MSc in Medical Leadership

Students outside the UK will require a 'Student Visitor Visa' to study on this course. For questions on visas, please contact the International Student Administration team at Birkbeck on +44 (0)20 7631 6295 / 6526 or isa@bbk.ac.uk.

In the first year (Certificate level) of the course there are a total of 12 compulsory contact days held at the Royal College of Physicians in London. These are made up of four 3-day modules. In the second year (Diploma level) of the course there are a total of 12 compulsory contact days held here at the Royal College of Physicians. These are made up of four 3-day modules. In the final year there are no compulsory contact days. Students will be assigned a personal tutor whilst completing their independent research project and are advised to meet three or four times throughout the year.

You are able to defer your place on the course at any point, but the course must be completed within 5 years of when the application is accepted.

No. The teaching days (12 each year) are compulsory. However, these teaching days are supported via an online learning platform (Moodle), where reading materials and student forms can be found.

There is no financial support available from either Birkbeck or the RCP for this course. Most students secure funding from their deanery to undertake the course. 

Yes. Ahead of each module, a number of pre-readings will be distributed which are accessible via our online learning platform Moodle. These readings will provide a background to the upcoming module content and the lectures given will build upon this knowledge.

Each module has a group work component and a 2,000-word individual assignment, worth 20% and 80% of the module marks respectively. The group work is assessed during the module. The individual assignment is submitted online 4 weeks after the teaching days and the results are distributed prior to the next module.

Each level of the programme carries 60 masters-level credits, which equate to 600 hours of study time. This includes attendance at face-to-face teaching days, self-directed study and research, and completion of assignments. This is an approximation only and the hours required may vary according to individuals’ prior experience of the subject.  This is in line with all other masters-level programmes in the UK.

Yes. The RCP CPD diary scheme allows you to claim one credit for every 1 hour of learning. Credits obtained from the MSc programme can be entered under the ‘self-certified’ tab in the CPD diary. Please be aware that a maximum of 12 credits will be counted as external per annum. The remaining MSc credits will be counted as personal. If you are registered with another CPD scheme please contact your scheme coordinator to confirm how to apply for credits.

Each module has a module tutor: a member of staff from Birkbeck who is responsible for the bulk of the teaching. The students are given the contact details for this tutor and should refer all subject-related queries to them. If you have any further questions, please contact the postgraduate programmes team at postgraduate@rcplondon.ac.uk.

All students will have full access to the Birkbeck library and the Jerwood Medical Education Resource Centre (MERC) at Royal College of Physicians. Specialist collections of books and journals are available as well as remote access to a wide range of electronic materials and databases.