Advanced Clinical Practice

This course is designed for people from a range of professional backgrounds including nursing, physiotherapy, paramedic practitioners, pharmacists and other health professionals working in primary care, community care, and secondary care settings.

Applicants who have successfully completed a non-medical prescribing course at another UK HEI and have registered this qualification with their professional body will automatically be granted Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) of 40 CATS points towards the Independent and Supplementary Prescribing module in year 2. Applicants will be required to provide original evidence of their qualification and professional registration of this qualification.

Please note: All modules are now core requirements across MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programmes - formal documentation will be updated in the 2025/26 cycle.

The course is modular and organised in blocks of study lasting between one and five days at a time, which can be consecutive days within the same week or spread out over several weeks.

PG Certificate (60 CATS points):

• Clinical Examination and Diagnostic Skills for Health Care Professionals (40 CATS)
• Understanding Research and Critical Appraisal in Healthcare (Distance learning) (20 CATs)

PG Diploma (120 CATS points): The PG Certificate modules above plus:

• Independent and Supplementary Prescribing (40 CATs)
• Introduction to Leadership and Management in Health Care Contexts (20 CATs)

MSc (180 CATS points): The PG Certificate and Diploma modules above plus:

• Professional Project (40 CATS)
• Work-based Learning (20 CATs)

Induction module

Before completing the course, you will undertake the Induction and Professional Development module, introducing you to all the underpinning regulations, guidance, and support available to you during your postgraduate study.

Exit qualifications:

Those students that are not able to complete the MSc stage will be eligible for PG Certificate and PG Diploma exit awards, providing that they have completed the modules required per stage, as above. However, only the MSc qualification leads to an award thatis required to practice as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner.

Important:

PgCert and PgDip awards do not equate to advanced clinical practice and do not confer eligibility for recognition as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner. Students who exit with these awards should not representthemselves as advanced clinical practitioners or imply that they have achieved advanced practice capabilities. The current title of the PgDip award has been reconsidered to ensure clarity that exit award holders do not identify as advanced clinical practitioners.

 

This is an interactive programme. You will learn through lectures and seminars, practical group work and guided reading. This programme is delivered by a blended learning approach which will include a mixture of face to face and online learning. You will benefit from guided discussions and have the opportunity to practice the skills you have learnt during the sessions.

Assessment for each module can be seen by looking at the relevant module page but typically consists of written essays of 3,000 - 4,000 words, a portfolio and/or an Objective Structured Long Examination Record (OSLER). The Professional Project is assessed by 4,000-word project report and a poster presentation.