Advanced Practice in Health Care, MSc / PGDip

Taught at St David’s Park Carmarthen

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Course Overview

Our master’s degree in Advanced Practice in Health Care is designed for experienced healthcare practitioners who want to consolidate their skills and expand their expertise across the four pillars of advanced practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research. This programme equips you with the knowledge and confidence to respond effectively to complex and evolving healthcare needs.

Throughout the course, you will develop advanced assessment, diagnostic, and disease management skills, with the opportunity to apply for non-medical prescribing studies.

You will also refine critical research and analytical skills in relation to clinical practice and enhance professional reflective techniques, including critical enquiry, creative problem-solving, and collaborative, compassionate leadership. By engaging with, applying, and generating knowledge, you will contribute to improving care and reducing health inequalities. You will also support the sustainability and transformation of health services.

Why Advanced Practice in Health Care at Swansea?

At Swansea, you’ll study a programme designed to meet NHS workforce priorities and the evolving needs of modern healthcare, delivered across our St David’s Park Campus in Carmarthen and Singleton Park Campus in Swansea. We offer full-time and part-time routes, giving you options to fit your professional commitments.

Our full-time programme, commissioned by the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, is strategically aligned with NHS workforce planning, enabling you to qualify as an advanced practitioner in time to support urgent and emergency care during peak winter demand.

Our part-time option provides additional flexibility for experienced clinicians across our health board catchment area, and is available for both September and March intakes.

You will benefit from year-long, practice-based modules that allow you to develop advanced clinical skills safely and confidently, integrating theory with supervised practice. This structure ensures you gain the depth of experience needed for autonomous practice.

Beyond clinical expertise, you will build leadership, research, and innovation skills that prepare you to drive service improvement and shape the future of healthcare. Our strong links with NHS organisations and alignment with the HEIW Advanced Practice Framework mean your learning is relevant, impactful, and valued by employers.

Your Advanced Practice in Health Care experience

When you join our MSc/PGDip Advanced Practice in Health Care, you will learn in a supportive and inclusive environment that values your experience as a clinician. The programme is delivered through a blended learning model, combining online resources with immersive, in-person study days, so you can balance your studies with your professional commitments while gaining hands-on experience.

Your learning will be practice-focused and deeply connected to real-world healthcare, with clinical placement as a core element of the programme. You will apply theory in supervised clinical settings, engage in simulation exercises, and take part in case-based discussions that mirror the challenges of advanced roles. Teaching is led by a multi-professional team of advanced practitioners and academics who bring current clinical insights and research expertise into every session, ensuring that what you learn is relevant and immediately applicable.

Collaboration is at the heart of the programme. You will work alongside peers from Nursing, Paramedicine, and Allied Health Professions, building the teamwork and leadership skills essential for integrated care. Digital tools and innovative technologies are embedded throughout your studies, from interactive anatomy platforms to immersive simulation, preparing you for the future of healthcare. You will also explore global health perspectives, sustainability, and health inequalities, equipping you to lead change both locally and internationally.

Advanced Practice in Healthcare Careers

When you graduate from our MSc/PGDip in Advanced Practice in Health Care, you will be ready to take on senior, autonomous roles and lead change across modern healthcare systems. Closely aligned with NHS priorities and the HEIW Advanced Practice Framework, this programme equips you with the clinical expertise, leadership skills, and strategic insight to thrive in advanced practice.

You will be able to practise independently as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner or in equivalent roles, taking on expanded responsibilities such as non-medical prescribing and complex decision-making. You will also be prepared to drive service improvement and transformation through evidence-based leadership and progress into education, research, or management roles, including positions as an Advanced Practice Educator or Clinical Academic.

Throughout the programme, you will develop entrepreneurial and innovation skills, exploring service redesign, digital transformation, and quality improvement. These capabilities will enable you to identify gaps in care, lead multidisciplinary teams, and implement sustainable, cost-effective solutions that improve patient outcomes.

By the time you graduate, you will be ready to act as a change agent and service innovator, shaping the future of healthcare.

Modules

We're currently reviewing our curriculum to enhance your learning experience and embed skills that will benefit your future career. This means that some modules may be subject to change.

Entry Requirements

We consider all applicants on their own merits and welcome applications from students with a wide range of qualifications.