Continuing education course

Global Palliative Care Development

Accelerating worldwide implementation of palliative care as a priority for global health.

Course length 12 weeks part-time

Start date January 2026

Location Online

Course content
Teaching and assessment
Fees and funding
Entry requirements
Applying

Introduction

About the course

Access to palliative care is a human right. However, most people worldwide who need palliative care will never receive it.

This online short course explores inequities in the global development and delivery of palliative care within and between countries. You will be introduced to palliative care as a neglected aspect of global health and learn about other global health priorities. A key focus is upon identifying the relative need for palliative care, in the context of other unmet healthcare needs – especially in countries with high rates of poverty where even a basic level of healthcare might be unavailable.

Students receive 20 Level 7 credits on completing this short course, including the assessment.

You can take the short course on its own or as part of a postgraduate research degree at Hull York Medical School (MSc, MD, or PhD). It can also be taken as part of the PGCert/PGDip/MSc Palliative Care: Implementing Best Practice programme.

What you will learn

You will gain knowledge from global experts in palliative care, implementation science, and quantitative methods through lectures, independent learning, and online activities.

Course content is based on a realist approach, concentrating on Contexts, Mechanisms, and Outcomes to highlight opportunities for research and development in palliative care.

Who is this course for?

This short course is ideal for researchers or clinicians interested in global health or palliative care who are looking to widen their understanding of what palliative care is, who it is for and how to improve access worldwide.

How is this short course delivered?

This online course allows for flexible study to fit around other commitments.

Course content will be released each week and one to one support sessions will be provided during assessment periods.

You are encouraged to participate in the weekly one-hour group discussion sessions and will undertake 3 - 5 hours of independent study each week.

How is this short course assessed?

You will explore a topic of interest in detail, presenting your findings in a recorded presentation and a 3,000 word essay.

CONTACT US

postgraduate@hyms.ac.uk tel:+441904321690

Dr Joseph Clark,
Programme Director

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Dr Charlotte Kelly,
Programme Director

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Teaching and assessment

Course leads

Dr Joseph Clark is a Lecturer in Global Palliative Care with a background in global social policy and applied health research. His research focusses on the influence of global health policies over palliative care development and in designing services appropriate for low resource context.

Dr Charlotte Kelly is a Lecturer in Health Services Research (Health Inequalities), with a background in human geography and applied health and transport research. Her research focuses on how access to healthcare services, including palliative care, impacts on health inequalities and outcomes.

Fees and funding

Tuition Fees

The fee for this short course for the academic year 2025/6 is £2,100.

Fees are reviewed annually and may change.

Professional Development Grants

Applicants currently employed at hospices in the UK may be eligible to apply for a professional development grant via Hospice UK, such as the Wolfson Professional Development Grant and the Masonic Charitable Foundation (MCF) bursary. These grants can provide up to £1,500 per year, with matched funding by your hospice encouraged by Hospice UK.

Visit the Hospice UK website for further information.

Entry

Entry requirements

Applicants must have previous training in a health or social care profession (e.g. graduates of medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, or social work or other allied health and social care professions), in a science applied to human or organisational behaviour (e.g. graduates of psychology or sociology) or have equivalent professional experience.

Applicants must have a 2.1 degree or equivalent.

All applications will be subject to the successful completion of an online interview.

English language requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must have one of the following:

IELTS: 6.5, with no less than 6.0 in each component
PTE Academic: 61, with no less than 55 in each component
CAE and CPE (from January 2015): 176, with no less than 169 in each component
TOEFL: 87, with a minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE: level 3 with Merit in all components
LangCert B2 Communicator High Pass (minimum score 33/50)
WASSCE: C5

Applying

How to apply

Email postgraduate@hyms.ac.uk to find out more about applying to study this short course.

Join our continuing professional education mailing list to be the first to hear when applications for this short course are open and to get the latest news from Hull York Medical School.

Annually reviewed

Courses and their content are reviewed on an annual basis to ensure they remain up to date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. Where changes are necessary or proposed, we will advise applicants and enrolled students at the earliest possible opportunity.