The PCert and MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare is a flexible, part-time, multi-professional programme. It has been designed specifically for qualified, registered healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, GP Fellows, physiotherapists and therapists working in primary, secondary or community care, who wish to develop their academic skills alongside their professional role.

This part-time, flexible, multi-professional Master's-level qualification is suitable for all healthcare professionals and offers opportunities for Accreditation of Prior Experiential and /or Certificated Learning or Credit Transfer. 

Who is the programme for?

• Healthcare professionals who wish to develop their academic skills alongside their professional role. 

• GP trainers who have successfully achieved PCert or PDip in Strategic Leadership and Multi-professional Education in Healthcare, can continue to study for a full MSc award by direct access into the Postgraduate Diploma.

• Professionals who have successfully completed WL600 Woundcare Module with Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust. You can convert a percentage of your credits via APECL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning) as direct entry to the programme.

• Post-CCT Fellowships for GPs. HEE offer fellowships for early career GPs. The PCert in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare provides the academic component for the Education and Leadership Fellowship, with students gaining the research and evaluation skills required to undertake a project negotiated with the sponsoring CCG. More information on the Fellowship scheme can be found at https://kssdeanery.ac.uk/post-cct-fellowships

One to one academic support is also provided by the Kent Academic Primary Care Unit, who work alongside the Centre for Professional Practice to deliver the teaching for GP Fellows.

Requests for APECL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning) or Credit Transfer

You are encouraged to convert prior learning achievements into University of Kent academic credit via Accreditation of Prior Experiential and/or Certificated Learning. To be eligible for accreditation, prior learning must be at the appropriate level and relevant to the programme's learning outcomes. For further information, visit: https://www.kent.ac.uk/cpp/programmes/apecl.html

Study structure

Taught by expert academics and clinicians, you broaden your expertise, deepen your knowledge and hone your research skills while gaining a recognised qualification to help progress your career. The programme is delivered through a variety of teaching methods, including taught sessions and work-based learning, self-study, case-study analysis, individual and group tutorials, projects and presentations. Online learning recourses are available on our virtual learning environment.

Teaching is structured around a series of extended taught weekends (on average four weekends a year at our Medway campus), Friday - Sunday, 9.00-17.00.

Alternative exit awards 

The programme has the following alternative exit awards, subject to credit numbers:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare (60 credits)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare (60 credits - 120 credits in total)

The Centre’s programmes are designed to enhance career progression and foster intellectual and professional development and practice. Dr Debbie Reed, the Head of the Centre and Programme Lecturers discuss the importance of multi-professional, part-time, work-relates studies.

The Centre for Professional Practice (CPP)

The programme is delivered by the University of Kent's Centre for Professional Practice (CPP), based in Medway. The Centre offers multi-professional, flexible, part-time, work-related studies and is founded on the belief that employers can benefit from the University of Kent’s academic and research excellence, quality teaching, design and development activities to create positive change and to forge new knowledge within their organisation.

We work with a wide range of external partners and employers to create distinct and original work-based and work-related developmental and educational solutions, which respond to the unique workforce challenges experienced by employees and organisations across the region and beyond.