Advancing Professional Practice - MSc/PgDip/PgCert

Structure and exit awards

You can opt to study the MSc (180 credits), PgDip (120 credits) or PgCert (60 credits).  

You can register as an associate student to study up to two single modules from the Framework modules listed under the ‘Modules’ tab. On completion of a single module, you may wish to complete further modules and progress your studies to a named award. Please contact Kath Nicol or contact Susan Prior (Framework Leads) for further information on single module study. All students initially enrol on the master's route.

Teaching, learning and assessment

All modules are delivered online and can be studied from a distance. Additional support is available for those new to or returning to master’s level study.

There are a variety of assessment methods, including critical and reflective coursework, ePortfolios, presentations and practice-based assessments.

Teaching hours and attendance

No on-campus attendance is required at QMU, and course material is delivered entirely online. Each 20-credit module will equate to approximately 200 hours of study, including regular online contact and independent experiential learning.

Class sizes

You will join a multi-professional online community of learners and will have the opportunity to interact and share your experiences.

Teaching staff

You can read more about the teaching staff for this course at the bottom of this page. Please note that teaching staff is subject to change.

 You will complete the following modules: 

• Fundamentals of Advancing Practice (20 credits): This module will support you in developing a critical understanding of healthcare delivery and facilitate self-reflection on the knowledge, skills, and behaviours of advancing practice, using a learning needs analysis (LNA) linked to the four pillars of practice.
• Methods of Enquiry (20 credits): This module will provide you with an understanding of research principles (eg ethics, etc), a range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and appropriate analysis for these.
• Dissertation (60 credits)
• Plus, 100 credits from approved Framework modules 

The following list of modules is all available in the Framework:

• Advancing Practice in Complex Pain and Symptoms in Palliative Care (20 credits): This module will facilitate your critical exploration of the evidence on complex pain and symptoms experienced by people living with life-limiting illness. 
• Advancing Care Home Practice (20 credits): This module is designed to critically reflect on contemporary evidence to facilitate flourishing person-centred cultures for all persons who live, work, and support in care homes.     
• Advancing facilitation of learning (20 credits): This module aims to support you in developing and demonstrating robust, creative approaches to advancing facilitation of Learning, and in applying these to teaching and learning practice.   
• Advancing Practice in Psychological, Social and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care (20 credits): This module is designed to enable you to develop a deeper understanding of the psychological, social, and spiritual needs of people living with life-limiting illness across all care settings.     
• Advancing Practice Portfolio I & II (20/40 credits)*: These modules enable you to develop a portfolio which provides evidence of your ability to deliver advanced practice-level care mapped to appropriate underpinning frameworks and standards. 
• Advancing Competencies I & II (20/40 credits)*: These modules enable you to attain pre-agreed workplace competencies and to critically evaluate the evidence base underpinning the selected area of work. 
• Assessing and Planning Care for Persons, People and Populations (20 credits): This module will prepare students to adopt systematic approaches to assessing and planning care and support for persons, people and populations by applying clinical reasoning and decision-making models within person-centred assessment frameworks.  
• Assessment for Learning (20 credits): This module aims to support you to advance approaches to assessment, feedback and feedforward for learning in the context of your role and wider practices. 
• Contemporary Occupation Focused Practice (20 credits): This module aims to enhance your ability to critically analyse and evaluate the theoretical foundations and contemporary practices of occupational therapy, enabling you to propose and justify practice advancements that align with service priorities and professional values.    
• Communication with People Living with Life-limiting Illness (20 credits): This module will facilitate the development of your communication skills to support challenging conversations related to coping, adjusting to living with life-limiting illness, and future care planning, whilst examining evidence on communication theories and models. 
• Diagnostic Investigations for the Lower Limb Pathologies (20 credits): This module will provide you with theoretical knowledge and understanding of a range of diagnostic and laboratory investigations in the lower limb. NB This module is only available every second year. 
• Research Project/ Dissertation (60/40 credits): This module will enable you to develop and apply the skills of research and enquiry to produce original work contributing to a subject, field or profession. 
• Demonstrating Impact in Practice (20 credits)*: This module will enable you to advance your practice by demonstrating sustainable impact in practice at a service, project or community level. 
• Design for Professional Learning (20 credits): This module aims to support you in advancing your knowledge and developing skills in designing curriculum within the context of your role 
• Ethical Judgement and Decision Making (20 credits): This module will help learners examine, evaluate, and consider the implications of ethical judgment and decision-making processes in practice settings.     
• Facilitation of Learning (20 credits): This module is designed to enable those with an educational role to formally develop their knowledge and understanding of how to facilitate the Learning of others. 
• Fundamentals of Advancing Practice (20 credits): This module will provide you with critical knowledge and understanding of advanced practice. 
• High Risk Foot (20 credits): The module will cover the assessment, management, and prevention of foot and lower-limb complications in high-risk patient groups, such as individuals with diabetes, vascular disease, renal complications, immunosuppressed populations, and those with medical conditions affecting tissue viability.  
• Leading Advancing Practice (20 credits): This module will provide you with a broad critical knowledge and understanding of the principles of leadership required for transformation and innovation in the public and private sectors.   
• Medical Imaging of the Foot and Ankle (20 credits)*: This module will provide you with a critical understanding of diagnostic modalities to develop evaluative and interpretative skills of musculoskeletal and orthopaedic modalities. NB This module is only available every second year. 
• Non-medical Prescribing for Allied Health Professions (40 credits)*: This module will prepare you to prescribe safely and competently within the context of your professional role as a non-medical prescriber. 
• Orthopaedic Medicine (20/30 credits): The module will enable you to develop detailed theoretical knowledge and understanding of medical orthopaedics to inform decision-making and advance podiatric clinical practice. You will critically evaluate local and systemic pathologies, identify medical concerns, and interpret the outcomes of musculoskeletal/orthopaedic medical assessment to inform the workup and peri- and post-operative management of patients undergoing podiatric surgery. 
• Pharmacology for Podiatric & Surgical practice (20 credits): This module provides a comprehensive understanding of pharmacology in both surgical and clinical podiatric practice, with a focus on the safe supply and administration of prescription-only medicines (POMs). It covers essential pharmacological principles, including routes of drug administration, mechanisms of action (pharmacodynamics), and drug metabolism (pharmacokinetics). Emphasis is placed on evidence-based practice, utilising the British National Formulary (BNF) to assess drug interactions and adverse effects.
• Principles of MRI/CT (20 credits)*: This module will allow you to develop a more in-depth understanding of the theoretical applications of MRI or CT. 
• Public Health Practice for Health Professionals (20 credits): This module is for you to acquire a critical understanding of public health theory and practice to engage in and lead public health practice within your discipline.   
• Research Project/ Dissertation (60/40 credits): This module will enable you to develop and apply the skills of research and enquiry to produce original work contributing to a subject, field or profession. 
• Theory of Person-centred Practice in Health and Wellbeing (20 credits): This module will facilitate your exploration of concepts, principles, and theories underpinning person-centred practice across a variety of care settings and from multiple perspectives to enhance health & wellbeing. 

