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Health Research Methods

This Health Research Methods MSc programme from The University of Exeter has been designed to give you the skills and knowledge to enact meaningful change and gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher.

Within this Health Research Methods MSc programme from  The University of Exeter you will be taught by the leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods. 

Topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics will provide a common thread that runs throughout the programme.

Previous topics that students have chosen for independent study include:

• Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.
• Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.
• Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.
• Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.

Career opportunities:

This Health Research Methods programme from The University of Exeter is designed for a wide range of participants. It will enable health professionals from a variety of disciplines to gain expertise and become a more effective and confident practitioner. It is suitable for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals.

It is also suitable for new graduates (e.g. Medical Science, Psychology, Sociology, Geography) who wish to gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher. 

Get more details

Programme structure.

Courses include:

• Research Design
• Systematic Reviews for Policy and Practice
• Statistics as Applied to Health
• Independent Research (HRM and EM) 
• Extended Independent Research
• Qualitative Methods and Process Evaluations
• Clinical Trials
• Health Economics

Check out the full curriculum

Key information.

• 12 months

2 or 3 years

Start dates & application deadlines

• Apply before 2025-08-30 00:00:00 , International The deadline is applicable to students from outside the European Economic Area who want to study within the EEA, or to students who want to study outside the EEA but are not nationals of that country. ">
• Apply before 2025-09-18 00:00:00 , National The deadline applies if you have the same nationality as the university. ">

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Other requirements

General requirements.

• Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.
• A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. 

Make sure you meet all requirements

Tuition fee, international.

UK fees per year:

• MSc : £5,800 part-time 2 year, £3,900 part-time 3 year
• MSc: £13,750 part-time 2 year, £9,250 part-time 3 year

Living costs for Exeter

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Health Research Methods.

Available Scholarships

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University of exeter: health research methods.

The global burden of disease and challenges of safe and accessible health services means that more than ever we need to be developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations.

This programme has been designed to give you the skills and knowledge to enact meaningful change and gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher.

It is suitable for those from a wide variety of backgrounds including:

Science, mathematics and social science graduates

Medical researchers

Academic clinical fellows

Allied healthcare

Healthcare professionals wishing to develop their research skills

You will be taught by the leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods. Topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics will provide a common thread that runs throughout the programme.

Previous topics that students have chosen for independent study include:

Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.

Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.

Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.

Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.

To learn more about modules, assessment methods, facilities and our staff research expertise please visit our course page.

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MSc Health Research Methods

University of exeter, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities, key information data source : idp connect, qualification type.

MSc - Master of Science

Subject areas

Health Studies

Course type

Develop the skills and knowledge needed to enact meaningful change as an effective and confident healthcare practitioner.

Designed for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals.

Also suitable for new graduates seeking a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods to develop your career as a health researcher.

Study topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics.

Taught by leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods.

Play a vital role in making health services better. Constant changes in healthcare means that highly skilled researchers are in-demand for developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations.

By studying MSc Health Research Methods, you could help solve important problems to deliver better, safer and more accessible healthcare to the population.

Previous topics that students have chosen for independent study include:

Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.

Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.

Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.

Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.

This programme is designed for a wide range of participants. It will enable health professionals from a variety of disciplines to gain expertise and become a more effective and confident practitioner. It is suitable for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals. It is also suitable for new graduates (e.g. Medical Science, Psychology, Sociology, Geography) who wish to gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.

MSc Advanced Professional Practice in Occupational Therapy

University of plymouth, pgcert clinical education, mclined clinical education, msc advanced professional practice in physiotherapy, msc advanced professional practice in dietetics.

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University of Exeter

Degree level: postgraduate, health research methods (taught), course options.

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

The global burden of disease and challenges of safe and accessible health services means that more than ever we need to be developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations. This programme has been designed to give you the skills and knowledge to enact meaningful change and gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher. It is suitable for those from a wide variety of backgrounds including:

• Science, mathematics and social science graduates
• Medical researchers
• Academic clinical fellows
• Allied healthcare
• Healthcare professionals wishing to develop their research skills
• Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.
• Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.
• Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.
• Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.
• To learn more about modules, assessment methods, facilities and our staff research expertise please visit our course page.

For a full list of compulsory and optional modules please visit our course page.

Assessment method

Please visit our course page for current assessment methods.

International applicants

Our International Student Support can help you with what you need to do before you arrive and when you get here as a new international student. They offer ongoing support throughout your studies whether that be setting up a bank account or arranging healthcare. Our Global Chums Buddy Scheme and our Intercultural Cafe provide opportunities to meet staff and connect with students. INTO University of Exeter provide pre-sessional English courses for international students as well as free insessional support. For more information about entry requirements, bursaries and scholarships and how to apply please visit our course page.

Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency. A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. Please visit the entry requirements section of our website for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements. Please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements. International students are normally subject to visa regulations which prevent part-time study. It is recommended that international students apply for the level of the final award you intend to complete i.e. PGCert, PGDip or Masters, due to the associated cost and requirements for a Tier 4 student Visa. Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Please visit our website to find out more about APL. For full details, including English language requirements and international equivalencies, please visit our course page.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees.

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Sponsorship information.

We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This is in addition to the UK Government’s Postgraduate Loan Scheme. For information on how you can fund your postgraduate degree at the University of Exeter, please visit our course page.

Provider information

Visit our website

University of Exeter Northcote House The Queen's Drive Exeter EX4 4QJ

Course contact details

Postgraduate admissions.

[email protected]

0300 555 60 60

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Enquiries

+44 (0)1392 727272

5 Course options

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MSc Health Research Methods

• University of Exeter

At UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Qualification

• Masters Degree (Taught)

Next intake

23 September 2024

Entry Score

About the course

The global burden of disease and challenges of safe and accessible health services means that more than ever we need to be developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations. This programme has been designed to give you the skills and knowledge to enact meaningful change and gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher. It is suitable for those from a wide variety of backgrounds including: Science, mathematics and social science graduates Medical researchers Academic clinical fellows Nurses Allied healthcare Healthcare professionals wishing to develop their research skills You will be taught by the leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods. Topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics will provide a common thread that runs throughout the programme.

• Scholarships View all scholarships
• Internships

Start dates and prices

Course fees are indicative and should be used as a guide. to get an accurate price.

Duration: 1 Year (s)

Fees: GBP 27500

How to apply

Entry requirements for university of exeter, application deadline.

The application deadline isn't available Speak to an IDP counsellor for more detailed information

Further information

If you aren't eligible for the above entry requirements, you might ant to explore pathway options at University of Exeter . If you want to find out more, speak to our counsellors.

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  Health Research Methods MSc/PgDip/PgCert

University of exeter     public health and sport sciences, findamasters summary.

Embark on a transformative journey with the Health Research Methods MSc/PgDip/PgCert at the University of Exeter. This programme equips you with the skills to drive change in healthcare through evidence-based research. Delve into topics like patient involvement, health economics, and clinical trials under the guidance of leading experts. Tailored for diverse backgrounds, from science to healthcare professionals, this course offers a comprehensive understanding of complex interventions. Choose from a range of modules, each designed to enhance your research capabilities and critical thinking. With options to exit with a PGCert or PGDip, or pursue a full Masters degree, flexibility is at your fingertips. Benefit from one-to-one tutorials, personalised support, and access to the Career Zone for future opportunities. Join us to become a confident health researcher and make a tangible impact on global health challenges. Are you ready to shape the future of healthcare?

About the course

The global burden of disease and challenges of safe and accessible health services means that more than ever we need to be developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations.

This programme has been designed to give you the skills and knowledge to enact meaningful change and gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher.

It is suitable for those from a wide variety of backgrounds including:

Entry Requirements

Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency. A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. Applicants are also required to meet our English language requirements. Please see our website for details.

For current programme fees please see our website.

  Course Content

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A Masters at the is a great way to gain a competitive edge in your field or gain specialist training in a particular subject area. At Exeter we combine teaching excellence and high levels of student satisfaction with world class research. A member of the Russell Group, our success is built on a strong partnership with our students and a clear focus on high performance. We are the fastest growing research-intensive university in the UK and 98 per cent of our research was rated as international or world-leading quality in the last national Research Excellence Framework.

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See our website for details of funding available and how to apply : https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/funding/

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Postgraduate Taught

MSc Health Research Methods

• Postgraduate Taught home
• Healthcare and Medicine
• Health Research Methods MSc

Masters applications for 2023 entry are now closed.

Applications for September 2024 will open on Monday 25 September. Applications are now open for programmes with a January 2024 start. View our programmes »

PgDip Health Research Methods

PgCert Health Research Methods

• Develop the skills and knowledge needed to enact meaningful change as an effective and confident healthcare practitioner.
• Designed for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals.
• Also suitable for new graduates seeking a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods to develop your career as a health researcher.
• Study topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics.
• Taught by leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods.

Play a vital role in making health services better. Constant changes in healthcare means that highly skilled researchers are in-demand for developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations.

By studying MSc Health Research Methods, you could help solve important problems to deliver better, safer and more accessible healthcare to the population.

Previous topics that students have chosen for independent study include:

• Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.
• Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.
• Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.
• Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.

