Dental professionals can chose from an enormous range of postgraduate courses and qualifications. Much focus in oral health is, understandably, on clinical skills courses. Everyone works improving their service quality in their day to day practice, but some people will want to add formal training in QI to their repertoire.
There seem to be no specialist dental QI courses available, so this post describes all health-related courses currently available in the UK that lead to a Post Graduate Certificate (P G Cert). Some can be extended to an MSc or equivalent.
Cameron Stark, one of the people who runs this site, teaches on the UHI course listed below. We have given the same information for each course on this page. What course works for one person may not work for another, so please do check through all the courses.
Most courses are on line, and also open to students from outside the UK. Many are open to a range of healthcare professionals so depending on the detail of the individual courses, this could include dental nurses, hygienists and practice managers as well as dentists. Some courses will assess prior learning, so clinicians that do not have the specified academic qualifications may still be able to apply. Please see the links to read the detailed criteria for any course of interest.
We describe each course, include a link, and end with a table comparing the courses. We make no judgement on quality – we have not done all the courses – but all are delivered by universities, and therefore subject to the usual quality control systems used in the UK’s Higher Education system.
There seem to be fewer QI P G Cert courses available than in previous years. Individual Quality Improvement modules are more widely available within postgraduate programmes, and some can be taken as stand alone modules.
We will do a round up of UK non-P G Cert QI healthcare courses in a future post.
If you know of any other Quality Improvement University Post Graduate Certificate courses in the UK, please let us know and we will update this page.
Distance Learning Courses – General
University of the Highlands and Islands Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality Improvement
Delivery: On line.
This course can be started in August or January. Three modules, all delivered by distance learning:
- Principles of Quality Improvement
- Patient Safety
- Using Lean methods in quality improvement
Cost:
- UK based students, £2,520 (Their is a £270 discount on this price for students based in Scotland)
- EU and Swiss national students without settled status in the UK, £2,700
- Students based in other countries, £3,600
Distance Learning Courses – Specialist
University of Greenwich Healthcare Quality Management Post Graduate Certificate
This course has a laboratory focus and is aimed at people who plan to move to senior management positions. The courses are created by NHS Trusts, Pathology Joint Ventures, the UK Health Security Agency and the University of Greenwich.
Delivery: Online.
Two modules from a selection which includes:
- Change Management in Healthcare Settings – Workplace required
- Governance and Risk Management
- Quality Systems Management
Many of the optional modules relate to laboratory work, such as Blood Film Morphology, Haemoglobinopathies, and Applied Haemostasis and Thrombosis, although others are more general. It looks as if it would be possible to chose generic options. Please enquire direct with the University of Greenwich to check this out if you are interested.
Cost:
- UK based, £2,340
- Non UK based, £2,710
In Person Courses
University of Northampton Post Graduate Certificate in Quality Improvement & Patient Safety
Delivery: In person course.
Three modules for the P G Cert:
- Fundamentals of Quality Improvement
- Improvement Methodology
- Measurement and Analysis of Quality Improvement
Cost: UK, £3150.
University of Nottingham Post Graduate Certificate in Quality and Patient Safety Improvement
Delivery: A combination of on line learning and face to face scheduled sessions.
Three modules for the P G Cert:
- Fundamentals of Safety, Quality and Improvement
- Measurement and Analysis of Improvement Applied in Practice
- Applied Human Factors in Healthcare Safety and Quality
Costs: P G Cert prices not listed.
University of Oxford Post Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Delivery: In person course – three one week blocks in Oxford with online support in between modules. The core modules are:
- Quality Improvement Science and Systems Analysis
- Human Factors, Teamwork and Communication
Optional modules usually include a choice from:
- Leadership and Management in Health Care
- Becoming a Clinical Educator
- Healthcare Innovation and Technology
Cost:
- UK students, £11,040 if completed in one year.
- Non UK students, £19,680 if completed in one year.
£75 application cost, some exclusions apply. Costs do not include accommodation during the on-site modules.
Note: Closed for 2026-27 applications.
University of Sunderland Post Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
Delivery: In person in Sunderland.
Modules:
- Developing Leadership and Action in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety
- Evidencing Capability and Competence in Continuously Improving Care
Cost: UK, £2,250.
Dental Quality Improvement 
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