Intro

This qualification is for practising health professionals who wish to gain the skills, knowledge and behaviours to be an effective educator and development leader within a practice or healthcare education context.

The course will appeal to nurses, midwives and allied health professionals who are looking to develop, or already have, an educational role in their current practice. Accredited by Advance HE, successful completion offers the opportunity to gain Advance HE Fellowship.

We'll aim to develop your skills and understanding so that you are enabled to teach and support learning to enhance healthcare practice. Most of the skills developed on the course will be in the context of teaching those on Higher Education courses in order to meet advanced HE requirements.

You will improve your confidence as a skilled educator by engaging with research and evidence-based teaching, learning and assessment strategies in different and complex settings. You will also have opportunities to reflect on your capacity as a leader and agent for change.

You will design and deliver a curriculum using contemporary resources and critically reflect on your own knowledge gained throughout the course and from your practice experience.

Throughout the course you will be supported by a personal tutor and an experienced course team of senior health professional academics who will oversee your progress and provide feedforward opportunities to develop your pedagogic practice.

Credits from the course can be integral to other masters-level study.

Find out about postgraduate events

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

Part-time 1–3 years

This course is accredited by the Advance HE, previously the Higher Education Academy

Apply now for your place

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Degree and experience

Students are normally expected to:

demonstrate successful completion of an appropriate bachelor first degree from a higher educational (HE) institution in the UK, or equivalent award from a European or overseas HE institution and have evidence of study at level 6 or above in the last five years

be a qualified health professional, be registered with the NMC/HCPC (or other regulatory body)

be in a role with a significant educational remit or have the opportunity to facilitate the learning of individuals or groups of learners which might include students, staff, patients, carers or members of the public. Normally two years post registration.

undertake a range of teaching and learning activity throughout the course that is in addition to the attendance of the modules.

Recognition of prior learning (RPL) is only available for those who have a previous study leading to a D1 qualification.

English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall with a minimum score of 6.5 in all components.

Course content

Course structure

On this part-time course you will achieve 60 level 7 credits. This can be three semesters in one year or spread over three years.

You will attend two induction days.

Induction to the University of Brighton: School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences postgraduate programme
Induction day to the Leading Practice Education postgraduate certificate.

You will then complete the following modules.

Health Professional as an Educator
Enhancing Engagement in Practice Education
Leading Education Design in Practice

The course utilises blended learning to achieve the outcomes, so learning within the modules is supported by you engaging with module-specific materials and activities in My Studies, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

For more information on each module, see our Modules tab.

Syllabus

You will have opportunities to develop your education practice, leadership skills and confidence for the benefit of students, workforce development, patient services and your own professional and academic development through the following modules.

Modules

Health Professional as an Educator

Practitioners in health, social care and diverse practice settings have an increasingly educational role so this module is designed to enhance the skills necessary for you to develop your role as an educator in the work-based setting. It will focus on your educational role with learners, including students, colleagues, service users, families/carers, interprofessional teams and the public.
Enhancing Engagement in Practice Education

Focusing on the importance of student engagement in learning, this module is designed to develop your understanding of practices, policies and strategies to improve the student experience in parallel with theory in this area, including concepts such as student satisfaction and student-staff partnership in learning. You will be encouraged to critically reflect on student engagement practice in your own teaching-related context (student voice, partnership, etc).
Leading Education Design in Practice

The focus of this extensive module is between theory, research and practice learning in the context of transforming educational practice. You will develop your own curriculum of teaching, learning, assessment and leadership practice gathered throughout the course with the aim of critically applying this to the relevant professional framework. You will also consider educational theories related to leadership, digital learning, resilience and reflective learning. There is a requirement for teaching practice within this module.

Professional accreditation

Throughout the course you will critically apply the relevant professional standards framework to your developing educational practice – enabling you to clearly identify how you meet the following appropriate national frameworks.

Advance HE, formerly The Higher Education Academy, has accredited this course and confirms that it is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (UKPSF) and provides participants with the opportunity to be professionally recognised through the HEA Fellowship scheme at D2 – Fellow.