Apply online

View 2024 Entry

Apply for individual modules 2024/25

Fast Track (current Exeter students)

Accreditation of prior learning (APL)

Open days and visiting us

Get a prospectus

Programme Director: Dr Antonieta Medina-Lara

Web: Enquire online

Phone: +44 (0)1392 72 72 72

This programme is delivered at our St Luke’s Campus, which is home to the University of Exeter Medical School. The campus is a short walk from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and offers a range of research facilities and equipment. Students will be able to access resources used by our  Institute of Health Research.

Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research

Based on 4* + 3* research in REF 2021

Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power

Submitted to UoA2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. REF 2021

Major capital investment in new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities

Vibrant and active research student community supported by excellent pastoral and academic staff 

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical or professional experience may be taken into consideration as evidence of equivalency.  A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required. 

Please visit our   entry requirements section   for equivalencies from your country and further information on   English language requirements. Please visit our  international equivalency pages  to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

International students are normally subject to visa regulations which prevent part-time study. It is recommended that international students apply for the level of the final award you intend to complete i.e. PGCert, PGDip or Masters, due to the associated cost and requirements for a Tier 4 student Visa.

Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine

Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Find out more about APL .

Entry requirements for international students

Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements .

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2 . Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.

Course content

The programme is divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with one credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work. Therefore, for applicants who are working full time (or close to full-time), we recommend applying to complete the Masters degree over 2 or 3 years rather than 1 year. To gain a Masters qualification, you will need to complete 180 credits at level 7.

It is also possible to exit with a PGCert after completing 60 credits of taught modules or a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.

Contact days

Health Research Methods timetable 2024/25

(Please note: timetables are draft and subject to change)

The last contact day and assessment deadline for the programme will be earlier than the actual end date of your registration with the University, to allow a period of time at the end of your active studies for further support and mitigation, if needed.

The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.

Full time 1 year

Compulsory modules

If you are a part-time MSc student, you will take the taught compulsory modules in your first year and your research module in your final year.

Optional modules

Part time 2 years

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme

MSc full time, 2 year part-time and 3 year part-time

Note: If you are a part-time MSc student, take taught compulsory modules in your first year and take your research module in your final year.

Part time 3 years

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme 

Choose either 45 credits or 75 credits of Recommended or Other** approved modules:

2024/25 entry

Uk fees per year:.

• MSc :   £11,600 full-time, £5,800pa part-time 2 years, £3,900pa part-time 3 years
• PgDip:  £3,900pa part-time 2 years
• PgCert:    £3,900

Standalone module fees: UK: £1,100 per 15-credit module

International fees per year:

• MSc:   £27,500 full-time,  £13,750pa part-time 2 years,   £9,250 pa part-time 3 years
• PgDip:    £9,250pa part-time 2 years
• PgCert:  £9,250

Standalone module fees: International: £2,500 per 15-credit module Find out more about tuition fees and funding

Fee information

Fees can normally be paid by two termly instalments and may be paid online. You will also be required to pay a tuition fee deposit to secure your offer of a place, unless you qualify for  exemption . For further information about paying fees see our  Student Fees  pages.

Scholarships

For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.

Find out more about tuition fees and funding »

Funding and scholarships

Uk government postgraduate loan scheme.

Postgraduate loans of up to £12,167 are now available for Masters degrees.   Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.

There are various funding opportunities available including the Medical School's Global excellence scholarships for international fee paying students. For more information visit our   Masters funding page .

Pro Vice Chancellor's NHS Postgraduate Scholarship

The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences is delighted to offer the Pro Vice Chancellor's NHS Postgraduate Scholarship of £5000 to up to four NHS staff who accept a place to study on one of our Masters programmes. Please check your eligibility before applying.

University of Exeter Class of 2022 Progression Scholarship

We are pleased to offer graduating University of Exeter students completing their degree in Summer 2022 and progressing direct to a standalone taught Masters degree (eg MA; MSc; MRes; MFA) or research degree (eg MPhil/PhD) with us a scholarship towards the cost of their tuition fees. These awards are worth 10% of the first year tuition fee for students enrolling on a postgraduate taught or research programme of study in 2022/23, with the exception of the PGCE programme.  Find out more

Teaching and research

Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.

The taught component of this programme is delivered in the first two terms (one year programme) or five terms (two year programme). During this time you’ll also be helped to develop a dissertation project to be completed in the remaining six months.

Teaching and learning methods

All material is designed for Masters-level and will involve keynote lectures, case studies, seminars and group discussion. Within modules there is considerable scope for you to direct your learning towards fields of particular interest, especially through your choice of dissertation project and in your guided independent study.

Short assessments are tailored to each module, with some assessment taking place in class, and others requiring electronic submission of assignments towards the end of a module.

