Rural Advanced Practice MSc

Entry requirements

For the academic year 2024/25, entry to this course is only available to year two (information about an alternative year one entry route is noted below).

You must:

• Be a registered nurse or allied health professional
• Be employed full or part-time in a health, social care, or third sector role in the UK, in a remote, rural or island setting
• Hold current professional registration e.g. Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration or equivalent
• Have a first degree or demonstrate evidence of successful prior study at degree level (SCQF Level 9 or equivalent). Some flexibility may be available in the case of experienced professional applicants applying for this vocational programme
• Be working at advanced practice level with at least a Postgraduate diploma level qualification (level 11) which includes a recordable independent prescribing qualification and advanced clinical assessment module. Applications for RPL are assessed on an individual basis*
• Applicants with a recordable independent prescribing qualification and advanced clinical assessment module at level 9 can apply for RPL by submitting additional academic work enabling an upgrade to a level 11 qualification. Applications for RPL are assessed on an individual basis* Please contact the programme leader, Dr Clare Carolan to discuss this further

• An alternative year one entry route is available for applicants who do not yet hold independent prescribing and/or clinical assessment qualifications. Applicants can obtain these qualifications via our MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice, please contact the programme leader, Roland Preston, for further information

Months of entry

September

Course content

Are you a nurse or an allied health professional? Do you work in rural, remote and island areas?

Study this unique and specialised MSc Rural Advanced Practice*, developed in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland, to become a successful Remote and Rural Advanced Practitioner. Equip yourself to provide quality health care to remote and rural communities while innovating and improving healthcare provision.

Learn from experts at UHI’s Department of Nursing and Midwifery, focusing on clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research, to provide a fit for purpose approach to rural care in the modern world. On this fully online programme, develop strong supportive relationships with academic staff and supervisors using digital technology and an evidence-based approach.

Be assessed through practice-linked reflection and completion of a course-specific work-based portfolio, developed in collaboration with NHS Education for Scotland. Your development and assessment of clinical competence is via local practice supervision.

*subject to re-validation

Special features

• The MSc Rural Advanced Practice is the first course of its kind in Scotland
• Tap into specialist knowledge of advanced practice and get an understanding of the challenges and rewards of remote and rural practice
• Learn from academic staff who work closely with NHS providers, with up-to-date clinical assessment and prescribing skills

Fees and funding

For information, please view our Fees/Funding tab: MSc Rural Advanced Practice (uhi.ac.uk)