Professional Practice, Somatic Studies MA

Course content

What will you study on the MA Professional Practice, Somatic Studies?

This Masters programme is rooted in reflective practice – the course enables you to use your existing skills and knowledge, and find ways to explore your current practice. The course is divided into three modules with flexibility to pay per module and complete each phase in a time frame that works with and around your professional commitments and individual ambitions.

In this module, you will review any somatic-based practice you already have as well as prior learning, formal or informal, that contributed to your professional experience. This process allows you to better understand how you know what you know, and in some cases, discover that you know more than you think you do about your practice.

Through online discussion groups, guidance from your Academic Advisor and your module handbook, you are encouraged to reflect on your prior experiences and learning, culminating in a submission of a portfolio of short essays reflective of your career to date and supportive of your claims for academic credit at level 7. This is also a chance for you to apply any existing credits to this course, with a maximum of 50% of total credits for your MA achieved by the end of this module.

In this module, you will choose an area of somatic practice to research in-depth and explore any existing work related to your chosen subject. This is a chance for you to not only explore your own work but to look at the work of other practitioners and researchers, and explore new paths for your practice.

By the end of this module you will have produced a detailed research proposal that relates to your own professional practice. You will have accessed key sources, gained preliminary investigative experience and critical analytical skills that will further enhance the final phase of this course, as well as your career.

In this final module you will carry out the research proposed in the previous module and critically review the implications it has on your chosen area of somatic practice. This is a chance for you to explore your chosen subject in greater depth, collect, analyse and evaluate data, articulate your research within an academic framework and through dissemination to your field of practice.

As part of this module you will complete a 6,000-word critical review, give an oral presentation, and produce a professional artefact. The oral presentation and artefact allow you to find ways other than the written word through which to articulate your research.

On completing this module you will be able to demonstrate a high level of knowledge and skills in your chosen area of somatic practice, with transferable skills in reflective study, research and critical analysis that are increasingly valuable in today’s competitive job market.

You can find more information about this course in the programme specification. Module and programme information is indivative and may be subject to change.