Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine
Validated by University of South Wales
Build a rigorous academic framework around your Emergency Medicine experience with our online Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine. Designed for locally employed and SAS doctors working in Emergency Medicine, this 120-credit Level 7 qualification provides structured postgraduate study aligned with the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) curriculum, helping you build academic understanding alongside your existing emergency care experience.
Across one year of part-time study, you’ll explore the foundations of Emergency Medicine, undifferentiated emergency and acute presentations, trauma and injuries, procedural skills, resuscitation and critical care, Paediatric Emergency Medicine, mental health, vulnerable patients, leadership, quality improvement, and governance. Throughout the programme, you’ll develop structured approaches to reasoning, risk assessment, patient safety, critical appraisal, reflective practice, and evidence-based decision-making across a broad range of emergency presentations.
Delivered fully online, the PGDip in Emergency Medicine is designed to fit around the demands of working in emergency and urgent care. Through real-world emergency-care scenarios, literature searching, critical appraisal, tutor-facilitated academic discussion, and structured activities, you’ll connect postgraduate academic study with the situations, decisions, and responsibilities you encounter in practice. Quality improvement, reflective practice, and academic development are integrated throughout the programme, enabling you to produce assessed academic outputs that may contribute to your wider professional portfolio.
Next Intake
March 2027
Apply By
March 2027
Commitment
Part time
Format
100% online
Duration
12 months
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What will you study on this Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine?
The Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine comprises six taught modules (120 credits) completed over one calendar year, providing structured postgraduate study across emergency and urgent care. Built around the RCEM curriculum, the programme develops advanced knowledge, structured reasoning, critical appraisal, and evidence-based decision-making across a broad range of emergency presentations.
During the programme, you’ll develop your understanding of the principles underpinning Emergency Medicine before exploring the assessment of undifferentiated patients and acute presentations. You’ll study trauma, injuries and procedural skills, resuscitation and critical care, and the distinct considerations involved in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, mental health presentations, and supporting vulnerable and diverse patient populations.
You’ll also examine the wider professional responsibilities involved in Emergency Medicine, including leadership, multidisciplinary and multi-agency working, quality improvement, patient safety, governance, reflective practice, and the critical evaluation of evidence and guidelines. These areas are integrated into your postgraduate study, enabling you to develop academic knowledge alongside your existing professional experience.
During the programme, you’ll study:
- Foundations of Emergency Medicine – develop your understanding of the principles underpinning emergency and urgent care, including approaches to assessment and prioritisation, patient safety, risk management, evidence-based practice, and decision-making within the emergency-care environment.
- Undifferentiated Emergency and Acute Presentations – explore structured approaches to patients presenting with acute and potentially life-threatening conditions, developing your ability to evaluate information, consider differential diagnoses, assess risk, and make evidence-based decisions across complex and undifferentiated presentations.
- Trauma, Injuries and Procedural Skills – examine the assessment and management of patients presenting with injuries and trauma alongside the principles, evidence, decision-making, and patient-safety considerations surrounding procedural skills in Emergency Medicine.
- Resuscitation and Critical Care – develop your understanding of the recognition, assessment, prioritisation, resuscitation, and stabilisation of critically unwell patients, considering evidence-based approaches to life-threatening emergencies and decision-making in time-sensitive situations.
- Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Mental Health and Vulnerable Patients – explore emergency presentations involving children and young people alongside mental health presentations and the needs of vulnerable and diverse patient populations, considering health inequalities and appropriate approaches to assessment, decision-making, communication, and care.
- Leadership, Quality Improvement and Governance – examine leadership and team dynamics within Emergency Medicine alongside multidisciplinary and multi-agency working, quality improvement, governance, patient safety, service improvement, evidence-based practice, critical appraisal, and reflective practice.
Together, these six modules provide structured postgraduate study across Emergency Medicine, placing your existing experience within an academic framework aligned with the RCEM curriculum while developing your knowledge of evidence-based decision-making, critical appraisal, quality improvement, and reflective practice.
Year 1
Module Aims
- To critically examine the foundational principles, systems thinking, and clinical reasoning underpinning advanced emergency medicine practice.
