Paediatric Emergency Medicine (Online Learning) MSc, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Medicine

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

Online learning

Part-time
  • PgDip | 2 years | Start date: September 2026
  • MSc | 3 years | Start date: September 2026
  • PgCert | 1 year | Start date: September 2026
Part-time intermittent study
  • PgProfDev | 2 years | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Edinburgh Medical School

College

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Programme website
Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

Our programme has been designed to provide the educational background required for clinicians, nurses, paramedics and physician associates, managing medical emergencies in children.

Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) is a rapidly expanding specialty. It has its roots in Emergency Medicine and Paediatrics but also has close affiliations with Paediatric Surgical Specialties, Paediatric Critical Care, Primary Care and Public Health.

From quite a diverse background, PEM has now developed into a specialty in its own right and there is a great need for extra PEM training on a UK, European and worldwide basis.

Prospective students will often be working full-time in professional roles caring for ill and injured children. Our programme is delivered as a part-time, online, interactive MSc which affords students learning in a real-world context a degree of flexibility in their approach to study.

Study options

The MSc in Paediatric Emergency Medicine is taught over three years:

  • Year 1: Postgraduate Certificate
  • Year 2: Postgraduate Diploma
  • Year 3: Master of Science

You also have the option to study one or two Paediatric Emergency Medicine courses through the Postgraduate Professional Development (PPD) scheme. This scheme allows you to gain academic credit for postgraduate-level courses, leading to an official award of academic credit.  

After completing PPD, should you decide to continue your studies, you can choose to transfer your credits and continue studying towards a formal Postgraduate Certificate, Diploma, or Masters degree.

PPD students studying on the Paediatric Emergency Medicine programme must commence the first course (Fundamentals in Paediatric Emergency Medicine 1) at the start of the academic year in September.  The second course (Fundamentals in Paediatric Emergency Medicine 2) can then be taken in January, within a 2-year period.

Programme benefits

  • You will study a comprehensive emergency/critical care curriculum.
  • You will develop skills in critical thinking, scientific writing and scientific communication.  
  • You will have the opportunity to explore a self-selected special interest in Year 3.           

Professionally I have gained confidence because I can speak with facts and evidence on how we do things and why they work. Management trusted me to separate the wards and develop a separate paediatric emergency unit. I am now training colleagues in best practice.

Gifty Aminatu Aba Halidu 2nd Year MSc Paediatric Emergency Medicine student
MSc PEM student

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time
Part-time intermittent study

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme.

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

We offer a small number of scholarships to outstanding candidates. These are very competitive. We publish data on the success rate for scholarship applications to help you understand the level of demand.

Scholarship applications success rates

We offer scholarships specifically for online, part-time postgraduate programmes.

View details: Online learning scholarships

If you live in the UK, you may be eligible for a postgraduate loan for online study from one of the UK’s governments.

If you intend to apply for a UK government loan you should apply for the 3-year Masters option.

View details: UK government loans

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

An accredited medical degree (MBChB or equivalent) plus one year of postgraduate clinical experience (for example, FY1 in UK, or equivalent elsewhere). You must have an ongoing commitment to the clinical care of children, and be actively attending to children in emergency situations.

We will also consider your application if you have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a subject relevant to the practice of Paediatric Emergency Medicine (for example, Nursing, Physician Assistant, Paramedic Science). You must be actively involved in the management of ill and/or injured children and demonstrate advanced level care equivalent to medical practitioners.

All applicants must include details of all their experience working with ill and/or injured children in acute settings in their application. Please ask your referee to confirm this experience in the reference they supply.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

Each year of study is structured into three terms and you will study a mixture of compulsory (core) and optional courses.

Year 1:  Postgraduate Certificate courses

You will study a wide range of topics relevant to the practice of Paediatric Emergency Medicine in three Fundamentals in Paediatric Emergency Medicine courses. These courses emphasise the basic science underpinning pathophysiology of childhood illness and injury and related care. You will also explore ethical issues, child protection and the theory of resuscitation.

Year 2:  Postgraduate Diploma courses

In Year 2, you will study a core course and then have the choice of taking courses in a Paediatric Emergency Medicine or Paediatric Critical Care pathway:

  • Paediatric Medical Emergencies (core)
  • Paediatric Emergency Medicine Pathway: Surgical Emergencies and Trauma/Anaesthesia and Sedation and Additional Topics in Paediatric Emergency Medicine
  • Paediatric Critical Care Pathway: two courses in Paediatric Critical Care Medicine 

Courses in Year 2 build on the key skills introduced in Year 1. There is a greater emphasis on diagnosis and treatment. Critical appraisals of the literature and in-depth analysis of what we do and why will form key elements of your learning.

Year 3:  Masters courses

In Year 3, students will study two courses concurrently over the academic year:

  • Management Issues in Paediatric Emergency (core)
    • This course introduces key skills required of a senior clinician. Working in small groups with your peers, the key areas of study are: deparmental organisation, surge demand, risk management, change management and data management and usage.

and one optional course from the following:

  • Written Reflective Element
    • You will complete a dissertation (literature review or brief literature review plus and audit) in your  chosen area and will produce an abstract and poster on a focused aspect of your academic work.  
  • Advancing Special Interests in Paediatric Emergency or Critical Care Medicine
    • You will develop project proposals (service evaluation and local engagement) in your chosen area of  special interest and complete written work, presentations and a reflective report.

