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What makes Advanced Clinical Practice MSc/Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship (ACPA) Programme MSc at Worcester special?

The MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) supports registered healthcare practitioners in their continued professional development to Masters Level, focusing on their role, sector and specialist area in line with the NHSE (2017) Multi-professional Advanced Clinical Practice framework. At the beginning of the course, students will identify their own learning needs in collaboration with their Clinical Supervisor, Manager and Personal Academic Tutor to create an individualised route through the programme that builds on their existing knowledge, skills and experience, whilst enabling achievement of competence and capability at the level of an Advanced Clinical Practitioner.  

Students can choose to develop more specialist competencies (e.g. College of Emergency Medicine ACP competencies) through the Negotiated Learning Module; or can apply to transfer existing Level 7 credits from modules congruent with their clinical specialism, through the Recognition of Prior Learning route in place of the Negotiated Learning module. Students completing this course will be able to lead and support advanced clinical practice, facilitating change in patient and service outcomes.

The MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship (ACPA) has been designed to meet both the National Masters Degree Apprenticeship Standard and the Multi-professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice in England (NHSE 2017).  It offers an opportunity for health and social care employers to identify and develop expertise and talent throughout their organisations equipping practitioners with the skills, values and behaviours to develop their advanced role or innovate services.  For more information regarding the MSc ACPA Apprenticeship route, download the ACPA programme. If you have any further enquires about the course, including the entry requirements, employer support and job requirements, please make contact via the ‘Get in Touch’ details at the bottom of this page. Find out more about our apprenticeships at Worcester.

Overview

Overview

Key features

  • Options to develop individualised learning plans in collaboration with your employer to ensure you develop clinical competence in your own speciality, sector and setting
  • A learning environment in which you develop a sustainable ability to shape future health and social care provision and delivery through responsiveness, improvability and changeability
  • We offer opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate competence and capability at an advanced level; through supervision and support in the workplace and assessment of your competence and capability
  • We provide a flexible, multi-professional, route to postgraduate achievement centred around you
  • We encourage intellectual challenge through the promotion of critical analysis, evaluation and problem solving and functioning at an advanced level of practice
  • We provide the possibility to design and conduct, with support, a substantive, independent, service improvement project, in response to organisational need, with the potential to innovate new practices and influence change
  • We promote opportunities for career advancement as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner

The objective of the programme is summarised in the West Midlands Advanced Clinical Practice (Health Education England 2015, p.15) definition and in line with the Multi-Professional framework for ACP (NHS England 2017) to develop: 

‘A registered practitioner with an expert knowledge base, complex decision-making skills and clinical competencies for expanded autonomous scope of practice, the characteristics of which are shaped by the context in which the individual practices. Demonstrable at masters’ level and meets the education, training and CPD requirements for Advanced Clinical Practice as identified within the framework’.  

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"The University of Worcester understand how important Allied Healthcare Professionals are to the new NHS and have developed and delivered enjoyable, integrated and holistic learning experiences"

Marian Tucker-Martin, Lead Clinical Pharmacist

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Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

Applicants must hold professional registration with NMC/HCPC/GPhC

Applications are welcomed from nurses, midwives, pharmacists, paramedics and allied health professionals who:

  • A lower second-class Honours degree (2:2) in a Health-related subject or an overseas equivalent

OR

  • Qualifications and experience considered to be equivalent to the above. All students applying via this route will be assessed and where necessary interviewed by the Course team

Where applicants do not hold a first degree, applications will be considered on an individual basis. However you will be required to submit evidence of relevant experience and continued professional development.

Further criteria

In order to apply you will need support from your employer and to have secured funding.

Individual modules within the programme may have additional entry criteria due to the aims and learning outcomes of the module and/or due to professional body regulations. For example the Independent and Supplementary Prescribing module has specific entry criteria.

English language requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English should have an IELTS of 7 overall, with no component lower than 5.5. Other equivalent English qualifications will also be considered.

Progression from PG Cert to PG Diploma or PG Diploma to MSc

Students registering for the PG Cert. or PG Diploma can request a Transfer of Studies onto the PG Diploma or MSc through Academic Registry; this must be actioned before the final Exam Board at the end of Semester 2.

