Health Professions Education PGDip
Shape the future as a leader in healthcare and medical education. Improve your skills in teaching, leadership and research

Health professions education provides training in the theory and practice of education.
Specialists in health professions education train people to work in healthcare roles. This includes medical education and other fields like dental or nursing education. It also includes other allied health professions.
Education is central to healthcare and experts in this field are in demand globally. They're needed to address modern healthcare challenges.
This interactive course is for healthcare professionals. Particularly those aspiring to lead, innovate, and enhance education in the health professions. It blends educational theory with real-world application.
Whether you are new to teaching or not, we can help you improve your skills. You'll become an expert educator, curriculum designer, and academic leader.
Our renowned Centre for Medical Education receives global recognition. You'll receive a highly respected degree.
This course can open doors to academic leadership roles. These could be in universities, healthcare training institutions, or policy-making bodies.
What you will learn
Our wide-ranging curriculum fits with your specialism and your working aspirations.
First, we focus on developing your expertise as a teacher in healthcare education. This includes advanced knowledge in how to design curriculums and deliver your teaching. You'll also learn about assessment and feedback. You'll get opportunities to apply the theory to practice throughout.
Next, we focus on developing you as a leader. You'll be trained in leading innovation and change in healthcare education. You'll also learn about medical education research.
Your learning takes place within a large NHS teaching hospital. You'll learn from experts with global reputations in areas such as:
- medical education
- simulation
- clinical skills
- assessment
You'll also experience workshops and masterclasses with global education experts.
You'll be able to apply your learning directly to practice. This will be through:
- interactive workshops
- workplace-integrated learning
- simulation-based training
In our Clinical Skills Centre you'll experience simulation-based education, using cutting-edge technology.
Our Community of Learners is an innovative weekly session. It will help you build a sense of belonging within the course and the wider medical school.
Through peer collaboration, you'll experience case-based discussions, role-playing, peer feedback and hands-on activities. All the time you will be reflecting in action and on action.
Through interdisciplinary learning, you will engage with diverse health professions. This will build a strong network for you.
Why study Health Professions Education with us?
We help health professions educators reach their goals. We also ensure they're prepared to train the workforce of the future.
We're embedded within a well-respected medical school in an NHS teaching hospital. We have strong connections to the undergraduate medical degree programme. This keeps us grounded and up to date with all the changes in medical teaching.
We have a strong reputation in the field of health professions and medical education for many reasons:
- Innovations in teaching, learning and assessment have been developed here.
- We're recognised as the global standard for medical education.
- World-renowned Professor Ronald Harden OBE founded our Centre for Medical Education in 1972.
- We have the oldest and largest postgraduate medical education programme, launched in 1985.
- We are experts in delivering on-campus and online distance learning courses in this area.
- We have over 6,000 graduates across the world - many in influential areas of leadership and research.
- We offer a unique blend of theory, practice and innovation.
- We develop cutting-edge teaching strategies using clinical simulation.
- You'll have direct access to world-leading educators through our Centre for Medical Education.
- You'll experience the latest research and topics through our Grand Rounds talks.
This is the only full-time on-campus health professions education course in Scotland. You'll receive a good number of teaching contact hours each week. The hours are high when compared to other similar postgraduate courses.
We pride ourselves in the quality of our interactive and engaging courses. We focus on an interprofessional approach. This helps you collaborate with educators from other backgrounds and builds your network.
We have other related courses you may be interested in:
If you have any questions about the admissions process, studying, or living in Dundee, please contact us