| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years part time 3 years part time |
| Entry year | September 2025 |
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | 2.2 Honours degree (or a Professional Diploma) in a related discipline. |
|---|---|
| UCAS code | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year full time |
| Entry year | September 2025 |
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | 2.2 Honours degree (or a Professional Diploma) in a related discipline. |
|---|---|
| UCAS code | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years part time |
| Entry year | September 2025 |
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | 2.2 Honours degree (or a Professional Diploma) in a related discipline. |
|---|---|
| UCAS code | |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year part time |
| Entry year | September 2025 |
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| Contact |
| Typical offer | 2.2 Honours degree (or a Professional Diploma) in a related discipline. |
|---|---|
Overview
- Develop the skills and expertise required to respond to challenges facing our modern day health service and enhance your learning experience through engagement with external practitioners with specialist expertise
- We will provide a strong academic underpinning to the role of the Advanced Clinical Practitioner and encourage you to expand your scope of practice as part of the advanced practice agenda outlined by the Health Education England multi professional framework for advanced clinical practice.
- The MSc Advanced Clinical Practice can be studied as a part-time programme of study, taken over 2 or 3 years, to suit your needs, or learn alongside our MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Degree Apprenticeship)
- Benefit from Faculty membership of the Association of Advanced Practice Educators (AAPEUK)
- Designed for practitioners from a range of backgrounds including (but not limited to) radiography, nursing, pharmacy, paramedics, occupational therapy and midwifery
Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research
Based on 4* + 3* research in REF 2021
Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power
Submitted to UoA2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. REF 2021
Major capital investment in new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities
Vibrant and active research student community supported by excellent pastoral and academic staff
Top 10 in the UK for our world-leading and internationally excellent Clinical Medicine research
Based on 4* + 3* research in REF 2021
Our Public Health research is 11th in the UK for research power
Submitted to UoA2 Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care. REF 2021
Major capital investment in new buildings and state-of-the-art facilities
Vibrant and active research student community supported by excellent pastoral and academic staff
Entry requirements
You should hold a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or for older qualifications a Professional Diploma) in a healthcare related discipline. Relevant clinical experience or previous postgraduate qualifications will also be considered as part of the admissions process. In addition, you should be registered with the appropriate statutory regulatory body for your profession (such as the HCPC or NMC).
Additional Entry Requirements
A personal statement, detailing your reasons for seeking to undertake this subject, will be required.
It is expected that candidates will have a current contract of employment with a healthcare provider and will normally have at least 2 years’ experience of professional practice.
MSc Advanced Practice: You should hold a minimum 2.2 Honours degree (or for older qualifications a Professional Diploma) in a healthcare related discipline. Relevant clinical experience or previous postgraduate qualifications will also be considered as part of the admissions process.
Accreditation of prior learning for Masters courses in Healthcare and Medicine
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) is a process whereby students, who have already gained relevant skills and knowledge prior to the start of their course, may be granted a partial credit exemption from their programme instead of unnecessarily repeating work. Find out more about APL
Entry requirements for international students
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Entry requirements for international students
English language requirements
International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile B2. Please visit our English language requirements page to view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country.
Course content
This programme will prepare you to develop your clinical practice, enabling you to work autonomously and flexibly in order to make complex decisions about how people should be cared for and treated.
It will provide you with a sound educational grounding that will encourage critical analysis of literature, documents and policies associated with advanced practice, including professional, legal and ethical issues. It will also prepare you to undertake research, audit and evaluative activities that develop your personal knowledge and expertise to help improve evidence-based patient care across systems.
There are compulsory modules to complete, and you’ll also choose from a range of optional modules which align with the 4 advanced practice domains (Clinical Practice, Education, Leadership and Research). Compulsory and optional modules are listed below.
Programme Structure
This MSc course can be taken as a full-time course over one year or alternatively spread over two or three years of part-time study which may suit applicants who are working full-time. It is delivered at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 7 (as confirmed against the FHEQ).
The programme is divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. To gain a Masters qualification, you will need to complete 180 credits at level 7. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with one credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work.
It is also possible to exit with a PGCert after completing 60 credits of taught modules or a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.
