Evidence-Based Health Care Programme

Differences from 2017/18 to 2021/22

Postgraduate Programme in Evidence-Based Health Care Studies

(new regulations for students registering on any of the awards listed from 1 October 2012 and available to existing students )

A. Definition of the Programme

  • 1. The Continuing Education Board and the Medical Sciences Board shall jointly offer a Programme in Evidence-Based Health Care Studies at postgraduate level.

  • 2. The Continuing Education Board and the Medical Sciences Board shall jointly elect for the supervision of the Programme a Standing Committee which shall have the power to arrange lectures and other instruction.

  • 3. The subject of the Programme shall be Evidence-Based Health Care Studies.

  • 4. The policy of the Continuing Education Board on variable intensity part-time postgraduate study applies to this Programme.

  • 5. The following awards shall be available within the Programme:

    • I. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care

    • II. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Medical Statistics)

    • III. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Systematic Reviews)

    • IV. Postgraduate Diploma in Evidence-Based Health Care

    • V. Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Health Care

    • VI. Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research

    • VII. Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research

    • VIII. Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care

    • IX. Postgraduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research Methods

B. Progression

  • 6.  Students admitted to the Programme with the intention of studying towards one of the  M.Sc. awards are required to matriculate, involving admission by a college of the University. Students admitted to the Programme intending to study towards a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma who subsequently apply for admission to one of the MSc. awards will be required at that point to matriculate and to be admitted by a college.

  • 7. Students who have satisfied the requirements for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate or the Postgraduate Diploma and who do not wish to continue their studies may end their registration at that point and be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma as the case may be.

C. Duration

  • 8. The minimum period of registration on the Programme shall be three terms.

  • 9.  The maximum period of registration shall be six terms for each of the Postgraduate Certificates, nine terms for each of the Postgraduate Diplomas and twelve terms for each of the MSc awards.

D. Study criteria for eligibility for awards

  • 10. The modules available in the Programme are specified in the Schedule below. Not all modules are available for each award. Any additional restrictions on permitted combinations of modules will be given on the course website. Modules available will be published by the end of the Michaelmas Term in the year before registering on the course. Every candidate for a given award will be required to satisfy the examiners in the following:

    • I. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care

      • (i) submission of the required assessed work relating to modules i) and ii) and from four modules selected from iii) to xx) or xxx) of the schedule at H. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words per module;

        (ii) submission of a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a subject selected by the candidate in consultation with the supervisor and approved by the Standing Committee. Approval must be sought no later than the first day of the ninth term of registration. The dissertation must be submitted within three terms of the date of approval, notwithstanding the maximum permitted period of registration.

    • II. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Medical Statistics)

      • (i) Submission of the required assessed work relating to modules xi) and xvi) and from four modules of which up to three may be selected from modules xvii), xviii) and xxi) or xxx) and up to two may be selected from modules ii), vi), oreither viii) or xix) (but not both), or xxx) of the schedule at H. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words per module;

        (ii) Submission of a dissertation as set out in I.(ii) above.

    • III. MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Systematic Reviews)

      • (i) submissionSubmission of the required assessed work relating to each of the six four modules: i), ii) viii), xviii), and xix) and relating to two modules selected from ii), xi), xx), orxxv) and xxx) from the schedule at H. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words per module;

        (ii) submission of a dissertation as set out in I(ii) above.

    • IV. Postgraduate Diploma in Evidence-Based Health Care

      • (i) submission of the required assessed work relating to either modules i) and ii); or modules xi) and xvi) and from any four of modules iii) to xxi) or xxx) of the schedule at H. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words per module.

    • V. Postgraduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Health Care

      • (i) submission of the required assessed work relating to either modules i) and ii); or modules xi) and xvi); and relating to one module selected from  modules iii) to xxi) or xxx) of the schedule at H. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words per module.

    • VI. Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research

      • (i) submission of the required assessed work, relating to:

        • a. modules i) and ii) and any three of modules selected from modules iii) to xi), or xiv) to  xv) or xxx) of the schedule at H, or of the modules indicated as available in the regulations for the MSc in Experimental and Translational Therapeutics; and relating to

          b. one additional module taken from above, or xii) of the schedule at H, or from those indicated in the regulations for the MSc in Surgical Science and Practice;

      • Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words.