Advice and support

One-to-one tutorials with module leads are timetabled into each of the four taught modules to ensure that you’ll receive personalised support. The Programme Lead is also available to help you with further guidance and advice.

Associate Professor Rob Anderson

Professor of health services and implementation research.

Dr Julia Frost

Senior lecturer health services research.

Rebecca Whear

Co-lead for the module "systematic reviews for policy and practice".

Rob is module co-lead for  the core module  Fundamentals of Research Design .  He is an applied health services researcher and implementation scientist with a particular interest in the evaluation and synthesis of evidence about health policies and  complex health interventions , such as public health programmes and changes in service organisation and delivery.  

He has  over 20 years' experience as a health services researcher, economic evaluator, and implementation science scholar in both the UK NHS and the Australian health system.  

Julia has been a medical sociologist since 1999. She is a Senior Lecturer in Health Services Research in the Third Gap research group. She undertakes research about health service delivery and patient experience, using qualitative and mixed methods. She is module lead for   Qualitative Methods and Process Evaluations  and co-leads on   Fundamentals of Research Design . She is currently qualitative lead on two NIHR funded studies: SAMUEL: Use of simulation and machine learning to identify key levers for maximising the disability benefit of intravenous thrombolysis in acute stroke pathways; and PARTNERS2: collaborative care for people with severe mental illness.  

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Rebecca is a Research Fellow and co-lead for the module:  Systematic Reviews for Policy and Practice . She has many years of experience in social and health related research. Latterly, she has mainly focused on systematic reviews but in the past has been involved with small pieces of quantitative and qualitative primary research. Her main areas of interest include improving healthcare for patients and the NHS, the mental health and behaviour of young people, and dementia and dementia care.

This programme is designed for a wide range of participants. It will enable health professionals from a variety of disciplines to gain expertise and become a more effective and confident practitioner. It is suitable for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals. It is also suitable for new graduates (e.g. Medical Science, Psychology, Sociology, Geography) who wish to gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher. 

Careers support

All University of Exeter students have access to  Career Zone , where you’ll gain access to our wealth of business contacts, support and training as well as the opportunity to meet potential employers at our regular Careers Fairs.

Related courses

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Clinical education msc, master of public health (mph).

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MSc Health Research Methods University of Exeter

Course options

Qualification.

MSc - Master of Science

St Luke's Campus

• TUITION FEES
• ENTRY REQUIREMENT
• UNIVERSITY INFO

Course summary

Develop the skills and knowledge needed to enact meaningful change as an effective and confident healthcare practitioner.

Designed for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals.

Also suitable for new graduates seeking a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods to develop your career as a health researcher.

Study topics such as patient and public involvement, collaborative working, evidence-based practice, complex interventions, health economics, clinical trials and medical statistics.

Taught by leading international experts and authors in complex interventions research methods.

Play a vital role in making health services better. Constant changes in healthcare means that highly skilled researchers are in-demand for developing, testing, evaluating and implementing evidence-based healthcare in highly complex situations.

By studying MSc Health Research Methods, you could help solve important problems to deliver better, safer and more accessible healthcare to the population.

Previous topics that students have chosen for independent study include:

Exploring facilitators and barriers of patients’ trust in clinical pharmacists in Primary Care.

Improving the physical health monitoring of patients taking Clozepine.

Intravenous antimicrobial therapy in the home.

Effectiveness of group psychological interventions in reducing the burden for caregivers of patients with dementia residing in the community.

This programme is designed for a wide range of participants. It will enable health professionals from a variety of disciplines to gain expertise and become a more effective and confident practitioner. It is suitable for health researchers, academic clinical fellows, nurses, midwives, allied healthcare professionals and public health professionals. It is also suitable for new graduates (e.g. Medical Science, Psychology, Sociology, Geography) who wish to gain a comprehensive grounding in health services research methods as a platform for developing a career as a health researcher.

Modules (Year 1)

Tuition fees.

• Afghanistan
• Antigua & Barbuda
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Burkina Faso
• Central African Republic
• Congo (Democratic Republic)
• Czech Republic
• Dominican Republic
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Ivory Coast
• Korea DPR (North Korea)
• Liechtenstein
• Marshall Islands
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Northern Ireland
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• Saudi Arabia
• Sierra Leone
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• South Africa
• South Korea
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• St. Kitts & Nevis
• Switzerland
• Trinidad & Tobago
• Turkmenistan
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Vatican City
• Western Samoa

£ 27,500 per year

Tuition fees shown are for indicative purposes and may vary. Please check with the institution for most up to date details.

University information

University of exeter, university league table, campus address.

University of Exeter, Northcote House, The Queen's Drive, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4QJ, England

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Exeter Health Analytics

• EPSRC Hub for Quantitative Modelling in Healthcare

Welcome to Exeter Health Analytics. Sign-up for updates from the network.

