Podiatry and Diabetes

Qualified at undergraduate level a podiatrist will diagnose and treat a vast range of problems relating to the health and wellbeing of the foot and the lower limb and be able to recognise and diagnose a broad range of mobility and medical conditions that have a direct effect on foot health which includes: diabetes, arthritis, heart and blood disorders and disorders of the nervous system.

It is a rewarding career with practitioners electing to progress their expertise by further developing their academic skills in an aspect of clinical specialisation or simply to further develop an area of specific interest or current development. QMU offers Masters level courses in Podiatry, Podiatric Medicine, Podiatric Surgery as well as an MSc Diabetes. This latter course is open to anyone with a degree in a health or health-related discipline who has an involvement or a special interest in diabetes care.

Our postgraduate courses can be studied full-time, part-time, through block attendance or through distance elearning – the latter three particularly beneficial if you are in employment. Our distance elearning courses also mean that you can access the course from outside the UK and never need to attend the university. We offer fantastic tutor support through our electronic teaching resource, WebCT, which is a facility for students studying by distance learning to access all course materials and to communicate electronically with other learners and with tutors on the course.

Why QMU?

The podiatry staff at QMU are all registered with the Health Professions Council and have as much as 30 years clinical, teaching and research experience. The subject area has a great reputation for its courses in the area of podiatry and we recruit students from across the globe. The podiatry staff have a wealth of experience in distance elearning and have pioneered undergraduate and postgraduate education for Podiatrists and other healthcare professionals within the UK as well as the international arena. An investment in IT has allowed students to access QMU’s electronic teaching and library resources from any part of the world at any time to best suit individual learning needs.

Industry links

Extensive links with the NHS and with private practice enhances the podiatry team’s awareness of current developments in podiatry practice and has influenced the relevance of the suite of MSc courses. There is also opportunity for learners to bring their own influence in to their postgraduate study such as through the research projects.

The MSc Theory of Podiatry Surgery and MSc Podiatric Medicine are also taught in conjunction with Glasgow Caledonian University which offers students the expertise of two institutions which have a strong reputation and long successful history in Scotland for podiatry education. Students will be given access to the resource facilities of both Queen Margaret University and Glasgow Caledonian University.

Our approach to learning and teaching

Details of course structure and learning methods are highlighted on the following individual course pages.

Each course employs a range of student-centred learning methods including tutorials, seminars and, where appropriate, experimental laboratory classes. This is supported by electronic resources and virtual learning environments which can be accessed for learning interaction anywhere in the world. The podiatry masters courses attract and welcome international podiatry students which informs and maintains currency of the international podiatry perspective.

Research degree opportunities

QMU is a small university, specialising in education which is socially and professionally relevant. The research interests of staff cover a broad area of current podiatry issues as well as multidisciplinary healthcare. Full details can be found on the website but areas of interest include: diabetes and plantar pressure analysis; lower limb vascular disease; biomechanics; orthotics; musculoskeletal foot problems and blood flow.

Facilities

You will have access to the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), effective learning service and a range of student support services as a postgraduate student at QMU. The LRC is designed to be accessed from anywhere in the world and boasts access to the latest relevant books, eBooks, DVDs, eJournals and websites. As a distance elearning QMU student you will be provided access to our Virtual Learning Environment (WebCT) where you will be supported by a tutor, be provided access to course material and be in contact with students studying the same course. You will also be provided access to the range of QMU computer soft ware throughout your period of study, be provided electronic storage space within the QMU network and be provided a QMU email address throughout your period of study.

Career prospects and guideline salaries

Our postgraduate courses offer variety as well as specialisation and the course which you choose will depend, in part, on what you want to study and where you want to direct your career. Students can also elect to move to Professional Doctorate study before completion of the Masters degree. Progress to professional doctorate study can be requested once 120 Masters credits have been obtained and progression on to surgical practice can be obtained once 120 Masters credits have been obtained from the MSc Podiatric Surgery. Students studying at postgraduate level may be private practitioners or may be employed in the NHS. An example of salary scales within the NHS is available below.

Our courses:

»MSc Diabetes

»MSc/PgDip/PgCert Podiatric Medicine

»MSc Podiatry/MSc Podiatry by Distance e-learning

»MSc Theory Of Podiatric Surgery

»Back to full course listing