MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Paediatrics)

The University holds regular open days, where you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and find out more about our facilities and courses. On this day, you will find out more about the course and meet academic and admissions staff who will be able to answer any questions you have. For more information, see Open days .

Applicants must apply online .

See the application and selection section for details of the supporting documents we require.

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

This course is aimed at those working in advanced clinical practice roles.

It offers healthcare practitioners from a range of backgrounds the opportunity to advance their practice through a tailored selection of units, each designed to give you the in-depth knowledge and skills required to autonomously manage complexities in individual patient care, as well as lead and support the transformation of healthcare services through research informed practice and leadership.

The course will equip you with:

• advanced clinical skills to apply to your specific area of practice promoting safe, effective, accessible and high quality patient care;
• the ability to apply theories of leadership and management to your role and area of advanced practice.

We offer a number of pathways including:

• postgraduate certificate;
• postgraduate diploma;
• MSc.

Please note that the academic qualification does not enable you to fulfil the role of an ACP unless all the practical elements have been attained.

Please note the Independent Prescribing unit is a standalone course and applicants must apply for this separately. The Independent Prescribing course at The University of Manchester is accredited by the GPhC and NMC, which permits pharmacists and NMC registrants to study the course. Students from other professions must apply to study and HCPC-accredited independent prescribing course at another university and then Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) the credit. Applicants who are already annotated as Independent Prescribers may be able to APL those credits or chose to study alternative units. Please discuss this with the Programme Director.

The course aims to give you an advanced level of integrated clinical knowledge and develop cutting-edge skills to help you excel as an advanced practitioner and clinical leader in your field. The highly structured academic programme will run in parallel with a work-based programme of learning.

The aims of the course are to:

• provide a flexible, multi-professional programme of clinically relevant postgraduate study to develop your skills as an advanced clinical practitioner in paediatric settings
• advance your clinical practice and service delivery through enhancement of critical thinking and synthesis of a range of sources of evidence relevant to clinical practice, to inform decision making at an individual, team and/or organisational level;
• enable you to work individually and collaboratively to meet the learning and development needs of practitioners across a range of professions;
• ensure you can meet the changing needs of children and young people, and the people who care for them, by critically evaluating current practice.

The course aims to give you an advanced level of integrated clinical knowledge and develop cutting-edge skills to help you excel as advanced practitioners and clinical leaders in your respective field.

To achieve this, the highly structured academic programme will run in parallel with a work-based programme of learning.

University based teaching and learning methods will include interactive workshops, seminars, action learning sets, group and individual tutorials, online activities, simulation and presentations). All approaches are structured to facilitate engagement in your own learning and that of your peers.

Expert practitioners will contribute to teaching, where appropriate.

Work based learning methods are likely to include a range of activities via a number of placements. You will work in partnership with your academic advisor and a workplace mentor. The latter will play a key role in supporting a range of educational opportunities.

Online learning and technology will be used. You will be supported in the development of skills to engage critically with theory, evidence and practice. A strong emphasis on independent and self-directed learning will encourage your development as an autonomous learner and practitioner.

You will use a number of assessed and non-assessed activities to develop key skills and expand your knowledge base. Assessment is based on assignments and other activities such as objective and structured clinical examinations and group work.

Most students complete the course part-time while working in their advanced practice roles.

Advanced clinical practitioners have made a positive impact on primary, secondary and tertiary care.

It is widely accepted that these practitioners will play an increasingly important role within the NHS, particularly given the national supply and skills shortages in the medical and non-medical workforce.