    • VII. Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research

      • (i) submission of the required assessed work, relating to modules i) and ii) and any one module selected from modules iii) to x) or xiv) or xv) in the schedule at H, or one of the modules indicated as available from the regulations for the MSc in Experimental and Translational Therapeutics. Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words.

    • VIII. Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care

Submission of the required assessed work relating to modules xii), xxii) and xxiii). Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words.

IX. Postgraduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research Methods

Submission of the required assessed work relating to modules x), xv) and xxiv). Each of the assessments shall be of not more than 4,000 words.

  • 11. Assignments and dissertations shall be submitted (viausing the University approved online submissionassessment system)platform to the examiners for consideration by such dates as the examiners shall determine and of which they shall notify candidates. Dissertations shall be submitted in hard copy and in an electronic format, as prescribed in the course handbook, to the Examiners c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG for consideration by such dates as the examiners shall determine and of which they shall notify candidates. 

  • Assignments and dissertations must be accompanied by a statement that they are the candidate's work except where otherwise indicated.

  • 12. Provided the Standing Committee is satisfied that a student on the Programme has undertaken equivalent study, of an appropriate standard, normally at another institution of higher education, or has appropriate work experience to an equivalent standard, the committee shall have the discretion to permit the candidate to be exempted from the submission of a written assignment in respect of one module for a Postgraduate Certificate, two modules for a Postgraduate Diploma and three modules for any of the  M.Sc awards. In exercising this discretion the Standing Committee shall have consideration to the length of time that has elapsed since the study or work experience was undertaken.

E. The Examinations

  •  13. Students on the Register shall enter for the examination for the award of the M.Sc. in Evidence-Based Health Care or the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care (Medical Statistics) or the MSc in Evidence-based Health Care (Systematic Reviews) or the award of the Postgraduate Diploma or the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Research or the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care or the Postgraduate Certificate in Qualitative Health Research Methods.

  • 14. Candidates are required to attend a viva voce examination at the end of the course of studies leading to each award unless dispensed by the examiners.

  • 15. The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in the overall examination for each award.

  • 16. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in any of the assignments or the dissertation under 10 above maywill be permitted, normally within one year of the original failure, to resubmit work in respect of the part or parts they have failed on not more than one occasion for each assignment without being required to repeat attendance at the relevant module or modules.

F. Prior Undertaking of modules for credit

  • 1716. The Standing Committee shall have the discretion to deem satisfactory completion of a module including the associated assessment prior to registration for an award listed under 5 above as having met the examination requirements in respect of that module under 10. above.

  • 1817. The maximum number of modules taken prior to registration for an award that can contribute to the achievement of the award shall be one for the Postgraduate CertificateCertificates, three for either of the Postgraduate Diplomas and three for each of the MSc awards.

G. Subsuming of previous modules and awards under the Programme

  • 1918. If any student who has previously successfully completed one of the Postgraduate CertificateCertificates and ended their registration on the Programme subsequently is re-admitted to another award listed under 5, the Standing Committee shall have the discretion to deem satisfactory completion of modules within thethat Postgraduate Certificate as having met the examination requirements in respect of the modules under 10. above.

    2019. If any student who has previously successfully completed one of the Postgraduate DiplomaDiplomas and ended their registration on the Programme subsequently is re-admitted to any of the MSc awards, the Standing Committee shall have the discretion to deem satisfactory completion of modules within thethat Postgraduate Diploma as having met the examination requirements in respect of the modules under 10 above. Such discretion will normally only be exercised if the time elapsed between first registration on a module contributing to the Postgraduate Diploma and registering for the MSc is not more than two years.

    2120. If a student who has been awarded a Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate is subsequently awarded a higher award, the MSc or Postgraduate Diploma will subsume the lower award.