The MSc Advanced Clinical Practice requires you to be clinically engaged in order to fulfil the learning criteria. However, an alternate MSc Advanced Practice full-time variant is available for students who are unable to meet the clinical requirements or who wish to study on a full-time basis.
Contact Days
View the draft timetable of contact days for 2023-2024
View the draft timetable of contact days for 2024-2025
Please note: these timetables are draft and may be subject to change.
The last contact day and assessment deadline for the programme will be earlier than the actual end date of your registration with the University, to allow a period of time at the end of your active studies for further support and mitigation, if needed.
All compulsory modules during Term 1 will be delivered online with face-to-face contact sessions in term 2 (Covid restrictions permitting). We will provide students with a range of online activities throughout the modules and there will be opportunity for discussion and virtual seminars.
Modules
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
To qualify for the Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice:
You must complete the compulsory modules listed below, plus optional modules to a total of 180 credits.
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice, 3 -year and 2-year, part time
150 credits of compulsory modules, including one of HPDM147 or HPDM132; 30 credits of options
Compulsory modules
*Take one of HPDM132 Advanced Skill Development or HPDM 147 Practice Certificate in Independent or Supplementary Prescribing.
**Additional eligibility criteria apply for HPDM147
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM128 | Principles of Advanced Clinical Practice | 30 |
| HPDM133 | Advanced Clinical Assessment and Decision-Making Skills | 30 |
| HPDM152 | Advanced Clinical Practice Improvement Project | 30 |
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing */** | 45 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development * | 45 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLS MSc ACP-AP optional modules 24-25 | ||
Optional modules You should ensure that you choose at least one module from each of the four advanced practice domains: (a) - These modules align to the some of the clinical elements of advanced clinical practice. They may require evidence of concurrent clinical practice as a condition of enrolment: HPDM184(a) - HPDM156(a) - HPDM157(a) - HPDM065(a) - HPDM147(a)** - HPDM138Z(a) - HPDM132(a) HPDM105(b)* - HPDM103(b)* - HPDM104(b) - HPDM142(b) HPDM080(c) - HPDM081(c) HPDM166(d) Please note: All optional modules are non-condonable when taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. All optional modules are condonable when taken as part of the PGDip Advanced Practice, MSc Advanced Practice or PGCert Advanced Practice programmes.
|
||
| HPDM065 | Care of the Older Adult | 15 |
| HPDM080 | Leadership in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM103 | Teaching Practitioner | 15 |
| HPDM105 | Education Essentials | 15 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development | 45 |
| HPDM142 | Principles of Supervision, Mentoring and Coaching | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing | 45 |
| HPDM156 | Long-Term Condition Care (Respiratory, Endocrine and Renal) | 15 |
| HPDM157 | Long-Term Condition Care (Cardiovascular) | 15 |
| HPDM184 | Advanced Clinical Practice in Primary Care | 15 |
| HPDM104 | Assessing Learning | 15 |
| HPDM081 | Management in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
| HPDM138Z | MRI: Integrated Theory and Practice | 30 |
To qualify for the Masters in Advanced Practice (1 year, full-time):
You must complete the compulsory modules listed below, plus optional modules to a total of 180 credits.
Compulsory modules
MSc Advanced Practice, 1 year, full-time
60 credits of compulsory modules, 120 credits of options
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM128 | Principles of Advanced Clinical Practice | 30 |
| HPDM152 | Advanced Clinical Practice Improvement Project | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLS MSc ACP-AP optional modules 24-25 (See module group) | ||
Optional modules You should ensure that you choose at least one module from each of the four advanced practice domains: (a) - These modules align to the some of the clinical elements of advanced clinical practice. They may require evidence of concurrent clinical practice as a condition of enrolment: HPDM184(a) - HPDM156(a) - HPDM157(a) - HPDM065(a) - HPDM147(a)** - HPDM138Z(a) - HPDM132(a) HPDM105(b)* - HPDM103(b)* - HPDM104(b) - HPDM142(b) HPDM080(c) - HPDM081(c) HPDM166(d) Please note: All optional modules are non-condonable when taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. All optional modules are condonable when taken as part of the PGDip Advanced Practice, MSc Advanced Practice or PGCert Advanced Practice programmes.
