Professional Practice (Health, Social Care, Public and Community Sectors) MA/MSc

As this masters course is designed to meet your professional development needs, and those of your organisation, it will usually include four kinds of modules: Review of Learning; Professional Development Practitioner Inquiry; and Negotiated Work Based Learning Projects. Typically MA/MSc courses are constructed to include a combination of these modules. Where appropriate it may be possible to include other Middlesex University Subject based Modules or Middlesex University accredited CPD

Review of Learning 10 credits @ level 7

The Review of Learning is a distinctive feature of work based learning and is made up of two parts. It is a dynamic process of identifying, analysing, and reflecting on your learning to date. The first part is a reflective essay wich accouts for the 10 credits. The second part is the process of develop and present a portfolio that demonstrates your prior learning. This portfolio is assessed for academic credit that can then be recognised as part of your study course. This can be up to 70 credits, consequently reducing the overall length of time and number of modules you are required to complete. In addition, this process will enable you to recognise and evaluate your existing work based knowledge and skills as a platform for further professional development.

Professional Development 10 credits @ level 7

Professional Development modules are designed to both introduce and develop the knowledge and skills required to engage in the negotiated work based learning process. They are also designed to enable you to create a professional development plan and course agreement. This will define the focus of your studies including your proposed work based projects and will be agreed in negotiation with your Academic Adviser and your employer (or other relevant party). These modules will also inform your plans for post course professional development and career enhancement.

Practitioner Inquiry 30 credits @ level 7

These modules are designed to enable you to learn about, and experiment with, methods of inquiry to inform your own work or professional practice. Module activities will enable you to gain inquiry related skills including critical analysis, evaluation and appraisal. These skills help you to select, develop and apply appropriate methods of work based inquiry to your work based projects.

This could include:

Analysis of the context in which a project is being undertaken including your role and position as worker/researcher and the ethical implications that arise from this.
Devising and applying real time work based activity development processes.
Critical appraisal of research/professional literature, organizational or national policy, professional standards or directives.
Appropriate inquiry methodologies and approaches to data in relation to the specific contexts of your work/practice.
Engagement with professional practice networks to inform the development and application of inquiry methods.
Negotiated Work Based Learning Projects 10 – 60 credits @ level 7
Negotiated Work Based Learning Project modules are designed to address real life work or professional practice issues and are designed to improve or inform areas of your own or others’ practice. The work undertaken can take a variety of forms relevant to your work and is negotiated with your academic adviser and your employer (or other relevant party) in order to be benefit your organisation. Projects may also generate creative solutions to work based issues or problems and so provide the opportunity to create new ways of thinking about particular areas of work or professional practice. All MA/MSc courses must contain a major (60 credit) Negotiated Work Based Learning Project module.