- To develop structured approaches to assessment, acuity recognition, risk stratification, and safe patient disposition in complex and undifferentiated presentations.
- To critically explore the ethical, legal, professional, and communication principles required for reflective and patient-centred emergency care practice.
Module Content
- The Emergency Medicine Mindset & Systems Thinking
- Structured Clinical Assessment & the ABCDE Approach
- Clinical Decision-Making & Diagnostic Uncertainty
- Risk Stratification, Safety-Netting & Disposition
- Communication, Consent & the Patient-Centred Encounter
- Clinical Governance, Patient Safety & Professional Accountability
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate and apply the core principles of emergency medicine, synthesising these frameworks to construct approaches to the assessment and prioritisation of patients.
- Critically appraise and justify evidence-based management decisions across a range of complex emergency presentations.
Module Aims
- To develop advanced presentation-based clinical reasoning aligned to the undifferentiated-patient approach of emergency medicine practice.
- To critically examine the investigation and evidence-based management of high-risk and high-frequency emergency presentations across major body systems.
- To apply systematic approaches to diagnostic uncertainty, including the interpretation of investigations, imaging, and risk stratification tools, to support safe clinical decision-making in emergency settings.
Module Content
- Chest Pain & the Undifferentiated Cardiovascular Patient
- Breathlessness & the Undifferentiated Respiratory Patient
- Headache, Altered Consciousness & the Neurological Emergency
- Abdominal Pain & the Undifferentiated Surgical Emergency
- Endocrine, Metabolic & Renal Emergencies
- Sepsis, Infectious Disease & the Returning Traveller
Learning Outcomes
- Critically synthesise advanced pathophysiological knowledge across multiple domains to construct systematic, presentation-based clinical reasoning frameworks for undifferentiated patients.
- Critically evaluate the diagnostic process in emergency medicine to formulate, justify, and communicate safe and effective management decisions for complex, undifferentiated patients.
Module Aims
- To develop advanced knowledge of the assessment, investigation, and management of traumatic, musculoskeletal, spinal, head, facial, ENT, and ophthalmic emergencies.
- To critically examine the principles underpinning core emergency medicine procedures, including procedural sedation, wound management, airway adjuncts, and chest procedures, within frameworks of patient safety and evidence-based practice.
- To synthesise clinical, procedural, and human factors knowledge to support the prioritisation and safe management of complex injured patients in emergency care settings.
Module Content
- Fractures, Dislocations & Limb Emergencies
- Spinal Emergencies & Musculoskeletal Red Flags
- Head, Facial, Maxillofacial and ENT Emergencies
- Chest, Abdominal & Pelvic Trauma
- Ophthalmic Emergencies
- Emergency Procedural Skills & Dermatological Emergencies
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate the pathophysiology, clinical assessment, investigation, and evidence-based management of a comprehensive range of traumatic and regional injuries across multiple domains.
- Synthesise advanced knowledge of emergency procedural competencies to critically appraise the indications, contraindications, risks, and evidence base for procedural interventions in the emergency department.
Module Aims
- To develop advanced competence in the assessment, resuscitation, and management of critically ill or arrested patients within high-acuity emergency settings.
- To critically examine emergency department critical care principles, including ventilatory support, haemodynamic monitoring, point-of-care ultrasound, and safe escalation of care.
- To synthesise resuscitation science, trauma systems, and crisis resource management principles to support leadership and decision-making during complex resuscitation and major incident responses.
Module Content
- Cardiac Arrest & Peri-Arrest Emergencies
- Airway Emergencies & Respiratory Collapse
- Shock, Sepsis & Multi-Organ Dysfunction
- Critical Care in the Emergency Department
- Major Trauma & Trauma Team Management
- Retrieval Medicine, Major Incidents & Crisis Resource Management
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate and apply advanced resuscitation science and leadership skills for the management of life-threatening emergencies, and justify advanced, patient-centred management strategies for the critically ill emergency department patient.
- Critically appraise and integrate emergency care principles within a crisis resource management framework to lead complex resuscitation responses and support safe, effective escalation of care.
Module Aims
- To develop advanced competence in the assessment and management of acutely ill or injured children, neonates, and other vulnerable patient groups in emergency care.
