Laura Elliott
Senior Lecturer in Practice Development - Nursing
level:PG;top_up:false;international:false;foundation:false;clearing:false;full_time:false;part_time:true;start_month:September, January;location:Waterside
Advanced Clinical Practice MSc
Key Facts
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Duration
3 - 5 years Part-time
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Level
Master'sPG MSc
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Starting
September, January
SEP, JAN
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PGCert: £2,835
PGDip: £5,670
MSc (Top Up): £2,835
MSc: Year 1 £2,835, Year 2 £2,835*, Year 3 £2,835 (*may be subject to inflationary increase in 26/27 & 27/28). -
Waterside
Updated 09/12/2025
Updated 09/12/2025
Overview
The University of Northampton’s MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice course aims to equip healthcare professionals with advanced clinical skills and knowledge needed to lead and develop complex evidence-based clinical decisions, whilst enhancing service delivery and improving health outcomes within Practice. Linked to the four pillars of ‘Advanced Practice’; clinical, education, leadership and research; students studying for their masters in advanced clinical practice will also benefit from learning with specialists from a range of healthcare settings, whilst ensuring patient safety and ethical practice.
Accreditation
This advanced nurse practitioner course is accredited by the Centre of Advancing Practice.
NHS England’s Centre for Advancing Practice has been established to standardise post-registration education by accrediting advanced practice courses that achieve the standards outlined in the multi-professional Advanced Practice Framework.
Practitioners who have completed accredited education programmes will be eligible to be listed on the Centre’s Advanced Practice Directory.
Highlights
- Accredited Programme with Centre of Advancing Practice
- Work-based learning
- Inter-professional learning
- Professional body recordable prescribing qualification
Waterside campus has everything students needs from: Learning Hub featuring 24/7 library, Creative Hub, on-site shop, restaurant, cafes and food outlets, multi-faith chaplaincy, student village hall, Students' Union and more. With only a short walk over the bridge into the town centre.
The Learning Hub and Student Information Desk would be a student's first point of call when needing support.
Our library covers three floors of the Learning Hub, with IT rich learning environments, including silent and group study spaces, physical books. Don't forget there are plenty more resources available online!
The Student Information Desk is the first place a student should go if they need any help. Here the team can direct you to academic support, mental health support, financial support, IT support, and more.
The Learning Hub is where every student will go for library support and classes, as well as food outlets and social events.
The Learning Hub also has lots of outdoor space for meeting with friends or finding some silent time between classes.
The Learning Hub is the biggest building on campus, home to our Student Information Desk, 24/7 library, teaching spaces, cafes, and more.
The big and spacious modern Senate building has various types of learning spaces, teaching rooms, our Bloomberg suite, Morley Room lecture hall, and cafes.
Entry Requirements
- Applicants must hold an appropriate healthcare or bachelor’s degree with honours.
- Current professional body registration (UK registered).
- Employment within a relevant health and social care-related environment.
- Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years of experience in practice.
Nurses, midwives, allied health professionals and pharmacists with current professional body registrations are encouraged to apply.
Students need access to clinical supervision for work-based learning elements in their employed areas.
Students who do not have a relevant Bachelor degree must satisfy the University that by virtue of their professional standing, qualification and/or training that they are fit to register for, and to benefit them from, their proposed programme of study. Evidence of recent level 6 study is required.
Please note that for NURM114, additional PSRB criteria apply for studying this module.
For further information regarding the award and its associated modules, please contact Laura Elliott, Programme Lead, via advancedpractice@northampton.ac.uk
What You'll Learn
Advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs) enhance capacity and capability within teams by supporting existing and more established roles. They improve clinical continuity, provide more patient-focused care, enhance the inter-professional team and help to provide safe, accessible and high-quality care for patients (HEE, 2017).
The University of Northampton’s Advanced Clinical Practice MSc course, studied part-time, is designed systematically using a modular approach that enables it to be flexible enough to respond to the needs of stakeholders whilst recognising that students studying this programme will also be employed within practice settings. Programme design ensures that the four pillars of advanced practice are developed and met by the end of the programme.
Our MSc ACP programme will be delivered by a range of teaching methods such as core lectures, group work, online activities, use of case studies and clinical simulation to compliment and enhance work-based learning objectives. Shared learning with other professionals will be a focus of this course and you will be encouraged to develop a critical, evaluative approach to the knowledge embedding the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
The full MSc Advanced Clinical Practitioner award consists of the following modules:
Year One
Advanced Assessment and Consultation Skills (NURM145) – 20 credits- compulsory module
And
Applied Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (NURM146)- 20 credits
Diagnostic Reasoning for Practice (NURM081) – 20 credits
Or
Assessment and Management of Minor Illness (NURM089)- 20 credits
Assessment and Management of Minor Injuries (NURM078)- 20 credits
Year Two
Educating and Influencing Others in Healthcare (NURM079) – 20 credits- compulsory module
And
Independent and Supplementary Prescribing (NURM114) – 40 credits
Or
Leading Innovative Specialist/ Advanced Practice (NURM136)- 20 credits
Becoming a Professional Advocate (NURM127)- 20 credits
Year Three
Advanced Professional Projects (NURM110) – 40 credits- compulsory module
Research Dissemination (NURM144) – 20 credits (or NURM111 End Point Assessment if you are on the apprenticeship)
The PgCert in Clinical Practice requires you to complete: Advanced Assessment and Consultation Skills (NURM145), Applied Assessment and Clinical Reasoning (NURM146) and Diagnostic Reasoning for Practice (NURM081).
