Health Courses in UK Universities for International Students

The healthcare sector in the UK is booming, and international students and professionals are in high demand! Whether you’ve studied medicine, nursing, psychology, social work etc., you can find excellent options to study and work in the UK in the healthcare sector. 

Depending on your career goals, you’ll have plenty of program options: 

• A longer MSc degree, often with a major research component.

• A shorter PG Diploma or PG Certificate which are entirely taught programs.

Read on for our guide to Healthcare Courses in the UK for International Students.

What to Study in UK: Healthcare

1. Nursing

2. Nutrition

3. Physiotherapy

4. Clinical Research

5. Leadership and Management in Healthcare

6. Health Informatics

7. Mental Health

8. Occupational Therapy

Nursing

The UK is known worldwide for the quality of its hospitals, other facilities and practitioners – especially in its world-renowned National Health Service (NHS). Working in close contact with these hospitals, you’ll develop an advanced specialist skill-set in Nursing practice, that readies you for a job in the UK. MSc programs are particularly useful for nurses aspiring to higher roles in research, leadership and education. 

You’ll choose from 4 specialisations – Adult, Child, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities.

The MSc programs are typically for 1 or 2 years. Some have earlier exit points or part-time study options leading to PGDip/PGCert. Cost of study ranges from 15-25,000 GBP per year.

Where to Study:

• MSc Nursing (Adult), University of Essex

• MSc Nursing Studies, University of Bradford

• MSc Graduate Entry Nursing, University of Nottingham

• MSc Nursing, University of Hertfordshire

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Nursing, University of Salford

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Nursing, Ulster University 

• MSc Children and Young People Nursing, Coventry University

• MSc Midwifery Studies, Maternal and New-born Health, University of Nottingham

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

You’ll study a range of fundamental Nursing modules, such as:

• Fundamentals of Nursing Practice

• Using Evidence in Health Care Practice

• Clinical Decision Making

• Complex Care Delivery

• etc.

In addition, you’ll receive training in the specialisation you’ve chosen, like Delivering Compassionate Care as an Adult Nurse, or Research Skills for Maternal and New-born Health Practice.

If you’re pursuing an MSc you’ll also write a research-based dissertation.

Practical Learning:

A key part of your nursing program involves spending time doing fieldwork, working in the laboratory, or working in a professional placement to contribute to and experience community healthcare. 

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

Regardless of the program you choose, you’ll develop the high levels of reflection, decision-making and criticality in nursing theory and research, required to have a successful career in Nursing.

Following your graduation, you’ll have to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to become a registered nurse. Following this, you can pursue jobs in the NHS or other hospitals and healthcare facilities in the UK. An MSc will help you reach leadership positions or enter academics. You’ll also be eligible for PhD studies.

Nutrition

These programs equip you with the knowledge of nutrition and its effect on health and illness, to help you find work in the UK or elsewhere. You’ll cover one or more specialisations like public health nutrition, clinical nutrition, obesity and weight management, sports and exercise nutrition. 

The programs are typically for 1 year, with tuition fees starting at 17,000 and going up to 26,000 GBP.

Where to Study:

• MSc Nutrition, University of Leeds

• MSc Human Nutrition, University of Glasgow

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Clinical Nutrition, University of Nottingham 

• MSc/PGDip Human Nutrition, Manchester Metropolitan University

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

Your program will offer a range of mandatory and optional modules, such as:

• Nutrition: Policy and Practice

• Digestion, Absorption and Nutritional Metabolism

• Dietary and Nutritional Assessment

• Public Health and Eating Behaviour

• Obesity 

• Diabetes

• Paediatric Nutrition

• Food Composition and Analysis

• Sustainable Diets

• Impacts of Food Processing on Nutritional Quality

• etc.

You’ll learn through lab work and research projects, helping you gain practical transferable skills.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

By the end of your program, you’ll develop:

• In-depth understanding of the relationships between diet, disease and health.

• Ability to analyse and critically evaluate nutrition and food science theory and practice.

• Understanding of ethics, research methodologies and statistical analyses.

You’ll go on to work as a professional nutritionist in a variety of settings, including food and health industries, public health, research, health promotion, food policy etc. You’ll also be eligible for PhD studies.

Physiotherapy

These are some of the most popular healthcare courses in the UK for international students. You can choose from a number of pre-registration MSc programs, designed to develop you into a qualified and competent physiotherapist, and to qualify you to register as a physiotherapist with the concerned official bodies.

These programs are usually for 2 years, with cost of study ranging between 15-23,000 GBP per year.

Where to Study:

• MSc Physiotherapy, Manchester Metropolitan University

• MSc Physiotherapy, Oxford Brookes University

• MSc/PGDip Physiotherapy, University of Birmingham

• MSc/PGDip Physiotherapy, University of Brighton

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

You’ll study a number of core modules, such as:

• Physiotherapy in Health and Rehabilitation 

• Evidence-based Cardiorespiratory Practice 

• Evidence-based Neurological Rehabilitation 

• Evidence-based Musculoskeletal Practice

• Health, Wellbeing and Exercise

• etc.

