Full time 1 year

January, May and September

• Develop a broad range of health and wellbeing knowledge and experience, which will keep your options open at the end of the degree.
• A flexible curriculum which responds to emerging health and wellbeing issues.
• Choose your final project from a traditional dissertation or a negotiated work-based research project.

This course offers an opportunity to develop understanding, knowledge and expertise across a broad range of health and wellbeing subjects including mental health, weight management, the healthy environment, workplace wellbeing, healthy ageing and contemporary issues.

The course considers national and international trends and challenges in enabling sustainable population health and wellbeing, alongside developing students’ academic and professional skills to support both future career advancement and further research.

Health and wellbeing practitioners work alongside active researchers and experienced lecturers to help you follow your passion for improving the health and wellbeing of others. You will develop the skills and knowledge to understand the bigger picture in health and wellbeing strategy, policy and intervention planning, as well as focusing on the challenges to maintaining health and wellbeing for marginalised groups. 

Inequalities in health and wellbeing persist despite action being taken at multiple levels. You will develop the ability to analyse the complexity of responding to diverse needs, and develop solutions that are grounded in theory, based in evidence and are pragmatic and workable. This will enhance your employment prospects as you will be building your own problem-solving expertise within this field.

By the time you graduate, you will be able to apply your expertise and demonstrate that you are able to become a leader in this area going forwards, and/or progress on to doctoral-level study.

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Core modules:

Leading and Managing Change in Health and Wellbeing

This module will discuss policy agenda and strategies used in wellbeing. The module considers how individuals can work in organisations to lead and manage change. This will include concepts associated with preparing for change (consideration of the policy), implementing change (leading) and evaluating the change (sustaining the change that has been implemented). Sociology and psychology of health and wellbeing will be explored, taking into consideration a range of national and international perspectives. Various definitions of wellbeing, and social explanations for health inequalities based on social class, ethnicity, gender and age will be discussed. You'll reflect on your role in leading change and consider what skills are required.

Research Practice

In preparation for your extended research project, this module develops your understanding of qualitative and quantitative research methods in relation to research in health. You will explore contemporary debates in research methodology and ethics and develop the skills to be able to select and use an appropriate method for your extended study.

Dissertation or Work-based Project

You can choose between completing a traditional research dissertation or a negotiated work-based research project. This provides you with the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge developed during your course to a topic of particular interest and importance in the area of health and wellbeing.

Option modules:

You will be required to choose one option module from:

Mental Health and Wellbeing in Contemporary Society

This module critically explores reasons for patterns and trends in mental health, along with strategies and responses to address this growing issue. Your studies will focus on positive mental health, taking account of positive psychology, as well as mental ill-health, from a national, European and global viewpoint.

Weight Management: Social and Behavioural Aspects

In this module, you’ll explore the breadth of social and behavioural factors influencing weight. You will consider the impact of the obesigenic environment, the role of cultural, social and psychological factors in eating and exercise behaviours, and the causes and effects of disordered eating behaviour. You’ll also examine and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.

The Healthy Environment

In this module, you will consider what is meant by the term ‘environment’ to develop your understanding of the role of the social and built environment in contemporary health. The role of culture in nutrition and health-related practices will bring a real-life focus to the module, and your own role as an activist for promoting a healthy environment will be brought into focus.

You will also be required to choose one option module from:

Workplace Wellbeing

This module examines wellbeing and its effect upon national issues such as disability and unemployment, sickness/absence, long-term conditions, NHS spending and their associated tax burden. Within your own workplace, you will consider the application of strategic arguments into action and interventions in the business environment and will review and develop project management skills for planning and leading complex projects. Key issues relating to workplace wellbeing will be considered including ethical considerations, trends and patterns, health needs assessment, policy agenda, health communication theories, planning and evaluation methods. The influence of Public Health and its impact on local government and private sector approaches to workplace wellbeing will be explored through a range of case studies.

Healthy Ageing

We are living in an increasingly ageing population with 50% of the UK population over the age of 50. Maintaining independence and quality of life are important objectives not just individually, but also for governments who are facing a crisis in medical and social care costs. This module will explore global ageing, attitudes, policies and practices, questioning whether our ageing population is an economic burden or an underused resource.

Contemporary Issues for Specific Populations

This module responds to the challenging and emerging nature of health and wellbeing issues by focusing on the complexity of health and wellbeing needs for diverse, and often marginalised, populations. Through guest lectures and drawing on contemporary topics in health and wellbeing, you will explore experiences and responses to health and wellbeing challenges that are outside of the mainstream.

This programme is a distance-learning course delivered online. The programme is delivered full-time over one year through online introductory learning weekends, one at the beginning of each semester, and a range of online asynchronous learning material, webinars and with the support of course tutors and peer networks. One-to-one tutor support is available through a range of distance learning technologies and frequent feedback is given on contributions to learning forums.

We use a range of assessment methods across the course, in recognition that communication in the arena of health and wellbeing needs to be diverse in order to reach diverse audiences.

These include developing academic and practitioner posters and development plans. You'll also be assessed by writing journal articles, delivering video presentations, writing extended essays and critical literature reviews.

We don’t use exams as a form of assessment but our assessment methods do challenge you to extend your range of communication skills, preparing you well for career advancement.

This course is only open to students who already have the right to live and study in the UK.

Usual entry requirements are an undergraduate degree in a related area at 2:2 classification or above. Alternatively, applicants with an undergraduate degree in an unrelated area, but with subsequent work-related experience in health and wellbeing, are encouraged to apply.

We are able to consider applications from people who do not have a formal academic background, but who have significant and substantial work experience in an area relevant to health and wellbeing, through an application and assessment process. Additionally, applicants who have studied similar areas at postgraduate level can apply for accreditation of their prior certificated learning, where the learning outcomes for their former study can be mapped to the learning outcomes for this course.

If you are a non-native English speaker and have never been educated in the UK or another English-speaking country, IELTS will also be needed. IELTS 6.0 (with no less than 5.5 in any component) or equivalent is the minimum requirement.

Getting In Touch

If you need any more help or information, please email our Admissions Team on admissions@scholarsschool.ac.uk or call on +44 (0)207 183 3647

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £4,950 a year for this course in 2023/2024.

A Postgraduate Master’s Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate master’s course.

More information on the Student Finance section of the gov.uk website.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact with us on: 0207 183 3647 or 07312030667, alternatively please email us at: info@scholarsschool.ac.uk

Our intake dates are usually January, May and September, your application will be considered for the next intake.

This course is only open to students who already have the right to live and study in the UK.

Following review of your application by Scholars School System, information will be shared with Leeds Trinity University who will contact you with final confirmation of a decision on your application.

The course aims to equip future senior leaders and strategic thinkers in health and wellbeing with the knowledge, skills and expertise to enable them to take a leading role in responding to these complex issues.

By the time you graduate, you will be able to apply your expertise and demonstrate that you are able to become a leader in this area going forwards, and/or progress on to doctoral-level study.

Students who are enrolled on this degree, delivered in partnership with Leeds Trinity University, are eligible for membership of Leeds Trinity Students’ Union. Information on how to join the Students’ Union will be given to you when you begin your course.

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