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Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Paediatrics and Child Health

BSMS > Postgraduate > Paediatrics and Child Health

Paediatrics and Child Health

Key facts 

MSc, intercalating MSc, PGDip, PGCert

Full-time: 1 year

Part-time: 3-5 years*

Eligible applicants: UK, international

Due to visa restrictions, international students requiring a student visa (including EU/EEA who require a student visa) are eligible to apply for BSMS full-time Masters courses only. Part-time Masters courses, all PGDip and all PGCert courses are open to UK and Irish students and international students (including EU/EEA) who have an alternative visa/immigration permission to stay in the UK (such as settled/pre-settled status, Tier 2/work visa, indefinite leave to remain etc).

Location: University of Brighton, Falmer campus

General enquiries: MScPaediatrics@bsms.ac.uk

This course is validated by the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex. Applications for 2026/27 entry are now open.

APPLY for the paediatrics and child health course HERE >

*Please note, the part-time 3-5 year option is not available to those requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK. If you are applying to the Student Loans Company for funding, you will need to apply for two years of funding. This will not affect your ability to complete the part time MSc programme in three years, however you will receive the SLC loan split across two years rather than three.

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Course overview

The course provides a detailed understanding of core research methodologies, critical evaluation, evidence based approaches and the scientific basis of childhood disease.

A key feature is its multi-professional nature, which is considered essential for professional practice in paediatrics and child health. The uniqueness of this course is its emphasis not only on the clinical aspects of paediatric care but also on the service provision of such care, which will be embedded within the clinical modules. To find out more about the clinical modules, please see our module handbooks:

Key areas of study

Classroom study with specialist, practicing lecturers in their field: 

  • Acute and emergency paediatrics
  • Management of long-term conditions in children
  • Developmental paediatrics
  • Research methods and critical appraisal
  • Leadership and change management in clinical services
  • Communication, learning and teaching in health and social care

For MSc students, a clinical attachment with local Paediatrics units is included in the course, allowing you to reflect on how your classroom learning can be applied in practice.

Course structure

How is the course assessed?

Most modules are assessed by 3,000 word written assignments which are centred on case studies or a relevant topic agreed between the student and the module leader. Some modules include interactive role play and poster presentations as part of the assessment.

The MSc is also assessed by a 12,000 word dissertation (80% weighting) and poster presentation (20% weighting).

Students participating in the clinical observership also complete reflective exercises.

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Modules

PGCert

Choose three modules from the following five options:

  • MDM158 Acute & Emergency Paediatrics (20 credits) 
  • MDM159 Management of Long Term Conditions in Children (20 credits) 
  • MDM160 Developmental Paediatrics (20 credits)  
  • MDM110 Leadership and Change Management in Clinical Services (20 credits) 
  • MDM122 Communication, Learning & Teaching in Health & Social Care (20 credits) 

PGDip

Complete all six modules:

  • MDM158 Acute & Emergency Paediatrics (20 credits) 
  • MDM159 Management of Long Term Conditions in Children (20 credits) 
  • MDM160 Developmental Paediatrics (20 credits)  
  • MDM10 Research Methods and Critical Appraisal (20 credits) 
  • MDM110 Leadership and Change Management in Clinical Services (20 credits) 
  • MDM122 Communication, Learning & Teaching in Health & Social Care (20 credits) 

MSc

  • PGDip modules

PLUS

  • Dissertation (60 credits)
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Clinical Observership for full-time students

The MSc Paediatrics and Child Health course is the only UK postgraduate paediatrics programme that offers clinical observerships across four clinical sites to full-time students.

Full-time students on this course take part in clinical observerships at:

  • Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton
  • Seaside View Child Development Service, Brighton
  • Chailey Clinical Services, North Chailey near Lewes
  • Nightingale Primary Care Centre, Haywards Heath
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Career opportunities

This course is intended to provide advanced expert education for professionals working in paediatrics and child health.

The course content has been carefully designed to train students to be high achieving consultants and clinical leaders of the future by providing a blend of clinical knowledge with learning in the three key professional domains of research, leadership and communication and learning, along with the development of research and publishing skills.

student listening to a mannequins heartbeat

“As a trainee doctor, the course has been a breath of fresh air and really motivated me to apply what I’ve learnt in my day to day practice.” I now have a much better understanding of where to find evidence, how to interpret it and how to use it to deliver change.”

Sam Williams – KSS ST3 trainee

"Kent, Surrey and Sussex has a wealth of academic and clinical expertise in paediatrics. We have used this valuable expertise to develop an MSc in Paediatrics and Child Health that furthers paediatric skills and knowledge from all areas of practice involving the care of children, whilst addressing the needs of the local communities.”