You will also study scientific methods for physiotherapy research, and undertake a research project.

Practical Learning:

Over the course of your studies, you’ll undertake professional placements in private or NHS facilities in the UK. Some universities offer the chance to go abroad for your placement. These opportunities help you gain much-needed practical experience in the field.

To prepare you to undertake field practice, you’ll have access to cutting-edge labs and facilities as part of your campus-based learning.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

By the end of your program, you’ll:

• Become a competent, evidence-based and patient-centred physiotherapy practitioner.

• Develop essential skills of clinical reasoning, manual skills, massage and exercise therapy.

• Be self-motivated, proactive and equipped to make informed judgements in clinical practice.

• Be experienced in multi and interdisciplinary working.

• Understand issues of health inequalities, the UK’s legal and policy frameworks, and integrated care.

You’ll be eligible to register yourself with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

You’ll go on to jobs in settings like hospitals, community care centres or sports facilities. You’ll be able to work for the NHS, for private facilities or on a freelance-basis in the UK or abroad. You’ll also be able to pursue a PhD in a specialisation of your choice.

Clinical Research

These programs are ideal for people working or aspiring to work in the field of clinical and health-related research. They are designed to cover the fundamental concepts and methods of clinical research. PGCert and PGDip programs help train you in the fundamentals, with the final MSc requiring you to perform original research.

The programs can range between 1 to 3 years, depending on the level of study and the university. It will cost you about 25,000 GBP on average.

Where to Study:

• PGDip/PGCert Clinical Research, Lancaster University

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Clinical Research, University of Sheffield

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Clinical Trials, University of Birmingham 

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Clinical and Health Sciences with Clinical Research, Newcastle University 

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

During your program, you’ll be studying a range of optional and core modules covering topics like: 

• Clinical Trials

• Research Methods

• Statistics

• Health Needs Assessment, Planning and Evaluation

• Lifecycle of Clinical Research

• Healthcare Policy Formation and Practice 

• etc. 

A major focus in the MSc route is on formulating a research question and writing a dissertation.

Throughout your training, you’ll gain hands-on experience working in clinical settings in the university’s state-of-the-art facilities.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

Over the course of your program, you’ll develop:

• Knowledge and skills required to initiate and undertake high-quality clinical or health-related research projects. 

• Ability to critically appraise the methods and results of existing research.

• Ability to explore the implications of research for clinical and health-related practice.

With your qualification, you’ll be eligible to seek work in a variety of settings, from clinical practice, health care organisations to universities, in roles like healthcare professional, statistician, economist, qualitative researcher, quality assurance officer, trial co-ordinator or administrator. PhD studies is also a great option.

 All you need to know about Studying in UK

Leadership and Management in Healthcare

Leadership and management skills are the need of the hour, as healthcare services around the world become more complex. You’ll combine clinical, social and managerial skills, to solve problems and launch innovative programs in the delivery of care. You’ll go on to work in the UK healthcare system or elsewhere in the world with your highly transferable skill-set.

This program is typically for one year, and will cost about 23-24,000 GBP.

Where to Study:

• MSc Leadership and Management in Health and Social Care, Southampton University

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Health Services Management, University of Glasgow 

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

Your compulsory and optional modules will cover a range of essential topics in Management and Leadership in Health Services, like Human Resource Management, Marketing Management, and Managing Strategic Change. Other topics such as Policy and Governance, Global Health, Environmental Sustainability and Health and so on, may also be offered.

If you’re studying the MSc option, your program will culminate in a research-based dissertation or project, helping you gain valuable research skills.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

By the end of your program, you’ll:

• Be able to provide safe, high-quality care through effective organisation and management. 

• Be able to understand and influence both group and organisational practices.

• Be equipped to design policies, design and implement programs and services, and lead service improvement teams.

• Develop management, marketing and leadership skills.

• Develop adaptable, creative, analytical and innovative skills.

• Be equipped to deal with the pressure of an ever-changing sector and senior management roles.

You’ll find jobs in managerial and leadership positions at all levels and across the world. Some settings include large hospital organisations, the private healthcare sector, charity organisations, pharmaceutical industries, NGOs working at local, national or global level, or even global organisations like the WHO. Pursuing a PhD is also an option.

Health Informatics

Health informatics is one of the growing professional fields in the UK, owing to the increasing importance of digitisation of healthcare. You’ll be introduced to the role of IT involved in developing patient-focused systems, the integration of systems, and using data to drive improvements. 

The program is typically for 1 year, and will cost you between 13-18,000 GBP.

Where to Study:

• MSc Health Informatics, University of West London

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Health Informatics, Swansea University

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Health Informatics, Manchester University

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

Your course is designed to meet the demands of a constantly evolving healthcare sector. Core topics will include Health Information Systems and Technologies, Data Management, Communication, Health Data Analytics and so on.

