Fast track your knowledge, experience and practical skills for a rewarding career in today’s diverse health and social care sector with our two year Diploma of Higher Education in Health Studies.
Delivered by the Department of Health Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, the Level 5 DipHE in Health Studies promotes a multidisciplinary approach to address contemporary issues around national and global population health from a human and environmental perspective. You’ll be taught by staff who are experts in their fields, drawing on their links with international research networks, human and environmental health collaborations and organisations locally and across the world.
Challenge-led placements are key in this diploma, as you’ll put your learning into practice in each year of study, gaining the professional skills and occupational competencies required to make a positive impact as a member of the health workforce, on people in the community.
Studying within a close community of Health Studies students and staff, you’ll benefit from stimulating, research-informed teaching to inspire and challenge you. You’ll explore the relationship between health and environmental frameworks and their relevance to enabling healthy lifestyles of people needing health and social care. You’ll gain a sound knowledge of the principles and theories of human development and ethical health and well-being across different populations, and develop an insight into current issues, debates and solution-focused approaches to address these.
Your course will provide you with opportunities to develop a range of transferable skills to enhance your employability, including practical skills, sector-specific competencies, self-management, communication and presentation skills, working with teams, decision making and problem solving. You’ll learn how to analyse, and address the issues, changes and challenges of health and its delivery within the NHS and independent sector from a local, national, global and planetary perspective to prepare you for your future career.
On successful completion you’ll be well equipped to deliver ethical, evidence-based care and go on to a rewarding profession as an Assistant Practitioner or other roles in the health sector. You can also choose to progress to the BSc Health Studies, entering the degree in year 3, which includes optional modules as well as an independent research project and professional practice placement.
From time to time, we make changes to our courses to improve the student and learning experience. If we make a significant change to your chosen course, we’ll let you know as soon as we can.
The aim of this module is to provide a holistic overview of the human structure and functioning through an interdisciplinary approach which enables students to understand the interconnecting perspectives across the biological, psychological, social and environmental sciences.
This module will provide students with an understanding of the wider social and environmental determinants of health and how the determinants impact health attitudes, behaviours, and health outcomes. This will also address strategies and interventions at the individual, community, national and global levels.
This module aims to provide an overview of health systems from a multi-disciplinary perspective. Students will gain understanding of the role of public and environmental health policy, organisational structures, technology and management on the health and wellbeing outcomes. It will equip students to be effective health leaders.
The aim of this module is to provide an understanding of the different health professional roles and how they play a vital role in treatment, rehabilitation and improving health and wellbeing in health and social care.
This module will include seminars to prepare and brief students for the four-week placement towards a career as an Assistant Practitioner in health and social care settings. Students will be supervised by a placement educator in the placement setting and will also have an academic link tutor. The module competencies align with Occupational duties.
The module content and learning outcomes will cover personalised care, professional practice, ethics, holistic approach and evidence-based care, communication, reflection and collaborative team and partnership working. Students will develop the competence to deliver high-quality, personalised care while maintaining professional boundaries and adhering to legislation, policies, and codes of practice and conduct.
Students will complete mandatory training such as safeguarding adults and children, moving and handling, basic life support. The focus will be on experiential learning supported by reflection and critical analysis. Evidence of skills gained, certificates and other artefacts will be collated into an E- Portfolio. Students will require an Enhanced DBS check as well as an Occupational Health clearing.
This module will describe the key principles of academic integrity, focusing on university assignments. Plagiarism, collusion and commissioning will be described as activities that undermine academic integrity, and the possible consequences of engaging in such activities will be described. Activities, with feedback, will provide you with opportunities to reflect and develop your understanding of academic integrity principles.
Year 2
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of physical and mental health conditions. It explores the relationships between physiology, physical health, lifestyle factors and mental health and wellbeing.
The aim of the module is to provide students with concepts and theories of health promotion and health protection frameworks. This will give students an understanding of the determinants of health, strategies and interventions that can be undertaken at the global, community, or individual levels to improve health.
