Podiatry and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc

Postgraduate

A podiatrist fitting an insole holding the patients foot

This Podiatry and Leadership (Pre-registration) MSc course is designed for those with a previous degree background and aims to provide a pathway to podiatry registration (subject to HCPC accreditation).

Year of entry

2025-26 2026-27

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

SHCT019

Start date

January 2027

How to apply

Book an Open Day

Postgraduate events

The information on this page is for 2025-26 entry and should be used as guidance for 2026-27 entry. Please keep checking back on this course page to see our latest updates.

Course overview

Advance your clinical expertise while developing the leadership capabilities needed to shape the future of podiatric practice. This course is designed to support your progression towards becoming a qualified podiatrist, combining hands-on experience with strategic insight into healthcare delivery.

Maximise your engagement through a blended approach, combining synchronous online learning, campus-based teaching and practice placements⁵. Some modules require up to four campus days for clinical skills, practical learning and peer collaboration. The assessments are designed to be authentic and inclusive with the intention of reflecting real-world professional practice.

The first placement block includes around five weeks on campus in Coventry. Where possible, subsequent placements are allocated closer to your home address⁵. During campus attendance, you’ll benefit from access to our skills suites, specialist equipment and simulation facilities.

This course is ideal for you if you want to:

become a registered podiatrist and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives
explore a range of career opportunities, from working in the NHS to running your own private practice
join a dynamic and evolving field for healthcare professionals, where you can work autonomously and make a real impact.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

Ranked 9th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

Ranked 4th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2025

Why study this course?

High demand: the growing need for podiatrists, driven by an ageing population and rising chronic conditions like diabetes, indicates strong job prospects and long-term career stability.
A range of career opportunities: podiatry offers a wide range of professional pathways, including roles in the NHS, private practice, surgery, prescribing, academia, research, sports rehabilitation, paediatrics, forensics and public health.

Accreditation and professional recognition

The Podiatry and Leadership (Pre-registration) MSc is a new course currently subject to approval by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Pending successful approval, graduates will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration. Application and additional fees apply.

Should approval not be received for your intake, the course will not be able to run as planned and we will write to inform you as soon as possible. Any changes required to achieve approval may also affect the start date.

What you'll study

Modules

Becoming a Professional Practitioner – 15 credits

Explore the intersection of professional values, behaviours and actions within the context of health and social care. Evaluate relevant global factors that influence healthcare. You will have the opportunity to critically reflect upon your foundation of professional, personal, academic and leadership skills to develop strategies for continuous improvement with an emphasis on critical thinking and evaluation.   The module is designed to cultivate a culture of professionalism, allowing you to recognise and challenge inequality constructs within yourself, your profession, and the broader context of health, social care and diverse communities.  

Compulsory

Anatomy and Physiology Applied to the Lower Limb – 15 credits

Learn about comprehensive anatomical theory and gain physiology knowledge to prepare for clinical assessment and diagnosis within podiatry practice. Apply theory through practical and simulation activities to further develop understanding. Learn to become competent in identifying key anatomical structures of the lower limb through palpation, observation and enquiry. You will have the opportunity to recognise the impact of relevant body systems to lower limb health and function. 

Compulsory

Placement 1 – Foundation Skills for Podiatrists – 15 credits

This initial six-week placement module aims to provide you with the necessary foundation for safe and effective podiatric practice through practical skills development. Develop confidence and proficiency in communication skills, infection control practices and teamwork. Apply what you've learnt through authentic practice and simulation scenarios drawing on history taking, consent, record keeping, diagnostic assessment methods and treatment skills development. You will be supervised and guided throughout this module by experienced clinical educators from the University and external practice settings. Most of this placement will be delivered on-campus in our dedicated clinical teaching space, with the final stage taking place in an external clinical placement setting.^2,5

Compulsory

Pathology and Pharmacology Applied to Podiatric Practice – 15 credits

The module will integrate the principles of pathophysiology with pharmacological management aligned to podiatric practice. Focus on disease states that directly or indirectly impact lower limb morbidity. Develop awareness of prescription only medicines (POM) responsibility with a focus on POM-S (sale/supply) medicines.    

Compulsory

Placement 2 – General Podiatric Practice – 15 credits

Delivered as a six-week block, this module aims to develop your clinical and professional practice within an established organisation or service. Develop your patient management skills applying your knowledge of anatomy and physiology, podiatric medicine and pharmacology to patient management under the guidance of your clinical educator. Gain awareness of local health policy, record-keeping practices and team working within an authentic professional practice setting. You will be supervised and guided throughout this module by experienced clinical educators from external practice settings.^2,5

Compulsory

Evaluating Evidence within Health and Care – 15 credits

Learn to evaluate the evidence base, knowledge and drivers for practice in health and care, exploring and debating the context of interdisciplinary and profession specific evidence-based practice and practice-based evidence. Develop a deep understanding of the methodologies associated with real-world evidence within health and care and apply this to construct a rationale for an evidence-based professional project. 