Please note: 

If opting to study for a single module, you will be able to select any module from this list. 

If you chose to follow one of the named awards, you would complete the modules specific to that route. 

Modules marked * require individuals to be working in the specific area and/or have access to an appropriate workplace setting (paid or voluntary). We may ask you, as part of the admissions process, for a CV and a reference from your line manager to evidence that you have the support required to undertake the module.   

All modules will provide learners with enhanced career progression opportunities within their specialist field of practice. Examples of career trajectories include specialist practitioners in pain management, palliative care and musculoskeletal medicine, clinical governance leads, quality improvement leads or service managers. You could develop a career in Higher education, staff development and training management or public health consultancy. 

Entry requirements

• An Honours degree or equivalent in an appropriate discipline. 
• Evidence of relevant professional registration. 

International students:

• You will be required to provide evidence of English language competence at no less than IELTS 6.5, with no individual component score less than 6.0.
• Please note that as this course is fully online, the University cannot sponsor International students to study here on a student visa.

Other requirements

Some modules require individuals to be working in the specific area of practice and/or to have access to a suitable workplace setting, along with support from a line manager and workplace mentor.

For applicants considering studying full-time, we strongly recommend that you contact the Pathway Lead for an initial discussion.

Professional registration

Framework awards do not lead to UK registration with the HCPC or the right to practice within the UK but aim to foster an intellectual approach to personal and professional development.  Applicants should have the appropriate registration.

Disability/health conditions

If you have a disability, long-term physical or mental health condition, or learning disability, it should not stand in the way of your studying at QMU. However, if you are not sure whether your disability might be a barrier in your studies or in relation to the professional standards, please contact the disability service who will be able to have a conversation with you about reasonable adjustments and supports available to you.

Applying for this course

For more information on applying, or to apply for this course, please follow the links in the 'Start your application' box at the top right of this page. Please note that you will choose to apply for either the MRI or CT route of the course.

Application deadline

Typically, December for a January start and August for a September start.

Contact Kath Nicol or contact Admissions 

More information on our forthcoming open events

• The delivery of this course is subject to the terms and conditions set out in our 2027/28 Entry - Terms and Conditions (Postgraduate).
• The information on this page is correct at the time of posting (October 2026) but is subject to change. In the event that modules change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact on students. Please keep an eye on this page for updates.