There are many healthcare courses in the UK, however UHI Moray’s Integrative Healthcare degree is the only one of its kind in Scotland. This niche and innovative degree offers an abundance of scope, flexibility and opportunities.
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Since it was approved and validated in 2017, UHI Moray’s Integrative Healthcare degree has become a success. From an initial 26 students signing up for the degree, that number doubled within a year. Now, the programme attracts more than a hundred students.
With increasing demand and feedback from both students and stakeholders, UHI Moray enhanced the degree to include five new modules:
- Integrative Healthcare: Professional Practice
- Clinical Sports Massage
- Mental Health and Counselling Skills
- Professional and Therapeutic Relationships
- Advanced Manual Therapeutic Modalities
The modules will allow students an opportunity to gain a wider range of skills and attributes, therefore enabling them a broader scope of achievement and transferable skills.
They will also arm students with useful, practical and theoretical knowledge and skills to apply in their careers after they graduate.
A good articulation opportunity
Compared with other healthcare courses in the UK, the improved degree provides more study options. It allows individuals at different levels from across the UK and beyond to join.
Rosemary McCormack, head of curriculum at UHI Moray, explains: “The BSc (hons) In Integrative Healthcare degree was approved as a UK degree initially, with articulation agreements set in place with the colleges around Scotland. More recently, in 2022, it was approved to be an international degree, which was a fantastic achievement. Entry into the degree is varied, enabling a wide scope of opportunity. Entry can also be into any of the four years, dependent on qualification and experience.”
A degree offering flexibility
She adds: “I wanted it to be a degree that was forward thinking and futuristic. I wanted students to be able to carry on with their lives as per normal while being able to undertake a degree.
“Two years of the degree is fully online. But no one joins our programme and feels they are studying on their own. They’ve got connection. They have interaction with our staff all the time that deliver to them and we’ve got a real specialist staff who are committed.
“Another thing that’s unique about the degree is that it is synchronous and asynchronous, therefore utilising a hybrid approach. In the first two years of the programme, students can be home, wherever that may be. And they then come to us for academic sessions to learn the practical over a two, three-day period and then go back home again, practice it then be online with us.
“So the degree allows people to carry on with their lives, whether they’re a parent or working full-time.
“The degree allows different people with different experiences to join us, either at a young age from leaving school or at a mature age. Or maybe people looking to change direction altogether.”
Successful graduates of UHI Moray’s Integrative Healthcare degree
UHI Moray is proud that its Integrative Healthcare degree gives everyone equal opportunity.
One of its graduates, Belinda McWilliam now works as a manager at The Carnegie Club, running the spa in Skibo Castle to a five-star standard.
Belinda worked as a therapist at the spa while studying for her degree. She then graduated in 2019 then took over as manager in August 2020.
She says: “The degree course gave me confidence in my abilities and the drive to aim for the job that I wanted.
“Having a first-class honours degree in a relevant subject made my application for my job more credible and I believe helped me secure the role.”
Another graduate, Davina Duffy currently works as a complementary therapist at Be Well Therapies.
She shares: “The course was a fantastic learning experience and I feel it has helped me a lot in my business. Particularly the work placements for supportive setting (which was in a GP practice) and palliative care setting as well as the advanced modalities module which I completely connected with and find I want to continue learning more in that wide subject.
The research aspect of my learning was invaluable and I still continue to enjoy researching topics of interest for my career.”
Join the roadshow
Find out more about the exciting changes to UHI Moray’s Integrative Healthcare degree by joining its roadshow. You’ll also get a chance to meet with staff and other potential students. You’ll also understand how it compares with other healthcare courses in the UK.
If you need more information on this Integrative Healthcare degree, visit UHI Moray’s website or email Rosemary.mccormack.moray@uhi.ac.uk