- To critically examine the emergency management of mental health crises, behavioural disturbance, toxicological emergencies, and environmental illness using trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches.
- To synthesise clinical, ethical, safeguarding, and communication principles to support the management and advocacy of vulnerable patients across complex emergency presentations.
Module Content
- Paediatric Assessment, Resuscitation & the Acutely Unwell Child
- Paediatric Trauma, Safeguarding & Neonatal Emergencies
- Mental Health Emergencies & Behavioural Disturbance
- Toxicology & Environmental Emergencies
- Frailty, Delirium & Older Adult Emergencies
- Obstetric, Gynaecological & Vulnerable Patient Emergencies
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate and apply advanced knowledge of paediatric emergency medicine to construct safe, evidence-based management strategies for acutely ill and injured children.
- Synthesise advanced clinical, legal, and psychosocial knowledge across multiple domains to critically appraise and justify complex management decisions for high-risk patient populations.
Module Aims
- To critically examine the principles of quality improvement, governance, and patient safety within emergency medicine practice.
- To develop advanced leadership, management, and educational competence applicable to complex emergency department environments and multidisciplinary teams.
Module Content
- Foundations of Quality Improvement in Emergency Medicine
- Measuring for Improvement: Data, Run Charts & SPC
- Patient Safety, Governance & Learning from Error
- Leadership, Management & the Professional Emergency Physician
- Global Emergency Medicine & Health Inequity
- Sustaining Improvement, Dissemination & Professional Development
Learning Outcomes
- Critically evaluate the theoretical foundations, methodological approaches, and measurement strategies of quality improvement, patient safety, and clinical governance in emergency medicine.
- Critically appraise and construct evidence-based strategies for leading, developing, and sustaining high-performing emergency medicine teams and systems.
Course Fees & Payment Options
Course Fees
- Deposit for March 2027: £424 †
- Total Course Fees (UK & International) for March 2027: £5,000 ††
Payment Options
- Option 1: Upfront payment in full (discount available).
- Option 2: Interest-free monthly payments throughout the course.
Payment Plan Breakdown
Postgraduate Diploma
| Deposit | 10 Monthly Payments | Final Payment |
| £424 † | £416 | £416 |
Total payments: £5,000
Additional Financing
Spread the cost with Lendwise, who offer financing options for up to 8 years. ††††
† Deposits are non-refundable
†† Prices are subject to review following each intake
†††† Subject to eligibility criteria.
Entry requirements
Since our courses are conducted entirely online, they are accessible to both UK and international registered healthcare professionals.
Applicants will typically hold an undergraduate bachelor's degree (including international qualifications) in a relevant professional healthcare field, such as a medical or nursing degree.
Registered healthcare professionals without these recognised qualifications will be considered on an individual basis and a wide range of prior experience may be taken into account. In some cases, applicants may be asked to submit a piece of work for assessment in order to confirm that they are able to work comfortably at postgraduate level, and demonstrate the requisite clinical and professional knowledge.
Documents Required
- A copy of your updated CV including your address and date of birth.
- A copy of your undergraduate degree certificate.
- The name and email address of someone who is able to provide a reference, this can be a work colleague, employer or former tutor.
- A detailed personal statement explaining why you would like to undertake the course.
- A copy of your proof of English competency (see below).
English Language Requirements Proficiency in the English language is also essential to completing our courses. If English is NOT your first language, we ask for proof of competency during the application process. We are able to accept an IELTS overall score of 6.0 (with a minimum of 5.5 for each band) or an equivalent qualification.
If you do not meet these requirements, please don’t worry. The University of South Wales run a number of English Language Programmes at the Centre for International English to prepare you for your academic studies. You can also contact our admissions team on admissions@diploma-msc.com for more information on the qualifications we accept.
Should you have successfully completed the 1-year Postgraduate Diploma and wish to top up your qualification to an MSc, you can apply for the corresponding 1-year MSc programme. Please contact our admissions department admissions@diploma-msc.com to find out more.
Partners
University of South Wales
Frequently Asked Questions
For a full list of our FAQs visit our FAQs page.
