Podiatry (Pre-Registration) MSc

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Course structure

You will study the core areas necessary for professional practice: prescription-only medicines, research skills, podiatric conditions, health psychology, complex conditions and advanced care, leadership, education, and innovation and clinical practice.

This intensive programme runs over 45 weeks per year for two years. Your time on the course will be balanced between campus-based study and clinical practice.

The course begins in September. Formal lectures are an integral part of the curriculum and you will also learn through seminars, student presentations and interactive workshops, some of which will be shared with students on the undergraduate programme. You will be assessed through essays, exams, practical reports, presentations and your professional development portfolio.

As a podiatry student you will also share some teaching with students on physiotherapy, occupational therapy and pharmacy courses, allowing you to exchange knowledge and expertise with students from other disciplines.

Your practical placements can be selected from local NHS Trusts and private podiatry practices, allowing you access to specialist podiatry services and international placement opportunities depending on where your wish to develop your interests. Placements are likely to include school holidays.

As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in Schwartz Rounds – hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.

Syllabus

Modules

• Pre-Registration Practice Principles

  This module will introduce you to practice principles in podiatry. It will enable you to develop the necessary skills for assessment, diagnosis and treatment of foot and lower limb conditions encountered in various healthcare settings and integrate theory with practice. Areas covered include professional guidelines and protocols, infection control, health and safety issues and duty of care.

• Prescription-only Medicines for Podiatrists (level 7)

  This module will develop your knowledge and understanding of the prescription-only medicines (POMs) you will administer and supply as a podiatrist. The content covers patient assessment and taking a drug history; use of resources to aid clinical decision-making; commonly used antimicrobials; pharmacological management of pain and inflammation; the role and use of local anaesthetics in podiatric practice; and an introduction to minor surgery.

• Podiatric Conditions and Patient-Centred Care

  This module will develop your skills in clinical reasoning, anatomy and clinical diagnosis. You will learn about the characteristics of conditions caused by mechanical and inflammatory issues which affect bone and soft tissues. You will also explore podiatric biomechanics, including the prescription and manufacture of orthoses for foot problems.

• Research Skills and Critical Thinking

  In this module you will explore a broad range of research methods within health and social care, including quantitative and qualitative research. You will look at different approaches to planning and conducting research and learn about the stages of research design and development. Consideration of research integrity, research ethics and research governance also form an important component of the module.

• Pre-Registration Practice Placement 1

  This placement module focuses on developing your knowledge, skills and attitudes in a variety of practice settings, for example, clinical, specialist, diverse, leadership, education and research placements. By working as part of the placement provider’s team, you will deepen your knowledge and skills and gain experience as part of a multidisciplinary team. You will develop the ability to use evidence-based practice to meet the needs of the practice setting and also reflect on and evaluate your own practice.

• Pre-Registration Practice Placement 2

  In this module you will undertake a placement which gives you the opportunity to learn and develop your knowledge and skills through practice experience in a professional setting as part of a multidisciplinary team. You will be able to apply your theoretical knowledge to practice, including practical applications of evidence-based practice. You will also enhance your transferrable professional skills.

• Complex Conditions and Advanced Care

  This module helps you understand how long-term health conditions can affect a person and their lower limbs. You will learn about general medicine and how drugs are used to manage systemic diseases in podiatry. Through real-life cases, you will explore patient care as a whole and look at how evidence-based treatments are used in both the NHS and private sector.

• Leadership, Education and Innovation

  In this module you will learn about the importance of leadership, education and innovation and their relevance to your podiatric career. You will also explore issues related to these principles in current healthcare practices, for example equality, diversity, inclusivity and sustainability.

• Pre-Registration Practice Placement 3

  By observing and taking part in professional practice you will develop your knowledge, skills and attitudes in a variety of practice settings during this module. Working as part of the placement provider’s team, you will improve your ability to use evidence-based practice to meet the needs of the practice setting and also reflect on and evaluate your own practice.

• Pre-Registration Practice Placement 4

  In this placement module you will develop your knowledge, skills and attitudes in a variety of practice settings, for example clinical, specialist, diverse, leadership, education and research placements. You will observe and take part in professional practice and work as part of the placement provider’s team. You will develop your ability to use evidence-based practice to meet the needs of the practice setting as well as reflecting on and evaluating your own practice.

• MSc Pre-Registration Dissertation

  The dissertation involves integrating the research knowledge and philosophies that underpin the course. You will demonstrate a high level of understanding of the philosophy and principles of research and show competence in the design, execution and reporting of a research project. You will also develop the ability to subsequently carry out independent research, and commission, manage and evaluate the research of others.

Study advice

There are lots of resources to support you with postgraduate level study. Our build your study and digital skills page contains advice and tips for developing your key skills, alongside guidance on how to make the most out of your learning experience.

For further support and resources make sure to visit the library support pages and our LinkedIn Learning page.

Facilities

As a Brighton student podiatrist you will use specialist facilities including:

• a podiatry orthotics manufacturing facility where you will produce high-quality orthotics and insoles for patients as part of the practical element of your course
• a podiatry simulation suite equipped so you can learn and practice practical skills before you work with real patients and clients
• a virtual anatomy lab that houses our 3D anatomy visualisation table.

You’ll be able to see our facilities when you visit us. You can also get a feel for them by taking a virtual tour, watching the short video and checking out our Falmer campus information.

Meet the team

Rachel Forss, Course leader

Rachel is a senior lecturer and has worked at the university since 2013. She qualified as a podiatrist in 1995 from the University of Brighton and completed her MSc here in 2003. She is a committee member of the local branch of Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Rachel has held leadership roles in the NHS, specialising for 13 years as the Lead Podiatrist in Wound Care, where she helped to improve documentation standards, implemented the Texas wound classification system into clinical practice and contributed to referral pathways to improve patient care. Rachel has a large amount of experience in treating diabetic foot ulceration including VAC therapy, ulcers related to various connective tissue disorders and hard to heal post-operative wounds.

Rachel has various research interests and these focus mainly on wound care, microbiology, microgravity research and diabetic wounds. She has just completed the GELL-P project (gravitational effects on lower limb perfusion), a research project sponsored by the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency investigating changes in blood flow to the lower limb during a parabolic flight.

Course fees

Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Shortage specialisms, such as podiatry, receive an additional £1,000. Find out more on the NHS website.

Funding information

This course is eligible for funding via the Student Loans Company under the same terms and conditions as undergraduate tuition fee and maintenance loans. Find out more.

Where your course includes a placement, travel costs which are over and above your daily journey to university and dual accommodation costs may be reimbursed by the NHS learning support fund. Additional financial support may available from the NHS. Find out more about the learning support fund.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Campus where this course is taught

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