UK) full time
NHS funded

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

Tuition fees

2024 / 25
CPD Home (UK) part time
NHS funded

CPD Home (UK) full time
NHS funded

2025 / 26
CPD Home (UK) part time
NHS funded

CPD Home (UK) full time
NHS funded

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk

Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year your fees will increase each year.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

  • For information on payment methods, please see our Make a Payment page.
  • For information about refunds, please visit our Refund policy page

Financial support and scholarships

For general sources of financial support, see our Fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.

Learning and assessment

Our blend of learning approaches is designed to build on existing academic knowledge and skills and includes:

  • face-to-face seminars and workshop activities
  • guided online activities
  • student-led seminars
  • and individual tutorial and supervision sessions.
group of students working on laptops

Study modules

Taught modules

Compulsory modules

  • Concepts in Healthcare - MAHR7002 (20 credits)

    In this practice-related module you will have the opportunity to study the development of healthcare practice through an understanding of the history of health professions and the influences on contemporary care contexts. We will explore definitions of practice and the nature of theory and knowledge.

    We will examine the political aspects of healthcare practice and reflect on issues such as gender, power and control. Healthcare art/science, professional identity, collaborative practice and grand theories will be explored and critical thinking will be applied to how these develop. The aim of the module relates to building and advancing healthcare knowledge.

  • Evidence-Based Practice - HESC7013 (20 credits)

    This module will enable the student to appraise and apply quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research papers to their professional practice through:

    • exploration and critique of theories, models and strategies for evidence-based practice, with application to the health and social care setting.
    • examination of the purposes, uses and limitations of various approaches to evidence-based practice, with consideration of political and economic dimensions.
    • consideration of the concepts of decision-making from the practitioner, purchaser, provider and consumer perspectives.
    • exploration of some available tools for critical-appraisal and the transfer of evidence to professional knowledge.
    • sharing of the work of experts, researchers and the student group for discussion and critique.
  • Foundations in Applied Health Research - DNUR7003 (40 credits)

    The module aims to prepare students to identify, analyse and apply models and theoretical perspectives which contribute to undertaking applied health research. In particular the module will explore the different types of data and data collection methods within applied health research and the influence of organisational culture on applied health research. This research will be explored in the context of inter-professional and collaborative research, ethical dimensions and principles as well as perspectives and boundaries that may need to be challenged when undertaking research within the clinical area.

    Students will critically debate appropriate approaches to overcoming their own research problem in practice while recognising alternative approaches and other challenges within the organisation.

  • Researcher Development Framework - DNUR7001 (20 credits)

    The aim of this module is to provide an opportunity to develop knowledge, intellectual abilities, techniques and professional standards to do research. Furthermore, the module aims to identify and development of personal qualities, knowledge and skills to work collegiately with others and to explore the impact of research on the wider health care community. The module aims for students to develop their capacity for reflection and self-evaluation to enable them to critically review their own strengths  and weakness within research and where they need to develop further.

  • Systematic Review - MAHR7005 (30 credits)

    The aim of this module is to develop students’ knowledge of a range of approaches to undertake a systematic review in the context of health care. The module will build upon the evidence based practice module and develop knowledge and skills in producing a review protocol, including the key phase of a systematic review. The students will be introduced to how to formulate a review question and how to use this as the basis for the review. Students are encouraged to use their identified nursing research question as the focus of the review.

Dissertation / final project

Compulsory modules

  • Dissertation in Applied Health Research - MAHR7004 (50 credits)

    The aim of this module is to consolidate the learning from the taught research modules delivered for the MSc in Research through the undertaking of a small scale research project. This project can take the form of a literature review, a small scale empirical project or a well developed research proposal. For those intending to proceed to the professional doctorate, a research proposal is recommended. Students will be allocated a supervisor for the duration of the module and receive individual research supervision.

Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.

Learning and teaching

Teaching and learning strategies will encourage each student to:

  • engage and explore new areas of knowledge
  • build on and deepen existing knowledge, understanding and skills in health research
  • engage in critical analysis of texts, concepts, theories and practices and reflect on a range of professional issues, questions, policies and practice encountered during their studies
  • begin to interrogate the assumptions underpinning theory and research in order to identify an understanding of their significance and limitations
  • develop appropriately informed research skills.

Assessment

Assessment methods used on this course

The types of assessments used within this programme are varied, including:

  • reflective essays
  • critical analysis of evidence-based practice
  • presentations
  • analytical essays
  • and a ‘portfolio of learning’ based on the Vitae "Researcher Development Framework".

Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website. For more information, please visit our changes to programmes page.