Overview
One in four people will experience a mental health problem during their lifetime. Affecting people from all walks of life, its impact is felt on individuals but also their families and the wider community. The innovative delivery of our Masters course will increase your knowledge and understanding of mental health care.
Careers
There’s no doubt that our course will strengthen your employment opportunities in health and social care. Having been taught to think both critically and analytically, you’ll graduate with the skills and knowledge needed for your future career in relevant industries, including public and private health and social care services.
You’ll develop skills that employers value together with a strong understanding of mental health issues, enhancing your employability and preparing you for middle or senior-ranking posts, in the UK and internationally.
Modules & assessment
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Collaborative working within mental health care is at the heart of this module, drawing on examples of good practice from a global perspective. Develop your understanding of collaborative working to enable high quality mental health care to be delivered. Focus on models of collaborative working and exploration of roles and responsibilities in delivering quality care. Collaborative working involves a range of stakeholders and organizations. The inclusion of service users and their families/carers in decision making has been a major shift in care delivery, as has the move from a medical model to a social model. Underpinning this is the emphasis on recovery principles and not symptom management. The development of peer workers in the UK has also led to recognition of how individuals who have experience of mental health problems can contribute to the recovery of others. Emphasis on collaboration to prevent mental health problems is also growing. This includes workplace and school-based initiatives to enable individuals to develop tools for managing their own mental health.
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Develop specialist knowledge on certain mental health skills, interventions and an understanding of the therapeutic milieu. You’ll begin to understand and comprehend various specialised aspects of the ‘craft of caring’ for people with a serious mental illness. You’ll have the opportunity to explore more specific aspects of professional care and it will give you the opportunity to develop a deep understanding of more complex individualised care, helping to improve the quality of care the patient receives. Explore the specialisms of forensics, older people, learning disabilities, carers, child and adolescence mental health care needs, as well as specialist services in community and inpatient. Alongside this you’ll be encouraged to consider an international perspective.
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With the increased emphasis on research in contemporary healthcare, it’s essential that you are familiar with research methodology. The ability to critically analyse and synthesise research is a necessary skill for all students, to be able to apply research in all areas of specialist interest in the delivery of effective patient care. You’ll revisit existing knowledge of the research process and we’ll assist you in further developing skills of critical analysis and synthesis. You’ll also have the opportunity to critically appraise the ethical dimensions of research studies that seek to develop, improve and advance healthcare services.
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Explore current issues in mental health from both a national and global perspective. Together we’ll address a number of issues related to mental health and society. The way in which mental illness is portrayed through the media and the impact this can have on interpretations of mental health and mental illness within a given society will be explored. This includes examining how mental health is represented in the news, on social media and within fictional sources including films and literature. The delivery of culturally appropriate health care will also be examined and how the knowledge gained can be applied to current or future practice.
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The Major Project is central to the Masters award and allows you to demonstrate your ability to synthesise learning from previous modules. You’ll use this learning as the basis for planning, conducting and writing up a literature review, using an enhanced approach to research or a work-based project. This is the opportunity for you to demonstrate your ability to raise significant and meaningful questions in relation to your chosen topic and a critical understanding of research methodology and its relation to knowledge. You’ll be able to develop solutions to ethical dilemmas likely to arise in your research or professional practice. As well as expanding existing knowledge, this will contribute to your development of best practice and critiquing primary research.
Assessment
You will complete the core modules detailed above. This course does not have any optional modules. Modules are subject to change and availability.
You’ll be assessed in a number of ways, from writing magazine articles and essays to delivering a presentation and a portfolio.
Module structure for distance learning students
Due to the structure of this course, there will be times when you'll study two modules simultaneously during a trimester. Our tutors will help you to manage your workload and assessment deadlines. Please contact us to discuss the pacing of this course and the options available to you. Email distancelearning@aru.ac.uk or call 01245 686707.
Where you'll study
Your faculty
The Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine and Social Care is the largest in ARU, with over 7,000 students. Our Faculty is teeming with expertise and primed to meet the demand for creating health professionals, teachers, doctors, scientists and educators for the three districts we serve: Chelmsford, Cambridge and Peterborough.
We have been training undergraduates for professional roles for over 25 years, with a reputation for quality, dedication and ambition balanced with student satisfaction.
We know that to give our students the very best experiential learning, prior to getting into the workplace, simulation is second to none, for safe, realistic, learning environments. We have invested heavily in purpose built simulated wards, science labs and skills space, to support our students through their learning.
Where can I study?
Chelmsford
Our striking, modern campus sits by the riverside in Chelmsford's University and Innovation Quarter.
Fees & funding
Course fees
UK students starting 2023/24 (full-time, per year)
£8,800
UK students starting 2023/24 (part-time, per year)
£4,400
Important fee notes
The part-time course fee assumes that you're studying at half the rate of a full-time student (50% intensity). Course fees will be different if you study over a longer period. All fees are for guidance purposes only.
How do I pay my fees?
UK students
You can pay your fees upfront, in full or in instalments – though you won't need to pay until you've accepted an offer to study with us. Find out more about paying your fees.
Funding for postgraduate students
It’s important to decide how to fund your course before applying. Use our finance guide for postgraduate students to learn more about postgraduate loans and other funding options.
We offer a fantastic range of ARU scholarships and bursaries, which provide extra financial support while you're at university. These include an Alumni Scholarship, worth 20% off fees for ARU graduates.
Entry requirements
Important additional notes
Our published entry requirements are a guide only and our decision will be based on your overall suitability for the course as well as whether you meet the minimum entry requirements.
Other equivalent qualifications may be accepted for entry to this course; please email answers@aru.ac.uk for further information. Applicants to undergraduate courses can also check our information about undergraduate entry qualifications.
You'll need a computer and reliable internet access to successfully engage with your course. Before starting a course, we recommend that you check our technical requirements for online learning.
Teaching at ARU
We offer face-to-face campus teaching (with the exception of Distance Learning courses), supported by our established online learning systems, which provide additional support for individual study and engagement. The number of contact hours varies course by course, and you can contact us for further information.
In the event that there are restrictions that are put into place due to the pandemic by the government - we will endeavour to retain face to face teaching as much as possible but will respond accordingly to the restrictions placed on the University.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you'll need to make sure you meet our English language requirements for postgraduate courses.
Check the section 'Standard entry requirements' for IELTS requirements for this course.
Improving your English language skills
If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry.
We also provide our own English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) in the UK and overseas. To find out if we are planning to hold an ELPT in your country, contact our country managers.