Exeter Health Analytics is an interdisciplinary research community whose aim is to advance and promote applications of quantitative methods for health-, wellbeing- and disease-related research at the University of Exeter, with our partners and beyond.     We are a community of academics, NHS partners, industry and the general public working together to develop quantitative health research underpinned by rigorous mathematical and computational techniques. Our interests span theoretical modelling through to empirical data analysis, addressing the full spectrum of research questions from understanding the causes of disease, to building predictive algorithms and modelling biological and healthcare systems. 

Join us Contact

Exeter  Health Analytics  leads  

David Richards Network co-lead MRC Career Development Fellow   Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Statistics.   

Eilis Hannon Network co-lead   Senior Research Fellow IDSAI Assistant Director for Education

Jamie Walker Network co-lead   Lecturer in Mathematics

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Qualitative Methods for Health Research

• Judith Green - Exeter University, UK
• Nicki Thorogood - London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK
• Description

Packed with practical advice and research quick tips, this book is the perfect companion to your health research project. It not only explains the theory of qualitative health research so you can interpret the studies of others, but also showcases how to approach, start, maintain, and disseminate your own research. 

It will help you:

• Understand the role of the researcher
• Develop an effective research proposal
• Seek ethical approval
• Conduct interviews, observational studies, mixed methods, and web-based designs
• Use secondary and digital sources
• Code, manage, and analyse data
• Write up your results

Whether you are studying public health, sports medicine, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, or another health discipline, the authors will be your surrogate supervisors and guide you through evaluating or undertaking any type of health research.

Supplements

This book is  the  clear and extensive introduction to qualitative health research. It is useful for all under and post graduate students, and even for PhDs with quantitative background.

A thoughtful, thorough and readable account of the history and current practice of qualitative research in health. 

An enormously helpful resource for anyone interested in interpreting and conducting qualitative health research. In addition to describing complex social theory in an easily digestible style, it also provides a practical ‘how to’ guide for all the stages of qualitative data collection, analysis and dissemination. Filled with useful examples, it brings qualitative health research to life in a way that is both engaging and highly accessible. It is a must read for students and experienced scholars alike!

This new edition of Green and Thorogood’s excellent textbook should be required reading for health professionals considering undertaking qualitative research. Along with a practical introduction to the theory and methods of qualitative research, this revised edition expands on the importance of theory for qualitative research, the use of secondary sources and digital methods in data collection and the integration of methods, disciplines and designs within research. It continues to be a core text for any qualitative methods training for students in health and related disciplines. 

Very good basic introduction, focus on ethnography and observation as essential qual. research designs/methods. Great book also for nursing science students.

This is an great resource for students undertaking qualitative methods for the first time. Additionally, it provides a great go-to for those further along in their use of these methods.

An informative introduction to qualitative research with practical advice and real-world examples.

An excellent resource for graduate and post graduate students in health research.

Added to my reading list for three modules-like the clear writing style, and 'how to' guides-useful for both undergraduate and post graduate students

I enjoyed reading this. Its an excellent practical book that helped organise and conduct qualitative research, safe in the knowledge that the project would be robust and credible. It also serves a s a useful reference for supervision.

Preview this book

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About Relational Health

Relational health group members.

Professor Katrina Wyatt

Professor of relational health.

[email protected]

Katrina Wyatt is Professor of Relational Health; Relational health foregrounds the nature and qualities of relations to create the conditions for health and address health inequalities. She conducted the underpinning research for   Connecting Communities, C2 . C2 is a  transformative engagement approach to enable communities to  increase control over their  lives and neighbourhoods and create health .  She is committed to engaging publics in the design and delivery of her research and developed the strategy for engaged research for the   Wellcome Trust funded Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health . She is also deputy theme lead for Public Health and Inequalities for PenARC.  Read more

Dr Daniele Carrieri

Lecturer in public health.

[email protected]

I have a background in philosophy and medical sociology – with expertise in ethics and qualitative methodologies – and professional experience in the management consulting industry and charity sector. I am a Lecturer in Public Health, a Research Fellow in the Relational Health Group and in the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Enviroments of Health. I am also a member of the Centre for Research in Professional Learning.   Read more .

Lorraine Hansford

Research fellow.

[email protected]

I am a researcher based at the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, and am also part of the Relational Health Group at the Medical School. I have a professional background in youth and community work, and take an engaged approach to research, working alongside communities and community organisations. My interest is in health inequalities, particularly in the areas of mental health, end-of-life care and the experiences of low-income communities. My current fellowship is exploring the impact of poverty on end-of-life and bereavement experiences.   Read more

Dr Jennie Hayes

Esrc postdoctoral research fellow.