Compulsory

Modules

Lower Limb Function and Applied Biomechanics – 15 credits

Gain in-depth insight into human gait and biomechanics of the lower limb. Apply your knowledge of functional anatomy to pathomechanical abnormalities resulting in lower limb pain, injury and altered gait. Explore assessment methods, diagnosis and podiatric management of a range of musculoskeletal pathologies of the foot and ankle. This module aims to prepare you for the next clinical placement block, in which you will have the opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to patient caseloads. 

Compulsory

Placement 3 – Evolving Practice – 15 credits

This seven-week placement module is designed for you to consolidate and enhance your clinical skills and professional competencies under the guidance and supervision of clinical educators. Through hands-on experience in diverse clinical settings ( subject to availability), you will have the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, providing comprehensive podiatric care. The placement will aim to promote a patient-centred approach to care, interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice, preparing you for increasing independence as competent and compassionate practitioners.^2,5 

You will be expected to develop your clinical proficiency in the assessment, diagnosis and management of a wide range of podiatric conditions to include musculoskeletal cases. Demonstrate your commitment to evidence-based practice, stay informed of current research and guidelines and apply this knowledge to your clinical decision-making.

Compulsory

Leading for the Future as a Health and Care Professional – 15 credits

Our health and care workforce is required to lead the delivery of high-quality care whilst navigating a complex health and care ecosystem. You will engage in inter-professional learning, drawing upon contemporary theory, practice and evidence to analyse and reframe your understanding of what accountable leadership means, and critically reflect upon your own experiences. Apply your understanding of the interrelated themes of leading self, teams, organisations and systems to develop confident and creative approaches to lead complex sustainable change.

Compulsory

Complex Case Management and Surgical Approaches – 15 credits

Gain advanced clinical knowledge and develop skills to prepare you to manage complex podiatric caseloads. This will include the diabetic foot, high-risk and nail surgery cases. Develop knowledge of extended scope practice such as podiatric surgical procedures, referral pathways, and the role of the multidisciplinary team in at-risk, high-risk and complex case management.  Competency in local anaesthesia pharmacology and clinical application will be a fundamental component of assessment to satisfy the requirements for professional registration of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and prescription only medicines - administration (POM-A) annotation. On completion of this module, learners should be ready to undertake their next placement block, during which they will be required to administer local anaesthetic and undertake nail surgery safely and effectively.  

Compulsory

The Evidence-based Practitioner: Professional Project – 15 credits

Critically reflect on evidence, apply knowledge, concepts, and research techniques to a professional question or problem, and make recommendations to improve practice for a range of stakeholder across health and care. Identify an area of current or emerging practice to design and implement an evidence-based project using recognised techniques (i.e. audit or evaluation, primary research or systematic review) and ethical considerations. Where relevant, this project can be tailored to address service/employer priorities. 

Compulsory

Placement 4 – Extending Practice – 15 credits

This final eight-week placement module aims to extend your competence and confidence in readiness for employment.^2,5 By the end of this placement, you will be expected to manage podiatry caseloads autonomously and in line with the professional registration requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Increasing leadership capabilities as developed throughout the course should become evident. You will be required to demonstrate practical and holistic competency in nail surgery assessment, local anaesthesia administration and nail surgery under the supervision of a clinical educator, and in line with the professional standards of the Royal College of Podiatry (RCPod). Undertake effective diagnosis, assessment and management of complex cases, utilising referral pathways where necessary, and effectively collaborating within multidisciplinary teams. You should continue to evolve your reflective practice, recognising the need for continual development and continually practising according to current clinical evidence and guidelines.^2,5

Compulsory

All placement modules must be passed in order to be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.

How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

lectures
seminars
tutorials
presentations
group projects
workshops
placements⁵
practical laboratory sessions.⁴

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time postgraduate student, you will study modules totalling 180 credits over the academic year. A typical 15-credit module requires a total of 150 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours, and guided and independent study. Some of your modules will require you to attend campus for up to four days in a module for classroom-based clinical skills, practical teaching and to meet your peers. The first placement module will require 5 weeks on campus followed by the final week of the block (week 6) at an external provider. The other placement blocks will be delivered in practice.^2,5

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average you will have approximately 10 teaching and learning hours each week in the form of workshops or tutorials. You will also have the opportunity to attend optional sessions including time with a Success Coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback.

Practice-based learning

Practice-based learning forms an essential and significant part of your learning experience ^2,5. Practice hours will differ between placements and different health and care courses. You will have access to university staff, but should expect to spend the majority of your contact time with practice collaborators undertaking placement activity. Overall, the hours you undertake in practice-based learning will need to satisfy the eligibility requirements set by the professional body regulating the profession, the HCPC. A minimum of 1,000 practice-based hours gained from a combination of placement and simulated learning will need to be completed over the course of your degree.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

Some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online. As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to deliver recorded lectures and narrated presentations. These materials are designed to be completed in advance of the weekly live sessions to encourage active engagement and learning.

Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending on the module. Assessment methods may include:

reports
tests
essays
exams
practical coursework
assignments
vivas
presentations.

The Coventry University assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.

Entry requirements

An honours degree 2:2 or above (or international equivalent), preferably in a health or science-related subject. Other degree-level qualifications may be considered, which will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It is expected that you have undertaken some podiatry work experience prior to embarking on the programme. This will be discussed at interview and may be recommended prior to starting the course.

Additional requirements

Admission to this course is subject to a successful interview, occupational health clearance, confirmation of vaccination status and a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. You need to disclose personal information to the School which includes completing a satisfactory enhanced DBS check and should be aware that your offer and enrolment on the course is dependent on final approval from the School.

Our DBS application process is managed on our behalf by an external (third party) company. When you apply and enrol for this course, you are accepting that Coventry University will share limited personal data (name, gender, date of birth and contact e-mail address) with our DBS provider. Further information regarding DBS checks and the process for applying for a DBS certificate can be found on our DBS information page.

The occupational health clearance and vaccination processes are managed on our behalf by an external (third party) company. When you apply and enrol for this course, you are accepting that Coventry University will share limited personal data (name, gender, date of birth, mobile number and contact e-mail address) with our provider for this purpose. More information regarding the medical fitness for Podiatry students can be found at: Green Book: Chapter 12 Immunisation of healthcare and laboratory staff

You will need to complete occupational health clearance and vaccination processes shortly after enrolling and before your first clinical placement. If you do not achieve occupational health clearance and do not confirm their vaccination status in time will not be offered a placement and will not therefore be able to progress though their course.

Learners may be subject to a Professional Suitability Panel Procedure in certain circumstances to determine whether, in light of concerns raised to the Group, a learner on a course leading to professional registration is a safe and a suitable entrant to the given profession and fit to practise within it. This standard applies to all learners enrolled with the Group on courses that lead to a professional qualification, statutory registration, with a Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB), and/or eligibility to practise.

Fees and funding

Student	Full-time	Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man	TBC per year	Not available

All eligible students on this course may qualify for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.⁶

For advice and guidance on tuition fees³and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

Any optional overseas ﬁeld trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Your fee status determines your tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available to you. The rules about who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees for higher education courses in England are set by the Department for Education. The regulations identify all the different categories of student who can insist on paying the home rate. The regulations can be difficult to understand, so the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has provided fee status guidance to help you identify whether you are eligible to pay the home or overseas rate.

If you meet all the criteria required by any one category, including any residence requirements, your institution must charge you the home rate. You only need to find one category that you fit into.

Facilities

Clinical skills areas

These large, flexible spaces are designed to simulate real-life healthcare settings. Practice essential clinical skills, such as patient assessment, physical examination, and procedure performance, in a controlled environment.

Strength and conditioning suite

Assess the way a person moves and identify biomechanical abnormalities using our athletics track, 3D motion capture system, isokinetic dynamometers, pressure plate integrated treadmills and floor-integrated force platforms. The suite includes Olympic lifting platforms and an anti-gravity treadmill.

Lanchester Libary

The library is usually open 24/7, in term-time. It’s where you can access your course’s specialist Academic Liaison Librarian. It’s also home to specialist teams which can support you with your academic writing and maths and statistics questions.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

A range of career progression opportunities exist in podiatry, making this an attractive and flexible career pathway for mature learners. Graduates could opt to work for the NHS and others may choose the independent sector, or a blend of both. Other opportunities exist within industry, education delivery and post-registration study.

How to apply

UK students

To apply to study for a postgraduate course at Coventry University, you can apply online. Please read the entry criteria page before applying.

Start your application

For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2222

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

⁴Facilities

⁵Placements

Satisfactory health clearance and enhanced criminal record disclosure is also required. As part of the health clearance checks, you will be required to provide information about your immunity and vaccination status. The information you provide will be used to determine your eligibility to go on placement(s). Placements are provided at the placement provider’s discretion. The University is, therefore, unable to guarantee the provision of placements or the location and type of placement offered.

⁶NHS payment

The rules may be subject to review by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the future and as a result may change. Please, therefore, check the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) website for up-to-date information before applying.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2025/2026 contract is available on the website for information purposes however the 2026/2027 contract will apply for the 2026/2027 intake.. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.

Your next steps

Student life

Accommodation

Fees and funding

Podiatry and Leadership (pre-registration) MSc

Course overview

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

Ranked 9th Modern University in UK by the Times

Ranked 4th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Why study this course?

Accreditation and professional recognition

What you'll study

Modules

Modules

How you'll learn

Teaching contact hours

Teaching hours

Practice-based learning

Guided and independent study

Online learning

Assessment

Entry requirements

Additional requirements

Fees and funding

Irish student fees

Facilities

Clinical skills areas

Strength and conditioning suite

Lanchester Libary

Careers and opportunities

How to apply

You may also like

Occupational Therapy MSc

Physiotherapy and Leadership MSc

Your next steps