|
||
| HPDM065 | Care of the Older Adult | 15 |
| HPDM080 | Leadership in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM103 | Teaching Practitioner | 15 |
| HPDM105 | Education Essentials | 15 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development | 45 |
| HPDM142 | Principles of Supervision, Mentoring and Coaching | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing | 45 |
| HPDM156 | Long-Term Condition Care (Respiratory, Endocrine and Renal) | 15 |
| HPDM157 | Long-Term Condition Care (Cardiovascular) | 15 |
| HPDM184 | Advanced Clinical Practice in Primary Care | 15 |
| HPDM104 | Assessing Learning | 15 |
| HPDM081 | Management in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
| HPDM138Z | MRI: Integrated Theory and Practice | 30 |
To qualify for the PG Diploma:
You must complete the compulsory modules listed below, plus optional modules to a total of 120 credits.
You may take Optional Modules (dependent on there being capacity within that module) as long as any prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module.
Please note that all optional modules are non-condonable when taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice 2-year and 3-year part-time programmes. This ensures that the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Programme can meet Health Education England (HEE) accreditation requirements (the Programme Team are currently pursuing HEE accreditation; the programme is not currently accredited).
The PGCert Advanced Practice and the PGDip Advanced Clinical Practice and the full time MSc Advanced Practice are not suitable for accreditation by HEE.
Please note, if you wish to progress through PGCert and PGDip programmes onto the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (2-year or 3-year part-time) programme, condoned optional modules will not be permitted.
Descriptions of the individual modules are given in full on the Faculty web site:
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM128 | Principles of Advanced Clinical Practice | 30 |
| HPDM133 | Advanced Clinical Assessment and Decision-Making Skills | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLS MSc ACP-AP optional modules 24-25 (See module group) | ||
Optional modules You should ensure that you choose at least one module from each of the four advanced practice domains: (a) - These modules align to the some of the clinical elements of advanced clinical practice. They may require evidence of concurrent clinical practice as a condition of enrolment: HPDM184(a) - HPDM156(a) - HPDM157(a) - HPDM065(a) - HPDM147(a)** - HPDM138Z(a) - HPDM132(a) HPDM105(b)* - HPDM103(b)* - HPDM104(b) - HPDM142(b) HPDM080(c) - HPDM081(c) HPDM166(d) Please note: All optional modules are non-condonable when taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. All optional modules are condonable when taken as part of the PGDip Advanced Practice, MSc Advanced Practice or PGCert Advanced Practice programmes.
|
||
| HPDM065 | Care of the Older Adult | 15 |
| HPDM080 | Leadership in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM103 | Teaching Practitioner | 15 |
| HPDM105 | Education Essentials | 15 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development | 45 |
| HPDM142 | Principles of Supervision, Mentoring and Coaching | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing | 45 |
| HPDM156 | Long-Term Condition Care (Respiratory, Endocrine and Renal) | 15 |
| HPDM157 | Long-Term Condition Care (Cardiovascular) | 15 |
| HPDM184 | Advanced Clinical Practice in Primary Care | 15 |
| HPDM104 | Assessing Learning | 15 |
| HPDM081 | Management in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
| HPDM138Z | MRI: Integrated Theory and Practice | 30 |
To qualify for the PG Certificate
You must complete the compulsory modules listed below, plus optional modules to a total of 60 credits.
PGCert Advanced Practice, 1 year, part-time
30-credit compulsory module plus 30 credits of options
Compulsory modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM128 | Principles of Advanced Clinical Practice | 30 |
Optional modules
| Code | Module | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLS MSc ACP-AP optional modules 24-25 (See module group) | ||
Optional modules You should ensure that you choose at least one module from each of the four advanced practice domains: (a) - These modules align to the some of the clinical elements of advanced clinical practice. They may require evidence of concurrent clinical practice as a condition of enrolment: HPDM184(a) - HPDM156(a) - HPDM157(a) - HPDM065(a) - HPDM147(a)** - HPDM138Z(a) - HPDM132(a) HPDM105(b)* - HPDM103(b)* - HPDM104(b) - HPDM142(b) HPDM080(c) - HPDM081(c) HPDM166(d) Please note: All optional modules are non-condonable when taken as part of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice programme. All optional modules are condonable when taken as part of the PGDip Advanced Practice, MSc Advanced Practice or PGCert Advanced Practice programmes.
