Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice MSc

Course code B702

What is special about this course?

Developed in partnership with expert clinical partners, and taught by subject experts, this course will equip nurses and allied health professionals to lead and deliver advanced healthcare for patients and clients.

This innovative and clinically current programme is relevant to a variety of healthcare settings including remote and rural contexts.

You will develop advanced knowledge and skills in clinical practice, leadership, facilitation of learning and evidence-based research and development.

A combination of core and optional modules support consolidation of clinical knowledge and skills reflecting the Advanced Practice Framework.

The programme offers two routes: Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) or Advanced Professional Practice (APP) and is provided by the Department of Nursing and Midwifery. The main study mode is supported online learning with some face to face learning delivered at department campuses in Inverness and Stornoway.

Find out more about UHI Department of Nursing and Midwifery

Special features

  • Exclusive arrangements for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for core modules 
  • Innovative and clinically current curriculum developed and taught by subject experts 
  • Designed in partnership with expert clinical partners 
  • Practice-led and research-based curriculum 
  • Accessible and flexible learning that combines innovative technologies for e-learning  
  • Core and option modules are available, however for PgDip ANP, all modules are pre-specified. Students intending to complete a Quality Improvement dissertation must undertake the Quality Improvement module  
  • Opportunity to study individual modules for personal or professional development as CPD, or work towards academic awards including PgCert, PgDip, or Masters degree

Entry requirements

  • You must be a registered nurse or allied health professional, normally working in a full-time or part-time post with a health, social care or third sector setting
  • You must have a first degree or demonstrate evidence of successful prior study at degree level (SCQF Level 9) and normally a minimum of three years' experience as a registered health professional
  • You must submit evidence of your current professional registration, for example Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)  or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration 
  • Details of your place of work, employing health board and line manager must be included in your application personal statement
  • Participation in clinically oriented modules requires prior confirmation of appropriate clinical supervision arrangements  
  • Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be considered and are assessed on an individual basis* 
  • Applications for January 2024 are now closed
  • The application deadline for September 2024 starts is 21st June 2024
  • The application deadline for January 2025 starts is 15th November 2024

*A tailored arrangement for Recognition of Prior Learning in Advanced Practice programmes is available

For the MSc and PgDip, it is possible to apply for 80 credits of exemption for qualifying modules, instead of the normal 60. Clinical assessment skills and prescribing modules undertaken at lower than postgraduate level, for example at SCQF level 9, can be upgraded to postgraduate level by submission of additional academic work, to be assessed by the department's academic team. These arrangements can allow for considerable financial and time savings.

Please note that if you are applying for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner or MSc Advanced Professional Practice you will be liable to pay a flat fee of £150 to have your application for RPL assessed and processed. This fee only applies to these courses, and the university does not charge for RPL towards other courses.

PgCert/PgDip

For the PgCert (60 credits) and PgDip (an additional 60 credits) the modules offered are listed below.

For those undertaking the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) route: you will be required to study the three core modules. For those undertaking the Advanced Professional Practice (APP) route: you may choose any combination of the modules on offer.

Modules available in the Autumn semester:

Modules available in the Spring semester:

MSc

To achieve the award of MSc (180 credits in total), you must complete one of the following modules:

How will I study my course?

  • Part-time (structured)
  • You will study mainly through supported online learning, accessing materials via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE)
  • For some modules, face-to-face study days and assessment attendance at one of our campuses may be required e.g. Clinical assessment for advanced practice, Non-medical prescribing, and Minor injuries. Study day attendance is highly recommended, although there may be an option to connect remotely
  • You will be invited to attend an online induction at the start of the programme. This may be recorded for those who cannot attend online
  • If you have any questions or need further information, please email admissions.nursing@uhi.ac.uk or call 01463 279279.

How long will my course last?

  • Part-time (structured):
    • PgCert: normally 12 months
    • PgDip: normally 24 months
    • MSc: normally 36 months

Where can I study my course?

  • Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Inverness - and Stornoway - for administrative purposes, all applications will be processed through Inverness

Start date

  • September
  • January

The Department of Nursing and Midwifery is based at UHI House, near Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, home to world-leading healthcare research. Our academics are recognised for excellence in teaching and learning and their work is internationally recognised for being innovative and ground-breaking. We provide a supportive and friendly environment to learn and develop professional nursing skills. Simulation labs help to facilitate state-of-the-art clinical skills teaching and the UHI House library provides access to the most current and up-to-date resources.

Fees

For all students normally domiciled in the UK, and assessed as such for fee status, the following fees apply:

This includes

  • EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
  • EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
  • EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
  2022-23 2023-24
Per module (20 credits) £750 £750
Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) £2,250 £2,250
Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) £4,500 £4,500
Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation) £6,750 £6,750

This course is not available for international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK, and cannot be studied outside of the UK. For students living in the UK and assessed as international fee status, the following fees will apply:

This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

  2022-23 2023-24
Per module (20 credits) £1,010 £1,010
Postgraduate certificate (3 modules, 60 credits) £3,030 £3,030
Postgraduate diploma (6 modules, 120 credits) £6,060 £6,060
Masters degree (6 modules + dissertation) £9,090 £9,090

You will also be required to pay for any travel and accommodation costs to attend the induction session at the start of the programme and the face-to-face sessions in year one and two.

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

Eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying part-time can apply for a tuition fee loan from SAAS. You must be intending to complete the course in no longer than twice the length of time it would take for a full-time student. For example, if your course is available to full-time students as a one-year programme, you will be funded for a maximum of two years' part-time study. If your course does not have a full-time option, you must complete within three years. You can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £7,000, which will be paid pro-rata for each academic year of study. 

Full details can be found on the SAAS website. Applications for loans open in April.

Students from the rest of the UK who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for a loan from the Student Loan Company.

Additional costs

Please note that if you are applying for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner or MSc Advanced Professional Practice you will be liable to pay a flat fee of £150 to have your application for RPL assessed and processed. This fee only applies to these courses, and the university does not charge for RPL towards other courses.

What can I do on completion of my course?

The programme aims to enable nurses and allied health professionals to work autonomously in clinical practice using advanced clinical skills to lead care delivery within a variety of health and social care settings.

Can I progress into further study?

The University of the Highlands and Islands provides a range of options for further study including doctoral programmes.

Is there more information available online?

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I chose the course as it was specific to my practice and offered recognition of prior learning (RPL). My studies have helped me to evidence my level of practice in an academic way.

The role of the nurse practitioner is developing and new advanced posts are being created. I hope to apply for a more senior position within the team. Meeting the Secretary for Higher Education when she visited our campus recently was a real highlight for me.

Murray Graham studies part time on our MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Professional Practice course

Apply for Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice MSc

I want to start in Aug/Sep 2024 or Jan/Feb 2025

We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.