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Overview
Designed by experienced and senior clinicians, and in line with the NHS Multi-Professional Framework for Advanced Clinical Practice in England, on this programme you’ll develop your ability to manage clinical care in partnership with individuals, families and carers in a variety of UK healthcare settings.
This Masters programme supports registered professionals (NMC, HCPC) to develop their existing skills, knowledge and values across the four pillars of advanced practice:
- Clinical practice
- Leadership and management
- Education
- Research
On successful completion of this Masters programme, you’ll be able to work as an advanced clinical practitioner within your individual practice speciality.
Eligibility
This course accepts UK and EU students. The part-time course is also available to International students who do not require a Student Route Visa.
To apply for this course, you must:
- be registered with a UK professional body (NMC or HPCP) for a minimum of three years
- be employed by a UK health and social care provider
- be supported by their employer to apply for the course.
Course highlights
- Practice and develop your clinical skills in our Centre for Simulation in Health and Care
- Study on a course developed by a senior multi-disciplinary team
- Learn from a range of experienced professionals with a variety of clinical skills and knowledge, including critical care, advanced practice, leadership, management and research
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
Eligibility
This course accepts UK and EU students. The part-time course is also available to International students who do not require a Student Route Visa.
To apply for this course, you must:
- be registered with a UK professional body (NMC or HPCP) for a minimum of three years
- be employed by a UK health and social care provider
- be supported by their employer to apply for the course.
September 2025 start
Qualifications or experience
- A second-class honours degree, or equivalent, in a relevant subject or a master's degree in an appropriate subject.
- Applicants should be professionally practising in an environment where there is an identified need for the individual to be an advanced practitioner.
- Exceptionally, equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will be considered.
- Applicants are required to have 3 years post-registration work experience in a relevant area.
- Applicants must also have support of a line manager and clinical supervisor and current registration with a relevant professional body (NMC or HCPC).
- All applicants will be invited to attend an interview.
This course is for UK based staff only.
Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.
To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.
- English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 7.0 with no component score below 7.0.
You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:
- you have a UK degree
- you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
- you are a national of a majority English speaking country
- Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.
If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees (September 2025 start)
Tuition fees terms and conditions
Funding your studies
Find out more how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
If you're a UK student, you may be eligible for a Government postgraduate loan, which you can use to help with course fees and living costs.
Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students and our international student scholarships.
Loans, scholarships and bursaries
Browse funding such as the Government Postgraduate Loan, our scholarships for new and returning students, and subject specific loans.
Funding for international students
Learn more about sponsorships, scholarships and loans for students applying from outside of the UK.
Fees and funding for Master's courses
Explore Master's funding options, including loans, scholarships, bursaries and more.
Additional costs
- Accommodation: Accommodation options and costs can be found on our accommodation pages
- Recommended reading: You can borrow key texts from the library and if you choose to purchase these texts they may cost up to £60 each.
- General costs: such photocopying, memory sticks, printing charges, binding and specialist printing. We suggest budgeting £75 per year.
Read more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.
Modules (indicative)
On this part-time Master's programme, you'll study modules worth a total of 180 credits over 3 years.
The programme lead will support you with choosing your optional modules.
Note these modules are based on courses starting in 2024. We'll confirm 2025 modules here soon.
Part-time
Core
By exploring the concepts behind a clinical diagnosis, you'll enhance your clinical reasoning and decision making skills. You'll build your understanding of the ethical, legal and professional frameworks for advanced clinical practice and apply this knowledge when selecting and interpreting diagnostic tests.
You'll analyse the importance of patient-centred care across a variety of health care settings and teams, and reflect on your ability to manage patients whilst working at an advanced level of practice.
You'll develop specialised skills in comprehensive history taking and physical examinations.
Gain skills in assessing a patient's physical, mental and cognitive health across a range of ages and needs.
Learn what advanced clinical practice is and develop your understanding of current issues and new insights.
Analyse your personal accountability, responsibility and autonomy as a developing Advanced Clinical Practitioner and assess evidence gaps for providing safe and effective care in complex populations and environments.
Produce a personalised learning plan that reflects your professional development against the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
Core
You'll develop a deep understanding of evidence based practice and the research methods used within health and social care. Through consideration, you'll explore how these approaches are utilised in research design and evaluate how research outcomes can advance your clinical practice skills.
You'll critique the theories, models and strategies that inform evidence-based practice and explore the ethical issues around research conduct and implementing findings.
Through networking, you'll develop advanced expertise and practical understanding of how to conduct best practice and communicate your research findings.
Optional
You'll choose between the first two modules and one additional module from the following list.
Learn advanced skills and knowledge in pharmacology, covering pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, and how to manage medications throughout various stages in life.
You'll critically evaluate the legal, ethical and professional responsibilities in relation to your scope of practice and respective code of professional conduct. You'll explore the safety and efficacy of drug therapy, including the identification and management of adverse drug reactions.