[email protected]

Jennie is an ESRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Relational Health Group. Jennie is a qualitative social psychologist with a background in group interaction, creative facilitation, diagnosis, health and wellbeing. She has a particular interest in the social framing of diagnostic practices, narrative, creativity and wellbeing, mental health, bereavement and loss. Her current fellowship involves disseminating the results from her work on autism diagnosis and scoping ideas for a new research project within the context of exploring the barriers to health and wellbeing.  Read more

Alison Hurst

Associate research fellow.

[email protected]

My current role within the Relational Health Group is as the data manager. I am involved with any data related work, including supporting systematic reviews, producing tables and writing papers. Previously I have worked with several large Randomised Controlled Trials within the Child Health group including the Healthy Lifestyle Programme (HeLP) and the Helping Children Achieve (HCA) study.   Read more

Dr Jenny Lloyd

Senior lecturer in public health research.

[email protected]

I am a mixed methods researcher specialising in the development and evaluation of complex behavioural interventions using a wide range of methods; systematic reviews, stakeholder consultation, logic model development, intervention mapping and process evaluation. I have expertise in engaging stakeholders (patients, teachers, parents, children, public health practitioners and policy makers) and actively involving them in intervention design and optimisation. This expertise informs the grants I have been, and am currently, involved in.

I teach and lead modules on the BMBS and BMed Sci undergraduate programmes (Lifestyle Medicine, Clinical Trials) and the new MSc in Public Health (Behaviour Change).   Read more

Professor Karen Mattick

Professor of medical education.

[email protected]

Karen is professor of medical education and director of postgraduate education for the College of Medicine & Health.  Her research focusses on the experiences of doctors-in-training, especially during the transition to clinical practice and when prescribing medications, and mental ill-health especially as it affects doctors-in-training. Karen is also deputy editor for the journal Medical Education, director of awards for the Association for the Study of Medical Education (ASME) and visiting professor at Queen’s University Belfast.   Read more

Camilla Forbes (McHugh)

[email protected]

My role in the Relational Health Group has been the Saxton Fellowship, funded by the All Saints Education Trust, to explore how to create the conditions for the promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviours in secondary schools.  Part of my role has also been to co-chair with young people the Young Person’s Advisory Group to give young people a voice in research.   Read more

Dr Felicity Thomas

Senior research fellow.

[email protected]

I am a social scientist with a cross-disciplinary background spanning anthropology, public health, education, and international development. Drawing on narrative, ethnographic and engaged approaches, my research examines how lived experiences of health inequalities can inform more ethical and effective health care practice and policy.

My work focuses around the mental health and wellbeing of low-income communities; early life trauma; migrant health; sexual health; and the promotion of young people’s health and wellbeing. I am a Deputy Director of the Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health and Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Culture and Health.   Read more

Dr Andrew Williams

Senior lecturer and co-investigator for tr14ers.

[email protected]

Trained as an epidemiologist, Andrew’s research interests lie in the social and cultural determinants of health (the fifth wave of public health), especially among children and young people. He is interested in the applications of theories such as complexity theory and salutogenesis to bring about improvements in the health of the public. Introduced to relational health during his PhD supervised by Professor Katrina Wyatt, Andrew has been on the fringes of C2: Connecting Communities ever since. Alongside Katrina, Andrew conducted research with the TR14ers in 2018/19 exploring their culture and ethos, and how this is sustained.  Read more

Natalie Bastone

Pa to professor katrina wyatt.

[email protected]

Susanne Hughes

Programme co-ordinator and  c2 partnership support.

[email protected]

I’m part of  C2 Connecting Communities  team and coordinate the partnerships between C2 and research, including the   DeStress Project  & the public involvement and community engagement group for the national ARC Inequalities Programme.

I am currently conducting research in the   WCCEH , with the  Transforming Engagement Programme   mapping social networks using  Network Canvas  software; this research is exploring new methodologies to evidence links between strong community networks and health in partnership with the TQ6 Community Partnership Hub project.  

I provide mentorship and support for C2 partnerships and create spaces for C2 partners to engage with research for mutual benefit.

Dr Kerry Ann Brown

 senior lecturer.

  [email protected]

I have expertise in public health nutrition and work across the social and natural sciences using mixed-methods (qualitative, quantitative, and public engagement).

I research sustainable dietary guidelines and innovative methods to study food systems and evaluate food policies (e.g., food labelling and Healthy Start food vouchers). I have a particular interest in how sustainability can be integrated into the nutrition risk analysis process to effect policy change and make food systems healthier, fairer, and more environmentally sustainable.  Read more

Prof Victoria Tischler BSW, MSocSc, PhD, CPsychol, AFBPsS

Associate professor in public health, sustainability and environment, university of exeter; honorary professor, university of west london.

