Course summary

Designed and delivered by active applied health and social care researchers, our course will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to progress your research career. Designed to fit around your personal and professional commitments, the PG Cert and PG Dip courses in Health Research deliver introductory research methods training designed to inspire the next generation of applied health, healthcare and social care researchers. Our courses are ideal for health and social care professionals, those already working in research and those who have an interest in applied health, healthcare and social care research. You’ll be supported by our dedicated and enthusiastic team of academics and researchers to develop and apply your research knowledge and skills through interactive teaching sessions using current examples from their own research. You’ll explore the principles of research design, apply your knowledge to design high-quality, ethical and inclusive studies, discover the practicalities of delivering applied research, and critically appraise existing studies. There will be opportunities to engage with a range of quantitative and qualitative data, such as big data (large routine data sets and linked health and social care data), thick data (ethnographic data), survey data, and interview data. Our approach means you’ll learn together with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds, supported by our interdisciplinary team of applied researchers. Our courses in Health Research can be taken as a PG Cert, which is a stand-alone qualification, or as a stepping-stone to a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research. The PG Cert is part-time. To enable you to fit the modules around your professional commitments, most modules are taught in blocks that run over four consecutive days, with a gap of several weeks between modules. Typically, the Certificate can be gained after six months of study. Why study at Leeds?

• The School of Medicines’ world-renowned research directly informs our course, meaning your learning will be shaped by current, innovative research that has real-world impact.

• Our interactive and engaging sessions are designed to facilitate your learning and application of research knowledge and skills, providing you with a solid grounding in interdisciplinary, applied health and social care research.

• You’ll be supported throughout your studies by our interdisciplinary team, who are experienced and enthusiastic educators, as well as active researchers (both clinical and non-clinical). Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in research design (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods), medical statistics and biostatistics, epidemiology, applied qualitative health research, health economics, evidence synthesis, clinical trials, use of health and social care data, and health and social sciences.

• Opportunity to learn together with colleagues from a range of professional backgrounds, including medics, nurses, allied health professionals, social workers and researchers.

• Our current students highlight the knowledge and infectious enthusiasm of our team, our inclusive learning environment in which all can participate, and the engaging teaching sessions.

• The course is designed with flexibility in mind to enable you to study alongside your professional and personal commitments, allowing you to progress in stages from the PG Cert to the PG Dip to the MSc.

• On successful completion of the course, you’ll graduate with a firm foundation in applied health and social care research, which is increasingly sought after in healthcare, social care and research sectors.