 

 

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Part-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You access course content and resource lists, and are guided through clinical topics by completing clinical exercises, participating in discussion boards and working towards major assignments. The vast majority of work is self-directed following our problem-based learning approach and we do not deliver live lectures/teaching sessions. Online group facilitation sessions are offered when appropriate to the course.

There are no technical requirements for students.

Educational aims

We aim to create a stimulating learning environment using ‘problem-based learning’ to produce graduates with a deep understanding of the principles and practice of paediatric emergencies, and who can improve outcomes for patients and families based on this understanding.

This approach can be broken down into three main principles:

  • the application of existing knowledge via a problem-based approach (this challenges you to critically reflect on your clinical practice)
  • active rather than passive learning within a real-world context, based on the current scientific literature
  • communication of information visually and in prose

Assessment

Assessment in Years 1 and 2 will take place through coursework including clinical exercises, participation in the online discussion boards and submission of major assignments such as essays and PowerPoint presentations. 

Having gained skills in critique, analysis and presentation, in Year 3 you combine these through the completion of a dissertation (Written Reflective Element) or project proposals (Advancing Special Interests in Paediatric Emergency or Critical Care Medicine) based on a topic that interests you. 

In addition, the concurrent 'Management Issues' course provides leadership and committee experience as preparation for senior roles in the workplace (see Year 3 courses for further details).

Learning outcomes

The key learning outcomes of the programme are to enable you to:

  • understand the physiology and pathology behind critical illness and injury in children
  • develop critical and analytical skills
  • develop scientific writing and presentation skills
  • prepare for the ever-changing and expanding medical and scientific knowledge base

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

The programme team support you throughout your studies, and course tutors provide academic guidance and feedback. You will also be part of a learning community with your peers in the programme. We encourage and provide opportunities for you to interact with one another and work together in small groups.

How online learning works

This degree programme is taught entirely online. There is no need to come to the city or University campus. 

All learning and teaching takes place within our virtual learning environment (VLE). Through the VLE, you can: 

  • access all your learning materials and study resources, including e-books and library resources
  • interact with your tutors and classmates 

An online degree from the University of Edinburgh is academically equivalent to an on-campus postgraduate degree and involves the same level of work overall. The qualification you get is of equal value. Your degree certificate will not mention that you studied the programme online.

Our online learning technology, Learn Ultra, is a fully interactive, award-winning platform. It enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching team, programme team and fellow students from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

Studying online at Edinburgh

Find out more about the benefits and practicalities of studying for an online degree.

Postgraduate online learning

How does online learning work?

Time commitment

This programme is designed to be fully flexible to fit around your schedule. You can study in your own time and access all your learning resources, such as reading lists, discussion forms and slides from anywhere in the world.  

If there are live online sessions, you can watch a recording later in the virtual learning environment at a time convenient to you.    

Typically, you will need to dedicate around 10 to 20 hours per week to your programme although managing this is up to you. This may also vary from course to course, and the time commitment may increase when assignments are due.  

See 'Find courses' in Programme details for more information about study time commitment

Equipment and software needs

To study this online programme, you will need access to:   

  • a computer or laptop  
  • the internet  
  • the latest version of a web browser  

As an online student, you will have access to a range of software you can download to help you complete your coursework, including Microsoft Office 365. 

IT support is available if you have technical difficulties.  

IT and computing help

Support for online students

Career opportunities

This programme is designed to provide a comprehensive education portfolio that will ensure graduating students have the knowledge and skills to progress their careers in Paediatric Emergency and/or Critical Care Medicine.  

Many graduates have reported their enhanced career prospects subsequent to graduation, and how they have benefitted professionally.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Graduate profiles

Anna Meridah Kaguna

MSc PEM graduate

Degree: MSc Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Year of graduation: 2023

Current work: PEM Clinician, Uganda

Throughout this MSc programme, I have grown and my eyes opened to improving paediatric emergency care, mostly in low resource settings like mine. I have become more resourceful in improving care and an advocate of safe practices in our emergency department. I am grateful for this lifetime opportunity to contribute to emergency care grown in my country as it is still in infancy.

Tom Burns

MSC PEM graduate

Degree: MSc Paediatric Emergency Medicine

Year of graduation: 2024

Current work: Paramedic, UK

I have found the MSc in Paediatric Emergency Medicine an outstanding first step into the field. I love the community that you feel building as the course progresses, with constant positive interaction and engagement with faculty and peers. The asynchronous structure has made it easy to fit around my clinical practice, which has developed rapidly since enrolling. This is a demanding course, but the complex, wide-ranging nature of the content and challenge this poses makes it all the more enjoyable, and bring huge benefits for my future practice and career.

Elizabeth Larkin, MSc Paediatric Emergency Medicine Graduate 2019.

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
14 September 2026 21 August 2026

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts.

If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, please upload that evidence as soon as you have it.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You must submit one reference with your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

General enquiries

Contact the Paediatric Emergency Medicine Programme Team.

Email pecm@ed.ac.uk
Phone:+44 (0)131 312 1643