ma-international-migration-health-and-social-care

UNIVERSITY OF KENT Programme Specification MA in International Migration, Health and Social Care 1.. Ensure that students acquire the necessary skills for advanced assessment of contempo

UNIVERSITY OF KENT Programme Specification

MA in International Migration, Health and Social Care

1 Awarding Institution/Body University of Kent at Canterbury

2 Teaching Institution University of Kent at Canterbury

6 Programme MA in International Migration, Health and Social

Care

7 UCAS code (or other code) C802

8 Relevant QAA subject

benchmarking group/s

N/A

9 Date of production/revision November 2008

11 Educational Aims of the Programme

1 To equip students with an appropriate range of theoretical and practical knowledge in relation to migration, health and social care

2 Offer a critical perspective of the interplay between migration and political, economic and social systems and processes

3 Ensure that students acquire a solid understanding of methodologies for the study of social science in general, and in the application of those understandings to the study of migration health and social care in particular

4 Disseminate models of good practice in the field from other European countries and

critically examine their potential for transfer between European countries

5 To enable students to have a solid grounding in international issues influencing the health and social care of migrants and refugees

6 Ensure that students acquire the necessary skills for advanced assessment of contemporary problems in migration health and social care and their solutions

12 Programme Outcomes

The programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas

Knowledge and Understanding

A Knowledge and understanding

of:

Teaching/learning and assessment methods and strategies used to enable outcomes to be achieved and demonstrated

1 Theories of migration Teaching/learning

Lectures, case studies, directed reading, small group discussions and making use of the experience of programme participants are the primary teaching methods You are required to make brief knowledge-based presentations and contribute critically to discussion

2 The links between theory, practice and

outcomes

3 Models of service development from an

international perspective

4 Research methods in relation to

migrant groups

The usual model of assessment is through submission of one 5,000 word coursework essay for each one-unit module

Each essay is marked out of 100, and a mark of

40 constitutes a Pass

Dissertation

The second part of the programme consists of work on a dissertation on a topic agreed with the programme convenor, and with the help and advice of a supervisor, usually chosen from within SSPSSR

The exercise of researching and preparing a dissertation provides students with a high level of research skills in finding and using diverse materials The supervision arrangements allow students individual feedback on the progress of their work on a regular basis The length of the dissertation is 15,000 words

5 Relationships between culture and

health

6 Relationships between service

development and social/political

contexts

Skills and Other Attributes

B Intellectual (thinking) skills:

1 Analyse and evaluate evidence from

both practice and research Teaching/learningYour capacity to critically reflect upon academic

knowledge as well as knowledge from your working life, is facilitated through lectures, case studies, directed reading, small group discussions You receive support through the tutorial system to develop these skills in your written work; and receive detailed feedback on your essays

Assessment

As above

2 Evaluate the strengths and limitations

of different approaches to health and

social care provision

3 Think critically and write effectively

C Subject-specific skills:

1 To research and evaluate health and

social care programmes for migrant

groups

Teaching/learning

The core modules have been designed to support the development of these skills:

• Social and health care needs of minority ethnic groups

• Social and health care needs of refugees

• Improving service provision for cultural minorities

• Achieving Change in services

Assessment

As above

2 To assess the health and social care

needs of migrant groups and refugees

3 To achieve change in services for

migrant groups and refugees

4 Identify and disseminate good practice

D Transferable skills:

On successful completion of the

Programme students should be able to:

1 Undertake research from a diverse

range of sources, including data

Teaching/learning

The development of these skills is supported through the taught modules and tutorial support

policy makers, transnational agencies,

governmental data, as well as existing

survey and interview data;

2 Summarise detailed and complex

bodies of information concisely and

accurately;

3 Formulate arguments in verbal

presentations, using social science

language and terminology, and defend

these against opposing views;

4 Present information and arguments in

written form, in accordance with

academic conventions, and

appropriately to the intended

readership; and

5 Evaluate personal performance

As above

13 Programme structures and requirements, levels, modules, credits and awards

The Masters Degree in International Migration, Health and Social Care is offered on both a full-time and part-full-time basis Full-full-time students complete the Programme over one academic year and part-time students over two academic years For full-time students, six modules, each carrying 20 Kent credits, must be followed during a single academic year and for part time students three modules are followed in the first year and three in the second Each taught module which is successfully completed carries 20 Kent credits, with each credit amounting to approximately 10 hours of ‘learning time’ In addition, a Dissertation is required, which carries