Prof Somnath Mukhopadhyay, Chair of Paediatrics, BSMS 

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Nguyen Tuan Dat Profile Image

Nguyen Tuan Dat, Paediatric Cardiologist - Vietnam

What made you choose the Paediatrics MSc at Brighton and Sussex Medical School?  

This programme's design has prepared me with a profound understanding, enabling me to master my professions as a paediatrician and a medical educator. It also gives me a chance to see the UK's great healthcare and education systems.

What have you enjoyed about the modules you have taken so far?

I have enjoyed learning from a variety of perspectives in a class with students from diverse backgrounds.

Have you found your module tutors engaging? 

My module tutors have played a significant role in my learning, as they have consistently provided me with support. I am always welcome to share my opinions or concerns with them.

What do you like about the campus?

The campus has been one of my favourite places in Brighton, where I always feel most comfortable. It possesses exceptional facilities for students to immerse themselves in their studies.

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Portrait photo of Siobhan Mccormack, who is smiling at the camera

Siobhán McCormack, Paediatric SpR and PhD researcher - Ireland

How has the MSc helped your personal development?

The programme intends to support the development of clinical leaders in child health through a combination of advanced clinical knowledge and a focus on research, leadership, teaching and communication.

Clinical modules comprised relevant, up-to-date information delivered by engaging and well-informed speakers with space for critical thinking, reflection and consideration of application in practice. 

I have developed skills in academic writing, literature review and appraisal, data analysis, the application of knowledge to solve problems, and collaborative working with different disciplines, cultures and clinical settings.
 
What impact has it had on your career?

I have learned more about the area of paediatrics I am passionate about and undertaking this programme helped me confirm that it was the area of my clinical and academic interest.

The knowledge I have gained from this course has made me a better clinician, and the research and dissertation modules have provided me with a sound basis from which to pursue a research fellowship position and undertake a PhD.

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List of publications from our Paediatrics students 

Publications 

C Mark Harper, Viveka Romeyke, Sophie Shergold, Alexandra Ford & Kjersti Karoline Danielsen (25 Jun 2025): An exploratory study into the effect of an outdoor, coldwater immersion course on mood in adolescents in Norway and the UK, Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, DOI: 10.2989/17280583.2025.2503348 

McCormack S, Patel K, Smith C. Blended diet for enteral tube feeding in young people: A systematic review of the benefits and complications. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2023;1–16. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jhn.13143 

Poster Presentations 

Khaled Aboukhalaf at Paediatric Critical Care Society Conference, Oct 2025, Belfast: A comparison of HFNC and CPAP in infant bronchiolitis: A Single-Centre Retrospective Cohort Study from a UK High-Dependency Unit 

Amy Haeffner at British Association for Community Child Health, Sept 2025, Nottingham: Let’s Talk About Sex-ting: A care pathway to manage presentations associated with online child sexual exploitation and abuse  

Mohammed Fatouh at British Inherited Metabolic Diseases Group Annual Symposium, London 2023: What is the clinical efficacy of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for metabolic control of patients with glycogen storage diseases (GSD)? A systematic review 

Oral Presentations 

Jessica Lumsden & Dr Sam Williams at European Academy of Childhood Disability Conference, May 2024, Bruges: Vitamin D in Children and Young People with Cerebral Palsy: An Audit of Clinical Practice and Proposal of a Clinical Care Guideline. 

Jessica Lumsden at BACCH, Manchester 2023: Vitamin D in Children and Young People with Cerebral Palsy: An Audit of Clinical Practice and Proposal of a Clinical Care Guideline. 

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a degree in medicine or any of the allied health professions (such as nursing, dietetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy). Applicants should be working in Paediatrics and Child Health and/or interested in pursuing a career in this specialty.

For international students a minimum IELTS score of 7.0 is required.

Intercalating UK medical students are invited to apply.

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Fees and funding

The fees listed are the overall costs for full-time courses taken in the academic year. Where courses are taken part-time over more than one academic year, fees are usually charged pro-rata for the modules taken during each academic year.  

With effect from 2021/22 onwards, EU nationals starting new postgraduate courses will pay international fees and will not be eligible for student funding from the UK government. However, there are exceptions to this for Irish nationals and EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. For the latest information, please see gov.uk/student-finance. If you do not have settled status in the UK and require a work visa, then you will be fee assessed as Overseas and will therefore be subject to the International fee rate.

Find out more about fees and funding >

Scholarships

Read more about scholarships >

Apply here

Applications are made through the University of Brighton online portal.

Applications for 2026/27 entry are now open.

APPLY for the paediatrics course here >