Finish with enhanced theoretical and practical skills in pharamacology.
Develop ethical, patient-centred approaches to evidence-informed prescribing decisions, considering drug actions to prescribing practice.
Enhance numerical and diagnostic skills needed for cost-effective, appropriate treatments within the boundaries of professional accountability and extend your prescribing practice through a variety of client consultations.
Expertly perform clinical assessments, identify deterioration risks and lead care decisions for the acutely unwell or injured. You'll assess the evidence behind managing acutely unwell or injured patients, tailoring treatment depending on their care needs.
You'll evaluate the delivery of effective patient-centered care against national, local, and professional strategies. You'll also consider legal and ethical issues for the ongoing management of care after crises.
Learn evidence-based knowledge and practical skills to boost your confidnece in supporting children and young people with complex needs and behaviors.
In line with local and national guidance, you'll develop skills in trauma-informed care and de-escalation of conflict arising from challenging behaviour, evaluating your leadership style to intervene where necessary.
As you learn about the biopsychosocial factors, law, and ethics of dementia, you'll be equipped with the skills to support people with dementia and their family members who may be affected by a diagnosis.
By applying strong leadership skills, you'll use research, theory and lived experiences to transform dementia practice.
You'll evaluate the principles of frailty and examine the current policies that support evidence-based assessment tools. Examine the theory behind decision making, considering law and ethics, and their impacts on health and social care.
Explore the pathophysiology of aging and analyse the principles, practices, and boundaries associated with person-centered assessment, planning, delivery, and evaluation.
Evaluate how environment and culture can impact the quality of care and learn to escalate well-being and safety concerns, championing your decisions around care.
Build your awareness of the current issues in society and their approach to health, illness, death and bereavement.
Develop your understanding of the ethical, legal and professional frameworks, and the current evidence and policies that support safe palliative and end-of-life care within advanced clinical practice.
Gain expertise as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in managing complex symptoms and the risks involved in palliative and end-of-life care.
Enhance your communication and shared decision making skills, applying this to advanced care planning.
As part of this module, you'll reflect on your responsibility, accountability, autonomy and learning needs.
Learn to provide person-centered care using trauma-based models, looking beyond diagnoses and helping patients make positive changes to improve their quality of life.
Explore the benefits and challenges of collaborative working within the mental health system and develop creative approaches to help those with mental health issues.
Core
As you continue to analyse a specific area of nursing practice, you'll apply your quality improvement project to a clinical issue in practice.
Drawing on evidence-based practice, you'll apply your innovative solutions for enhancing service delivery in your chosen area of interest and enhance your knowledge on methods that introduce change in clinical practice. You'll be master the crucial skills to implement these changes in practice, including critical thinking, project planning, stakeholder engagement, and measuring outcomes.
When you finish, you'll have the practical skills to proactively and collaboratively lead and apply change in practice.
You'll get the opportunity to independently analyse a specific area of nursing practice and design a quality improvement project that solves a clinical issue.
Drawing on evidence-based practice, you'll generate innovative solutions for enhancing service delivery in your chosen area of interest and build your knowledge on methods that introduce change in clinical practice. You'll be equipped with crucial skills to implement these changes, including critical thinking, project planning, stakeholder engagement, and measuring outcomes.
When you finish, you'll have the knowledge to proactively and collaboratively lead and influence change in practice.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed. This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.
Facilities
Discover our facilities
Explore the School of Health and Care Professions and our leading simulation facilities.
00:03: [Preparing you for a career in health and care]
00:05: [Realistic patients manikins]
00:18: [Simulated hospital ward]
00:23: [Simulated x-ray suite]
00:33: [University of Portsmouth]
How you'll spend your time
This part-time programme runs from September to the following September with breaks at Christmas and Easter.
Supported by the work-based Coordinating Education Supervisor, you’ll undertake independent study which will include preparing for scheduled sessions, practice supervision, wider reading and completion of assessment tasks and revision. The number of study hours will vary according to the teaching schedule of each module.
Course structure
This Master's degree will take:
- 3 years (part-time)
You'll spend your time in both independent study and timetabled teaching, depending on the modules you choose.
Teaching
Master's study is deeper and more specialised than an undergraduate degree. This means you'll focus on something that really matters to you and your career as you work closely with academics committed to the subject.
You'll spend more time in independent study and research than you did for your undergraduate degree, but the majority of your teaching time will be in-person and face-to-face.
Teaching methods
Teaching methods on this course include:
- lectures
- seminars
- simulation and clinical skills
- workshops
- online learning
- independent study
- work-based learning and supervision
Assessment
You'll be assessed through:
- objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE's)
- written assignments
- presentations
- case-by-case studies
- portfolios of evidence
- exams
You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark.