The course prepares you to lead and transform education under the Nursing and Midwifery and the Health and Care Professional Council standards for education.

The course has been mapped to the practice educators’ accreditation schemes of the College of Occupational Therapists (APPLE) and the College of Podiatry (PACE).

Meet the team

Johannes Mellinghoff, course leader

Johannes is a registered nurse with a 25-year background in critical care.

He is course leader for the Postgraduate Certificate in Leading Practice Education and leads several university modules focusing on education in healthcare practice, the specialist training of intensive care nurses and a quality improvement module for the BSc Professional and Clinical Practice.

Johannes is an accredited fellow of the Advanced Higher Education Academy and applies a variety of teaching approaches in a collaborative way involving students from different healthcare backgrounds and professions.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, Johannes returned to the clinical floor predominantly teaching nurses the skills required to safely look after critically ill patients. He was heavily involved in a World Health Organization-sponsored international training programme to upskill clinical staff for redeployment to intensive care areas using virtual and face-to-face approaches.

Read Johannes’s full profile

Other key members of the team

Careers

You will be prepared to be an effective teacher and leader in the education of health professionals or in another health-related capacity. You will also have the opportunity to gain Advance HE Fellowship.

Graduates from this course have progressed into a range of different roles including as senior lecturers, practice educators, professional lead for specific professions, and PhD studies. See our student views tab for testimonies.

Many of our alumni also contribute to the course content which is highly evaluated by our students.

Fees and costs

Course fees

Home (part-time)3,250 GBP

Students seeking external funding are required to provide evidence of the support of their manager or sponsor before interview.

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).

What's included

Here you’ll find details of specific resources and services that are included in the tuition fee for our allied health professions students. To help you to budget for your studies, there is also information on any additional costs that you may have to pay or can choose to pay in addition to your tuition fee.

Find out how tuition fees enable us to support all of our students with important services, facilities and resources across the university and check out our finance pages for info about fees, funding and scholarships along with advice on international and island fee-paying status.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information.

What's included in your tuition fee

An initial set of specialist uniforms where appropriate.
DBS checks and occupational health checks.
Where health course includes a placement: UK students – 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.
Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies. See the subject area in the library for an up-to-date list of key subject journals and databases.
You will have access to computers and necessary software on campus – and can borrow a laptop from us if yours is broken or you don’t have a computer at home. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning.

Additional course costs

Where health course includes a placement: Overseas students are not covered by the NHS learning support fund. This means that any additional travel or accommodation costs for this course will be your responsibility. Travel to placement may be up to 90 mins each way/travel on public transport at peak time cost, and you may incur additional accommodation and living costs if staying away from your usual home base for the length of your placement.
You’ll need to budget for printing and stationery for personal study, and books if you decide to buy your own.
In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.
Many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. Students based here study a range of subjects including education studies, teaching, sport and exercise, nursing and midwifery, allied health professions and medicine. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes and the Students’ Union shop and bar.

The campus has extensive sport and leisure facilities including a fitness suite, swimming pool, outdoor grass football and rugby pitches, sports hall, tennis and badminton courts, and dance and spin studios.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources, clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students, and labs and a strength and conditioning suite used by sport students. We’ve recently redeveloped the Falmer campus – learn more about the many facilities our students have access to.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine-minute journey to central Brighton.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you apply for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Falmer

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls offer a range of rooms on our Falmer campus, minutes from your classes, and on the edge of the South Downs.
Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Falmer campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Outside views at Falmer accommodation

student outside the sport and health complex at Falmer

Extensive facilities at Falmer sports centre

Students dining at Westlain

Local area

One of Time Out's 50 best cities in the world

“Brighton has… all the important parts of a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis (connections to London in under an hour, an array of properly excellent restaurants, energetic late-night spots) … with the easy-breezy beachy attitude to life that makes you feel welcome in an instant.”
Time Out’s 50 Best Cities in the World, 2025

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Maps

Falmer campus

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition.

