The programme provides great opportunities to mix and share with nurses and midwives from all around the country, and the teaching staff strive to sustain a positive and challenging learning environment. The core papers complement and build on each other. Most students plan their study so that the majority of the papers of study are completed before they embark on their thesis work.
Students also complete a research methods paper, a further practicum paper, and an option paper.
Once these papers are completed students usually undertake a research project which is reported in the form of a thesis. In such circumstances, based on a case by case assessment, students may be able to exit their studies with a graduate certificate or diploma. The papers are taught using principles of adult learning which encourage students to utilise their clinical experiences, motivations and interests to set their personal learning agenda within the overall goals and standards of the paper. All pieces of work contribute to the development of a portfolio of Masters work. A principle of respect within an ethic of care is foundational to the inquiry processes both within and without the classroom.