If this transfer is not requested before the PG Cert or PG Diploma is awarded, students will need to reapply and will RPeL the credits into the PG Diploma or MSc. This will affect the classification of the subsequent award as grades are not transferred, only the credits.    

Course content

Course content

Advanced Clinical Practice MSc Year 1

Mandatory

Semester 1
Semester 2
Throughout course

Advanced Clinical Practice MSc Year 2

Mandatory

Semester 1
Semester 2
Throughout course

Optional

Optional modules (30 credits) for those that cannot prescribe in their ACP role, from those below. Students can only take one Negotiated Learning Module in either Semester 1 or 2

Advanced Clinical Practice MSc Year 3

Mandatory

Professional Development Workshops & Conferences

We also offer a wide selection of workshops and conferences, which are under constant review to reflect the changes in health care. See our Professional Development Workshops & Conferences Calendar.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching and assessment

As a university we place great emphasis on enabling students to develop the independent learning capabilities that will equip you for lifelong learning and future employment, as well as academic achievement.  A mixture of independent study, teaching and academic support from Student Services and Library Services, and the personal academic tutoring system enables you to reflect on progress and build up a profile of skills, achievements and experiences that will help you to flourish and be successful.

Teaching

You are taught through a blended learning approach, with a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, seminars, practical and on-line activities. Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities. Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures, and workshops are focused on developing subject specific skills and applied individual and group project work.

In addition, meetings with personal academic tutors are scheduled on at least one occasion per semester and with your Dissertation supervisor in the last semester.

Contact time

Part-time students can expect to have 6 hours contact time each week, however precise contact time will be dictated by the modules studied each semester. 

For example:

  • Exploring and Challenging Advanced Clinical Practice (15 credits) is 6 x 6 hour face to face contact time spread over semester 1
  • Health and Social Needs Assessment in Advanced Clinical Practice (30 credits) is 12 x 6 hours face to face contact time spread over semester 1 and 2
  • Complex Decision Making in Advanced Clinical Practice (15 credits) is 6 x 6 hour face to face contact time spread over semester 2
  • Professional Advocate (15 credits) has 2 modes of delivery, fully online and blended learning. The fully online consists of 36 hours contact time across a semester, with structured online seminars and tutorials (synchronous 75%) & specific online tasks and activities(asynchronous 25%), this route will usually be taken by students undertaking this module as a standalone module. The blended approach is 6 x 6 hours taught sessions (face to face and online activities) spread over one semester. 

In the final year there is normally less contact time in order to do more independent study.

Independent self-study

In addition to the contact time, students are expected to undertake around 6-10 hours of personal self-directed study per week. Typically, this will involve searching for evidence, reading, making notes, practising academic writing in preparation for assessments, reflecting on development.

Independent learning is supported by a range of excellent learning facilities, including the Hive and library resources, the virtual learning environment, and extensive electronic learning resources. 

Duration

Part-time over 3-6 years

Timetables

Timetables are normally available one month before registration.

 

Assessment

The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments. Each module has one or more formal or ‘summative’ assessment which is graded and counts towards the overall module grade. Assessment methods include essays, assessed problem-based learning, seminars, research proposal, portfolio, research project, e-presentation, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), assessment of clinical competence, poster and oral presentations, exams. 

The summative assessment pattern for each year of the course is typically:

Year 1
  • Essay
  • Clinical competency and e-portfolio
  • OSCE
  • Oral presentation and report
Year 2
  • Essay
  • Research/Project Proposal, and if taking the Prescribing module an e-portfolio
  • Case study
  • Pharmacology exam
  • Numeracy exam
Year 3
  • MSc - 15,000-word Dissertation
  • ACP Apprenticeship – 10,000 word dissertation and Advanced Clinical Practice Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours (End Point Assessment) 

Teaching staff

You will be taught by a teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. The team includes senior academics, and professional practitioners with clinical experience.

Postgraduate research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.  Teaching is informed by the research and consultancy, and nearly 85% of Nursing and Midwifery and Allied Health and Community  lecturers have a higher education teaching qualification or are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy.

You can learn more about the staff by visiting our staff profiles.