|
||
| HPDM065 | Care of the Older Adult | 15 |
| HPDM080 | Leadership in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM103 | Teaching Practitioner | 15 |
| HPDM105 | Education Essentials | 15 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development | 45 |
| HPDM142 | Principles of Supervision, Mentoring and Coaching | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing | 45 |
| HPDM156 | Long-Term Condition Care (Respiratory, Endocrine and Renal) | 15 |
| HPDM157 | Long-Term Condition Care (Cardiovascular) | 15 |
| HPDM184 | Advanced Clinical Practice in Primary Care | 15 |
| HPDM104 | Assessing Learning | 15 |
| HPDM081 | Management in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
| HPDM138Z | MRI: Integrated Theory and Practice | 30 |
Four Pillars
Alongside the compulsory modules you are required to study, you will have the opportunity to select from a number of optional modules within our postgraduate taught programmes portfolio. Each module has been chosen for its specific alignment with one of the four pillars of advanced clinical practice and students are encouraged to ensure they select appropriate modules that span each of these pillars in order to align with the Health Education England multi professional framework for advanced clinical practice:
- Clinical Practice
- Leadership and Management
- Education
- Research
These modules provide you with the opportunity to clinically specialise in your chosen profession. For example, you may wish to develop as a musculoskeletal (MSK) first contact practitioner: the advanced skill development module will allow you to attend to the MSK core capabilities framework. In addition, there is the opportunity to undertake axial and appendicular radiographer reporting or complete an independent prescribing module to support your clinical practice (subject to accreditation).
For module descriptions please see the Course Content section
Clinical Practice
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM156 | Long Term Conditions Care (Respiratory, Endocrine and Renal) | 15 |
| HPDM157 | Long Term Conditions Care (Cardiovascular) | 15 |
| HPDM130 | Appendicular Skeletal Reporting | 30 |
| HPDM129 | Axial Skeletal Reporting | 30 |
| HPDM065 | Care of the Older Adult | 15 |
| HPDM147 | Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing | 45 |
| HPDM132 | Advanced Skill Development | 45 |
| HPDM138 | MRI: Integrated Theory and Practice | 30 |
Leadership and Management
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM081 | Management in Healthcare | 15 |
| HPDM080 | Leadership in Healthcare | 15 |
Education
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM105 | Education Essentials | 15 |
| HPDM103 | Teaching Practitioner | 15 |
| HPDM142 | Principles of Supervision, Mentoring and Coaching | 15 |
| HPDM104 | Assessing Learning | 15 |
Research
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM166 | Research Skills for Advanced Clinical Practitioners | 15 |
Fees
2025/26 entry
Fees are subject to an annual increment each academic year
UK fees per year:
- MSc Advanced Clinical Practice: £6,100pa part-time 2 years, £4,050pa part-time 3 years
- PgDip: £4,050pa part time
- PgCert: £4,050
Standalone module fees: UK: £1,150 per 15-credit module
International fees per year:
- MSc Advanced Clinical Practice: £14,300pa part-time 2 years, £9,550pa part-time 3 years
- PgDip: £9,550pa part-time
- PgCert: £9,550
Standalone module fees: International: £2,600 per 15-credit module
MSc Advanced Practice
- UK:
- MSc: £12,100 full-time 1 year
- PGCert: £4,050
Standalone module fees: UK: £1,150 per 15-credit module
- International:
- MSc: £28,600 full-time 1 year
- PGCert: £9,550
Standalone module fees: International: £2,600 per 15-credit module
Scholarships
We invest heavily in scholarships for talented prospective Masters students. This includes over £5 million in scholarships for international students, such as our Global Excellence Scholarships*.
For more information on scholarships, please visit our scholarships and bursaries page.
*Selected programmes only. Please see the Terms and Conditions for each scheme for further details.
Funding
UK government postgraduate loan scheme
Postgraduate loans of up to £12,167 are now available for Masters degrees. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.
