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Medical & Healthcare Education PG Dip

Postgraduate degree accredited by AoME

Study our online PG Dip in Medical and Healthcare Education - an AoME-accredited postgraduate diploma designed for registered healthcare professionals who want to advance their teaching practice and pursue educational leadership, all 100% online via distance learning.

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Key facts about your online degree

How you'll study

This course is studied 100% online

Course length

Study this course over 16 months

Start dates

Start in January, May or September

Application deadline

Our next deadline is 11th May 2026

Fees: £5,733

Payment plans available

Professional accreditation

Academy of Medical Educators

PG Dip in Medical Education: Course overview

Our postgraduate diploma in medical education is one of the few fully online PG Dip programmes accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators (AoME), making it ideal for healthcare professionals who teach or support learning within clinical settings.

Studying a postgraduate diploma in medical education online offers the flexibility to progress your career while balancing existing commitments, combining expertise in healthcare and education. Tailored for registered healthcare professionals who teach or support learning, this distance learning course strengthens your knowledge of teaching and learning approaches within clinical settings and helps you take the next step towards educational leadership. You’ll refine your teaching practice, from engaging learners to creating effective resources, supported by interactive activities, formative assessments and guided tutorials.

You’ll also develop advanced skills in healthcare education and research, applying your learning to real-world challenges within your professional context. Learning alongside doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, dentists and allied health professionals, you’ll benefit from valuable inter-professional perspectives and innovative assessment methods.

This medical education online course is offered at Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) level, with the opportunity to progress to a full MSc if you wish.

Already hold a PG Cert in higher education relevant to teaching and learning or a Pg Cert in Medical and Healthcare Education from ARU or another UK institution? You may be eligible for 60 credits of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL), potentially reducing your tuition fees and study time. Find out more in the entry requirements section below with opportunities for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) and progression routes to further postgraduate study

Why choose the ARU Medical Education PG Dip?

Study 100% online, giving you the flexibility to balance learning with professional and personal commitments
Learn from experienced healthcare practitioners and medical educators at a University of the Year (THE)
Strengthen your professional practice with a comprehensive understanding of medical education
Support your career progression in healthcare teaching and education roles
Apply your learning to practical challenges within your own professional setting
Choose optional modules aligned to your interests, on a course mapped to the Professional Standard Framework (PSF-23) of Advance HE
Use your completed PG Dip as a route to AoME membership - a nationally recognised mark of excellence for medical educators
Benefit from APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning) if you hold a relevant PG Cert, reducing your study time and fees

What you’ll gain from the Medical Education PG Dip

The capability to take on leadership roles in healthcare education
Enhanced teaching skills, from engaging learners to developing impactful learning materials
A strong foundation in medical and healthcare education to inform your professional practice
The ability to apply key teaching and learning theories within your workplace
Advanced, practice-focused knowledge relevant to your area of healthcare
Core research skills to support evidence-based improvements in your teaching practice
The skills to design and evaluate educational programmes within your clinical or professional setting - going beyond the PG Cert to develop genuine leadership capability

Next application deadline: 11th May 2026

Apply now

Course modules and assessments

Modules

Principles of Medical and Healthcare Education

This module will introduce you to some of the key principles within medical and healthcare education. Encouraging you to reflect upon your own experiences, both as a learner and as an educator. You’ll develop and enhance your own teaching practices, exploring principles, incorporating critical analysis of relevant literature. You'll address practical aspects of teaching, from motivating learners through to designing effective learning resources to enhance your teaching strategies and we'll provide guidance on planning, delivering and reflecting on teaching sessions to maximise the quality of your learning experience.

Philosophies of Medical and Healthcare Education

During this module you’ll engage with fundamental questions concerning the aims, values and outcomes of education, within your sphere of practice. You'll be encouraged to reflect on your role within the educational process and how your personal aims and values might influence your practice. You'll explore incidences of when policy and practice are misaligned and the practical implications of this within your field, drawing on your understanding of educational theory to propose solutions.

Postgraduate Research Design

This module will give you the tools you need in order to identify and plan research to address a real world problem within your practice, or address a gap in your existing knowledge within your field. It is designed for participants from across the School of Medicine which is reflected in the diverse content including: evaluating literature, designing research questions, systematic review procedures, qualitative and quantitative research methods and data analysis, issues of rigour and ethical considerations in research.

Optional Modules

The Medical and Healthcare Education PG Dip builds on the foundations of the PG Cert with additional compulsory and optional modules, totalling 120 credits. This gives you a more in-depth grounding in research design and specialist practice areas.

You will need to select one optional module. Please note if you select the Principles of Simulation in Medical and Healthcare Education optional module you will be required to attend three workshops on our ARU Chelmsford Campus.