60 Kent credits In total, therefore, the Programme requires 180 Kent credits for the Master’s Degree to be awarded, with all of these at level M

Students who successfully complete 60 credits from the taught required modules listed below will be eligible for a Postgraduate Certificate in International Migration, Health and Social Care Students who successfully complete 120 credits from the taught required modules listed below will be eligible for a Postgraduate Diploma in International Migration, Health and Social Care Please note that in both the case of the Postgraduate Certificate and in the case of the

Postgraduate Diploma the dissertation module cannot be used to make up these credits There will be an exam board held each year which will be able to award these secondary

qualifications

Required Modules

SO878 International Migration, Issues and

SO880 Humanitarian Issues in Forced

Migration

SO879 Migration Culture and Social Care M 20 Spring

Optional Modules (Note that these are indicative and are subject to change from year to year,

depending on availability.)

SO817 Using Secondary and Qualitative

Data

SA818 Making and Implementing Health

Policy

SO836 Gender and Family in a Global

Society

M M

PO859 Human Rights in a World of States M 20 Spring

NB: The programme as laid out in terms of available modules is subject to change.

14 Support for Students and Their Learning

General:

Orientation and Introduction Before the start of formal teaching, a meeting takes place with

the Programme Convenor to discuss the general structure of the Programme and to answer any questions

Student Guide All students are supplied with a booklet which documents all the formal

information about the Programme including the criteria that are applied to assessed work, the conventions for the award of the MA degree, and contact information for members of staff Information will also be provided about the modules that are available and the timetable for classes

Personal Academic Support All students are allocated to the Programme Convenor in

relation to the provision of personal advice and pastoral support The Convenor is available at

‘office hours’ during the week but is usually willing to meet individual students at any time by mutual agreement, particularly where an ‘urgent’ matter arises

Resolving Difficulties Several mechanisms are provided for the resolution of academic,

teaching or administrative difficulties which may be encountered by students Matters which are specific to a particular module are most appropriately addressed by discussion with the Module Convenor and Convenors will make themselves available to discuss issues of this kind and make their best effort to resolve the matter Issues which cannot be resolved with the Module Convenor, or matters which do not concern a particular module, should be directed to the Programme Convenor for consideration In the event of a satisfactory solution not being

reached, the issue may be referred as appropriate to the Director of Graduate Studies, to the Research Quality Assurance Committee (RQAC), and, if necessary, to the Head of the School

of Social Policy, Sociology, and Social Research (SSPSSR) responsible for administering the programme

General University Facilities The University has a wide range of information and support

services that are available to students following the Programme Students with particular needs

or concerns may find it helpful to consult the Careers Advisory Service; the Unit for the

Enhancement of Learning and Learning Advisory Service; the Medical Centre; the Students’ Union (which runs an Advice and Information Service); the Counselling Service; or the Disability Support Unit

Academic facilities:

Templeman Library extensive collections of Social Policy texts and periodicals (many of which

are available on-line) and materials from cognate disciplines such as Anthropology, Political Science, Economics, Geography, and Business Lists of additional books and journals are being drawn up to enhance the library’s collection

Electronic resources The University’s internet and other electronic resources are excellent,

and provide students with ready access to up-to-the-minute research theory and data in

be procured on a needs basis and as requested by staff.

15 Entry Profile

Entry Route: For fuller information, please refer to the University prospectus.

The basic entry requirements for the Programme are that applicants should have a good first or second class honours degree in a relevant discipline However, full account is taken of

equivalent qualifications from universities with other systems of degree classification and

special consideration is given to applicants who have employment or practical experience which may compensate for a lack of traditional academic qualifications Every effort is made to allow the widest possible participation, within the constraint that applicants can provide evidence of their potential to complete the programme successfully

For those applicants for whom English is not a first language, it is necessary to demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English In accordance with University requirements, this requires a minimum score of 600 in Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL); 6.5 in International English Language Test (IELTS); ‘B’ in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English; or ‘A’ in the Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English The University offers a

Foundation Programme on English Language Skills for international students, allowing a year’s academic and language training before commencing postgraduate programmes

What does this programme have to offer?

