Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship

Program Overview

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MSc - Advanced Clinical Practitioner Apprenticeship

Our course will enable you to practice at an advanced level, improve the care of patients, your leadership skills and your professional development.

You will be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and behaviours of an Advanced Clinical Practitioner as identified in the Institute for Apprenticeships Standards for Advanced Practice.

This programme is accredited by the Centre of Advancing Practice.

Health Education 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. Programme accreditation from the Centre for Advancing Practice will bring a new level of consistency to the workforce and help showcase advanced practice within health and social care.

Course Overview

The Apprenticeship Standard and Assessment Plan for the Advanced Clinical Practitioner Degree Level Apprenticeship have been designed by employers in the health care sector. The Degree Level Apprenticeship for the occupation Advanced Clinical Practitioner at the University of Cumbria leads to the academic award of MSc Advanced Clinical Practice.

You will normally study this programme over 3 years unless your personal training plan indicates otherwise. You will undertake 60 credits per year, which equates to one module per semester. Each module has been designed to take you through the pillars of practice set out within the apprenticeship standard and build your theoretical knowledge base and clinical skills. You will soon see how your academic and workplace learning are woven into the programme to enable you to integrate the new knowledge and clinical skills that enable you to become an advanced practitioner.

On this course you will...

• Demonstrate ability to systematically and holistically search for health needs at individual, family, group and community level.
• Use effective communication, negotiation and leadership skills in effective collaborative working with statutory, voluntary and private agencies.
• Undertake health assessment, screening and surveillance with individuals, families, groups and communities for health protection, prevention of ill-health and to promote health and well-being.
• Flexibility to easily blend academic study and work to enhance personal and career development

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK
• Course Location: Online / Various
• Institute: Institute of Health
• Delivery Style: Distance learning, work-based
• Course Duration: Full-time: 3 Years
• Course Start Point: March / September
• Award: MSc

Minimum entry requirements

Applicants will need to provide evidence of successful study at Level 6 (or equivalent) within the last 5 years

Tuition fees

N/A

UK | Per year

Course Structure

What you will learn

You will develop qualities needed for senior healthcare roles, including in circumstances requiring the assessment, diagnosis, problem solving, clinical decision making and treatment of patients with undifferentiated undiagnosed conditions. We will enhance your knowledge and skills in leadership and caring for clients with complex needs. Healthcare is a complex and unpredictable environment, which requires personal responsibility and initiative, skills we will help you build throughout the course.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Learning takes place both via the University academic modules and in the workplace and uses real work-based activities to inform and evidence that learning has taken place. You must have a named educational supervisor to support your learning in the clinical environment who is responsible for assessing your achievement of competency in practice.

How you will be assessed

Overview of the methods of assessment used on the programme within each year of study:

Year 1:

• HPHA7120 - Patchwork Text
• HPHA7121 - Case Study & Viva
• HPHA7122 - Written assignment

Year 2:

• HPHA7123 - Poster presentation
• Non-Medical Prescribing – see separate Programme Specification for this
• HPHA9100 - OSCE (plus e-portfolio submission for those learners on the fast-track route)

Year 3:

• HPHA7124 - Service Evaluation
• HPHA9101 - E-portfolio submission for apprentices on a standard-length training plan
• EPAG9102 - Readiness for Gateway and EPA
• HPHA7127 - End Point Assessment if all relevant criteria are met

Career Outcomes

Following the programme, you will become an Advanced Practitioner within any healthcare setting and you will be in a senior role. Some of you may go on to undertake credentials within your area of speciality, either through the Royal College of Emergency Medicine or through the endorsed credentials from NHS England. You may wish to undertake further study at PhD Level or undertake a professional doctorate. You may also aspire to consultant level practice.

Overview

Applicants must be on the NMC Nursing Register/Health and Care Professionals Council Register or its equivalent, and have regular access to an advanced practice environment.

Applicants will have 3 years (pro rata) experience in their clinical field.

Applicants are required to have a clinical educational supervisor to support their clinical learning and undertake their practice assessments. This support needs to be recorded on a weekly basis as evidence of ongoing development towards the knowledge, skills and behaviours of the apprenticeship standard and will be reviewed at the scheduled tripartite reviews. Applicant's workplace is subject to an educational audit of the learning environment.

Qualifications

Entry Requirements

• GCSEs: Level 2 in Maths and English
• Other experience: Applicants will need to provide evidence of successful study at Level 6 (or equivalent) within the last 5 years

Selection Criteria

Students for whom English is a second language may be required to provide evidence of passing an International Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of 7.0 with a mean score of 6.5 in all elements. Applicants will be interviewed by a member of the Advanced Practice team as well as the employer so that any APL and prior learning can be acknowledged and used to develop the individual needs assessment and inform the individual learning plan.

The application must be supported by two references one of which must make reference to the applicant's professional competence. One referee must be the applicant's current employer. It is expected that applicants will have in place a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS check). If an additional DBS check is required, it is the responsibility of the applicant or employer, to arrange for and fund this.

Where an apprentice arranges to undertake a placement outside a contract of employment, there is an expectation that adequate arrangements for indemnity insurance will be in place and this is the employer / apprentice's responsibility.

Contextual Admissions

Not applicable to apprenticeships.

Language requirements

Please follow the link to check language requirements for this programme.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

2025 - 2026

• N/A - UK

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

Funding

Degree apprenticeships are only offered to students undertaking the course as part of their employment. The apprenticeship training is therefore funded by the employer using their apprenticeship levy, with or without a contribution depending on the size and status of the organisation. Apprentices will not be required to pay any fees and will not be eligible for Student Finance England maintenance support as they are in receipt of a salary. See further information on our Information for Aspiring Apprentices page. The University will typically charge the maximum fee for the standard, before applying reductions based on accepted prior learning which is determined at application on an individual basis. To discuss sponsoring a learner on programme please contact.

More Information

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000.

Student Finance

Additional Costs

• Location: Online Learning

Online learning at the University of Cumbria is an interactive experience that makes use of a range of technologies and media types to provide a rich learning environment.

Find out more