Specialist Techniques for Medical and Healthcare Education (Optional)

Principles of Simulation in Medical and Healthcare Education (Optional)

Developed for those involved in, or interested in, developing and leading simulation-based learning within medical and healthcare education. Delivered using blended learning, you’ll be encouraged to critically explore the evidence base behind the use of simulation in medical education, before attending 3 workshops based at Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford Campus. During these workshops you’ll experience different aspects of planning and designing simulation sessions as both a learner and facilitator, allowing you to see how the theoretical concepts behind simulation are applied in practice. You’ll be supported through the design and development of a simulation-based learning activity for your specific context, and, in a final follow-up workshop, you’ll lead a session with your fellow students acting as co-facilitators and learners.

Global Leadership (Optional)

Businesses, whether private, public or third sector, operate in a world facing a range of urgent global issues. You’ll examine the fitness of businesses and individuals to tackle such issues, based on the Global Leadership model developed by lecturers at ARU. You’ll cover effective decision making, adoption of a global approach, creation of a new business paradigm and creation of a contemporary mission. You’ll also consider the related concept of mis-leadership, which looks at how leaders have often failed to achieve the optimum outcomes for those they lead.

Modules are subject to change and availability.

How you’ll be assessed

Assessment methods vary according to module selection, but will include written essays, teaching observations, research proposals, educational portfolios and research reports.

Meet your course leader

Dr Eshtar Hamid

Course Director: Medical and Healthcare Education

Dr Eshtar Hamid is a senior medical educator and Course Director for the Medical and Healthcare Education programme at the School of Medicine, Anglia Ruskin University (ARU). With a background in medicine, she brings a strong passion for advancing education and research in teaching and learning across healthcare disciplines. Her academic interests centre on the development of active and innovative pedagogical approaches, particularly through the integration of technology such as simulation-based learning.

Dr Hamid’s work is grounded in research-informed practice, focusing on evaluating student experiences across diverse teaching and learning strategies. She also leads the Medical Education Research Group at ARU, where she supports the design and implementation of educational projects aimed at enhancing curriculum design and instructional effectiveness. Eshtar is also an academic supervisor, supporting students undertaking workplace-based projects that bridge theory with real-world practice.

Her role involves guiding learners through the design, implementation, and evaluation of educational initiatives within clinical and healthcare settings. She is committed to fostering reflective practice and helping students develop the skills to critically appraise and enhance teaching and learning in their professional environments.

Accreditation

AoME Accredited*

AoME accreditation of our Medical and Healthcare Education PG Cert means that if you have completed the PG Cert modules under ARU, you will be able to apply for Membership of the Academy which offers many additional benefits including signifying that you have been judged to meet the Academy’s Professional Standards for Medical Educators at an appropriate level.

*Accreditation cannot be met if you have completed your PG Cert modules through a different institute.

How you'll study

100% Online study

Dedicated support

Study online and graduate on campus

Our Medical and Healthcare Education PG Dip is studied 100% online.

Please note if you select the Principles of Simulation in Medical and Healthcare Education optional module you will be required to attend three workshops on our ARU Chelmsford Campus.

You’ll study through Canvas, our world-class online Learning Management System (LMS), which can be accessed from your phone, PC or tablet, at home or on the move. Canvas provides instant access to study materials, forums, and support from tutors and classmates, as well as enabling easy submission of your assignments.

This distance learning PG Dip is designed so that you never need to attend campus to complete your studies - making it accessible for healthcare professionals working in the UK and internationally.

On successful completion of your studies, you’ll be invited to attend a graduation ceremony on campus. If attending the ceremony in person is not possible then we’ll arrange to have your certificate sent to you.

Entry requirements

What you’ll need to start this course

You’ll need a minimum of a 2:2 honours degree, or primary medical qualification. If you are a non-graduate but have extensive relevant practical and continuing professional development experience you are also encouraged to apply.

You must be a registered practitioner with at least two years of post-registration experience in the field of health or social care and actively involved in facilitating teaching and learning within your professional role.

You will need to provide evidence that a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) clearance has been undertaken.

If you have lived outside of the UK for 6 months or more within the last 5 years then you will need to provide a police check from the country/countries previously resided in.

If you are completing placements overseas you will be required to obtain a police check/certificate of good conduct from the relevant country.

If English is not your first language, you will be expected/asked to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

As a distance learner, you’ll also need a suitable computer with internet connection, together with sufficient IT competence to make effective use of word processing, internet, and email.

If you have completed a relevant PG Cert degree in Medical and Healthcare Education or Learning and Teaching at Anglia Ruskin University, or another UK institution, you can apply to enter the online Medical and Healthcare Education PG Dip course with 60 credits exemption. This exemption will reduce the tuition fee for the full Diploma and may reduce the length of time needed to complete the degree.

Please note: Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements. Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course, please contact us for further information.

Fees and Funding

Fees

The full tuition fee for this PG Dip in medical education is £5,733.