Programme specification

For comprehensive details on the aims and intended learning outcomes of the course, and the means by which these are achieved through learning, teaching and assessment, please download the latest programme specification document for the Advanced Clinical Practice MSc and The Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship (ACPA)

Careers

Careers

Postgraduate study will mark you out in today's competitive job market, showing that you have enhanced knowledge in this subject area, as well as highlighting your ability to analyse, communicate and apply theory - all skills which are sought after by employers.

This programme is developed in partnership with local employers and as such is closely mapped to both the needs of the student and the needs of the employer. This ensures that you'll complete the course with specific, focused skills that are desirable to local employers and the wider health and social care community.

All of our students join the programme from practice, develop their skills and understanding through the programme and return to practice with these developed qualities and attributes tailor made to the Advanced Clinical Practitioner role and role trajectory.

As part of the journey of professional and role development we encourage students to continue on their academic journey through access to a range of higher degrees including PhD, clinical doctorate and other taught doctorates.

Louise Buckle

“Since studying the MSc Advancing Practice (Advanced Clinical Practice) at the University of Worcester, I have transitioned from an Emergency Department Sister, to an independent Advanced Nurse Practitioner in Emergency Medicine.

“This course has furthered my career, and changed my outlook towards clinical practice and research. I have developed the skills to initiate a new service, and develop clinical pathways, and am now mentoring future Advanced Nurse Practitioners.”

Louise Buckle,
Advanced Nurse Practitioner

lynn-dale-web

Lynn Dale

“I did the MSc not only to improve my knowledge and skills but also to improve patient care.

“Completing the Masters has had a huge impact upon my practice at work. The non-medical prescribing and advanced health assessment skills have added to the wealth of clinical experience gained in the past. As a result more nursing-led clinics have been developed locally. Historically patients had to travel 140 mile round trip for some services which are now provided locally at Redditch.”

Lynn Dale,
Respiratory Specialist Practitioner

Amy Turton

Amy Turton

Amy Turton works as a learning disability (RNLD) nurse with Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. She has completed a Masters in Advanced Clinical Practice at the University.

“I have been supported and pushed massively outside of my comfort zone and this has enabled me to advance my skills and practice as a learning disability nurse in ways that I never imagined possible. I am proud of the new skills I have developed and how much I have learnt.

Amy said she now hopes to continue to learn and grow within advanced practice and will be exploring a more active role in research, particularly linked to the population of people who have a learning disability.

Read Amy’s full case study here.

Costs

Fees and funding

Part-time tuition fees

UK and EU students

The standard tuition fees for part-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes/PGCert/PGDip courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £788 per 15-credit module, £1,575 per 30-credit module, £2,363 per 45-credit module, and £3,150 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

International students

The standard tuition fees for part-time international students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 are £1,492 per 15-credit module, £2,983 per 30-credit module, £4,475 per 45-credit module, and £5,967 per 60 credit module.

For more details, please visit our course fees page.

Postgraduate loans

The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,471 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study. It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs.

For more details visit our postgraduate loans page.

Additional costs

Every course has day-to-day costs for basic books, stationery, printing and photocopying. The amounts vary between courses.

If your course offers a placement opportunity, you may need to pay for an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
How to apply

How to apply

Please make your application via our online application forms below. As part of the application you will need upload the following as supporting evidence:

  • Scanned copies of relevant academic certificates
  • An academic or employer reference from your current employer.

Before completing the application form please read our Advancing Practice application guidance.

Apply for enrolment

MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Part-Time) MACP4002 - Health and Social Needs Assessment for Advanced Clinical Practice - October 2024 MACP4002 - Health and Social Needs Assessment for Advanced Clinical Practice - February 2025 MACP4007 - Independent & Supplementary Prescribing MACP4010 - Professional Advocate - September 2024 MACP4010 - Professional Advocate - January 2025 MACP4010 - Professional Advocate - April 2025 MACP4011 - Newborn Physical Examination

There are 3 exit points within the course if you are unsure of committing to the full MSc:

  • Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
  • Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
  • MSc (180 credits)

 

For apprenticeship entry route – please contact apprenticeships@worc.ac.uk

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please get in touch. We're here to help you every step of the way.

Admissions Office

admissions@worc.ac.uk
01905 855111

Advancing Practice Office

cpdinfo@worc.ac.uk

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