Our Implementation and Improvement Science MSc programme is a practical and innovative course for graduates with an interest in improving health services and a desire to do it efficiently. The Implementation and Improvement Science MSc programme is delivered by expert scientists working together under the auspices of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) South London.
Implementation Science is the study of methods to support the application of evidence and research findings in healthcare policy and practice. As well as seeking to understand the behaviour of healthcare professionals, managers and policymakers together with service users and carers. The study also examines the impact of decisions on the sustainable uptake, adoption, and spread of evidence-based interventions.
Implementation and Improvement Science looks to determine which improvement strategies offer the greatest benefit in terms of safety, health outcomes and the experience of service users.
The course provides a thorough training that will enable you to develop research skills to support the design and delivery of effective health services. You will have the opportunity to develop, implement and evaluate health interventions working in partnership with health and social care providers to meet vital service needs.
This research programme offers you the flexibility to study either full or part-time and is made up of optional and required modules totalling 180 credits. If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, while the part-time study pathway will take two years to complete.
Initially, you will explore the Principles of Implementation and Improvement Science, Measurement and Evaluation for Healthcare Practice as well as issues in the conduct of healthcare research methods. You will then choose a range of optional modules to reflect your academic interests before completing a dissertation worth 60 credits. Your thesis will enable you to draw on your knowledge and research skills with a choice of three options: an analysis of an area of healthcare provision, an empirical study, or a systematic review.
If you are following the part-time study pathway, you will typically complete the required core study modules as well as the optional modules in the first year and the dissertation in the second and final year.
The majority of learning for this degree takes place across the four King’s College London campuses, including three Thames-side campuses (Waterloo, St Thomas’ and Guy’s) and the Denmark Hill Campus in South London. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary depending on the optional modules you select.
The course content is suitable for people at the start of their career as well as people who have been working in, or using health services for a longer period of time.
You will be assessed through a combination of coursework and examinations. This can include written assignments such as essays, portfolios and dissertations. In addition, some modules will require you to undertake a presentation as part of the module assessment. A small number of modules are assessed by an exam such as an unseen written examination or a computer based assessment.
King’s College is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
What is Implementation Science?
Implementation Science is the study of methods to promote the translation of research findings and evidence into healthcare policy and practice. It seeks to understand the behaviour of healthcare professionals, managers and policy makers alongside those of service users and carers and how these behaviours impact the sustainable uptake, adoption, and spread of evidence-based interventions.
The methods investigate and address major blockages (eg social, behavioural, economic, management) that prevent effective implementation of practices that have already been shown to have the capacity to improve healthcare, and systematically measure the impact of these practices on patient outcomes, experience, safety and population health.
Implementation science is closely aligned to improvement science, which seeks to determine which improvement strategies offer most benefit in terms of safety, health outcomes and the experience of service users.
This course allows you to explore how to make better use of research and innovation to improve ways in which healthcare is organised and delivered for patient benefit.
It is a work-based course, requiring you to identify and implement service improvement projects in your own work context.
The course is designed to focus on key concepts:
The MSc also includes:
Students may also make a claim (APL) to gain credits for exemption from some modules.
Coursework, including learning contracts, project proposals, reports, reflective commentary, and oral presentation
Delivering excellence in health and social care at an individual, team and organisational level is not just desirable but achievable. The philosophy of this CIEHF recognised course is that for high-quality, safer care to flourish, every member of staff must be committed to, and play their part in, an integrated approach to care. The application of a human factors approach is also crucial if real progress is to be made. A human factors approach involves applying theory, data and design methods about how humans interact with their environment to make it easier for work to be done in the right way.
The programme develops and equips critical advocates and ambassadors for quality, safety and governance in health and social care. It also enables you to apply comprehensive knowledge, understanding, expertise and advanced skills to lead a human factors-based project in the work place to enhance the quality, safety and governance of care. The programme is suitable for you if you work in the public, independent and voluntary sectors, or any other professional field including clinical and support services.