The tuition fees you pay each year for the full Medical and Healthcare Education Postgraduate Diploma will be £4,300 in year 1 and £1,433 in year 2. The course is studied over 16 months.

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may reduce the tuition fees. This will be confirmed once your application has been submitted. Please note that APL may affect your eligibility for a postgraduate loan.

Funding

Your masters in medical education can be fully funded by the Postgraduate Student Loans now available (subject to eligibility).

We offer payment by instalments, so you can spread the cost of studying with us.

NHS employees may also be eligible for employer-funded CPD. We recommend checking with your Trust’s education department whether this course qualifies for NHS funding support.

For military students: You can use your ELCs towards this course. Anglia Ruskin University is a recognised ELCAS provider (number 1007). Please contact your Learning Centre for details of ELC, eligibility and how to apply.

For more information on how you fund your studies please see our funding page.

What our students say

0%

of our Alumni would recommend studying with ARU Distance Learning

0%

found studying via distance learning either ‘very accessible’ or ‘quite accessible’

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felt ‘much more confident’ or 'more confident’ at work

2026 Alumni survey with 268 respondents

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Awards and recognition

Be part of the University of the Year

We're proud to be the Times Higher Education (THE) University of the Year 2023. The prestigious THE awards honour ’exceptional performance during the 2021-22 academic year, and reflect ARU’s success in delivering high-impact projects during this period, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The award recognises the difference we make in the region and our communities – while also acknowledging the broader impact of our world-leading research, and the contributions our students and graduates make to society.

Supported distance learning

We understand that distance learning is different to traditional campus study and if you’re new to online study you may have concerns or apprehensions about studying your PG Dip in medical education remotely, and that’s natural.

To help put your mind at ease we have a dedicated Distance Learning Support Team to help and support you throughout your time at ARU, starting with your first online induction and staying with you right through to graduation. In addition, you’ll also be supported by specialist module tutors, well experienced in supporting distance learning students.

Once you start your Postgraduate Diploma in Medical and Healthcare Education, we encourage the creation of online communities and many of our learners find these connections with others invaluable, helping them to stay motivated, share concerns or make new friendships.

Visit our support page to learn more about our support services.

Careers

Everything you need to know about building your career in medical education

What could a PG Diploma in medical education do for my career?

The course is shaped by employers and practice partners, including NHS trusts, GP practices and university faculties so you can be assured the curriculum is relevant to busy professionals like yourself working in a healthcare setting. You’ll build the confidence to teach, assess and support learners effectively across a range of clinical and professional settings.

The PGDip helps you develop evidence-based knowledge and practical skills you can apply directly to your role. You’ll strengthen your leadership potential, enhance your credibility as an educator and adopt lifelong learning habits that support long-term career progression in healthcare, academia and professional practice.

As an AoME-accredited qualification, completing this PG Dip opens a pathway to membership of the Academy of Medical Educators - a nationally recognised professional body that demonstrates your commitment to excellence in healthcare education.

What skills will I get from a Medical and Healthcare Education PG Dip to help my career?

You’ll enhance your CV with a higher-level award that includes both deeper knowledge of the subject and added transferable skills such as the ability to:

Deliver engaging learning sessions with confidence
Improve teaching through critical reflection
Shape better curricula and learner outcomes
Apply ethical practice in teaching and research
Champion inclusive learning for all students
Strengthen communication and presentation skills
Use technology to enhance learning experiences
Meet professional and regulatory teaching standards
Connect theory to real-world healthcare practice
Solve workplace challenges with evidence-based strategies
Lead projects effectively and ethically
Build skills for lifelong career development

What can I study after a PG Diploma in medical education?

Careers Advice Service

Once you become an ARU student you will be able to access our Employability service to help you whatever stage of your career, whether that’s landing your dream job or the next progression step.

We offer:

careers advice, including one-to-one online and telephone appointments with our experienced advisers
help with your CV, job searches, applications, and interview preparation
an online portal packed with useful careers resources
our Employability Programme, which helps you hone the skills employers say they want in graduates.

FAQs

A selection of popular questions

What is the difference between the Medical Education PG Cert and PG Dip?

The PG Cert in Medical and Healthcare Education is a 60-credit qualification providing a strong grounding in the principles and philosophies of medical education. The PG Dip is a 120-credit qualification that builds on this foundation, adding a module in Postgraduate Research Design and a specialist optional module. The PG Dip therefore positions you for educational leadership and research roles within healthcare.

Can I study the PG Dip without completing the PG Cert first?

Is the ARU Medical Education PG Dip AoME accredited?

How long does it take to complete the PG Dip in Medical Education?

What are the entry requirements for the online Medical Education PG Dip?

Can I progress from the PG Dip to the full MSc in Medical Education?

Who is the Medical Education PG Dip designed for?

Take the next step, apply today

Next application deadline: 11th May 2026

Your future, on your terms. Apply now before the application deadline.