Scholarships
Details of scholarships, including our Global Excellence scholarships for international fee paying students, can be found on our dedicated funding page.
Teaching and research
The Clinical Skills Resource Centre.
Our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.
The foundation of our programme is the four pillars of advanced clinical practice:
- Clinical Practice
- Leadership and Management
- Education
- Research
Teaching
This blended course makes use of contemporary education methods such as case-based learning, small group work and development of communities of practice. The core modules are delivered via blended learning, with a combination of face-to-face teaching and learning activities on campus, and online directed activities, webinars and resources. Our teaching is supported by problem-based learning groups where you can explore cases, develop peer support networks and share clinical experiences.
Teaching methods include:
• Masterclasses from highly experienced clinical teachers and researchers
• Small group simulated learning tasks
• Patient case-based discussions
• Practical workshops for clinical skills development
• Interactive e-learning activities
• Opportunities for practice and receiving feedback
Research
This programme promotes multidisciplinary practice by involving clinicians and practitioners from a variety of disciplines to understand the wider clinical context of health care service needs.
At the University of Exeter, our research is globally recognised and our partnerships with healthcare providers, industry and above all, the public, mean that this work is constantly at the cutting-edge of innovation in improving lives.
Explore some of the many highlights of our research on our research impact page.
Learning
Blended learning will be used to support the face to face education and a range of online resources will be shared with you to support your learning. You will learn alongside our committed academic team who have a range of clinical and academic expertise. Several faculty members continue to work clinically, ensuring an awareness of current challenges and opportunities for Advanced Clinical Practitioners.
Support
Teaching is supported by extensive online University library resources, academic tutor systems, University pastoral support structures and by on-line resources accessed via the University of Exeter’s electronic learning environment (ELE).
You will be allocated an academic tutor, your tutor will be able to provide guidance and feedback on assessment performance, guidance in generic academic skills and pastoral support. They are also able to refer you to more specialist support services, both within the College and elsewhere across the University.
Assessment
Each module will include both formative and summative elements. Formative assessment will involve opportunities for discussion and feedback from peers and tutors. The summative assessment element for each module will provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Elements of assessment will include:
• Development of Knowledge and Understanding
• Cognitive and Intellectual skills
• Key/Transferable Skills
Assessments will be multi-modal (such as portfolios, presentations and OSCEs) and will enable demonstration of alignment with the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
Facilities
The Exeter resource centre is located at the St Luke’s Campus in the Heavitree Hospital site. Facilities include large teaching rooms, models for learning all practical aspects of medicine required in the clinical environment and dedicated communication skills rooms with video capability. We have simulation suites fitted with equipment to run a wide variety of scenarios designed to teach and test students in a safe environment.
The CSRC also contains state-of-the-art electronic patient simulators, mock NHS wards and emergency departments.
For students following the reporting or image interpretation pathway, there is a suite of PACS monitors allowing for very high resolution viewing of images, as well as low-intensity lighting to optimise viewing conditions. Find out more about our Medical Imaging Suites.
Careers
Who is this course for?
Demand for healthcare services, intensifying workforce pressures and a growing consensus of the vastly untapped potential of Nurses, Midwives and Allied Health Professions has led to the continued growth of the advanced practice agenda within the NHS.
This course is for registered practitioners such as paramedics, nurses, radiographers and other healthcare professionals who aspire to develop and work at an advanced level of clinical practice.
Employer-valued skills this course develops
Develop your clinical practice, your understanding of professional, legal and ethical issues and your ability to critically analyse literature, documents and policies associated with advanced practice. Undertaking a research project will also help you to undertake research, audit and evaluate activities that develop your personal knowledge and expertise.
Career paths (graduate destinations)
Studying towards advanced clinical practice aims to enable clinicians to practice to their full potential, meeting the healthcare needs of the population through innovative, collaborative and autonomous working. There are a multitude of career opportunities within the advanced clinical practice sphere and these continue to grow on a yearly basis.
Careers support
All University of Exeter students have access to Career Zone, which gives access to a wealth of business contacts, support and training as well as the opportunity to meet potential employers at our regular Careers Fairs.