As each Medical Council has their own rules/regulations with regard to Postgraduate study we recommend that you contact your local Medical Council with regard to recognition.
Upon completion of the course the University would invite you to a graduation ceremony and provide your certificate which makes no reference to the fact that the course was studied online and is therefore typically recognised the same as any other UK University qualification.
Rest assured, the overall Postgraduate Diploma carries a total of 1,200 CPD points, with the MSc an additional 600 CPD points, and all official certifications are issued directly by the University.
When you study one of our programmes you may be surprised to find that there are no lectures or seminars. Your learning will be self-directed meaning that rather than being told information you find it for yourself (with tutor guidance and support). We do this via a series of clinically rich scenarios which your tutor will post on our academic forum which you and your classmates will research, respond to and discuss.
You will be assessed through the Academic Forum, Reflective Journal and Assignments. Learning will be carried out using our online learning platform: Moodle.
You can study whenever and wherever you want - our programmes are totally flexible to fit around your other work and life commitments.
The course is specifically designed so that part of your study is the application of theory to practice in your day job.
We typically suggest that students aim to log into the Moodle platform daily. We recommend a "little and often" approach for reading, reflection and/or posting. High achieving students will typically spend 1-2 hours dedicated to their studies a day; 10 hours per week is sufficient time to spend on the platform.
Those who cannot dedicate more time than once/twice per week may struggle with the demands of this postgraduate programme.
Yes, everything is done entirely online through our learning platform, Moodle. You do not need to attend the University.
All of our courses are delivered in English, so proficiency in the English language is essential for success. If English is not your first language, we require proof of competency as part of your application. We accept the following as proof of English Language skills:
We Accept a Range of English Language Qualifications
While IELTS and TOEFL are among the most commonly used English tests, we understand that students come from diverse backgrounds — and we’re happy to work with you to accept a wide range of other recognised English language qualifications.
We accept IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Our most commonly accepted test, IELTS is globally recognised and widely used for university admissions.
We accept TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
Another widely accepted test, TOEFL assesses your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in an academic setting.
We accept English Medium of Instruction (EMI) Letters
Many of our international students provide an EMI (English Medium Instruction) letter from their previous institution. This letter should confirm that you were taught in the medium of English. It is a popular and widely accepted form of proof, especially if you have completed prior academic studies in English.
Our University partners Requirements
The University of South Wales accepts an overall score of 6.0 (minimum of 5.5 for each band) and The University of Buckingham accepts an overall score of 6.5 (minimum of 6.0 for each band).
Our Flexible Instalment Plan is designed to offer ultimate flexibility to pay for your programme. You have the choice of two payment options:
Make an Upfront Payment in Full: For those who prefer to settle their fees upfront, you can pay the full amount at the beginning of your programme.
Interest-Free Payments: Alternatively, you can choose to spread your payments out with interest-free instalments every month for the duration of your course.
These options are separate from our existing lending partners, which you can explore further on our programme pages. We believe that education should be accessible to all, and our Flexible Instalment Plan is just one of the ways we are committed to supporting you in your academic journey.
We currently offer two discounts: the Early Bird Discount and the Action Taker Discount. The Early Bird discount allows you to save up to £500 or more, available only to self-funders and is a limited-time offer that runs for the entirety of November for the March cohort or the entirety of May for the September cohort. Our Action Taker Discount allows you to save up to £150 off for PGCert and £250 off for PGDip/2-year MSc programmes. To qualify for Action Takers, you must pay the deposit within 7 days of acceptance.
For Early Bird Discounts, the discount is visible if your application and acceptance are completed within the required timeframe. For Action Taker Discounts, it will reflect once conditions are met.
Who can study this Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine?
The Postgraduate Diploma in Emergency Medicine is designed particularly for locally employed and SAS doctors working in Emergency Medicine who want to place their existing experience within a structured, university-validated academic framework aligned with the RCEM curriculum. It may also be relevant to other eligible healthcare professionals working across emergency and urgent care who want to develop their Emergency Medicine knowledge through Level 7 postgraduate study.
The programme may be particularly relevant to:
- Locally employed and SAS doctors working in Emergency Medicine who want to develop their academic knowledge alongside their existing experience, with study encompassing critical appraisal, reflective practice, and quality improvement.