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Brighton Cricket Academy

Develop your cricketing skills in the UK’s largest indoor cricket facility alongside studying for a degree. Whether you can already play or you’re new to the game offers the opportunity to train with top coaches in our world-class training environment.

Find out about the Brighton Cricket Academy.

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Take a tour of sport facilities on our Falmer campus

Student views

Soumya Sononey

“When I started as a clinical educator, I was new to higher education, so to get a deeper understanding I chose to study the Leading Practice Education PGCert.

“As lead for the Nurses Preceptorship Programme, I get the opportunity to help newly qualified nurses, newly registered international nurses and newly qualified nursing associates to have a better and supportive experience during their transition from a supernumerary nurse to a qualified registered nurse.

“This course has massively supported my role. I made changes in my practise to support my leadership skills, working on feedback styles and reevaluating the entire programme. It immediately contributed towards my skills in lesson planning and has enhanced my teaching content. I have started making sure that my teaching is more accessible, sustainable, inclusive, holistic, authentic and relevant.

“This course also gave me an opportunity to network with different professionals with different backgrounds. It was good to hear diverse viewpoints and learn more about other people’s experiences, even if I wouldn’t say that everyone always agreed with one other throughout the vigorous debates.

“The modules are challenging but doable with the support and guidance of the lecturers, module leads and the course lead. The entire teaching team and the student advisors are very supportive, with each and every challenge, be it professional or personal life.”

James Barclay

“My passion for education began early in my career, but as I progressed I really felt that I should ‘learn how to teach’ to ensure that those learners achieve the very best education.

“The course actually taught me how to learn, and in doing so I believe that I have transformed myself and have gained the confidence to empower others to do the same. The PGCert at Brighton came with high praise from colleagues who had completed it in recent years. The staff on the course were professional, supportive and encouraged me to challenge myself, for which I am extremely grateful.

“Successfully completing the PGCert has been my greatest achievement since qualifying and I highly recommend anyone who has an interest in education to challenge themselves and apply.”

James graduated in 2019. He is an advanced practice physiotherapist in the outpatient department and spinal triage clinic of Worthing Hospital.

Joy Murphy

Winner of the SHS Student Prize for Excellence 2017–2018

“The transformational aspect of the PGCert very much applied to my own overall mindset and approach to learning. Transitioning from the role of a mentor into delivering academic-level education both challenged and rewarded my skills.

“Taking on a student representative role, contributing to clinical teaching in the nursing BSc programme, and the social learning aspects of the course were all key to building an educator identity. The sum of these efforts in my PGCert journey laid the foundations for trust in my capabilities to take on a practice educator role and design service-led programmes for my clinical area.

“I was delighted to achieve consistently high grades and positive feedback in the PGCert. The inclusion of formative assignments and the accompanying feedback were vital in order to build clarity and quality in my work, and it was an affirmation to win the School’s Prize for Excellence.

“I’ve been able to continue the academic teaching aspect of my practice through a visiting lecturer contract for the Nursing BSc at the university and have delivered sessions for the current PGCert cohort. These sessions have been met with positive feedback from each learner group and motivated me to continue my own academic development and I’m now working towards obtaining a Health and Education MSc.”

Joy is a nurse and 2018 graduate.

Laura McLaughlin

“I came on to the PGCert course looking to validate my current teaching practices and deepen my understanding of how students learn. Instead, I truly transformed my way of interacting with learners, changed my view of myself as an educator and saw a passion for quality education grow into something bigger than me.

“Through this course I have helped to make changes to the way undergraduate students are taught whilst with us on clinical placement and this has lead me to a new role within my organisation as lead clinical tutor which I would not have achieved without the education and knowledge I have gained through my time on this course.

“On top of all this, I have met such amazing people and they have become my peers and colleagues in a broader community of practice which has given me a wider horizon –something I was lacking coming from a small professional background. I would recommend the PGCert to anyone who has an interest in education – it will take that interest and turn it into an ambition.”

Laura is an orthoptist and 2019 graduate.