MSc Advanced Leadership for Professional Practice (Nursing)

Year of entry: 2025

Overview

Degree awarded
Master of Science
Duration
1 year full-time, 2 or 3 years part-time
Entry requirements

We require a health professional qualification relevant to nursing or current registration with the relevant professional, statutory or equivalent regulatory body.

You must also hold a relevant honours first degree (Lower Second or above, or equivalent) from an approved higher education institution OR evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying you for entry.

Students whose unit(s) have practical components also need written support from their employer to attend and complete any practice requirements.

Full entry requirements

How to apply

Please could all applicants  apply online . See the application and selection section of this page for more information.

We recommend you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MSc Y Y N N

Course overview

  • Develop the professional knowledge and leadership skills needed for advanced level practice in nursing.
  • Study at a university ranked 6th in the world and 2nd in the UK for Nursing (QS World University Rankings 2024).
  • Learn when it suits you with our part-time and full-time study options.
  • Choose from a range of course units to suit your own interests within nursing.
  • We also offer units from this MSc as standalone courses for continuing professional development (CPD). See the nursing, midwifery and social work CPD page for further information.

This course was a finalist in the Student Nursing Times Awards 2023.

Judges feedback noted, "The programme presented was topical and important for nursing and healthcare more widely. Testimonials from students were highly positive and this is to be commended. Support from stakeholders also showed that the programme was highly valued in practice settings."

Open days

Attending an open day is a great way to find out what studying at Manchester is like. Find out about our upcoming open days .

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MSc (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £11,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £28,000

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for international students for the course duration at the year of entry).

For general fees information please visit postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance. Please be aware that you are only eligible for the postgraduate loan for English students if you choose the 1 year full-time or 2 year part-time programme.

For part-time routes, full-time fees will be split over two or three years as appropriate.

International fees

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

For the latest scholarship and bursary information please visit the fees and funding page.

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Telephone
+44 (0)161 529 4563
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/nursing/masters/
School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require a health professional qualification relevant to nursing or current registration with the relevant professional, statutory or equivalent regulatory body.

You must also hold a relevant honours first degree (Lower Second or above, or equivalent) from an approved higher education institution OR evidence of previous advanced study, research or professional experience that the University accepts as qualifying you for entry.

Students whose unit(s) have practical components also need written support from their employer to attend and complete any practice requirements.

English language

International students must demonstrate English proficiency through a secure and approved testing system.

We ask for English language proof if you are from non-majority English speaking countries (a list of majority English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Home Office, can be found here ).

Specifically, we require a minimum of:

  • IELTS: 7.0, with a score of 6.5 or above in each component;
  • TOEFL iBT:100 overall (25 in all subscores);
  • GCSE English Grade C.

See further information about requirements for your country .

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Relevant work experience

Home/UK applicants should usually have current clinical practice experience at the point of application.

Those studying part-time should continue to practice throughout the duration of their studies.

International applicants should possess a minimum of six months post-qualified clinical practice experience.

Due to the content of some course units, we require students to demonstrate a satisfactory level of experience in a related clinical area to be eligible to undertake the unit.

Application and selection

How to apply

Please could all applicants  apply online . See the application and selection section of this page for more information.

We recommend you apply as early as possible. We reserve the right to close applications if the course is full.

Advice to applicants

You can bring academic credits studied elsewhere to this course as part of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). Please contact us for further details about this.

Overseas (non-UK) applicants

To achieve the aims and individual clinical unit outcomes for this MSc, you will need to be able to reflect on your current/recent practice and demonstrate how your role can develop, enhance or propose change to patient care and service delivery.

International applicants should possess a minimum of six months post-qualified clinical practice experience.

When completing your application, please include the following in the 'Further Information' section of the application form:

  • the focus of your current/recent clinical practice and an overview of your role;
  • your areas of clinical interest and the units you are interested in studying.

Portfolio requirements

UK applicants who do not hold a first degree (or equivalent qualification) may be admitted on the basis of a health/social work professional qualification. To do this, you must demonstrate the ability to study at postgraduate level.

If you do not have a first degree, you will be required to undertake a stand-alone level 7 unit to test your ability to study at this level. If successful, this unit would be incorporated into your degree pathway.

Course details

Course description

Our MSc Advanced Leadership for Professional Practice course gives registered nurses the knowledge and skills they need to enhance their practice and prepare for leadership roles.

The course is aimed at nurses registered with a relevant professional, statutory or equivalent regulatory body. You will study content that reflects professional, UK-wide government and international benchmarks for advanced level practice in health and social care, enhancing your suitability for revalidation.

This includes contemporary knowledge and skills in clinical and direct care practice, leadership and collaborative practice, improving quality and developing practice, and developing self and others.

You will learn how to develop efficient and ethical ways of working that offer a better quality of life and care by placing service users and carers at the centre of decision-making and service redesign.

Special features

Flexible learning

Study this course full-time over one year or part-time for a maximum of five years depending on your other commitments.

Tailor your course

Choose from a range of course units to suit your own interests, with nursing-specific units on topics including leadership and managing change.

Teaching and learning

We use a range of teaching and learning methods, including face-to-face, blended and online learning.

