Course Structure

To qualify for the Master of Science in Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice students must take and pass modules worth 120 CATS points, a dissertation module (60 CATS points) and complete a 225 hours clinical practice module (0 CATS points). 180 CATS points total. The Master of Science in Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice consists of two discrete Stages, 1 & 2, that comprise taught modules and a dissertation. Students must successfully take and pass a total of six taught modules (120 CATS points - stage 1), including: one compulsory research module (NUR7002 or NUR7010) and five option modules that may be selected from the list of modules, a Clinical Practice module (0 CATS points) and a dissertation (60 CATS points – stage 2).

Alternatively, students may opt for the Master of Science in Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice with one of the nine specialist pathways, please see pathway specific programme specifications. This option consists of two discreet stages,1 & 2 that comprises taught modules and a dissertation (120 CATS points – stage 1), including one compulsory research module (NUR7002 or NUR7010); two pathway specific modules and three optional modules that may be selected from the wider general option modules, a Clinical Practice module (0 CATS points) and a dissertation (60 CATS points – stage 2). Successful completion of all Stage 1 requirements [120 CATS] is essential before students can proceed to Stage 2: the Dissertation element of the MSc.
Please note: • NMP7002 Health Assessment has an OSCE is Pass/Fail and must be successfully completed.

• * Some modules may have restrictions and students must hold the relevant professional registration or be working in the practice area.
• All modules are currently under review and are subject to change for 2026/27.
• This programme involves a supervised clinical placement within health services in Northern Ireland.

Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice Specialist Pathways:

The pathways have been developed recognising that students are committed to personal and professional development. We have developed nine pathways and supporting modules, some of which require the student to be working in a relevant area of practice. To graduate with the MSc in Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice with a specialist pathway, students must complete one of the compulsory research modules, two pathway-specific modules, three optional modules and a dissertation.

Pathway 01: Leadership and Management

The leadership and management pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in leading and managing services across health, social care and independent sectors. The pathway modules focus on leadership and management theories and models and their practical application to the transformation and delivery of care and support in the context of multi-agency collaboration and service design and delivery.

Pathway 02: Critical and Acute Care

The critical and acute care pathway offers students an opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in the assessment, care and support of patients in critical and acute care services, including respiratory, cardiac, anaesthetics, HDU and ITU settings. The range of pathway modules focus on the assessment and management of patients in critical and acute care environments and the delivery of safe and effective care and support in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration
Students completing this pathway must be an NMC registered Adult Nurse, or eligible to join the NMC register as an Adult Nurse. Some modules require experience in specific areas of practice.

Pathway 03: Mental Health Care

The mental health care pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in contemporary advances and developments in mental health practice to enable the delivery of empathic, holistic assessment and care of patients experiencing mental ill-health and the support of their families and carers. The pathway modules focus on advances and developments in mental health care and treatment and delivery of safe and effective mental healthcare services in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration.

Pathway 04: Cancer Nursing: Supportive and Palliative Care

The cancer pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in the specialist knowledge and skills required to deliver contemporary, holistic, high-quality evidence-based care for patients with cancer and the support of families and carers. The pathway modules focus on biomedical aspects of cancer and holistic care and the design and delivery of cancer services through strategic leadership in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration.

Pathway 05: Care of Older People

The care of older people pathway offers students an opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in contemporary advances and developments in the care and support of older people. The pathway modules focus on the assessment and management of older people across primary, secondary and tertiary care, frailty and rehabilitation, and health and wellbeing in later life in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration.

Pathway 06: Intellectual Disabilities

The intellectual disabilities pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in the contemporary advances and developments in intellectual disability practice to enable the delivery of empathic, holistic assessment and care for people with intellectual disabilities and the support of their families and carers. The pathway modules focus on advances and developments in intellectual disability care and support and delivery of safe and effective services in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration.

Pathway 07: Care of Children & Young People

The children and young people pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in the contemporary advances and developments in the care and support of children and young people in the delivery of empathic, holistic care of patients and the support of their families and carers. The pathway modules focus on advances and developments in the care and support of children and the delivery of safe and effective care and services for children and young people in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration.

