Advanced Musculoskeletal (MSK) Practice*

Entry requirements

Normally a First or Second Class Honours Degree in a relevant healthcare profession such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, podiatry, medicine, osteopathy.

Be a registered and fully qualified Health Care professional normally with a minimum of three years’ clinical experience in musculoskeletal health with an appropriate supervisor in practice.

Students whose first language is not English are normally required to have an IELTS 7 or other equivalent recognised English language qualification. In certain circumstances the University also permits study that students have already carried out at Postgraduate level to be taken into account.

You will be required to undertake an interview as part of the application process.

Entry Criteria for FCP and AP accredited routes:

Students will normally have 3 years of clinical experience with a proven interest in MSK practice. In order to progress to FCP or AP recognition (subject to approval) students must be registered with the relevant professional body (such as the Health Care Professions Council) and hold an up to date Disclosure and Barring (DBS) Service Certificate. Students must be working in MSK practice in the UK and have a suitable clinical supervisor in practice.

Entry Criteria for MACP accredited route:

Students must have a pre-registration qualification in Physiotherapy recognised by the HCPC. Students will normally have 2 years of clinic experience with a proven interest in MSK practice. In order to complete the compulsory mentored practice module students must be registered with the HCPC and hold an up to date Disclosure and Barring (DBS) Service Certificate.

Please note that due to the nature of accreditations and entry requirements, this particular course is not open to application from students that require a visa to study in the U.K.

Months of entry

October

Course content

*Subject to course validation and accreditation

This programme has been designed with partners in clinical practice to further develop healthcare professional's expert musculoskeletal knowledge and skills by improving the translation of evidence into practice, promoting critical thinking and advanced clinical reasoning whilst adapting to different environments and considering the needs of diverse populations and communities. Students will develop specialist skills to enable them to deliver safe, effective, person-centred care to people presenting with complex musculoskeletal conditions.

Students will develop knowledge and skills in education, leadership and research and work towards application in a clinical and organisational context. They will have the opportunity to complete mentored clinical practice in order to consolidate and apply theoretical knowledge within an out-patient clinic or enhanced or advanced practice environment. This will give students the opportunity to expand their skills in a variety of healthcare settings.

This programme aims to meet the NHS Health Education Advanced Practice (AP) Musculoskeletal curriculum and capabilities framework and provides a route for healthcare professionals to gain recognised AP status (subject to approval) and a route for physiotherapists to gain Musculoskeletal First Contact Practitioner (FCP) status and membership of the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP) (subject to approvals).

Students will study on a part time basis, and will normally take a minimum of 3 academic years, maximum 5 academic years to complete the full award. The part time route is flexible but registered, on course students, must study a minimum of 20 credits in each academic year.

Information for international students

Please note that due to the nature of accreditations and entry requirements, this particular course is not open to application from students that require a visa to study in the U.K.

Fees and funding

UK/EU Tuition Fees

The Tuition Fees Home/EU students are £9,500

Students who are studying on part time basis will be required to pay a portion of the fees at the start of each year of the course.

The tuition fee for each individual 20 credit CPD unit is £1100.

Funding

We offer a number of scholarships and loans to help fund your postgraduate studies. Visit our scholarships pages for more details.