Education update - first course meets new standards, and university applies to host a chiropractic course

Recognition of existing courses against the New Education Standards

Since the introduction of the new Education Standards in March 2023, the GCC has been working with chiropractic education providers to support them in implementing the changes to their curricula..

The Education Standards are designed to provide clarity on what the GCC expects of graduates practising in the UK and equip chiropractic students, at the point of graduation, for the demands of independent practice or employment in various roles or settings. We expect students to be taught evidence-based practice: integrating individual clinical expertise, the best available evidence from current and credible clinical research, and the values and preferences of patients. Chiropractors are important members of a patient’s healthcare team, and interprofessional approaches enable the best outcomes. Programmes that meet these Standards will teach ethical, professional care and produce competent healthcare professionals who can serve the needs of patients.

Following the March 2023 launch, education providers were asked to implement the changes in time for the September 2024 student intake. At their meeting in November 2023, the GCC Education Committee recognised the MSc Chiropractic (Pre registration) course being taught from January 2024 at AECC University College as the first course that will meet the new Standards. This is a substantial achievement - particularly as the implementation is ahead of the expected timings.

The GCC is continuing to work with all the education providers to support them in applying the new standards.

Application from Coventry University to host a new Chiropractic course

At their November meeting the GCC Education Committee agreed the stage 2 business case for a new chiropractic course at Coventry University, paving the way for the application to progress to stage 3 of the programme recognition pathway – providing a programme submission.

Dr Phillip Gould (Head of the School of Life Science at Coventry) said:

We are delighted to be developing a new Masters level integrated undergraduate chiropractic programme here at Coventry University, which we hope will offer a dynamic and fulfilling experience for all students, especially those in the Midlands. We are planning to be open for application from 2024, with the programme being delivered through our award winning Alison Gingell building on the main Coventry campus, which has received national award recognition for being an inspiring learning space.

As a university we pride ourselves on our range of support services to students that help ensure they get the absolute most out of their time with us, and which help student prepare for graduation and the fantastic job opportunities this will open. We are excited about continuing a journey with the wider chiropractic communities and look forward to being able to this program to our existing portfolio.

Further information on how the GCC assures the quality of undergraduate chiropractic education, and the approval process for chiropractic degrees, can be found in the Quality Assurance Handbook.