You will also get to choose from a range of optional modules to further advance your studies, such as Leadership in Health, Public Health Perspectives, Personalised Health Informatics and Patient Safety.

If you choose the MSc route, you will also complete a research-based dissertation or project, that’ll help enhance your research skills.

Practical Learning: 

This is a major focus on Health Informatics programs. You’ll have access to state-of-the-art technologies and facilities to learn with.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

By the end of your program, you’ll develop:

• The skills required to manage healthcare systems.

• An understanding of the healthcare system, including the importance of informatics in patient driven healthcare.

• Knowledge of key health informatics principles, concepts and skills.

• Skills in leadership, creative and innovative thinking.

You can establish a career in the public or private health sectors, in areas like:

• Clinical Informatics

• Clinical Bioinformatics

• Personalised Medicine

• Health Records and Patient Administrators

• Project and Programme Management

You can also pursue your PhD.

Mental Health

Mental health issues affect 1 in 4 individuals, and practitioners equipped for the support and care of people experiencing mental ill-health, are in high demand. Programs in mental health are thus some of the best options for healthcare courses in the UK for international students. You’ll have options to specialise in areas like Youth or Adult Mental Health, or in a particular kind of therapy.

The programs are usually for 1 year, with fees ranging from 13,000 to 22,000 GBP.

Where to Study

• MSc Mental Health (Youth/Interdisciplinary), University of Birmingham 

• MSc Adult Mental Health (Contemporary Studies), City, University of London

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Mental Health, Anglia Ruskin University

• PGDip Advanced Practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, University of Cumbria

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects: 

You’ll study the fundamentals of mental health and mental health practice, in modules like Principles of Mental Health and Disorder, Evidence-based Psychosocial Interventions in Mental Health and Contemporary Issues in Mental Health.

If your program is a specialised one, you’ll study these and other modules in relation to the area like Adult or Youth Mental Health. Some programs offer optional modules in topics like suicide and self-harm, mental health and well-being etc.

MSc programs will include a research component in the form of a dissertation or project.

Practical Learning: 

In order to prepare you for practice, a major part of your learning will involve simulated situations, in state-of-the-art clinical environments and technological interventions.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

By the end of your program, you’ll become an evidence-based practitioner able to critically evaluate approaches to support and care for people experiencing mental ill-health. You’ll gain an understanding of the key principles of mental healthcare and current issues affecting mental health policy and practice.

With your skills and certificate, you’ll find work in healthcare organisations like the NHS and international equivalents, in mental health nursing, social work, in NGO’s working at various levels, in clinical research etc. You’ll also be eligible to pursue a PhD.

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Occupational Therapy

Enter into the challenging and highly rewarding field of Occupational Therapy with a formal, UK-approved qualification. You’ll learn how health conditions and life events can impact people’s sense of self, relationships and occupations, and develop an understanding of the importance of promoting good health as well as managing illness.

These programs are generally for 2 years, with tuition fees ranging from 16-26,000 GBP.

Where to Study

• MSc Occupational Therapy, University of Southampton

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Occupational Therapy, University of Brighton

• MSc/PGDip/PGCert Advanced Clinical Practice (Occupational Therapy), Brunel University

Entry Requirements

Course Structure

Subjects:

Over the course of your studies, you’ll gain an in-depth theoretical and practical understanding of topics like:

• Theories of Occupation And Occupational Science 

• Occupation and Population Health

• Clinical Reasoning

• Occupational Therapy Process – including Assessment, Treatment, and Evaluation

• Occupational Therapy Skills – including Creative, Productive, Leisure and Daily Living skills

• Research Methods and Professional Issues

Practical Learning:

Besides hands-on training in state-of-the-art lab facilities, you’ll have opportunities to further build your skill-set, including:

• Placements: Every student must complete about 1000 hours in a professional placement in settings like NHS, social care organisations, schools etc.

• Dissertation/Project: You’ll receive training in research methods and undertake an independent research project or write a dissertation in a topic of your choice.

Learning Outcomes & Career Track

Upon completing your program, you’ll have developed:

• The ability to manage the promotion of good health and management of illness. 

• An understanding of the origins, philosophy and priorities of health and social care.

• The confidence to treat people with psychological, physical or social disabilities. 

• The ability to work with patients, their families and carers, as well as other healthcare professionals.

You’ll be eligible to register with the HCPC and practice in the UK as a registered occupational therapist. Some settings where your training will be put to good use, include:

• Acute care hospitals

• Long-term rehabilitation

• Social care

• Local communities

• Schools

• Factories

• Institutions for the elderly or disabled

• Prisons

You’ll also be able to pursue a PhD.

Did you find this information on Healthcare Courses in the UK for international students useful?

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Hurray’s Overseas Education Counselling Team will help you choose the right Healthcare program and the University that best fits your requriement. From sorting through the entry requirements, helping you with your SOP and LOR, applying to the program at the university to Visa to post-landing support, we take care of it all!

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