Intro

This is a part-time top-up course for healthcare practitioners wanting to obtain an academic and professional qualification in a clinical speciality.

There are five clinical speciality awards reflecting contemporary clinical practice.

Acute Care
Cardiac Care
Emergency Care
Intensive Care
Neonatal Care

A wide range of modules means you can create your own study programme to suit your professional and personal aspirations. The clinical practice modules are either 20 or 30 credits and are all offered as shared delivery at level 6 and level 7.

We are known for our flexible approaches to practice-based learning, with course durations and intensities that can be adapted to your individual needs and outside commitments.

Our high quality teaching and research are renowned, and have an applied focus. We have established strong links with our clinical partners to ensure the provision of support and guidance for students both within the university and in clinical practice.

The recognition that patients come first in everything the NHS does, and the values of the NHS constitution – respect, dignity, compassion and working together for patients – are embedded in our curriculum.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code Not applicable. Apply direct to the university.

Part-time up to 4 years

how to apply

Scroll down to the entry criteria information for guidance on the application process for this course, and links to the module list and timetable.

Apply now for your place

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Course content

How this course is delivered

COVID-19 has changed everything. We’ve made some changes to the way our courses are taught to keep everyone safe and that will help you stay connected and involved in university life.

From the start of term in September, you’ll learn through a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that will provide lots of opportunities to interact and engage. Together with carefully managed access to libraries, labs, workshops and studios this means your studies are as collaborative, practical and flexible as possible.

Find out what these changes mean for this course

Course structure

To achieve the full BSc(Hons) you will need to complete 120 credits. You will accumulate 60 credits from clinical modules, and a further 60 from the research (20 credits) and dissertation (40 credits) modules.

Due to the clinical nature of the modules there is an expected 80% attendance requirement for the clinical practice modules.

You should expect 12 taught study days for 30-credit modules, and eight taught study days for 20-credit modules, attended as one day per week during the semester of study.

Modules are delivered in extensive mode over a semester. The course is delivered in a variety of ways, and is flexible enough to meet the needs of part-time students. Delivery is typically via e-learning, lectures, seminars, work-based learning, problem-based learning and simulation in our Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite.

You should be working a minimum of two days per week in a relevant clinical practice area, so that you can integrate theory and practice, and complete practice assessments. Assessments include clinical skills assessed by an appropriate practitioner in clinical practice.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Acute Care

To be awarded the BSc (Hons) Clinical Practice (Acute Care) degree, you will need to undertake three 20-credit clinical modules and the research and dissertation module. Your choice of 20-credit modules will depend on your clinical practice focus and can include:

Care of the Acutely Ill Adult
Respiratory Care Adult
Physical Assessment of Adults
End of Life: Principles of Care
End of Life Care for People with Long Term Conditions
Ophthalmic Outpatient Practice
Ophthalmic Surgical Practice
Ophthalmic Emergency Practice
Renal Care: Acute Kidney Injury
Renal Care: Dialysis and Enhanced Renal Care
Child Physical Assessment
Child Protection
Work-based Learning
Child: Care of the Critically Ill Child (Level 6)
Operating Theatre Practice (Level 6)

Cardiac Care

To achieve the Clinical Practice (Cardiac Care) BSc(Hons), you will need to undertake three 20-credit clinical modules and the research and dissertation module. Three 20-credit modules from the following list can be taken:

12-lead ECG
Acute Coronary Syndrome
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Heart Failure
Physical Assessment Cardiac and Respiratory Conditions

Nurse and doctor using diagnostic equipment

Emergency Care

To achieve the Clinical Practice (Emergency Care) BSc(Hons), you will need to undertake two 30 credit clinical modules and the research and dissertation module.

The two clinical modules are:

Emergency Care Admissions
Emergency Care Trauma

Intensive Care

To achieve the Clinical Practice (Intensive Care) BSc(Hons), you will need to undertake two 30-credit clinical modules and the research and dissertation module.

The two clinical modules are:

Intensive Care: Foundations of Practice
Intensive Care: Enhancing Practice

Neonatal Care

To achieve the BSc (Hons) Clinical Practice (Neonatal Care) degree, you will need to undertake two 30-credit clinical modules and the research and dissertation module.

The two clinical modules should be taken in the following order:

Work-based Learning
Neonatal Intensive Care and QIS

Careers

The course educates practitioners with at least one year of post-registration experience and facilitates career progression in a clinical speciality.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2020. They should be used as a general guide.

Qualifications and experience

Applicants to the course are normally expected to:

Have the equivalent of a health or social care related qualification to minimum of 120 level 5 credits.
Hold a current registration with a Professional Statutory and Regulatory Body.
Be employed in the UK and working a minimum of 2 days per week in a relevant clinical practice area (but module specific rules apply) supported by a designated clinical practitioner providing mentorship.
Have a minimum of one year of post qualified experience.

How to apply

You first apply for a module and are registered for the degree on your second module.

Online application guidance notes (pdf)
2019-20 Module timetable (pdf) Includes module dates and costs
Module withdrawal policy, with change/withdrawal form (pdf)
Sponsor form (other sponsors) (pdf)

Fees

Course fees

The cost of the course will vary according to which modules you decide to take. See the module timetable for further information or contact us.

Most students obtain funding through their trust, some choose to self-fund and others secure funding through scholarships or bursaries.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Health Sciences are listed here.

Where your course includes a placement, travel costs which are over and above your daily journey to university and dual accommodation costs may be reimbursed by the NHS learning support fund. Paramedic Science students and overseas students are not covered by the NHS scheme and travel costs for this course will be your responsibility. Find out more about the NHS learning support fund.
Specialist clothing and uniforms, where required, are included in the course fees.
DBS checks, where required, are included in the fees.
Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £100 if buying your own copies.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2020–21.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

Location

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city's reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year to the local economy, as much as tourism.

Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

You can also get involved with city festivals and events such as the Brighton Festival, the Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Science Festival, the London to Brighton bike ride, and the Great Escape festival of new music to name but a few. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Set in the South Downs, our Falmer campus is around four miles from Brighton city centre. 7,000 students are based here taking subjects including criminology, English, education, nursing and medicine, paramedic science, psychology and sociology. Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex stadium and beautiful Stanmer Park are right next door.

Specialist learning facilities at Falmer include the curriculum centre used by teaching and education students, which houses over 30,000 teaching resources and clinical skills and simulation suites used by health students. Psychology students learn in our applied cognition and flexible creative method labs.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence on site, as well as a library, restaurant, cafes, and a students' union shop and bar.

The campus sports centre has a fitness suite, activity studios and a sports hall. There is also a floodlit astroturf football pitch, netball and tennis courts.

Cycle lanes link Falmer with our other campuses and the city centre and there is a BTN BikeShare hub on site. There are regular bus services to the city centre and other campuses. Falmer train station is right next to campus and a nine minute journey to central Brighton.

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Newly refurbished atrium in the Checkland Building

Accommodation

Brighton: Falmer

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
Falmer campus is linked to the halls on Falmer campus and at Varley Park. All halls are self-catered, but if you prefer you can add in a food and drink plan.
- Paddock Field and Great Wilkins halls are on Falmer campus and offer a range of rooms
- Varley Park offers a mix of rooms. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there's a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you're balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties across the city.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private renting. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.