Explore this course:

    PG Certificate
    2025 start September 

    Medical Education

    School of Medicine and Population Health, Faculty of Health

    Become an exceptional educator. Gain the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver high-quality teaching, and empower your students to meet modern healthcare challenges and provide effective care.
    PGCert Medical Education

    Course description

    This course gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to connect the theoretical principles of effective learning and teaching with their practice as educators. It is designed to enable you to fit your studies around your professional commitments. 

    You will study key concepts in learning, teaching, assessment and curriculum – for example, how to design and facilitate effective learning – beginning with more managed settings such as lectures, seminars, skills-based sessions and one-to-one tutorials. You will then learn how to develop safe, effective and sustainable learning in your workplace, focussing on helping your learners effectively integrate and participate in the clinical setting, become independent practitioners and develop their skills.

    In the final part of the course, you will evaluate an area of a curriculum you are familiar with and propose ways to improve it. The learning focuses on what a curriculum is, frameworks for its design, how to evaluate it, the role of assessment and the influence of policy.

    The University of Sheffield is a leading centre for medical education and you will be taught by a highly experienced, multi-disciplinary team.

    Applications

    This course has limited capacity, and we review applications on a first-come, first-served basis. This means that we may have filled all our places before the advertised application deadline. 

    Apply below

    Accreditation

    Accredited by the Academy of Medical Educators

    Modules

    A selection of modules is available each year - some examples are below. There may be changes before you start your course. From May of the year of entry, formal programme regulations will be available in our Programme Regulations Finder.

    The course consists of three 20-credit modules. Each module includes two study days. During the two study days, the core elements of the module will be explored, with examples from practice used to illustrate key components.  Each participant will be expected to participate in approximately eight weeks of online activity.

    Core modules:

    Effective Learning and Teaching

    This module focuses on how to design and facilitate effective learning, particularly within more 'managed' settings, for example in lectures, seminars, skills-based sessions and one-to-one tutorials. Through two face-to-face study days and online learning, students are introduced to a range of practical and theoretical concepts. These concepts inform students, for example, on how to write effective learning outcomes, how to create teaching sessions which reflect particular types of learning, and how to choose appropriate learning, teaching and assessment activities. Students take part in tutor and student-led sessions, developing  knowledge and skills which are transferable to their own practice and context.

    20 credits
    Work Based Learning

    This module focuses on how to develop effective learning in workplace settings. Through two face-to-face study days and online learning, students are introduced to a range of practical and theoretical concepts. These concepts inform students, for example, on how to help their learners effectively integrate and participate in the workplace, assist learners to become progressively independent and support their skill development. Students will also consider how to ensure learning is safe, effective and sustainable. Students take part in tutor and student-led sessions, which involve developing a work-based learning and teaching plan for their specific workplace setting.

    20 credits
    Curriculum Design and Development

    This module focuses on how to use curriculum design and development concepts to evaluate part of a curriculum. Through two face-to-face study days and online learning, students are introduced to a range of practical and theoretical concepts. These concepts inform students, for example, on what a curriculum is, widely used frameworks for the design and evaluation of medical curricula, and the role of assessment. Students will also consider how policy influences curriculum design and development. Students take part in tutor and student-led sessions, which involve evaluating areas of curriculum relevant to their practice and propose ways to improve them.

    20 credits

    The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

    Duration

    1 year part-time

    Teaching

    Each module includes two study days. You will also be taught through practical activities, online discussions and independent study.

    Assessment

    Each module is assessed through written submissions.

    Your career

    Our graduates have gone on to a wide range of roles in medical and healthcare education, training and supervision. These include senior management roles such as NHS Training Director and Armed Forces Training Commander, as well as academic positions in higher education. They work in many healthcare settings including the NHS, private healthcare and universities around the world.

    Student profiles

    Rob Conville Alumni

    The course revolutionised the way I approached teaching

    Rob Conville PGCert Medical Education

    The PGCert Medical Education gave Rob the knowledge and skills to develop his teaching practice to suit the learner and facilitate their learning.

    Rob Sandler Medical Education Headshot

    Knowing this course was available locally and delivered by an institution I trust made it an easy decision to make

    Rob Sandler PGCert Medical Education

    Rob enjoyed taking what he’d learned on one of the contact days and immediately implementing it into teaching the very next day.

    Ria STUDENT

    The course has been invaluable in equipping me to become a more knowledgeable educator as well as increasing my awareness of the GP trainee curriculum

    Ria Agarwal PGCert Medical Education

    Ria followed her undergraduate degree in biomedical sciences with the PGCert in Medical Education.

    Katy Owen STUDENT

    The course is full of inspiring clinical educators with their own experiences to share

    Katy Owen PGCert Medical Education

    Katy found that a course in the theory behind medical education was extremely beneficial to support her job.

    Entry requirements

    You will need:

    • a recognised degree in a healthcare profession and
    • experience in teaching or supervising learning in a healthcare or related setting and
    • access to learners in a healthcare or related setting

    We also consider a wide range of international qualifications:

    Entry requirements for international students

    We assess each application on the basis of the applicant’s preparation and achievement as a whole. We may accept applicants whose qualifications don’t meet the published entry criteria but have other experience relevant to the course.

    The lists of required degree subjects and modules are indicative only.  Sometimes we may accept subjects or modules that aren’t listed, and sometimes we may not accept subjects or modules that are listed, depending on the content studied.

    English language requirements

    IELTS 7.5 (with 7 in each component) or University equivalent.

    As this course is taught part-time, it is not open to applicants who require a visa to study in the UK.

    If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.

    Apply

    You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application form. It's a quick and easy process.

    The course will close on 1 July 2025.

    Apply now

    Contact

    Gail Hible

    med-ed@sheffield.ac.uk

    Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.

    Our student protection plan

    Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.