General Practice & Primary Care PhD/iPhD/MSc (Research)

Program Overview

The PhD in General Practice & Primary Care program focuses on research and teaching in primary care, providing students with in-depth exposure to diverse areas within the field. The program offers both PhD and Integrated PhD options, with a curriculum that includes master-level modules, research projects, and a dissertation. Graduates are equipped for leadership roles in research, healthcare, and policy organizations.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Objective:

The PhD in General Practice & Primary Care aims to:

• Improve health through world-class research and teaching in primary care.
• Provide research training tailored to individual student aspirations.
• Prepare researchers for leadership roles nationally, internationally, or as postgraduate research associates.
• Equip graduates for roles in healthcare and healthcare policy organizations.

Program Description:

This PhD program focuses on a range of topics within primary care, including:

• Chronic illness
• Mental/cardiovascular health
• Chronic pain
• Cancer
• Digital health
• Implementation research and policy
• Inequalities
• Marginalised populations
• Inclusion health
• Medical education
• Treatment burden and multimorbidity
Through research projects led by experienced principal investigators, students receive in-depth exposure to these diverse areas. The department welcomes students from any background or disciplines. Additionally, they utilize various methodological approaches like:
• Qualitative interviews
• Epidemiological analysis
• Systematic reviews
• Randomized controlled trials
• Social and behavioral research methods
• Data science
• Activity theory
With its emphasis on personalized learning and a strong network of academic connections, this program equips graduates for success in diverse research careers.

Outline:

Structure:

This program provides two program durations:

• PhD:
• Full-time: 3-4 years
• Part-time: 5 years
• Individual research projects conducted as per program structure guidelines.
• Integrated PhD: (5 years)
• Combines master-level modules with the chosen research path.
• Full and part-time options

Curriculum:

• Year 1
• Master-level modules focused on research methodology and critical analysis within the context of primary care.
• Completion of coursework with sufficient grades allows entry into the pre-selected PhD research project.
• Years 2, 3, and 4
• PhD program, including research and laboratory work, culminating in the completion of an independent research paper in year 4

Teaching

Teaching includes:

• Individual principal investigator-led research projects
• Collaborative research with colleagues across the university, NHS staff, and other local and international agencies.
The program utilizes numerous teaching approaches:
• Normalization process theory
• Application of social and behavioral research methods
• Implementation of data science research techniques
• Activity theory
Furthermore, they boast strong local, national, and global academic collaborations.

Careers:

This PhD opens doors to a wide range of research career paths. Many graduates become research leaders in academia across the globe, postgraduate research associates, leading figures in healthcare and policy organizations, or professionals within various sectors of primary care.

Other:

• Program participants may receive integrated masters-level training through the Integrated PhD path.
• This PhD allows students to tailor their learning journey to focus on the specific primary care research that aligns with their individual goals.

UK: £4,786 International & EU: £30,240 Prices are based on the annual fee for full-time study. Fees for part-time study are half the full-time fee. Irish nationals who are living in the Common Travel Area of the UK, EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status, and Internationals with Indefinite Leave to remain status can also qualify for home fee status.