MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner

The MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner course is healthcare professionals who want to extend the scope of their practice regarding consultation, assessment, diagnosis and therapeutic interventions.

It is suitable for aspiring Advanced Nurse/ Paramedic Practitioners and people requiring advanced physical assessment skills for their role. Modern healthcare services are dynamic, diverse and challenging, often requiring care and interventions delivered by healthcare practitioners with advanced clinical skills and sound theoretical knowledge.

The MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner will allow you to develop your skills at an advanced level, thereby meeting the requirements set by National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare (NLIAH).

You will develop your understanding of altered physiology to effectively assess patients' health or ill health status. In addition you will study research methods, influences on current health care practices and independent prescribing. The MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner can be achieved within three years and you will need to be supported by a medical and professional mentor in practice.

T&C's Apply - Learn more

2023
2024

Study Mode 2023	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
Part-time	3 Years	September	Glyntaff	A

Study Mode 2024	Duration	Start Date	Campus	Campus Code
Part-time	3 Years	September	Glyntaff	A

Year One: MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Clinical Conditions 1
This will involve developing your understanding of altered physiological processes in relation to cardiovascular, respiratory and musculoskeletal disease processes, for example Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), heart failure and Myasthenia Gravis disease.
Clinical Skills 1
This will involve further developing your knowledge and skills in relation to examining patients with cardiac, respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases. This will include completing a comprehensive patient medical history, thoroughly examining each system mentioned above and identifying their treatment and management plan based on an individual clinical presentation.
Research Methods
You will learn how to critically evaluate a range of research methodologies.

Year Two: MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Clinical Conditions 2
This will involve developing your understanding of altered physiological processes in relation to endocrine, neurological and abdominal disease processes, for example Diabetes and Thyroid disease, Parkinson’s disease, liver and gut diseases.
Clinical Skills 2
You will continue to develop your knowledge and skills in relation to examining patients with endocrine, neurological and abdominal disease. This will include completing a comprehensive patient medical history, thoroughly examining each system mentioned above and identifying their treatment and management plan based on an individual clinical presentation.
Influences on Practice
You will debate the political, legal and professional influences on advanced practice in context with today’s healthcare system. Professional influences include considering the role of advanced practice within the Welsh Advanced Practice Framework. Legal influences include accountability and political influences will address the requirements advocated by Welsh Government.

Year Three: MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner

The final year of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner course has a choice of three pathways:

A dissertation of 15,000 words (for the 60 credit module) where you will choose a topic relevant to your own area of practice and critically evaluate the role of the advanced practitioner within that area.
A dissertation of 10,000 (for the 40 credit module) where you will choose a topic relevant to your own area of practice and critically evaluate the role of the advanced practitioner within that area, and one of the optional modules below.
Independent Prescribing (40 credits) plus one optional module.

Optional modules

Professional Portfolio Development (20 Credits)
Leading Effective Teams in Health and Social Care (20 credits)

Teaching

You will attend the University one day a week. First year students will study on Mondays, whilst second years are Thursday and third year are in on a Friday. Hours of study: Monday 09.00-17.00; Thursday 10.00-19.00; Friday 11.00-17.00.

MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner is taught by a variety of methods including tutorials, lectures, case study presentations, peer presentations, and problem-based learning. You will also undertake practicals in our Clinical Simulation Suite as well as in actual clinical practice.

Assessment

Assessments include written examinations, assignments and OSCEs (Objective Structured Clinical Examinations). The OSCEs will take place in May each year and be completed as part of the clinical skills modules and involve undertaking a comprehensive patient history, examining a particular bodily system, and identifying a management and treatment plan for the individual.

Facilities

Our state of the art Clinical Simulation Centre is set up to replicate an acute care NHS environment, providing realistic clinical facilities for our pre-registration students and qualified healthcare professionals.

Lecturers

We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement

At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.

If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.

Applicants must be a registered nurse, midwife, SCPHN, health visitor, physiotherapist or pharmacist, or paramedic educated to at least degree level 2:2 or above. Candidates must have a minimum of three years, full-time, post-registration experience (or equivalent part-time) and be in current employment. Accreditation of recognised prior learning (RPL) will also be considered. You will also need to have access to a medical mentor who will assess and approve your clinical competencies throughout the Advanced Clinical Practitioner course.

The application process does not currently include an interview, other than for the Independent Prescribing module which is in the third year. Your application is vetted firstly by ensuring you meet the entry criteria as outlined. If you only fill out the basic information, your application is likely to be referred back to you. Please take the time to complete the personal statement and demonstrate an appropriate level of understanding of Advanced Practice and its application to your role.

If you have been offered an unconditional place on the course, please accept the offer as soon as possible, otherwise you may lose the place. You can always change your decision afterwards or defer. However, you can only defer your application for one year. If you decide not to attend after this deferral you will have to apply again.

The course welcomes international applicants and requires an English level of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component or equivalent.

Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course.

August 2023 - July 2024 Fees

Part-time UK: £1055 per 20 credits

August 2024 - July 2025 Fees

Part-time UK: TBC

Student Perks

At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.

Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.

Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.

Additional Costs

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Funding

Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs

Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.

USW Postgraduate 20% Alumni Discount 2023/24

The University of South Wales is offering a 20% reduction in tuition fees for all University of South Wales* graduates starting a taught/online*** MA,MSc, LLM,MBA or DBA course from September 2023 (this includes students starting a course in January/February 2024). T's and Cs apply. Click here for more details and eligibility criteria: USW Postgraduate Alumni Discount 2023/24

Apply directly to the University for this course. You will need to register first.

Admissions statement

The MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner will develop a range of clinical skills in greater depth and gain the knowledge to assess, diagnose and treat patients. Study of relevant protocols, policy and research will complement this to allow safe practice at an advanced level. Typical career progression is to Advanced Clinical Practice Nurse. Students can also progress to a PhD or a research degree.