Critical Thinking and Analysis  

Module Description

Critical thinking and Critical analysis are 21st Century Skills, necessary for individuals in general and most essential in academic scholarship, particularly when reading, writing, and working with peers or professionals. Critical thinking is today considered an intellectual skill based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter division and is necessary for the disciplined process of active and skilful conceptualization, application, analysis, synthesisation, and evaluation of information. Critical thinking affects the way information is sourced, generated, and gathered ensuring clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, validity, depth, breadth, and ethical considerations. 

Critical analysis requires that students examine and evaluate ideas against what they already know to establish their worthiness.  It is through this process of critical analysis that students gain a broader view and are exposed to alternative perspectives that need consideration.  Through the process of critical analysis, students may find evidence that supports their views and practices or overtly challenges the positions they take. When students think critically, they can consider an argument from different perspectives and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses by testing the soundness of claims presented on the one hand, as well as the evidence used to support the claims on the other. 

This unit will help students face the difficult aspect of understanding “what constitutes an argument”, to identify assumptions and suppositions in any piece of writing, in synthesising and evaluating information in considerable depth. It will also help students to use this skill to critically assess academic texts and to spot the strengths and weaknesses of published work.  

The development of a Critical Thinking disposition and the acquisition of Critical Thinking Skills, which is a life-long endeavour, entails the examination of those structures or elements of thought implicit in all reasoning such as purpose and issues, concepts, empirical suppositions and assumptions, the processes of reasoning leading to conclusions, implications and consequences, alternative viewpoints, and the generating of objections as well as the frames of reference. 

This module will be assessed through an assignment which will include a critical review of selected pieces of literature. 

Entry Requirements

Candidates who apply for this course will require to be: 

• Professionals whose academic studies include 1st cycle (undergraduate and Bachelor’s levels) and 2nd cycle (Graduate and Masters level) qualifications totalling not less than 240 ECTS in areas related to healthcare and management.  Any other professional who meets the Level requirements (L7 + L6 to a total of 240 ECTS) coming from a different area, but has 7 years of experience in a managerial position will also be considered. 

OR 

• A Level 7 Master’s Qualification (90 ECTS) related to healthcare and management, together with a Level 5 Higher Diploma equivalent to 120 ECTS and a minimum of 5 years working experience in Management within a specialised sector/area which is directly related to and relevant to the subject being researched in the Doctoral Programme.   

RPL will be considered for applicants with other high-level qualifications (e.g. OTHM L8 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice). The maximum number of credits that may be gained through RPL will not exceed 50%. For more information regarding IDEA College’s RPL Policy and Process, please refer to: https://mt.ideaeducation.com/app/uploads/2024/07/Doc_007_24-Recognition-of-Prior-Learning-Policy-and-Process.pdf 

Students whose first language is not English will be required to demonstrate English language capability at IELTS level 6.5 or equivalent by presenting evidence (formal certificate) of an achieved pass at that level.   

Target Audience

The target group for this doctorate programme consists of experienced professionals and senior practitioners working in, or aspiring to work in, advanced leadership, policy, and management roles in the health and social care sectors. Participants are expected to be mid-career or senior-level professionals with substantial practical experience, holding a relevant Master’s degree (MQF Level 7 or equivalent), and seeking to progress to doctoral-level study (MQF Level 8). 

Specifically, the programme is designed for: 

• Health professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, allied health practitioners) who have moved into leadership, governance, or policy-making roles.
• Senior managers and executives in hospitals, health systems, public health agencies, and NGOs.
• Policy advisors, regulators, and government officials engaged in health strategy, workforce planning, and global health governance.
• Academics, researchers, and consultants seeking to deepen their expertise in health policy or workforce sustainability.
• International learners, including those from low- and middle-income countries, who wish to strengthen their capacity to respond to global health and workforce challenges. 

This diverse learner group will bring interdisciplinary and international perspectives, fostering a community of interprofessional practice aligned with IDEA College’s teaching philosophy. 

Career Paths

This programme is not designed to prepare students for a specific warranted profession or regulated occupation. Instead, it develops the advanced knowledge, skills, and competences outlined in the curriculum, equipping participants for senior leadership, management, policy, and consultancy roles across the health and social care sectors. 

The programme is targeted at: 

• Health and social care professionals (including doctors, nurses, allied health practitioners, social workers) who have moved or wish to move into leadership and policy-making positions. 
• Managers and executives in hospitals, primary care systems, elderly care organisations, and NGOs.
• Policy advisors and strategists in health ministries, regulatory agencies, and international organisations.
• Consultants and researchers specialising in health policy, global health governance, or workforce planning. 

Graduates will be well-prepared for: 

• Senior management and leadership positions within hospitals, elderly care organisations, and wider health systems.
• Roles such as policy analysts, health system planners, or workforce strategists in government or international agencies.
• Consultancy and advisory roles within think tanks, NGOs, and intergovernmental organisations.
• Academic or applied research roles in universities, research institutes, and policy bodies. 

Assessment

This unit will be assessed through writing assignments.  The students will be expected to produce academic texts of different genre to meet scope, context and audience as indicated by the lecturer.  Such texts may include (papers, articles, academic posters etc.) The students may also be expected to present their work in seminars or for publishing.  

Marks shall be 100% assignment based. 

Library and online search engines to access peer-reviewed/scholarly papers are necessary to complete this assignment.