Other Advanced Clinical Practice Awards.
If you would like to study shorter versions of this qualification, these other routes are also available.
The PgCert in Urgent Care requires you to complete Advanced Assessment and Consultation Skills (NURM145), Assessment and Management of Minor Illness (NURM089), and Assessment and Management of Minor Injuries (NURM078).
The PgDip in Clinical Practice requires you to complete 120 credits from the year one and year two modules including compulsory modules Advanced Assessment and Consultation Skills (NURM145) and Educating and Influencing Others in Healthcare (NURM079).
Supervisor
Clinical supervision throughout the programme is recommended to support development. MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Students will be required to identify a suitable clinical supervisor for work-based learning modules (NURM145, NURM146, NURM089, NURM078 and NURM114) to supervise and sign off clinical practice assessments prior to enrolment.
For further information on the above awards or its associated modules, please contact the team on advancedpractice@northampton.ac.uk
More information
More module information for all these qualifications can be found on the University of Northampton Award Maps:
Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice
Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Practice
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice Degree Apprenticeship
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Top-Up)
What is the difference between an Advanced Clinical Practitioner vs an Advanced Nurse Practitioner?
The term ‘advanced practitioner’ is an umbrella term encompassing health and care professionals from a wide range of multi-professional registrant backgrounds who work at an advanced level. An Advanced Nurse Practitioner can therefore also be classed as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner if they have completed an appropriate course, gaining a digital badge from The NHSE Centre of Advancing Practice. The differences is that an ACP is the umbrella term, with an ANP being a certain type of ACP. Qualifying as an ACP will enable you to go into clinical practice in a range of areas to work at a higher autonomous level of practice.
What career can I go into after studying this course?
You will learn the skills you need to manage complex clinical cases and work with patients and healthcare teams to improve patient outcomes. After completing this programme, you will gain an MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice and gain a digital badge from The NHSE Centre of Advancing Practice. This means you are nationally recognised as an ACP and have evidenced your ability to work across the four pillars of advanced practice (clinical practice, leadership, education, and research). You can then apply for advanced practice roles.
Fees and Funding
2025/26 Tuition Fees
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 25/26 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK – Part Time: £945 per 20 Credit Module
- UK – Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice: (60 Credits) £2,835 (1 Year)
- UK – Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Practice: (120 Credits) £5,670 (2 Years)
- UK – MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Top Up): (60 Credits) £2,835 (1 Year)
- UK – MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Full Award – 180 Credits): Year 1 (60 Credits) £2,835, Year 2 (60 Credits) £2,835* (*may be subject to inflationary increase in 26/27), Year 3 (60 Credits) £2,835* (*may be subject to inflationary increase in 27/28). The fees quoted assumes students will be studying 60 credits each academic year from the outset over three years. However, the amount students will actually be charged each academic year will be depend on the amount of modules studied.
- UK – MSc ACP Degree Apprenticeship – can be fully, or part, funded by the apprenticeship levy. Employers can contact the apprenticeship team for further information via apprenticeships@northampton.ac.uk
If you are starting a postgraduate master’s course in 2025/26, you may be able to apply for a Master’s Loan through Student Finance England.
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
Fees quoted relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
- UK – Part Time: £920 per 20 Credit Module
- UK – Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Practice: (60 Credits) £2,760 (1 Year)
- UK – Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Practice: (120 Credits) £5,520 (2 Years)
- UK – MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Top Up): (60 Credits) £2,760 (1 Year)
- UK – MSc Advanced Clinical Practice (Full Award – 180 Credits): Year 1 (60 Credits) £2,760, Year 2 (60 Credits) £2,760* (*may be subject to inflationary increase in 25/26), Year 3 (60 Credits) £2,760* (*may be subject to inflationary increase in 26/27). The fees quoted assumes students will be studying 60 credits each academic year from the outset over three years. However, the amount students will actually be charged each academic year will be depend on the amount of modules studied.
- UK – MSc ACP Degree Apprenticeship – can be fully, or part, funded by the apprenticeship levy. Employers can contact the apprenticeship team for further information via apprenticeships@northampton.ac.uk
Staff
Jonathan Mounsey
Senior Lecturer in Nursing
Julie Holloway
Senior Lecturer - Primary Healthcare
Further Study Opportunities
There is opportunity for those who wish to continue educational study and work at academic Level 8 on completion of the MSc Advanced Clinical Practice award, to register for the Doctor of Professional Practice or a PhD which are also offered at the University of Northampton.
Facilities
Learning Hub
The Learning Hub is at the heart of the campus and home to the student information desk.
View Facility