[email protected]

Professor Tischler is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. She has a PhD in psychology from the University of Nottingham where she worked for 12 years. She retains an honorary position at the University of Nottingham Medical School. Her research interests focus on creativity and mental health and multisensory approaches to dementia care. She is co-executive editor of the journal Arts and Health: an international journal for research, policy and practice. She has worked as a curator in the outsider art field, she serves on the scientific advisory board for Boots UK archive and is an advisory board member for the Hamwe Festival, University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda.   Read more

Kath Wilkinson

[email protected]

Kath is a Research Fellow within the Relational Health Group. Kath’s interests are around early intervention and prevention activities to support parents and children, specifically relating to their mental health and wellbeing. Kath is also interested in how research knowledge is translated into practice and how programmes are implemented. She is currently undertaking an NIHR Fellowship and working with the charity Action for Children, looking into how community champions can support parent and child wellbeing and child development across Devon.   Read more

University of Exeter South Cloisters St Luke's Campus Exeter EX1 2LU Beth Seager, RHG Administrator [email protected]

Professor Katrina Wyatt, Head of RHG [email protected]

Directions to St Luke's campus

The Relational Health Research Group understands health as an emergent behaviour of the relations within systems and their environments.

Principles underpinning our relational approach

• Our ethos is to ‘work with’ people rather than ‘do to’ or research ‘on’
• To involve people whose lives are affected by the issues as partners throughout the research process
• To understand the relational nature of the conditions which give rise to the issues  as a means of addressing the issues rather than focusing on trying to affect an individual’s  behaviours
• Health creating conditions can only be created when the nature of the barriers to health and wellbeing have to be determined from within the system rather than externally imposed on to the system
• Addressing the social, political and economic conditions which create health inequalities requires transformative ways of working which are in partnership with local communities
• Our research approaches embrace rather than ignore the complex nature of systems

Engaged Research Approach

Our engaged research encompasses the many ways in which researchers and people outside the university meaningfully work together throughout the research process, from understanding the nature of the problems and agreeing the issues that need to be researched and creating the questions together, to delivering the research in partnership which generates mutually beneficial outcomes.

This approach draws on years of working with  Folk.us , a DH funded Programme to ensure patients, service users and carers were meaningfully involved in health and social care research across the South West, and the transformative engagement approach which underpins the  C2 programme .

What is Relational Health?

Relational health focuses on the nature and qualities of relationships in order to create the conditions for health and address health inequalities

There is an increasing body of evidence demonstrating the association between positive relationships and health and wellbeing [1]. Moreover, positive relationships can also mitigate some of the negative impacts of adverse conditions and experiences [2,3]. There is also an increased understanding of schools, neighbourhoods, workplaces etc, as complex adaptive systems, and that health is an emergent property arising from the system’s complex nature [4,5]. Health, as an emergent behaviour of a complex system, is therefore a consequence of the nature of the relations that comprise such systems. These relations can be the relations that subsist within the system, as well as relations that exist between the system and its environment [6].

Hence, in order to understand how health is constituted in complex systems, we need to understand the relational nature of these systems and their distinctive “relationalities”.

Relational Health is therefore concerned with understanding the relational dynamics of social systems to understand how the conditions are created for health/ ill health in and of the system. This focus on relationships within the system and its wider environment as determinants of health/ ill health takes the focus away from trying to affect individuals at risk of ill health or individual behaviours in isolation.

A Relational Health approach means the focus is on understanding the nature and the qualities of the relations which support the system to self-organise towards a more health creating ‘state’.

Taking a relational approach is a challenge to much of the dominant discourses of prevention science and public health approaches. In particular, a relational health approach to understanding the nature of population health challenges is a radical departure from the way that health and health ‘problems’ are currently conceptualised and addressed. For the most part, population health problems are identified and determined externally, ie from outside of the system and then programmes or policies developed to address the problem, which is usually aimed at targeting unhealthy behaviours or populations deemed to be more at risk. Such programmes tend to be evaluated on individual outcomes (and with a ’logic of coherence’ which renders context as static). Whilst this approach might have some effect in the short term, there is evidence suggesting that programmes aimed at supporting health can actually widen rather than reduce inequalities [7].

By comparison, a relational health approach insists that a necessary condition for systems to self-organise into becoming health creating environments is for the school or neighbourhood or workplace to identify and recognise the nature of the issues.

Addressing poor health and health inequalities by creating the conditions to identify the barriers to health is a fundamentally different starting point to most stakeholder engagement processes; whereby stakeholders are brought into conversations about the externally determined problem to understand what it means to them and what would be feasible and acceptable ways of addressing it. What is significant here is that the problem is still externally determined.