• An opportunity to study theories of migration and assess their value in relation to recent international migration

• An examination of methods for assessing the health and social care needs of minority ethnic groups and refugees

• An examination of services for refugees and minority ethnic groups drawing on examples from a range of European countries

• An opportunity to examine ways of achieving change in services, drawing on a wide range

of examples from European countries

• An opportunity to be taught by leading experts in the field from a range of European countries

• An opportunity to share experience with fellow professionals from a range of European countries

Personal Profile

• A critical and enquiring mind particularly in relation to theoretical and empirical issues in the study of international migration, health and social care

• Openness to different disciplinary perspectives on migration

• A willingness to work hard, and to achieve personal potential

16 Methods for evaluating and enhancing the quality and standards of teaching and learning

Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards

Annual Module Reports These contain information on student performance and feedback

and actions taken in consequence thereof

Annual Programme Reports These include an analysis of statistical data on student

achievement and progression, withdrawal and failure rates and the destination of former

students who have followed the Programme The Reports also record any significant difficulties that have been identified from student feedback, external examiners’ reports or otherwise, and actions taken in consequence of these

Periodic Review This involves scrutiny of the Programme by both internal and external panel

members

Examiners’ meeting The Board of Examiners for the MA/Postgraduate Diploma in

International Social Policy (ISP), includes the programme convenor, the Director of Graduate Studies in the School of Social Policy, Sociology, and Social Research (SSPSSR), as well as many of those teaching the modules taken by students on the MA, as well as an external examiner specialising in ISP

External Examiners’ Reports These relate to both academic standards and to the quality of

learning and teaching provision, and may provide commentary on particular aspects of the Programme which need to be addressed

Learning and Teaching mechanisms Responsibility for supervision of the MA/Postgraduate

Diploma in ISP rests with staff in SSPSSR, particularly with its Research Quality Assessment Committee (RQAC) as well as with its Teaching and Learning Committee, as well as with the Social Sciences Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee

Annual Staff Appraisal This includes consideration of all aspects of the work of individual

members of academic staff, including teaching and learning provision, and will extend to

encompass ‘peer review’ involving teaching observation and evaluation by a fellow member of staff

Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards

• SSPSSR Research Quality Assessment Committee

• SSPSSR Learning and Teaching Committee

• SSPSSR Board of Studies

• Social Sciences Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee

• University Learning and Teaching Board

Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience

Module Evaluations All students following a module are asked to complete an anonymous

questionnaire at the end of the module in line with the practice of SSPSSR generally

Student Representatives The students following the Programme are urged to appoint a

student representative early in the first term The person appointed undertakes to take

soundings of student opinion on all aspects of the Programme and to report these back to the Graduate Studies Committee or the Programme Convenor as appropriate Some matters may need to be addressed to other committees, such as the Library Committee or the Computing Committee

Programme Convenor The Programme Convenor is generally available to discuss any matter

concerning the Programme which any particular student is concerned about However, matters which relate to specific modules may be most usefully raised with the particular Module

Convenor at the first instance

Staff development priorities include:

• PGCHE for all new staff

• Attendance at University staff development seminars and courses

• Attendance at conferences relating to educational issues

• Development of the staff appraisal scheme in conjunction with peer review to improve monitoring and support of staff, particularly new members of staff

• Dissemination of good practice on new learning and teaching methods

17 Indicators of quality and standards

Research Assessment Exercise In the 2001 RAE, the School of Social Policy, Sociology, and

Social Research was awarded the top RAE rating i.e 5*

Teaching Quality Assessment The QAA Institutional Audit of 2004 expressed broad

confidence

The following reference points were used in creating these specifications:

• UKC University Plan 2006-09

• UKC Learning and Teaching Strategy

• Code of Practice for Quality Assurance for Taught Programmes of Study

MODULE MAPPING: MA in International Migration, Health and Social Care – CORE MODULES

ü

Knowledge and Understanding

Programme

Outcomes Programme Modules (Core)

SO87

8

SO88 0

SO87 9

SO998

Skills and Other Attributes

Programme

Outcomes Programme Modules (Core)

SO87

8

SO88 0

SO87 9

SO998

ü

ü

Subject-Specific Skills

Programme

Outcomes Programme Modules (Core)

SO87

8

SO88 0

SO87 9

SO998

Transferable Skills

Programme

Outcomes Programme Modules (Core)

SO87

8

SO88 0

SO87 9

SO998