Program Overview

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Non-Medical Prescribing - PgCert

2025/26 Part-time Postgraduate course

Award:

Postgraduate Certificate

Faculty:

Faculty of Life and Health Sciences

School:

School of Nursing and Paramedic Science

Campus:

Belfast campus

Start date:

September 2025

Overview

This exciting course gives registered nurses/midwives the opportunity to achieve the NMC recorded qualification of Independent Prescribing (V300).

Summary

The Post Graduate Certificate in Nurse-Midwife Prescribing is a one year part-time programme consisting of three modules of study and 90 hours of practice learning to attain both the academic award of Post Graduate Certificate and a recorded professional award as a Nurse-Midwife Prescriber (V300). This programme is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and competencies to make a meaningful contribution to patient care in a safe and professional manner. This programme is underpinned by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2021) as adopted by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

About this course

About

The aim of this programme is to prepare nurses and midwives to be able to incorporate safe, appropriate and cost-effective, person-centred prescribing into their practice.

This programme is also available at undergraduate level (Level 6: Advanced Certificate in Nurse Midwife Prescribing) to take account of the professional and academic background and achievement in the target population. Those studying at postgraduate level (level 7) are expected to demonstrate a level of understanding consistent with the level of study being undertaken.

Within this overall aim, the course is designed to enable you as a student to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the legislation regulating nurse prescribing;
• review the implications for your professional practice of undertaking the extended roles of prescribing and practice within a framework of professional accountability and responsibility;
• use diagnostic reasoning skills on the data acquired from history and health assessment to achieve appropriate diagnoses;
• apply knowledge of pharmacology in prescribing appropriate drugs to achieve defined health outcomes;

In addition you will be prepared to:

• prescribe safely, appropriately and cost-effectively within the administrative arrangements in operation;
• evaluate and document the effectiveness of drug therapy;
• empower patients/clients and their carers and families through education for safe and effective self-management of drug therapy with recognition of their right to make their own decisions;
• collaborate with others in the health care team in prescribing, supplying, administering and disposing of medications;
• and utilize up-to-date information from a range of sources in decision-making about prescribing;
• demonstrate theoretical knowledge relating to all aspects of Nurse-Midwife prescribing including the genesis and development of Nurse-Midwife prescribing in the United Kingdom;
• apply existing and new knowledge of pharmacotherapeutics, legal and ethical issues and health assessment to the practice of person-centred Nurse-Midwife prescribing;

You will also develop the academic skills to assimilate, synthesize and evaluate information at an appropriate level for each student and the elected level of study; and exercise sound judgment in the decision-making processes that are central to safe Nurse-Midwife prescribing practice.

Attendance

This is a part time course normally delivered at Belfast campus, completed over one academic year (ie September until the end of May).

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The programme aims to deliver a structured curriculum of teaching, learning and assessment, enabling students to develop the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding .The learning experience encourages students to become active and motivated learners, who can seek information, question and analyse its validity and draw appropriate and logical conclusions.

Teaching, learning and assessment in the School are based on the belief that knowledge and information gained in the theoretical modules needs to be contextualised within practice. Ultimately, students are encouraged to build upon this to make connections between theoretical content and practice experiences thus facilitating an ability to suggest possible developments or enhancements in practice that in turn would lead to knowledge generation opportunities. This serves to help students understand the intimate link between theory and practice.

Teaching, learning and assessment take a variety of forms across the suite of modules as specified throughout this document. The strategies used are based on andragogical principles of adult learning such as self-direction and a capacity to draw upon experience. Teaching and learning in the programme has been informed by the Faculty Teaching & Learning Strategy that is an application of the University Teaching & Learning Strategy.

Attendance and Independent Study

As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.

Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.

The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.

Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.

Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.

Calculation of the Final Award

The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).

Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.

All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.

In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.

Figures from the academic year .

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures from the academic year .

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.

Year one

Practice Learning for Independent Non-Medical Prescribing

Year: 1

Status: C

This practice-based learning module is a mandatory module within the Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) Programme that facilitates students to demonstrate how they meet the competencies of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's A Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2021). Students are required to complete a minimum of 90 hours practice-based learning. Students are required to be supported in their practice learning by a Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor.