A relational approach starts with the recognition that more of the same can not deliver change on the scale that is needed and that new ways of delivering services are needed in response to what people identify as the barriers to a health promoting environment.

These new ways of working /delivering services start by understanding the current behaviour of the system by  actively  listening to understand the nature of the lived realities for people living and working in particular neighbourhoods or organisations. This approach requires practitioners, researchers and commissioners to engage people living and working in these areas to  hear  what the ‘problems’ are for the service or school or neighbourhood and to develop new ways of working  with the residents/ workforce  to respond to these issues. The local partnerships which then form become a  sustainable  means for the identification of local problems and responding to them. The new relationality of the system becomes the process by which the system self-organises to a more health creating ‘state’ and becomes a sustainable way for the system to adapt and respond to changes in the environment.

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Healthcare & Health Services

• Care Under Pressure 3
• Optimising prescribing
• Kingship Project - starting in 2024
• Completed Projects

Young People and Families

• Building Babies Brains – 1001 Community Champions
• Creating Health Promoting Secondary Schools - coming in 2024
• Young Person's Advisory Group (YPAG)
• Born into Care - coming in 2024
• Child and Family Welfare in Torbay  

Health Inequalities

• C2 Connecting Communities
• Community Assets addressing Health Inequalities
• Exploring inequalities in end-of-life care and bereavement

Mental Health and Wellbeing

• Culture Box
• Inclusivity - healthy inclusive workplaces
• Social-cultural perspectives on diagnosis: autism as a case study

NHS healthy workplaces

The Healthy Workplace Programme was a collaboration between PenARC and the European Centre for Environment and Human Health. The overarching aim of the healthy workplace programme was to develop an NHS healthy workplace programme which sought to create the conditions for health and wellbeing within an NHS hospital through the lens of complexity. To support the development of a programme we undertook a systematic review of programmes delivered in healthcare settings which sought to improve health behaviours for the whole population (ie were not targeted at a subgroup of people or behaviours such as smokers, overweight staff). We also worked with the healthy workplace team in Public Health Cornwall to undertake a series of case studies on organisations and businesses which had achieved a ‘gold healthy workplace award’ to understand how they developed their programme and the enablers and barriers to participation in the programme. The findings from the review and the case studies and the interviews with the NHS ward staff led to the development of a framework, the “Wellbeing on the Ward (WoW) framework.” Using complexity principles, the framework seeks to illuminate the enablers and barriers on the ward to health and wellbeing behaviours. By populating the framework with the ward staff, areas and activities to improve physical and emotional wellbeing are identified.

This research is supporting the   Inclusivity Project .

Young Persons Advisory Group (YPAG)

To explore how we can create the conditions for meaningful involvement of young people in adolescent health research.

University of Exeter Engaged Research Exploratory Award 

Brief description of the work:

Youth engagement in research can lead toward greater awareness and understanding of health issues as a community and public health policy, as well as research interests for young people. We are working with a local school to explore how setting up a Young Person’s Advisory Group could be mutually beneficial to young people and researchers. We are running six workshops this year where the students will be learning some research skills, providing advice on current projects and coming up with ideas for research.

For more information contact: Camilla Forbes

Our Skills and Expertise

We have considerable expertise in transdisciplinary, engaged research approaches to understanding and addressing barriers to health and wellbeing and inequalities. 

• Co-creating research with people experiencing the issues or caring for those experiencing the issues for example ;   Optimising Prescribing ;   Moralising narratives and mental distress in very low income communities  ;   Co-creating an evaluation of a peer-led dance group, theTR14ers
• Meaningful engagement with neighbourhoods, schools, workplaces to understand the nature of the issues   –   Connecting Communities - C2 ;   Healthy Lifestyles Programme ; the development and evaluation of a novel obesity prevention programme for children
• Developing health creating conditions which embrace the complex nature of the system -   Healthy workplace programme for NHS   secondary care organisations ;   Developing a health promoting school process for secondary schools
• Qualitative approaches   including interviewing, conducting focus groups, ethnography, narrative analysis;   The violence of narrative ;  The impact of the workplace capability on mental health ;  Understanding influences on young people’s diet and physical activity choices
• Evaluations of complex interventions   including evaluability assessments, trials and process evaluations;   Grad2020 project ;  Cluster randomised controlled trial and  process evaluation of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme
• Realist, Systematic and Scoping reviews –   Care under pressure ;  Implementing health promoting school programmes ;   The impact of the World Health Organization Health Promoting Schools framework approach on diet and physical activity behaviours of adolescents in secondary schools;   systematic reviews of effectiveness of   policy   and   programmes ;   scoping reviews looking at how sustainability and health are integrated in policy and practice

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