Specialist Healthcare Practitioner MSc/PGDip

Overview

This programme is designed to support experienced healthcare practitioners develop skills in complex reasoning, critical thinking, and analysis. These skills will benefit nurses, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and dietitian speech therapists.

You will develop a strong foundation around the four pillars of advanced clinical practice, which includes clinical practice, leadership, education, and research. There is an option of completing this programme in a stepped approach, you may initially want to choose to complete a Postgraduate Diploma but then continue at a later stage to step up to the MSc.

The MSc in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner incorporates a range of modules for the Faculty of Health Studies that are negotiated to provide an individualised curriculum to suit your particular learning or employment needs. You will be guided in your module choices by the Programme Leader at a study plan meeting before the start of the programme. Your study plan will then be reviewed on an annual basis with your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT).

Awards and outcomes

Year 1: Postgraduate Certificate in Enhanced Clinical Practitioner

After successfully completing 60 credits and achieving the award learning outcomes, you will be eligible to:

exit with the award of Postgraduate Certificate in Enhanced Clinical Practitioner
continue to Year 2 of Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner
continue to Year 2 of MSc in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner

Year 2: Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner

After successfully completing 120 credits (60 credits per year) and achieving the award learning outcomes, you will be eligible to:

exit with the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner
continue to Year 3 of MSc in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner

Year 3: MSc in Specialist Healthcare Practitioner

After successfully completing 180 credits (60 credits per year) and achieving the award learning outcomes, you will be eligible to:

exit with a Degree of Master's in MSc Specialist Healthcare Practitioner

Previous level 7 study completed maybe eligible to be imported into this award through the recognition of prior learning progress. Please include all post-registration study completed on the application form and transcript of marks award if not completed at the University of Bradford.

Entry requirements

A registered qualification with a UK professional regulatory organisation
A first level degree in a health-related topic or an advanced diploma or evidence of level 6 study or significant clinical experience and employer support following individual review by the programme leader

English language requirements

Students for whom English is not a first language must have an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, and you have a UKVI approved IELTS, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details. For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page.

What you will study

Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma (Years 1 and 2)

In Years 1 and 2, you will study and complete one 30-credit module per University semester.

Optional modules

MSc (Year 3)

In Year 3, you will study and complete one 60-credit module to gain the award of MSc. Year 3 can only be commenced on completion of the Postgraduate Certificate.

Optional modules

Learning and assessment

A range of teaching methods will be utilised within modules to address the learning outcomes for the individual modules with a blended approach to delivery with on-campus and online elements.

Student participation will be integrated within all modules through a range of options including discussion boards, group work, team-based learning and simulation.

Official programme specification

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2024

10 credits: £612
20 credits: £1,224
30 credits: £1,836
40 credits: £2,448
Dissertation module (if applicable): £2,648

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Career prospects

This is a flexible programme of study to support Registered Healthcare Professionals to undertake masters level study to support career progression within the NHS and other healthcare organisations.

Career support

Due to the current work-based pressures and financial pressures experienced by most NHS staff, this programme of study has a flexible framework that enable students to exit at each of the three stages but return to study importing prior credits within a reasonable time frame as their career progresses.

Many potential students may only be support in current roles to undertake study to PGC level with further support being provided because of career progression. The flexibility to step on and off this programme will support students to study to achieve career progression and return to continue their studies once achieved.

Study support

You will be guided in your module choices by the Programme Leader at a study plan meeting before the start of the programme. Your study plan will then be reviewed on an annual basis with your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT).

Research

You will become an autonomous practitioner who can work in advanced and specialist roles with high levels of accountability.

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.