To maximise your success on this programme you need a viable project in line with your departmental or organisational priorities and agreed by your relevant organisational representative and programme leader. Throughout this course you will have access to qualified CIEHF members. You will be asked to complete a brief human factors-based quality improvement project overview form to support your application.We expect that you will have prior knowledge and/or experience of change management, leadership and quality improvement science or a willingness to independently increase your knowledge in these areas before beginning the course.
Professional accreditation
This course is recognised by the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors
You develop in-depth, specialist knowledge of human factors and gain experience in using this to enhance the quality, safety and governance of care. You also study improvement science, leading change and a multi-perspective approach to determining and measuring performance and the impact of change. This includes planning an evaluation study based on the change you have implemented.
Course structure
Core modules
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
The programme is taught in short study blocks spread across the academic year over a total of 14 contact days. We use a range of teaching methods including lectures and workshops, student-led seminars, action learning, interactive and online learning activities, directed and self-directed study activities. You are supported by module tutors with extensive experience in this subject area and the programme leader who is a member of the founding cohort for the NHS England and Health Foundation Q Initiative.
How you are assessed
We use a range of assessment modes throughout the programme. These include an essay analysing a quality, safety and governance issue using a human factors approach, a project-based evaluation research critique, and a poster presentation and oral defence of a change project.
Formative processes include an informal presentation on the improvement project plan and initial implementation. This is an opportunity for you to receive early development feedback. Presentations are made to a small panel drawn from the critical friends stakeholder support forum whose members participate in student assessment and support programme design and delivery. This group comprises service users and carers, employer representatives and academic staff to ensure that a person-centred approach extends to all aspects of the programme, maximising employer/organisational benefit.
Graduates from this programme are equipped with specialist human factors knowledge, expertise and experience as well as a range of more generic attributes such as advanced reasoning and decision-making skills. You are able to work collaboratively, present and research. You also have strong ICT skills that highly sought after by employers.
The programme is relevant for you if you work in, or would like to work in a specialist quality, safety or governance role, or one dealing with human factors.
This Master's offers a broad, research-led syllabus that will benefit life and plant science undergraduates, and professionals in commercial horticulture and agriculture from the UK and overseas looking to develop their career.
Taught content will equip the graduate with the expertise needed to work independently in a range of areas of current commercial plant science, at supervisory or management level, or in applied research. As well as ensuring a thorough grounding in basic science and horticultural technology, the modern molecular biology content is particularly relevant, since new technologies are rapidly entering the commercial arena. The independent research project will be set in a research institution or appropriate local industry, and will be designed around the student's interests and expertise.
The MSc focuses on methods used in the evaluation and improvement of conventional crops that feed the growing world population, but also alternative protected crops and ornamentals along with postharvest management, business and environmental concerns, and plant stress and disease in a changing climate.
The programme team is a combination of scientists working within the Natural Resources Institute (NRI), a unique multidisciplinary centre of excellence focused on global food security, sustainable development and poverty reduction, and the Department of Life and Sports Sciences, both part of the university's Faculty of Engineering and Science. Both have reputations founded on excellence in teaching, training and research. You will also benefit from our links with businesses in the South East and other centres of expertise including Hadlow College and East Malling Research.
Experts in this increasingly important area are needed in businesses nationally and internationally, in research and innovation, and at government and agency level where the ability to understand and follow current developments is required to guide and direct global sustainable solutions to population change.
Courses can be studied individually as CPD and credits acquired this way can be accumulated towards the MSc over 24 or 36 months towards the full MSc if required. Please contact the programme leaders for information.
The aims of the programme are to:
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 45 credits from this list of options.
Students are required to choose 15 credits from this list of options.
Year 1
Students are required to choose 90 credits from this list of options.
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Assessment methods include:
Production managers - management of plant/crop production (protected and non-protected crops) and postharvest facilities.
Development specialists - selection, development and evaluation of existing and novel plants and crops.
Retailing produce - food and crop technologists, retailing food and non-food derived crops and products, including fresh produce and postharvest technologists.