Person-Centred Approaches to Prescribing

Year: 1

Status: C

This module equips students to systematically review and make sound judgements on complex issues across the prescribing process, considering the domains of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's (2021) Competency Framework for all Prescribers. Students will relate the principles of shared decision making and health literacy alongside clinical reasoning and judgment to assess a person's needs, considering individual factors and preferences, to formulate appropriate, safe and person-centred care prescribing plans.

Prescribing Across the Lifespan

Year: 1

Status: C

This module equips the non-medical prescribing student with the underpinning pharmacology and clinical application of the evidence base, enabling autonomous and competent prescribing decisions within their scope of practice. The scaffolded learning throughout the module will equip students to systematically interpret and apply the evidence base to make autonomous clinical decisions for safe and therapeutic person-centred prescribing.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

In this section

• Entry Requirements
• English Language Requirements
• Exemptions and transferability

Entry Requirements

Applicants must satisfy the University’s general entry requirements and specific requirements for the course are detailed here with further conditions of application available on pre-course information available from the HEI

i) a pre-registration degree in Nursing or Midwifery, a post-registration degree in Nursing, Midwifery or Health Studies/Sciences or an Honours or non-Honours degree in another relevant subject area from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council for National Academic Awards, the National Council for Educational Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard; or

(ii) An equivalent standard in a Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification; and provide evidence of the skills for evidence-based practice;

Applicants must also

1. Hold current registration with the NMC either as a registered nurse (level 1), a registered midwife or Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (SCPHN) with a minimum of one year's experience in the area in which they intend to prescribe
2. Be employed or self-employed (including NHS and non-NHS settings) as a registered nurse/midwife and also provide confirmation that the necessary governance structures are in place, in the student's employment (including clinical support, access to protected learning time and employer support where appropriate) to enable students to undertake, and be adequately supported throughout, the programme.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 7.0 and a score of at least 7 on each of the four aspects of this test.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

• English language requirements
• Your country

Exemptions and transferability

Students who have previously completed the Health Assessment module may gain exemption from that module provided they are currently using the skills of patient assessment in practice which can be mapped to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s Competency Framework for all Prescribers (2021) as adopted by the NMC.

No exemptions can be made from the two core modules of the programme, Prescribing in Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics in Prescribing or the practice learning hours.

Careers & opportunities

In this section

• Career options
• Work placement / study abroad

Career options

Students who enrol on this programme are normally already employed in the specialism of their career choice. Successful attainment of this qualification places students in a strong position with the skills and knowledge to perform at a high level of practice, thus enhancing your career potential.

Work placement / study abroad

Students will complete a minimum of 90 hours in clinical practice and evidence how they have achieved the competencies within the Nurse-Midwife Prescribing Practice Assessment Document (NMP PAD).

Professional Recognition

Accreditations reflect the excellence of our teaching, research, and knowledge exchange and ensure our programmes realise the highest expectations. By studying at Ulster University you’ll gain insight and be at the forefront of current industry practices, while our many accredited degree programmes open doors to the world’s top professional organisations, making you more attractive to future employers and giving you a competitive edge in the job market.

Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

Recorded by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of registration for Independent and Supplementary Nurse Prescribing (V300)

Fees and funding

10% Alumni Discount

Are you a graduate of Ulster University? Did you know you could be eligible for a 10% fees discount.

Tuition Fee Loans Available

Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).

The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.

For modules commenced in the academic year 2025/26, the following fees apply:

Fees Credit Points| NI/ROI/GB Cost| International Cost*
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5 | £201.10| £494.70
10 | £402.20| £989.40
15 | £603.30| £1,484.10
20 | £804.40| £1,978.80
30 | £1,206.60| £2,968.20
60 | £2,413.20| £5,936.40
120 | £4,826.40| £11,872.80
180 | £7,239.60| £17,809.20
240| £9,652.80| £23,745.60

NB: A standard full-time PGCert is equivalent to 60 credit points per year. A standard full-time PGDip is equivalent to 120 credit points per year.

*International student access to courses is subject to meeting visa requirements. More information can be found in the Visas and Immigration section.

Annual Increase Disclaimer

Important Notice: Annual Fees Increase

Annual Fees Increase Disclaimer

Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.

If your study continues into future academic years your fees are subject to an annual increase. Please take this into consideration when you estimate your total fees for a degree.

Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.

Visit our Fees pages for full details of fees.

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Additional mandatory costs

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.