MSc in Dementia

This course takes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to the study of dementia. Providing you with a relationship-centred insight, it focuses on experience, quality of care and how to live and die well with dementia. You study the following compulsory modules.

Dementia: Critical Starting Points (30 credits)

A critical approach to historical and contemporary understandings of dementia. Throughout this module you will explore the multi-disciplinary frameworks and discourses which seek to explain the experience of dementia.

Living Well with Dementia (30 credits)

Develop strategies and plans to create meaningful activities which support life enhancement and wellness. You will also develop a critical understanding of what it means to ‘live well’.

Systems and Ecologies (30 credits)

This module takes account of the wider social systems and ecologies which can both support and undermine the experience of living well with dementia. It will provide you with a systems-based appreciation of the experience of living well with dementia. The module examines the relationships of people diagnosed with the condition exploring interactions and perceptions of family, care-givers, community and society in general. You will focus on methods and approaches which enable partnerships and collaboration within wider social systems.

Dying Well with Dementia (30 credits)

Developed in collaboration with end of life care specialists, this module will help you gain an understanding of palliative and supportive care in dementia. Study the legal and ethical issues, advanced care planning and the professional interventions which mitigate for and against a good death in the context of dementia.

Dissertation (60 credits)

Your dissertation (15,000 words) will help you to develop arguments which demonstrate alternative perspectives, challenge common perception and pave the way for new areas of enquiry in the dementia field.

• ongoing tutor and peer feedback

• practical work, including group projects and discussion forums

• written work, including case studies, care plans, reports and essays

• A minimum 2.2 Honours degree or international equivalent in a related subject (such as nursing, social work, psychology, occupational therapy, or similar)

• Equivalent professional qualifications/personal experience (such as a Diploma in Nursing) may be considered

• CV including a current professional or voluntary role which requires regular direct contact with people with dementia

• Two references, one of which must be an academic reference

• An IELTS 6.0 score (with minimum 5.5 in each skill) if your first language isn't English (or other English language proficiency qualifications accepted by the University of Hull).

If you're unsure whether you're eligible to apply, please contact our Course Advisers on +44 (0)1482 235569 or email enquiries-online@hull.ac.uk.

Career prospects

Successful completion of this distance learning degree offers health, social work and social care professionals the potential to specialise in the field of dementia. We are also keen to help develop specialist knowledge and skills in people who currently volunteer in the field.

Gaining an insight into care provision and policy-making, from an explicitly ethical and human-rights perspective, will equip you with the knowledge you need to lead positive change and improve existing services for those living with dementia in your community.