The course focuses on an active learning approach and is designed to prompt the discovery, processing and application of knowledge through collaboration and cooperation.

You will draw on your own experiences - both academic and work-based - when learning. The course will promote the construction of understanding through task-related activities and reflection.

We have extensive experience and good practice in online learning, with dedicated e-learning technologists to support you and our staff in making the most of the e-learning platform.

This course does not have a practice placement element.

Find out more by visiting the postgraduate teaching and learning page.

Coursework and assessment

You can undertake standalone units as short courses for professional development purposes, or build up a selection of optional and compulsory course units to complete a PGCert or PGDip academic award and, on completion of a dissertation unit, an MSc.

The dissertation unit enables you to consolidate your learning by completing a piece of work in the form of either:

  • a full or adapted systematic review;
  • a proposal for a service development or a plan to audit/evaluate an aspect of service delivery.
We use a range of assessments throughout the course to assess your knowledge and understanding and to develop your intellectual and practical skills.

Course unit details

You can study individual units as standalone short courses or build up units of study towards a PGCert or PGDip award, and undertake a dissertation to complete the MSc award. See the CPD Units page for more information.

Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) (60 credits)

You will initially develop your specialist knowledge and clinical practice relating to nursing, particularly in relation to leadership and management.

Recognising your key role in practice, these clinically focused units of study will enable you to enhance practice and service delivery.

45 credits can be undertaken from a variety of optional course units to best suit your professional specialism.

15 credits will comprise one core unit on Leadership in Professional Practice

Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) (120 credits)

You will further explore and develop advanced clinical practice in nursing by selecting further optional units from the portfolio of units available.

PGCert - 60 credits including compulsory course unit Leadership in Professional Practice

PLUS

15 credits can be undertaken from a variety of optional course units to best suit your professional specialism AND

45 credits comprising two compulsory course units Advanced Evidence Based Practice & Leadership (30 credits) and Developing Practice and Managing Change (15 credits).

Master of Science (MSc) (180 credits)

After successfully completing the 120 credits for the PGDip, you may be eligible to undertake a dissertation from the options below:

  • full or adapted systematic review;
  • report-based dissertation.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Advanced Evidence Based Practice NURS60045 30 Mandatory
Post Graduate Research Dissertation NURS60046 60 Mandatory
Developing Practice and Managing Change NURS60141 15 Mandatory
Leadership in Professional Practice NURS63332 15 Mandatory
Pain Management NURS30192 20 Optional
Critical appraisal and evidence synthesis NURS60015 15 Optional
Quantitative design and analysis NURS60016 15 Optional
Qualitative design and analysis NURS60017 15 Optional
Statistics NURS60019 15 Optional
Managing Research in Health and Social Care NURS60020 15 Optional
Principles and Practice of Cancer Care L7 NURS60033 15 Optional
Principles and Practice of Breast Care Nursing NURS60035 30 Optional
Promoting Effective Practice in Supportive and Palliative Care NURS60036 15 Optional
Advanced Decision Making in Professional Practice NURS60055 15 Optional
Effective strategies for advanced communication NURS60092 15 Optional
Personalised Care and Survivorship NURS60098 15 Optional
Supervising Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners in Primary Mental Health Care NURS60186 15 Optional
Intensive Care of the Neonate NURS61050 15 Optional
Pain Management NURS61192 15 Optional
Academic Accreditation of Continued Professional Development (CPD) NURS61450 15 Optional
Safe delivery of Systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) L7 NURS61722 15 Optional
Principles of Haematology Oncology NURS63160 15 Optional
Enhancing Neonatal Nursing Practice NURS63190 30 Optional
Dementia: A Person Centred Approach NURS63570 15 Optional
Concepts of Ophthalmic Nursing L7 NURS63600 15 Optional
The Nature of Ophthalmic Nursing NURS63650 15 Optional
Infection Prevention & Control in Clinical Practice (L7) NURS63850 15 Optional
Adult Safeguarding Level 7 NURS64100 15 Optional
Digital Health and Technology Enabled Care L7 NURS65522 15 Optional
Reflective Teaching and Learning in Practice NURS67801 15 Optional
Burns Rehabilitation NURS69972 15 Optional
Principles and Practice of Burn Care NURS69981 15 Optional
Burns Rehabilitation NURS69982 15 Optional
Safe delivery of Systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) L6&7 NURS9172C 20 Optional
Models of Mental Distress SOWK60751 15 Optional
Applied Mental Health Law SOWK60773 15 Optional
Best Interest Assessor SOWK60780 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 37 course units

Course collaborators

Some course units are delivered in partnership with the Christie NHS Foundation Trust and the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust , which are both National Centres of Excellence.

Facilities

The University of Manchester offers extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .

CPD opportunities

You can take individual units from this course as standalone courses for continuing professional development (CPD). See the nursing, midwifery and social work CPD page for further information.

Careers

Career opportunities

Our course is structured around the challenges facing advanced level practitioners, and each unit will draw from, and build on, your own professional experience.

This will enable you to apply your new knowledge to nursing and mould the course to best suit your learning requirements.

Accrediting organisations

The General Pharmaceutical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council have validated the Independent Prescribing unit, which is also available as a standalone short course .