Pathway 08: Practice Education

The practice education pathway offers students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in contemporary theories and models of practice education to enable the delivery of clinical interventions to meet the needs of patients in a range of care settings. The pathway modules focus on education research, theories, models, assessments, skills teaching and evaluation to support the delivery of safe and effective skills sharing and clinical interventions in the context of inter-disciplinary team collaboration and person-centred care.

Pathway 9: Maternal and Family Health

The maternal and family health pathway, is open to Registered Nurses and other Healthcare Professionals; offering students the opportunity to develop their knowledge, critical thinking and skills in the contemporary advances and developments related to maternal and family health, well-being and care. The pathway develops the knowledge of professionals to enable them to engage in the provision of effective, evidence-based maternal care within the wider context of families and communities, by focusing on the implementation of interdisciplinary team collaborations.

Research Modules and Dissertation

All students must undertake at least one of these modules:
Applied Research Methods and Statistics in Nursing; OR
Qualitative Research Methods

All students must undertake a 15,000-word dissertation, focusing evidence of critical appraisal, analysis and thinking to support rational and cogent arguments and practice discussion at Master’s level.

Specialist Optional Modules

Students will combine modules from the specialist pathways above with a selection of general modules, some of which are listed below.

• Evidence Based Practice
• Pharmacotherapeutics for Practice
• Independent Study Module

Please note that modules are subject to viable numbers, so the modules offered may vary. If you are interested in a subject that is not listed above, please contact the school for advice.

Contact Teaching Hours

Medium Group Teaching

9 (hours maximum)
hours of classes per week.

Teaching Times

Morning / Evening / Afternoon

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with this course are outlined below:

Clinical Placement

Students undertaking this programme will undertake a clinical placement in a clinical environment of their choice, which is tailored to meet the students' requirements. While on placement students will complete a portfolio, and meet defined learning outcomes. Note that students will normally need to have experience in the clinical environment they are placed in, and they will be required to give hands-on care to patients.

Learning Environment

At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable student to achieve their full academic potential.

On the MSc in Advanced Healthcare and Clinical Practice we do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enable our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, lifelong learners.

Teaching is across a combination of morning, evening and afternoon classes with some modules being taught entirely online.

Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course include; lectures, practical experiences, E-Learning technologies, self-directed study and added value qualifications to enhance employability.

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

• Students must successfully complete six modules including one compulsory research module and a dissertation. The pass mark for all taught modules and the dissertation is 50 per cent. Each module is assessed by coursework (some modules have a written examination). All students must also successfully complete a clinical placement. For Master’s Degrees, a pass with distinction will be awarded only when the following three conditions have been satisfied: an overall programme mark of 70+ is achieved, a mark of 70+ is achieved in the dissertation module and a weighted average (truncated to an integer) of 65+ is achieved in the other modules.

Facilities

The School of Nursing and Midwifery at Queen's has one of the most advanced Clinical Education suites in Europe, with a new state of the art Simulation Centre opened in autumn 2020. This will prepare students for the increasingly challenging and complex realities of modern clinical practice.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofNursingandMidwifery/ClinicalEducationCentre/

Modules

Career Prospects

Introduction

This Masters programme offers an opportunity for students to develop skills of analytical thinking within a clinical context. Alongside this, the programme facilitates the student's continued professional development. Graduates of this programme progress into management and leadership roles, or continue into a research or education capacity.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Future Ready and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with our local world-class healthcare providers helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.

Prizes and Awards

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1	£7,700
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2	£7,700
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1	£10,400
EU Other 3	£23,000
International	£23,000

Please note the tuition fee on this course is not subject to an annual inflationary uplift.

¹EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

² EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

³ EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

There is an additional placement charge which is for the provider facilitating the clinical experience. This is collected by QUB Student Finance and is passed on to our placement partners. The placement charge for 2026-27 is £5,000 per year.

Students are responsible for funding travel, accommodation and subsistence costs. These costs vary depending on the location and duration of the placements.

Students must wear the appropriate uniform and name badge at all times whilst on placement. The cost for one set is approx. £40. You may wish to purchase two sets for ease. There will also be a name badge cost of £8

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

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

How to Apply

Apply using our online Queen's Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Apply now

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.

Download a prospectus