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Home>Study at York>Postgraduate taught>Courses 2023/24>Health Economics for Health Care Professionals (PGDip)

PGDip Health Economics for Health Care Professionals (distance learning)

Deepen your knowledge of health economics

Year of entry: 2023 (September)

Length

1-2 years part-time

Start date

September 2023 (semester dates)

This course aims to build on the skills you develop during the PGCert Health Economics for Health Care Professionals.

Mounting pressure on healthcare budgets worldwide has focused attention on how best to organise health care systems and the spending within them. The University of York distance learning courses in health economics allow you to gain a qualification without interrupting your career, and offer the flexibility to spread study over a period of years to suit your professional and personal circumstances.

Using the knowledge you have gained in our PGCert in Health Economics for Health Care Professionals, you will deepen your knowledge of health economics.

Combined expertise

This course is a collaboration between the Department of Economics and Related Studies and the York Health Economics Consortium.

Learn from the best

Course content

In this course, you'll complete three modules to the value of 20 credits each. These will be combined with the modules you completed for your PGCert Health Economics for Health Care Professionals to make the 120 credits that you need to obtain the PGDip qualification. The PGDip will help you to develop your understanding and analytical skills in a range of areas which were studied at Postgraduate Certificate level including:

  • application of microeconomics and health economics to the analysis of health care systems
  • the role of experimental and observational study designs in the analysis of health economic data sets
  • a range of advanced methods to apply to the economic evaluation of health technologies

Our health economics distance learning modules run on varying semester dates:

The Economics of Health Care Systems

  • Start date: 25 September 2023
  • Exam dates: 14 - 15 December 2023
  • Reassessment dates: 5 - 6 August 2024

Statistics for Health Economics

  • Start date: 2 January 2024
  • Exam dates: 21 - 22 March 2024
  • Reassessment dates: 7 - 8 August 2024

Advanced Topics in Economic Evaluation

  • Start date: 8 April 2024
  • Exam dates: 27 June - 1 July 2024
  • Reassessment dates: 9 - 13 August 2024

Modules

You will take core modules which may include:

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

The York approach

Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Identify the more advanced dimensions of health economics as they relate to health technology assessment and health policy, with a view to integrating and applying this knowledge to current or future professional and/or related practice.
  • Combine more advanced knowledge of health economics with existing qualifications, skills and professional or related knowledge, so that future professional practice informs the health economics dimensions to project planning, management and report writing for interdisciplinary teams.
  • Use more advanced mathematical and computer-based techniques to contribute to future work-based projects which require a moderate to substantial health economics input. To communicate the results of these analyses persuasively in writing and in presentations.
  • Conduct advanced information syntheses and literature surveys.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2023/24

Study modeUK (home) / International and EU
Part-time, distance learning (2 years)
The fee quoted is the total course fee.
£8,930
Part-time, distance learning (2 years)
Discounted fees are available to applicants funded by public sector organisations and some self-funding applicants in countries classified by the World Bank as having low-income or lower-middle-income economies. The fee quoted is the total course fee.
£7,990

Additional costs

The programme will include a residential workshop held at the University of York and attendees will need to meet their transport, accommodation and other related costs.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching format

For each module you will have access to a workbook containing the basic text for the course, references to additional reading and exercises. Some modules will also be supplemented with a textbook containing core material. Your teaching will be supported using the University's virtual learning environment, Yorkshare. You will have access to:

  • discussion boards monitored by a module tutor or module leader
  • an assessed work submission facility
  • a private messaging service for contacting your module leader or tutor, administrative staff and fellow students

Residential workshops

The programme will include a residential workshop held at the University of York. 

Teaching location

As this is a distance learning course, you will be able to complete much of the work you need to do for each module in your own home or workplace. The programme will include a residential workshop held at the University of York.

Assessment and feedback

Each module contains one or two pieces of assessed work. This will be marked to provide feedback on your progress. The modules themselves are assessed by examination close to the end of the module's twelve week study period. All examinations will be online.

Careers and skills

This is a Continuing Professional Development course and is designed for those who are already employed.

Career opportunities

  • Director within NHS
  • General manager for a health care company
  • Health care analyst
  • Health economics and outcomes research manager
  • Consultant physician
  • Medical writer

Transferable skills

  • Integration of new knowledge with existing professional background.
  • Application of appropriate mathematical, graphical and data analysis techniques to apply to a wide range of work-based problems.  

Entry requirements

Typical offer
Postgraduate degree PGCert Health Economics for Health Care Professionals with an average of 56% or more in the Health Economics: Concepts and Analysis and Introduction to Health Care Evaluation modules.
Other qualifications and experience Applicants who have not completed the PGCert Health Economics for Health Care Professionals at York are only able to be admitted in exceptional circumstances.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic and Indicator) 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component
C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency 176, minimum 169 in each component
Duolingo 120, minimum 105 in all other components
LanguageCert SELT B2 with 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert International ESOL B2 Communicator: Pass with 33/50 in each component
PTE Academic/PTE Academic Online 61, minimum 55 in each component
TOEFL 87, minimum 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all requirements

For more information see our English language requirements.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation electronically through our online system. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.

Information on applying for this course is available on the Department's website.

Apply for this course

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