End of Life Challenges and Palliative Care - Microcredential

Take an interdisciplinary approach to palliative care and end of life issues

Around the world, there is growing interest in palliative care, end of life issues, and the cultural values that surround dying, death, and bereavement. Meanwhile, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become obvious how necessary end of life skills are for all health and social care providers.

On this ten-week microcredential from the University of Glasgow, you’ll be introduced to new critical perspectives from within the social sciences, humanities, and clinical disciplines. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that encourages new ways of thinking, you’ll gain the tools to reflect on your own professional and personal encounters with dying, death, and grief.

Understand historical and cultural expectations of ageing and dying

The way we view death is bound up with its presentation throughout history and in each culture and religion. That means that death is as much a social and cultural as a biological phenomenon.

You’ll start the microcredential by exploring the social construction of death, and different historical and cultural expectations around ageing and dying. You’ll learn how cultural attitudes towards dying and old age influenced policy and clinical responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Examine the difficulties of diagnosing dying

Diagnosing dying is not as easy as you might think. You’ll look at difficulties surrounding diagnosis in social and clinical settings, and the implications of these for initiating end of life conversations and planning for death.

You’ll also discuss frailty, dementia and end of life care, examining what the current healthcare system can offer in terms of treatment and understanding.

Investigate evolving approaches to palliative care, assisted dying, and grief

The overarching focus of this microcredential is on how people and healthcare systems are responding to the challenge of delivering end of life care in an ageing world, with a growing global population.

You’ll investigate how end of life practices are evolving, comparing approaches in different countries around the world. You’ll also explore theories of pain, the development of palliative care, and the thorny area of assisted dying.

Last but not least, the tenth week of the programme will look at bereavement care and its connections to palliative care delivery. You’ll examine shifts in the psychology of grief over the last century, and discuss cultural variation in how grief is expressed and understood.

Gain essential skills from health and social care professionals

End of Life Challenges and Palliative Care is led by the University of Glasgow’s End of Life Studies Group, a research and teaching team dedicated to examining end of life issues. This course is supported and approved by the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (RCPE), and learners who are members of the RCPE will earn 50 CPD Credits upon completion of this microcredential.

By the end of the 10-week programme, you’ll have deepened your own thinking on a range of end of life issues, while gaining the training and credentials you need to work in palliative care.

How will this microcredential help to develop my career?

“Managing end of life and applying palliative care skills” has been recognised as a vital skill for postgraduate medical training. This means there is an increased demand for clinicians in the UK and abroad to gain additional skills in this area.

You’ll gain in-depth knowledge and demonstrable expertise in an increasingly crucial medical and social field. You’ll also enhance your communication skills and your ability to discuss the complex ethical issues around dying, death, and bereavement. Finally, you’ll be better able to think critically about how the dying are treated socially and clinically, and the importance of meaning-making at the end of life.

These crucial critical thinking and communication skills will help to inform your clinical practice and heighten your understanding of global inequalities relating to the relief of suffering at the end of life.

How will I be assessed?

You will be assessed through a single assignment at the end of the course (Week 10): a 2000-word reflective report. In the report, you will draw on course materials and on your professional and/or personal experience to critically reflect on and connect ideas presented in the course. This will be worth 100% of the grade.

What will I receive after completing this microcredential?

Upon successful completion of this microcredential, you’ll receive 10 postgraduate level academic credits and a HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record) from the University of Glasgow. Members of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (RCPE) will receive 50 CPD credits upon completion.

What skills will you learn?

• Communication
• Empathy
• Critical assessment
• Critical evaluation
• Cultural awareness
• Social awareness
• Sensitivity

What you will achieve

By the end of the microcredential, you’ll be able to...

• Explain the ways in which dying can be regarded as a social process as much as a biological event
• Explain the global spread of palliative care and articulate its core concerns and challenges
• Identify new and emerging responses to contemporary dying, death, and bereavement
• Reflect critically on and apply an interdisciplinary perspective to the student’s professional practice or personal experience

Are you eligible for this microcredential?

To enrol in this microcredential, you should be educated to undergraduate degree level or have equivalent professional and/or industry experience. Non-native English speakers will need an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent.

Is this microcredential right for you?

This course is designed for anyone working in or around health and social care, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and other allied professionals. It will also be of interest to practitioners, students, researchers, volunteers, and policymakers in end-of-life care.

Syllabus

What happens before, during, and after your microcredential

Before learning

You’ll have access to our online welcome area where you’ll be able to start conversations with learners.

Course

From 14 Apr 2025

This course addresses the need for additional skills in postgraduate training surrounding palliative and end of life care

10 weeks

10 hours per week

After learning

Once you’ve successfully completed the microcredential, you’ll receive a HEAR (Higher Education Achievement Record) from the University of Glasgow. You’ll have ongoing, unlimited access to the course materials.

What you will receive

10 credits at Postgraduate level from The University of Glasgow

Find out how credits work and where you can use them in our FAQs.

What is a microcredential?

Microcredentials are designed to upskill you for work in rapidly-growing industries, without the time and cost commitment of a full degree. Your microcredential can stand alone as an independent credential, and some also offer academic credit to use towards a degree.

• Learn online with expert instructors
• Complete online courses led by experts over multiple weeks with a dedicated group of professionals.
• Complete project-based assessments
• Test your understanding with online tutor-marked assessments and exercises.
• Earn a professional credential
• Finish your learning and pass your assessments to gain an accredited credential.
• Advance further in your career
• Use your microcredential as evidence of your specialised skills and progress further in your industry.