Program Overview

It is a clinically focused course designed to equip you with high-level critical, evaluative and clinical skills across the four pillars of advanced practice (research, education, clinical and leadership).

• The course provides you with a coherent programme of study relevant to current advanced musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy practice.
• It also offers a wide range of educationally transformative learning opportunities that will enable you to explore and extend the skills, knowledge and professional expertise required to be able to lead and influence musculoskeletal service delivery in a wide range of practice settings.
• The MACP pathway offers 150 hours mentored clinical practice placement2, 5 (sourced by the university) where skills and knowledge gained on the course are applied to the practice setting.
• You will learn from our experienced teaching team in the state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building which provides a stimulating learning environment for healthcare professionals.

Why you should study this course

Physiotherapists in advanced practitioner roles are expected to be clinical experts in their fields who provide leadership and strategic vision and contribute to teaching and research. Postgraduate education is essential for physiotherapists taking up these roles to allow them to work at the optimum level of their skill set and to support development of the key qualities required for advanced practice. These include the ability to draw on the evolving evidence base, the capacity for leadership, the ability to be innovative and to initiate change, to facilitate learning in others and the capacity for effective collaboration (CSP 2018; HEE 2018).

The clinically focused programme has been re-designed to support the development of specialist physiotherapists within the changing social and healthcare landscape. It is aimed at fully qualified, experienced and highly motivated practitioners who want to make a difference to clinical practice and work in senior clinical roles. It aims to equip practitioners with advanced level knowledge and skills capable of promoting MSK health, providing safe, effective, high-quality care in the diagnosis and management of individuals with MSK disorders.

Alongside this, the course aims to develop physiotherapists who will excel as clinical leaders with the capacity to influence local service delivery; foster evidence-informed practice; lead clinical teams and contribute to the education of the local healthcare workforce. The overall course aim is to produce graduates who will operate at the highest level of practice ready to move into senior clinical roles such as first contact practitioners, advanced physiotherapy practitioners, clinical specialists and consultants.

Two pathways are offered on the MSc course: the MACP pathway (HLST246) and non-MACP pathway (HLST247). You are required to choose which pathway you will undertake at the outset of the course.

The MACP pathway has been established for students who wish to complete a period of mentored clinical practice with a Musculoskeletal Association of Physiotherapists (MACP) qualified mentor. The placement can be sourced for you by the university2, 5 and there are no additional fees for the period of mentored clinical practice (additional costs may apply such as travel and accommodation with respect to the placement). This MACP pathway leads to an additional qualification of membership to the MACP (additional fees apply). The placement module facilitates the consolidation and application of university-based learning to the clinical setting and allows for fully authentic development of advanced level clinical practice in MSK Physiotherapy in the workplace.