Advanced Professional Practice (Cardiovascular Health) PgCert, PgDip and MSc

Are you interested in gaining knowledge, practical, leadership and research skills in the area of cardiovascular health? Do you currently work in a clinical or health setting delivering cardiovascular disease prevention strategies or rehabilitative care? Or would you like to do so in the future?

This programme aims to enhance an array of career opportunities - whether this be in clinical practice, academic research, leadership, or community health and wellbeing.

The course is interdisciplinary in nature and delivered by experienced specialist academics in partnership with national and international leaders and clinical specialists from cardiology, nursing, nutrition, exercise, and behavioural medicine.

You'll complete a series of clinical observations across key areas of cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation. This will give you a thorough understanding of the theory behind the practice. You'll also learn first-hand the practicalities of current service delivery.

The research element of the course will provide you with a strong foundation in the practical use of research methods within cardiovascular health and you'll learn how to use research evidence in order to implement best practice within your healthcare setting.

The full master's course can be studied 1 year full-time.

For information on Vice Chancellor's Excellence Award which offers £5000 fee reduction for self-funded international students please click here

Induction 18th and 19th September 2024 online.

You’ll benefit from a course designed to incorporate a multidisciplinary perspective that fulfils the Advanced Clinical Practice framework as set out by NHS England (previously HEE). You’ll study key modules in advanced clinical leadership, teaching and learning, evidence-based practice and research.

Alongside this, your specialist modules will cover the breadth of cardiovascular health, from populations at high multifactorial risk to those with established atherosclerotic disease.

The scientific foundation of this degree is lifestyle change (quitting smoking, diet and physical activity) through behavioural approaches, adult education, and health promotion. On graduation, you’ll be able to translate theory into real-world clinical practice. Each module consists of a taught component, some are delivered virtually and supported by online learning resources.

This course can be studied 1 Year full-time, starting in September.

Career Prospects for Advanced Professional Practice Graduates

Following successful completion of this advanced practice programme, you will be fully prepared for a leadership role as an advanced practitioner in your relevant clinical profession (e.g. nursing, occupational therapy or physiotherapy) and within your clinical specialism.

Our graduates typically go on to senior clinical leadership positions within a range of healthcare settings, with many gaining prominent positions to pioneer service development at regional, national or international levels.

With increasing global demand for advanced practitioners, our graduates enjoy excellent employability and opportunities for career advancement. This master's will give you the relevant knowledge and skills to step into these positions. Designed to meet the needs of global healthcare organisations and employers, our graduates have excellent prospects in the UK and internationally, making them sought-after professionals in their preferred countries.

This programme is ideal for senior clinicians and clinical leads who are looking to take their clinical career to the next level, or in a new direction into management and service innovation, or academic research and education.

Professional Registration

To register as a healthcare professional in the UK you will need to hold a relevant pre-registration qualification. Though the MSc APP is not considered a pre-registration programme and therefore does not provide direct eligibility to register as a healthcare professional in the UK, the programme may be used alongside your international pre-registration qualifications to support your application for registration.

If you are seeking to register as a healthcare professional in the UK we recommend that you contact the relevant regulator for your profession to explore the current requirements. For allied health professionals (AHPs) information on international applications to the Health and Care Professions Council can be found on the HCPC website.

For nurses and midwives, more information on international applications to the Nursing and Midwifery Council can be found on the NMC website.

Rights to Work in the UK for International Students

International students graduating from this programme who hold UK professional registration may be eligible to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa that provides the right to work within the UK healthcare sector. This visa also provides the right for dependants to come to the UK and exemptions from UK health insurance surcharges.

Further information about the current benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa and rules for applying can be found at the UKVI website.

Information on further visa options is available on our Post Study Work Options webpage.

• Pre-registration degree in a relevant allied health profession and at least 2 years of post-qualification work experience and 1 year in the specialism you have applied for.

You’ll benefit from the expertise of academics across our well-established health sciences department, giving you a truly interdisciplinary perspective on important topics. Many of our academics currently work in hospitals and other clinical settings, so they'll be teaching you up-to-date scientific knowledge and patient assessment and management skills.

Our lecturers are active in research and often contribute to the development of professional guidelines, so you know you’re being taught by practicing healthcare professionals with a high profile in the sector. You’ll also be able to benefit from studying alongside other healthcare professionals in similar fields, giving you the opportunity to network and share ideas.

Our teaching approach is diverse and you’ll benefit from lectures, tutorials, seminars, and workshops.

The course uses a range of flexible and engaging approaches to assessment. You'll be assessed through exams, critical essays, portfolios, oral presentations, and your dissertation.

The choice of the specific type of assessment will be appropriate to the intended learning outcomes of the taught modules. The assessment strategies will balance the need to demonstrate knowledge and competencies with more in-depth and critical approaches to learning.

Such assessment approaches will include examinations, presentations of relevant clinical case scenarios, and coursework, which will take the form of critical assessment of literature and research, critical essays, and the development of the selected portfolio of learning.

Finally, the dissertation provides demonstration of an ability to synthesise and critically evaluate current research underpinning clinical practice, and to develop and undertake relevant research as well as its dissemination.