Institutes, NGOs and governmental bodies - governance and policy linked to application of horticultural/agricultural technologies.
Applied research scientist - application of plant science into practice.
Molecular biology laboratories, horticultural and agricultural facilities
This programme is designed for preparation of wide profile food science specialists both for food industry and the companies performing research of food products and development of new products enriched by advanced natural antioxidants, antimicrobial substances, rheological characteristics and texture of various components. The first and most modern in Lithuania Food Science and Technology Competence Centre facilitates students’ research and applied competences using four unique semi-industrial lines of food technologies (bread, beer, meat, fish, dairy products).
The Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the chosen discipline by choosing the Field Expert track or to strengthen the interdisciplinary skills by choosing the Interdisciplinary Expert track emphasising managerial skills or a choice of a different competence to compliment the chosen discipline and achieve a competitive advantage in one’s career.
Internationally known research
KTU research in food science has been recognised internationally driven by the leading professors G. Juodeikienė, R. Ventskutonis and D. Leskauskaitė.
The first Food Science and Technology Competence Centre in Lithuania
The first and most modern Food Science and Technology Competence Centre in Lithuania is active at KTU since 2010; four unique semi-industrial lines of food technologies (bread, beer, meat, fish, dairy products) are installed at the centre.
Master+
Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the specialisation or to strengthen managerial/interdisciplinary skills by choosing individual set of competencies required for career.
Master+ is a unique model within a chosen MSc programme
The Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the chosen discipline by choosing the Field Expert track or to strengthen the interdisciplinary skills in addition to the main discipline by choosing the Interdisciplinary Expert track providing a choice of a different competence to compliment the chosen discipline and achieve a competitive advantage in one’s career.
Students of these study programmes can choose between the path of Field Expert and Interdisciplinary Expert. Selection is made in the academic information system. Each path (competence) consists of three subjects (18 credits) allocated as follows: 1 year 1 semester (autumn) – first subject (6 credits), 1 year 2 semester (spring) – second subject (6 credits), 2 year 3 semester – third subject (6 credits). A student, who chooses a path of the Field Expert, deepens knowledge and strengthens skills in the main field of studies. The one, who chooses a path of the Interdisciplinary Expert, acquires knowledge and skills in a different area or field of studies. Competence provides a choice of alternative additional subjects.
Acquisition of the competence is certified by the issue of KTU certificate and entry in the appendix to the Master’s diploma. In addition, students can acquire an international certificate (details are provided next to each competence).
Competences are implemented by KTU lecturers – experts in their area – and high level business and public sector organizations; their employees deliver lectures, submit topics for the student’s theses, placement-oriented tasks for the projects, etc.
Student’s competences:
– Development of new food products and technologies: healthy food, food additives and supplements, impact of food products on health, biotechnologies, organisation of production of food and catering products, innovative technological processes, their management, optimisation and improvement
– Food safety and quality: control systems and legislation, chemical and microbiological hazard, analysis, control and traceability of risk factors, establishment and assurance of quality standards
– Scientific research: analytical, modelling and experimental research while solving modern problems of food science and safety, analysis and interpretation of results, development and research of innovative food products corresponding to the needs of consumers and latest nutrition science recommendations
Student’s skills:
– Able to plan, organise and perform scientific and applied research in the areas of food science and safety, apply modern methods and equipment of instrumental analysis , analyse, critically assess and summarise research results, provide conclusions on quality and safety of food products, biological, chemical and other hazards in food and procedures for their elimination
– Able to develop, install and manage innovative food processing technologies, solve tasks of development, research and control of new products based on the latest achievements in food science and safety
– Able to install food safety and quality control systems, execute control of quality and safety of raw materials and products, and production, provide consultations, coordinate new projects for improvement of quality and safety of food products, create and develop original ideas and methods while solving the issues of impact of food products on human health
– Able to work effectively as a member or leader of inter-field and interdisciplinary teams, present work results orally and in writing, make innovative technological, engineering and economic solutions considering their impact on the public and environment
MSc in Materials Science programme develops research skills, deep theoretical and experimental knowledge of material composition and improvement of their characteristics, knowledge of methodology and technique for technological measurements of materials, processing and analysis of experimental results, knowledge of application of high technologies (micro- and nanotechnologies) in materials science. The programme combines fundamental and engineering studies, and enables the graduates to create and apply functional materials and technologies of their production.
The Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the chosen discipline by choosing the Field Expert track or to strengthen the interdisciplinary skills by choosing the Interdisciplinary Expert track emphasising managerial skills or a choice of a different competence to compliment the chosen discipline and achieve a competitive advantage in one’s career.
Internationally recognised research
KTU research in materials science is recognised internationally, and the research outcomes are applied in industry, e.g. to create scales for precision laser measurement systems.
Cooperation with international organizations
KTU cooperates with leading international organisations: Inter-Academia, Federation of European Materials Society, Physics and Chemistry of Advanced Materials, etc.
Master+
Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the specialisation or to strengthen managerial/interdisciplinary skills by choosing individual set of competencies required for career.
Master+ is a unique model within a chosen MSc programme
The Master+ model offers either to masterpiece in the chosen discipline by choosing the Field Expert track or to strengthen the interdisciplinary skills in addition to the main discipline by choosing the Interdisciplinary Expert track providing a choice of a different competence to compliment the chosen discipline and achieve a competitive advantage in one’s career.
Students of these study programmes can choose between the path of Field Expert and Interdisciplinary Expert. Selection is made in the academic information system. Each path (competence) consists of three subjects (18 credits) allocated as follows: 1 year 1 semester (autumn) – first subject (6 credits), 1 year 2 semester (spring) – second subject (6 credits), 2 year 3 semester – third subject (6 credits). A student, who chooses a path of the Field Expert, deepens knowledge and strengthens skills in the main field of studies. The one, who chooses a path of the Interdisciplinary Expert, acquires knowledge and skills in a different area or field of studies. Competence provides a choice of alternative additional subjects.
Acquisition of the competence is certified by the issue of KTU certificate and entry in the appendix to the Master’s diploma. In addition, students can acquire an international certificate (details are provided next to each competence).
Competences are implemented by KTU lecturers – experts in their area – and high level business and public sector organizations; their employees deliver lectures, submit topics for the student’s theses, placement-oriented tasks for the projects, etc.
Student’s competences:
– Has deep various theoretical knowledge of material composition and improvement of their properties, knowledge of methodology and technique for technological measurements of materials, knowledge of processing and analysis of experimental results, thorough methodological knowledge on composing, creation and research of mew materials.
– Is competent to define, assess and forecast the trends and prospects of development of materials science and impact of technologies on the environment, apply high technologies (micro and nano technologies).
– Is competent to apply modern methods and instruments of surface engineering, micro and nano technologies, functional (optical, electrical, magnetic) materials used, form micro and nano structure, and use or develop devices.
– Has skills of management, negotiations and leadership, takes responsibility for the quality of his/her activities and that of his/her subordinate employees, quality assessment and performance improvement based on professional ethics, technological engineering operating standards and citizenship.
– Has very good knowledge of project management and business aspects, understands links between technological solutions and their economic effects.
Student’s skills:
– Able to make technological solutions and solve atypical, undefined and incomplete problems, is able to define, analyse and solve problems of development of materials science, scientific research, technological processes and environmental protection.
– Able to assess, model and forecast material structure, composition and properties applying analytical and numerical methods, including mathematical analysis, computational modelling or experiments for assessment, modelling and forecast of structure, composition and properties of functional materials, to select or develop functional materials with optimal properties for various engineering properties.
– Able to select of develop materials with optimal properties, able to apply innovative methods to solve various engineering problems.
– Able to apply acquired knowledge and latest achievements of materials science to select and develop various materials with optimal or required properties, to solve engineering problems using modern technological equipment and formation principles.
– Able to plan, perform analytical, modelling or applied research and introduce their results in the processes of material processing, to analyse applicability of new or newly occurring high technologies, methods of instrumental analysis in solving of various engineering problems.