You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Values and the NHS Constitution
We embed the principles and values of the NHS Constitution in all our health and social care courses. When you apply for this course, we’ll expect you to demonstrate how your values align with the values of the Constitution.
Teaching staff
These are some of the expert staff who'll teach you on this course:
Mrs Pauline McKeever
Joining us as an international student
You'll feel at home in our international community and our diverse city. You'll be joining over 5,000 international students from more than 150 countries who are studying with us.
Learn more about international student life and how we can help you with visas, applications, arrival and settling in.
Supporting you
Master's study is more focused on independent learning than undergraduate study, but you'll get lots of support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:
Types of support
You'll attend induction events to introduce you to the programme, your tutors and hear more about the services and facilities you'll access during your studies – such as the Library and the University Wellbeing Service.
Throughout your course, you'll have access to Moodle, our virtual learning environment, which contains a range of resources to support taught sessions. You'll also have a dedicated session on how to use Moodle.
You'll have help from programme leads and module leaders during your studies. They can help you develop your academic skills and support you in any area of your study.
Your personal tutor helps you make the transition to postgraduate study and gives you academic and personal support throughout your Master's.
As well as regular scheduled meetings with your personal tutor, they're also available at set times during the week if you want to chat with them about anything that can't wait until your next meeting.
Your programme module handbooks will contain useful resources for studying and preparing for a module.
Our online Learning Well mini-course will help you plan for managing the challenges of learning and student life, so you can fulfil your potential and have a great student experience.
You can get personal, emotional and mental health support from our Student Wellbeing Service, in person and online. This includes 1–2–1 support as well as courses and workshops that help you better manage stress, anxiety or depression.
Your workplace supervisor will guide and support your work-based learning, including assessments. You'll need to identify an appropriate supervisor, which may involve more than one, depending on your needs. If you allocate more than one, you'll have one main supervisor working with you throughout your course.
Library staff are available in person or by email, phone or online chat to help you make the most of the University’s library resources. You can also request one-to-one appointments and get support from the faculty librarian for science.
The library is open 24 hours a day, every day, in term time.
You'll have access to a dedicated space in the Centre for Simulation and Health where you can work with your peers to practice and develop your clinical skills. This space is equipped with the latest simulation technology, including video recording to help you to follow your progress throughout your course.
During term time, Faculty Academic Skills Tutors (AST) are available for bookable 1-to-1 sessions, small group sessions and online sessions. These sessions are tailored to your needs.
Support is available for skills including:
- University study
- Getting into the right study mindset
- Note-taking and note-making skills
- Referencing
- Presentation skills
- Time management, planning, and goal setting
- Critical thinking
- Avoiding plagiarism
If you have a disability or need extra support, the Additional Support and Disability Centre (ASDAC) will give you help, support and advice.
If you require extra support because of a disability or additional learning need our specialist team can help you.
They'll help you to:
- discuss and agree on reasonable adjustments
- liaise with other University services and facilities, such as the library
- access specialist study skills and strategies tutors, and assistive technology tutors, on a 1-to-1 basis or in groups
- liaise with external services
If English isn't your first language, you can do one of our English language courses to improve your written and spoken English language skills before starting your degree. Once you're here, you can take part in our free In-Sessional English (ISE) programme to improve your English further.
How to apply
Unlike undergraduate applications, which go through UCAS, applications for this Master's course are made directly to us.
There's no deadline for applications to this course. We accept applications right up until the start date in September, as long as there are places available. If you wait until September to apply, you may find that the course is full.
If you're applying as an international student, remember that you'll need to leave plenty of time to get your visa organised.
You can find more advice about applying in our Master's application checklist. International students and current students and recent graduates of the University of Portsmouth also have some different application options, which are detailed below.
Extra information for international students
If you're an international student, you can apply directly to us using the same application form as UK students.
You could also get an agent to help with your application. Check your country page for details of agents in your region. To find out what to include in your application, head to the how to apply page of our international students section.
If you don’t meet the English language requirements for this course yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Ready to apply?
Start this course in September 2025
To apply for this course you must:
- be registered with a UK professional body (NMC or HPCP) for a minimum of three years
- be employed by a UK health and social care provider
- be supported by their employer to apply for the course
To start this course in September 2025 - please contact us.
I'm a current Portsmouth student, or a recent Portsmouth graduate
If you're currently in your final year of study at Portsmouth, or you graduated since July 2024, you're eligible to make a fast track application. You'll have:
- a shorter application form to complete
- access to the 20% Alumni fee discount
- a guaranteed conditional offer, for most Master's courses
After you apply
Once we receive your application, we may ask you for further information. We will then either make you an offer or suggest alternatives if your application is unsuccessful.
You'll usually get a decision within 10 working days, so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Some courses have an interview stage – we'll let you know if you need to prepare for one.
Learn more about how we assess your application.
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.