Advanced Nurse Practitioner/Professional Practice MSc

What is special about this course?

Developed in partnership with expert clinical partners, and taught by subject experts, this course will equip nurses and allied health professionals to lead and deliver advanced healthcare.

This innovative and contemporary programme is relevant to a variety of healthcare settings including remote and rural contexts.

You will develop advanced knowledge and skills, through a combination of core and optional modules in relation to the four pillars of advanced practice clinical practice, leadership, facilitation of learning and evidence-based research and development.

The programme offers two routes, Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) or Advanced Professional Practice (APP), and the main study mode is supported online learning with some optional face-to-face learning, delivered at campuses in Inverness and Stornoway.

Find out more about UHI Department of Nursing and Midwifery

Special features

• An easy to navigate process exists for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for core modules (a cost is attached to this process) 
• Innovative and contemporary clinically current curriculum developed and taught by subject experts
• Designed in partnership with expert clinical partners
• Practice-led and research-based curriculum
• Accessible and flexible learning that combines innovative technologies for e-learning
• Core and option modules are available within the APP 
• Choice of dissertation on both ANP and APP Programmes (after undertaking the relevant theory module)
• Quality improvement dissertation
• Applying research skills for clinical impact

Entry requirements

• You must be a registered nurse or allied health professional, normally working in a full-time or part-time post with a health, social care or third sector setting
• You must have a first degree or demonstrate evidence of successful prior study at degree level (SCQF Level 9) and normally a minimum of three years' experience as a registered health professional
• You must submit evidence of your current professional registration, for example Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)  or Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration 
• Details of your place of work, employing health board and line manager must be included in your application personal statement
• Participation in clinically oriented modules requires prior confirmation of appropriate clinical supervision arrangements  
• Applications for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be considered and are assessed on an individual basis* 
• The application deadline for September 2025 starts is 20th June 2025
• The application deadline for January 2026 starts is 14th November 2025

*A tailored arrangement for Recognition of Prior Learning in Advanced Practice programmes is available

For the MSc and PgDip, it is possible to apply for 80 credits of exemption for qualifying modules, instead of the normal 60. Clinical assessment skills and prescribing modules undertaken at lower than postgraduate level, for example at SCQF level 9, can be upgraded to postgraduate level by submission of additional academic work, to be assessed by the department's academic team. These arrangements can allow for considerable financial and time savings.

Please note that if you are applying for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner or MSc Advanced Professional Practice you will be liable to pay a flat fee of £150 to have your application for RPL assessed and processed. This fee only applies to these courses, and the university does not charge for RPL towards other courses.

PgCert/PgDip

For the PgCert (60 credits) and PgDip (an additional 60 credits) the modules offered are listed below.

For those undertaking the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) route: you will be required to study the three core modules.

For those undertaking the Advanced Professional Practice (APP) route: you may choose any combination of the modules on offer.

Modules available in the Autumn semester:

• Clinical assessment for advanced practice (40 credits): core for ANP route*
• Clinical reasoning, judgement and decision-making (20 credits): core for ANP route
• Minor injuries management (20 credits): optional for APP route*
• Prescribing for healthcare professionals (40 credits): core for ANP route*

Modules available in the Spring semester:

• Clinical assessment for advanced practice (40 credits): core for ANP route*
• Improvement science: enhancing quality in health and social care (20 credits): optional for ANP and APP route**
• Leadership in healthcare (20 credits)*
• Minor injuries management (20 credits): optional for APP route*
• Prescribing for healthcare professionals (40 credits): core for ANP route*
• Understanding research in evidence-based practice (20 credits): optional for ANP and APP routes**

*also available as a standalone CPD Award
**you must do one of these two modules

MSc

To achieve the award of MSc (180 credits in total), you must complete one of the following modules:

• Quality improvement (QI) dissertation (60 credits) (S2)
• Applying research skills for clinical impact (60 credits) (S3)

Fees

For all students normally domiciled in the UK, and assessed as such for fee status, the following fees apply:

This includes

• EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
• EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
• EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

This course is not available for international students requiring Student Route visa sponsorship to study in the UK, and cannot be studied outside of the UK. For students living in the UK and assessed as international fee status, the following fees will apply:

This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.

You will also be required to pay for any travel and accommodation costs if you choose to attend the Clinical Assessment for Advanced Practice module on-campus. 

A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK, EU and international postgraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.

Funding

Eligible Scotland-domiciled students studying part-time can apply for a tuition fee loan from SAAS. You must be intending to complete the course in no longer than twice the length of time it would take for a full-time student. For example, if your course is available to full-time students as a one-year programme, you will be funded for a maximum of two years' part-time study. If your course does not have a full-time option, you must complete within three years. You can apply for a tuition fee loan up to £7,000, which will be paid pro-rata for each academic year of study. 

Full details can be found on the SAAS website. Applications for loans open in April.

Students from the rest of the UK who meet the eligibility requirements may be able to apply for a loan from the Student Loan Company.

Additional costs

Please note that if you are applying for recognition of prior learning (RPL) to MSc Advanced Nurse Practitioner or MSc Advanced Professional Practice you will be liable to pay a flat fee of £150 to have your application for RPL assessed and processed. This fee only applies to these courses, and the university does not charge for RPL towards other courses.