H. Schedule of Modules

  • i) Practice of Evidence-Based Health Care

  • ii) Introduction to Study Design and Research Methods

  • iii) Ethics for Biosciences

  • iv) Knowledge into Action

  • v) Clinical Epidemiology

  • vi) Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Screening

  • vii) Introduction to Statistics for Health Care Research

  • viii) Systematic Reviews

  • ix) Randomized Control Trials

  • x) Qualitative Research Methods

  • xi) Essential Medical Statistics

  • xii) Teaching Evidence-Based Practice

  • xiii) The History and Philosophy of Evidence-Based Health Care

  • xiv) Clinical Trial Management

  • xv) Mixed Methods in Health Research

  • xvi) Statistics for Clinical Trials

  • xviii) Big Data Epidemiology

  • xviii) Meta-Analysis

  • xix) Complex Reviews

  • xx) Realist Reviews and Realist Evaluation

  • xxi) Statistical Computing with R and Stata

  • xxii) Developing Practice in Medical Education
  • xxiii) Course Design, Assessment and Evaluation
  • xxiv) Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
  • xxv) Introduction to Synthesising Qualitative Research
  • xxx) Any other module as defined by the Programme Director and approved by the Standing Committee.

Additional modules available (as specified above) from the regulations for the MSc in Experimental and Translational Therapeutics

  • Structure of clinical trials and experimental therapeutics

  • Drug development, pharmacokinetics and imaging

  • Pharmacodynamics, biomarkers and personalised therapy

  • Adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, and pharmacovigilance

  • How to do research on therapeutic interventions: protocol preparation

  • Biological therapeutics

Additional modules available (as specified above) from the regulations for the MSc in Surgical Science and Practice

  • Human factors, teamwork and communication

  •  Becoming a medicalclinical educator

  • Quality improvement science and systems analysis

    MSc by Coursework in Evidence-Based Health Care

    (old regulations for students registered on the MSc EBHC before 1 October 2012)

    • 1. The Divisional Board of Medical Sciences, jointly with the Continuing Education Board, shall elect for the supervision of the course a Standing Committee, which shall have the power to arrange lectures and other instruction.

    • 2. Every candidate must follow for at least three and at most twelve terms a part-time course of instruction in the theory and practice of Evidence-Based Health Care, which shall normally take place over a period of no more than six years.

    • 3. Every candidate will be required to satisfy the examiners in the following:

      • (a) attendance at both of the modules listed in Schedule A (below);

      • (b) attendance at four of the modules listed in Schedule B (below);

      • (c) six written assignments, usually of no more than 5,000 words, one on each of the modules from 3(a) and 3(b) above;

      • (d) a dissertation of not more than 30,000 words (including appendices and footnotes but excluding bibliography), on a subject selected by the candidate in consultation with the supervisor and approved by the Standing Committee.

    • The assessed work set out in clause 3(c) shall be forwarded to the examiners c/o Registry, Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JA, for consideration by such date as the examiners shall determine and of which they shall notify candidates. The dissertation set out in clause 3(d) shall be forwarded to the examiners c/o Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG for consideration by such date as the examiners shall determine and of which they shall notify candidates.

    • 4. Candidates may be required to attend a viva voce examination at the end of the course of studies at the discretion of the examiners.

    • 5. The examiners may award a distinction to candidates for the M.Sc.

    • 6. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners in any of the six assignments under 3(c) may be permitted, normally within one year of the original failure, to resubmit work in respect of the part or parts they have failed on not more than one occasion for each assignment without being required to repeat attendance at the relevant module or modules under 3(a) and/or 3(b). Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners under 3(d) may be permitted to resubmit work in respect of the part or parts of the examination which they have failed, for examination on not more than one occasion which shall normally be within one year of the original failure.

    • 7. The Standing Committee shall have the discretion to permit any candidate to be exempted, in exceptional circumstances, from attendance at a module under 3(a) or 3(b) and from submitting an assignment required under 3(c) above, provided that the Standing Committee is satisfied that such a candidate has undertaken equivalent study, or has appropriate work experience to an equivalent standard.

    Schedule A

    • M1: Practice of EBHC

    • M2: Introduction to Study Design and Research Methods

    Schedule B

    • M3: Knowledge into Action

    • M4: Clinical Epidemiology

    • M5: Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Screening

    • M6: Systematic Reviews

    • M7: Randomised Control Trials

    • M8: Essential Medical Statistics

    • M9: Patient-Based Evidence

    • M10: Ethics in Health Care

    • M11: Qualitative Research Methods

    • M12: Evidence-Based Dentistry

    • M13: Introduction to Statistics in Health Care Research

      Any other module as defined by the Programme Director and approved by the Standing Committee.