School of Nursing and Midwifery

MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Nursing and Midwifery Professions)

Duration

1 year
Course type

Full-time, Part-time route available
Study location Plymouth
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Are you a registered health or social care professional looking to develop your advanced practitioner knowledge and skills? The MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Nursing and Midwifery Professions) has been developed to meet the needs of nurses, midwives and allied health professionals working across all healthcare sectors. You will develop your practice by building on your current experience and knowledge, leading to improved ways of working and a positive impact on patient care.

First choice for health

Delivered by professional experts, our programmes are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today's most challenging healthcare issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning. #firstchoiceforhealth

Flexible learning: part and full-time options

This programme may be studied full-time over one year or part-time over up to five years, offering flexible delivery and exit points to support a learner centred approach.

Key features
  • This programme may be studied full time over one year or part time over up to five years, offering flexible delivery and exit points to support a learner centred approach.
  • A contemporary and dynamic programme responsive to the changing health and social care environment.
  • Build a qualification around your personal professional needs by picking and choosing optional modules with relevance to your area of practice and benefit from a student-centred approach providing flexibility in your choice of award.
  • Embed independent and supplementary prescribing into your masters degree (subject to profession).
  • Opportunities to study in an inter-professional setting with inter-professional core and optional modules delivered by an academic team with extensive experience as well as a close relationship with clinicians contributing to teaching.
  • Research informed teaching is embedded throughout the curriculum and you will be given the chance to design and undertake your own research to enhance and develop patient care and/or service provision.
  • Gain a deeper understanding of the advanced clinical practice role and how this is used to enhance the patient journey whilst ensuring the right care is delivered by the right clinician at the right time.
  • Be equipped to take on lead roles in management, clinical practice and/or education.
Please note that when you enrol on this programme, you always enrol to study the master degree but we offer three exit awards: PgCert, PgDip and MSc.

Course details

  • Year 1

  • Postgraduate Certificate
    To achieve a postgraduate certificate, you will need to obtain 60 credits. This must include the one core modules and two optional module of your choice.
    Core modules
    Optional module
    Optional module 40 Credits
    Optional modules can be chosen from the Masters level modules A-Z list. Please contact the Professional Development Unit Admissions Team to discuss your options.
    Postgraduate Diploma
    To achieve a postgraduate diploma, you will have first completed the PgCert and need to obtain an additional 60 credits (to give 120 credits in total). This can include either three 20 credit modules or one 40 credit module and one 20 credit module of your choice.
    Optional modules
    Optional modules 60 Credits
    Optional modules can be chosen from the Masters level modules A-Z list. Please contact the Professional Development Unit Admissions Team to discuss your options.
    MSc
    To achieve a full master degree, you will have first completed the PgDip and need to obtain an additional 60 credits (to give 180 credits in total). There is one core module.
    Core module
The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Every postgraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the programme aims, the programme structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest programme structure and may be subject to change:

MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Nursing and Midwifery Professions) programme specification_6134

Entry requirements
You will normally have a first degree (BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above or European first cycle equivalent plus a professional qualification in health or social care). You will be assessed individually for your ability to study at this level and therefore an interview may be necessary.
If you do not have a first degree at 2:2 or above (or the European first equivalent) but have appropriate practice-related experience relevant to the programme you may still be eligible to apply. In these cases, you would also be required to submit a short piece of writing as part of the admissions process.
Applicants whose first language is not English must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice – IELTS of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each category.
You will also need to be working in an environment that will enable you to meet the programme learning outcomes and have a clinical mentor in practice in undertaking a clinical module.
To enable you to meet the programme learning outcomes you will be supported to choose modules with non-clinical assignments.
AP(E)L:
Claims for credit for prior learning, whether certificated or experiential are accepted and will be assessed following University regulations and faculty procedures.
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS):
This programme is equivalent to 90 ECTS credits (second cycle) with 30 ECTS credits at postgraduate certificate, 60 credits at postgraduate diploma and 90 credits at masters degree. Each 20 credit module has the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits and assumes a notional student effort of between 200-300 hours.
We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding
Student 2024-25 2025-26
Home £11,000 £11,350
International £19,000 £19,550
Part time (Home) £1,220 per 20 credit module £1,260 per 20 credit module

Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. More information about Fees and costs of studying .
Please be aware that there may be additional costs to undertaking your studies relating to the printing of course materials and requirement for an initial outlay for travel and accommodation in respect of practice placement. If you have any questions regarding these costs please contact pduadmissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
International
If you are studying on a programme where placements are integral to your study there are costs associated with travel and accommodation. Please speak with the programme admissions tutor to find out more.

Tuition fee discount for University of Plymouth graduates

If you studied your undergraduate degree at Plymouth, you may be eligible for a fee discount if you complete your postgraduate studies here as well.
  • 10% or 20% discount on tuition fees for home students
  • For 2024/2025 entry, a 20% discount on tuition fees for international students (International alumni who have applied to the University through an agent are not eligible to receive the discount)

How to apply

Apply online

Applying for this programme

Applications for this programme are to be submitted online. Please select either part-time (01 September 2025) or full-time (08 September 2025) above and then click on the blue ‘Apply’ button above.
Please note - If you are an international applicant, you must select ‘Full-time’.
Applicants will also be required to submit:
  • References from two referees – ideally one academic and one work.
  • Curriculum Vitae.
  • A copy of your degree certificate or equivalent.
  • Evidence of recent IELTS may also be required.
The deadline for the receipt of international applications is 30 May 2025 for entry in September 2025.
What happens after I apply?

After your application is submitted, it will be processed and reviewed by the Programme Lead for a decision on your suitability to study this programme. You may be asked to take part in an interview. Please regularly check your Applicant Portal for notifications and updates on your application.
Any questions please contact:
Professional Development Unit
Intercity Place
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth, PL4 8AA
Please note that you will be enrolled on the full MSc programme. You may choose to exit with the qualification of PgCert upon completion of an appropriate 60 credits, or a PgDip upon completion of an appropriate 120 credits. More information is contained within the Programme Specification in the Course Details section.

For applicants with disabilities

If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by the University of Plymouth, please visit our Disability Services webpage.
Nurses on ward, Derriford Hospital

Module choices within the School of Nursing and Midwifery

Choose from an extensive range of optional modules and three different exit awards to suit your professional development needs.
Signpost in the mountain at sunset

MSc Advanced Professional Practice pathways

Both the School of Health Professions and the School of Nursing and Midwifery offer the MSc Advanced Professional Practice programme; together we offer a wide range of specialist and generic pathways to meet the educational needs of all health and social care professionals.

Career opportunities

You’ll be able to apply for Band 7 and Band 8 roles and undertake a wide range of advanced roles within your own field of scope.
You can also become a non-medical consultant or clinical specialist, and can move into managerial, academic or research posts.
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust

Modules for full time and international students

Global philanthropy - image courtesy of Shutterstock
If you are studying the MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Nursing and Midwifery Professions) programme full-time or are an international student you will be supported to choose optional modules with non-clinical assignments, such as:
APP718 – Ethical and legal issues in healthcare practice
APP721 – Perinatal mental health
APP727 – The child and young person with mental health needs
APP752 – Work based learning
APP759 – Advancing knowledge of learning and teaching in practice
APP764 – Public health and health promotion
A young male nurse stands in a busy hospital ward. Image courtesy of Getty Images.

Support for international students

With students studying at Plymouth from over 100 countries, the University of Plymouth has a range of services and support for our international students.
We have an English Language Centre (ELC) that offers a range of courses to help you develop your academic English language skills. Continued support is available throughout your studies through workshops, drop-in sessions and our Writing Café.
For more details of support on offer, please visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/international.