This module aims to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of sustainability and the way organisations and individuals can impact the environment and the population health outcomes. This will equip students to adopt a critical approach to solutions and strategies for sustainable living.
The module aims to develop knowledge and an understanding of the purpose and process of research and enable students to demonstrate research awareness and evidence-based practice to support services and the wider healthcare outcomes.
The module aims to explore the policy priorities in the health and social care sector and the impact policy has in key areas of local, national and global health and social care settings.
The module aims to provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills essential for partnership working and ethical practice at organisational and individual practitioner levels. It addresses the theoretical, policy and practice challenges and provides students the opportunity to analyse and develop more effective inter-professional working.
This module will develop knowledge, understanding and practical application of the Assistant Practitioner Occupational Duties. This Assistant Practitioner Placement 2 module will have structured lectures and seminars in the Autumn and Spring semesters to prepare, guide and supervise students before, the summer semester when students attend the mandatory four weeks of professional placement.
This module enables students to synthesise the knowledge and understanding gained from theory into practical application to gain and enhance skills required of a competent and reflective practitioner. The focus will be on experiential learning supported by reflection, critical analysis and practical application.
The Assistant Practitioner Placement 2 will be building up on the previous year and focus on the ability to navigate health systems within the context of their role by applying legislation, local and national standards and health policy to demonstrate occupational competence. Evidence of skills gained (certificates of completion, induction records), an updated SWOT analysis and Personal Development Plan (PDP) will be collated into an E- Portfolio.
You’ll be part of a supportive learning environment of undergraduate students and staff, with small group seminars and tutorials encouraging development, cooperation and effective team-working.
Teaching and learning on the course are mostly by means of lectures; seminars; study groups; essay consultations; oral presentations and guided independent study but also supported by the active research of staff.
Assessment of knowledge and understanding is typically by formal examinations, group and individual oral presentations, posters, reports, essays an exam and a portfolio. . Your Coursework might typically include a written assignment, like an essay. Coursework might also include a report or portfolio. Practical assessments might include an oral assessment or presentation, or a demonstration of practical skills required for the particular module.
Applicants will be required to go through DBS and Occupational Health checks as mandatory admissions requirements for this course in alignment with NHS requirements.
The Diploma in Health Studies is designed with employability embedded throughout the course to develop relevant knowledge, experience and practical skills that are ideal preparation to become an Assistant Practitioner in the NHS, social care and other health service providers.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has approved this course under its employer-led approvals process for Higher Technical Qualifications. The employability focus is mapped to the Occupational Duties of the Institute for Apprenticeships, Planetary Health Education Framework, Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), Meta-Skills 4.0 and the standards for public health to provide a variety of options for future development.
Challenge-led placements in each year of this diploma provide vital first-hand experience, and will enable you to demonstrate relevant real-world skills and experience to enter employment in the NHS, government health sector, social care as well as NGOs and charities.
On successful completion of your diploma you will have the opportunity to progress into the final stage of an undergraduate degree, BSc Health Studies.
EU and international students tuition fee per year**: £21,400
Other essential costs***: Students are responsible for covering the costs of commuting to their placement . We will endeavour to source placements within the Royal Holloway footprint of Surrey, West Berkshire, West London and Frimley. Students may be required to have vaccinations, depending on the placement. Where the placement provider is not covering the cost of these vaccinations, students will need to pay for them. Each placement will be evaluated individually by the Health Studies department.
*The tuition fee for Home (UK) undergraduates is controlled by Government regulations. This figure is the fee for the academic year 2025/26.
**This figure is the fee for EU and international students starting the course in the academic year 2025/26.
Royal Holloway reserves the right to increase tuition fees annually for all students. For further information see the terms and conditions.
*** These estimated costs relate to studying this particular diploma course at Royal Holloway during the 2025/26 academic year and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
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