- Emergency Medicine trainees seeking additional Level 7 academic study alongside their existing training and professional development.
- International medical graduates working in Emergency Medicine who want to develop their knowledge through structured postgraduate study aligned with the RCEM curriculum and relevant to UK Emergency Medicine.
- Advanced clinical practitioners and emergency nurse practitioners seeking Emergency Medicine-specific postgraduate academic study to complement their existing professional development and, where applicable, separate professional credentialing.
- Senior paramedics and other eligible urgent-care professionals seeking advanced academic study across emergency presentations, decision-making, resuscitation, trauma, patient safety, leadership, and quality improvement.
- GPs working in urgent care and out-of-hours settings who encounter acute and undifferentiated presentations and want to develop postgraduate Emergency Medicine knowledge relevant to their existing professional role.
The Postgraduate Diploma is a Level 7 academic qualification. It does not provide specialist registration, confer CCT equivalence, constitute a Portfolio Pathway, or replace formal Emergency Medicine specialty training or RCEM professional credentialing. It is also not a preparation course for, or substitute for, the MRCEM or FRCEM examinations. Learning should be applied within your existing professional role and scope of practice.
Assessment Methods
This programme emphasises learning through active participation in case-based discussions, reflection, and real-life scenarios. Students engage with clinical cases that mirror everyday practice, fostering problem-solving and evidence-based application from the very beginning.
Across the modules, assessments are integrated with learning. Each week, you will work through two to three clinical cases, discussing and reflecting on them with peers under the guidance of an expert tutor. These discussions form the core of your learning and are also the basis for your assessments.
Our innovative teaching methods are designed to help you translate this learning into real-world clinical practice. You'll need to regularly log in to participate in discussions, ideally on a daily basis, and commit approximately two hours per day to your studies. Our dedicated Student Support Team is available to assist with any challenges you may encounter, from navigating our online platform to managing deadlines.
How Foundational Knowledge is Developed
The programme is structured so that foundational knowledge is introduced through carefully designed clinical cases. Each case is crafted to highlight essential concepts and progressively deepen your understanding as you apply critical thinking and evidence-based analysis. This hands-on approach ensures that you are not only acquiring theoretical knowledge but also learning how to apply it in a practical, clinical setting.
This programme is suited for professionals who thrive in an online, discussion-based learning environment. Please note that this course focuses on interactive, applied learning through peer collaboration and case discussions. You will be fully supported, encouraged and led through the programme to success and graduation!
Students are required to critically analyse clinically focused case-based scenarios, discussion threads and weekly questions posed by their tutors via the Academic Forum (an online discussion board) and designed to meet the module learning outcomes. Here, students make their own researched and referenced contributions and interact with the tutor and their fellow students. There is no didactic teaching, instead, students are posed questions and prompted to search the literature, read it critically and respond. Engagement is encouraged by the tutor prompting students to respond and the use of automated activity monitoring software.
At the end of each module, the tutor allocates marks to each student based on a marking rubric. The rubric takes into account the following elements:
· Promptness and initiative
· Delivery of post (spelling and grammar)
· The relevance of post and referencing
· Expression within the post
For this assessment, students will work on a group assignment and/or an individual assignment.
- Group assignments are designed to hone skills in the multidisciplinary, holistic approach to modern treatments and patient management by requiring group participation in a single piece of work.
- Individual assignments are designed to hone skills in academic career progression through such tasks as reviewing papers, developing scientific posters or abstracts, peer-reviewing, social media activities, patient information leaflets and essays.
The reflective journal is used by students throughout each module to monitor personal progress. This is guided by weekly feedback from your tutor and is graded at the end of every module. The journal typically includes the following:
- Initial expectations and reasons for taking the course.
- Module and/or personal learning objectives.
- Description of events, issues and learning points within current personal practice.
- Change in every day practice due to knowledge gained on each module.
- A description of what has been learned during the module.
- Students are provided with case-based problems in the form of a one-hour timed examination.
- The exam consists of 30 'Single Best Answer' questions.
- Students are required to complete the exam online within the set time.