TEF Gold Undergraduate course

BSc (Hons)

Professional Development in Critical Care

Designed to support and challenge nurses and allied healthcare professionals across all healthcare sectors to understand and implement the values and principles of advancing their practice within critical care.

Immersive learning

Explore the role of critical care in an ever-changing health service and how that role fits into the strategic picture of the NHS in the 21st century.

Practical experience

Develop inter-professional relationships and learn to work more effectively across professional and organisational boundaries to enhance the care you give.

Shape future healthcare

Become a challenging and critical thinking practitioner with a range of transferable skills who can effectively contribute to service enhancement.
BSc (Hons) Professional Development in Critical Care
About Details Experience Careers Fees and funding Apply

About

Flexibly designed programme enabling you to ‘step on and step off’ over a five-year period in response to service need and professional circumstances. Develop confidence, competence and emotional resilience to consistently exercise personal responsibility and professional accountability for decision making and the provision of high-quality safe care.
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This course is for you if...

you want to study a programme that values prior experiential learning and experience
Stethoscope over heart
you want to develop your clinical management planning skills to promote high-quality patient-focused care
Two healthcare professionals, one with stethoscope
you want to become a challenging and critical thinking practitioner with a range of transferable skills
Door opening to healthcare setting

Details

Year 1

This programme offers the awards of BSc /BSc (Hons), Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma. 
BSc – to achieve a BSc you will need to earn 80 credits by undertaking four 20 credit core modules.
BSc (Hons) – to achieve a BSc (Hons) you will need to earn 120 credits by undertaking five core modules – four 20 credit modules and one 40 credit module.
If you have previously obtained a health related degree at 2:2 or above are eligible to access the programme via the Graduate Certificate or Graduate Diploma route – please see panel below for further details.
The module ‘HEAD361 – Independent study’ is only a core module for students who wish to achieve the BSc (Hons) Professional Development in Critical Care.
For further information on the modules that make up this programme please visit the BSc (Hons)/BSc Professional Development modules . 
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The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Experience

 
 

Graduate Certificate and Graduate Diploma

If you have previously obtained a health related honours degree at 2:2 or above, you are eligible to access this programme via the graduate certificate/diploma route:
Graduate Certificate Professional Development in Critical Care – 60 credits at degree level
Graduate Diploma Professional Development in  Critical Care – 120 credits at degree level
Students seeking to achieve either qualification will be required to achieve the specified number of credits by choosing from a range of pathway specific modules.
Please contact the Professional Development Unit at PDUAdmissions@plymouth.ac.uk for further information.
A student walks down the aisle towards the stage on her graduation day
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Life in Â鶹´«Ã½

Â鶹´«Ã½'s maritime history and coastal location have an undeniable influence on life in the city. The walk from our main campus to the seafront is only about one mile, providing loads of opportunity to relax and unwind during your studies. You don’t need to leave the city to get to the coast!
 

The overall vibe of the city is perfect. You are by the sea so it is still laid back, but you have all the conveniences of living in a city.

Jenna
Current student

Students sitting on the Barbican
Life in the city
Discover what Â鶹´«Ã½ and its unique geographical location have to offer
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Explore your accommodation options
Discover our range of student accommodation options and find out how you can get a guaranteed place in halls
Our large student population, active Students' Union, and abundance of student-led clubs and societies blend to create a busy and vibrant student scene

Careers

Why emergency care?

Emergency medicine is an exciting speciality to be involved with - we are growing in size and influence, with an ongoing revolution of what emergency departments are responsible for. The benefits to students are mainly 'personal' and 'career'.
Emergency care as an area of medicine has grown dramatically in profile over recent years, the unpredictable and challenging nature of the work proving the real challenge which appeals to a certain type of person; one who likes to know that every day will be a challenge, that every day will be different and they will always need to be thinking on their feet, dealing with pressure and testing themselves to the limit.

Opportunities for postgraduate study

Be at the forefront of changes to the traditional ways of working and become a Clinical Practitioner (CP) with MSc Advanced Critical Care Practitioner  
You’ll be equipped with the knowledge and skills to assess, diagnose, treat and manage patients who present with undifferentiated and undiagnosed conditions, across all sectors of healthcare.
Certain clinicians can also exit as a non-medical prescriber, i.e. nurses, pharmacists and optometrists can become independent and/or supplementary prescribers, whilst radiographers, physiotherapists and podiatrists can become supplementary prescribers.
 
MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Clinical Practitioner) class - lecturer holding a patients leg

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

 
 
 
Tuition fees for part-time UK students starting in 2026-2027 academic year
Part-time study
The fee for this programme is dependant on the modules undertaken. Please see the relevant module webpages for further information.
 
 

Tuition fee price changes
In November 2024, the UK Government announced an increase to tuition fees and maintenance support for 2025/26 academic year, setting the standard tuition fee and student maintenance loan at £9,535 per year and the University’s tuition fees were increased to this rate.
The UK Government has indicated that further fee increases may be announced this year and in subsequent years. If the UK Government does so, the University may increase annual tuition fees in subsequent years, which may include the fees for the 2026/2027 academic year, in line with the Student Contract and all times in line with the maximum tuition fee caps set by the Government. More information about  fees and costs of studying .
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Apply

 
 
 
 
 
 

Entry requirements

 
 
 
To be eligible for the BSc or BSc (Hons) programme you will need to be either a registered health and social care professional or a health and social care worker in possession of previous study at level 5 (foundation degree / diploma of higher education).
If you wish to undertake the graduate certificate and graduate diploma award pathways you must already hold an honours degree at 2:2 or above in a health or health related subject.
You will need to be working in an environment where you can meet the module learning outcomes.
Applicants whose first language is not English must also provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English in accordance with the University’s Admissions Code of Practice – minimum overall International English Language Testing System (IELTS) of 6.5 average with a minimum 5.5 in each category.
AP(E)L:
Claims for credit for prior learning, whether certificated or experiential are accepted and will be assessed following University regulations and faculty procedures.
Extended entry requirements
Applying
Please use the Apply button bellow and return the form to: 
What happens after I apply?
You will normally receive a decision on your application within four weeks of us receiving your application. You may be asked to provide additional information, to take part in an interview (which in the case if you are an overseas student may be by telephone or video conference) or you will be sent a decision by letter or email.
If you have a disability and would like further information about the support provided by Â鶹´«Ã½, please visit our Additional support for students with an impairment, health condition or disability website.
 
 
 
Institution code
NA
Duration

5 years

Course type

Part-time
Study location
Â鶹´«Ã½
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