Master in Specialistpractice

The tuition fee is 8,500 GBP per year, and the deadline to apply for the Dec 2026 intake is Sep 15, 2026.

Designed for registered professionals, this Postgraduate Diploma integrates academic rigour with 50% practice-based learning to advance clinical competence within health and social care settings. The programme is explicitly structured around the four pillars of specialist and advanced practice: clinical practice, leadership and management, education, and research.

Students benefit from a robust framework that combines taught modules with a structured clinical portfolio, documented via ePAD. This allows candidates to evidence specialist outcomes in real-time, supported by a dedicated Practice Supervisor and Practice Assessor within their own clinical environment. The programme fosters professional identity through specialty-specific learning activities and a focus on evidence-based improvement.

Clinical Integration

The curriculum is designed to be highly applied. Students must have a pre-agreed placement and supervisor before commencing, ensuring that every theoretical concept explored in the classroom is immediately tested and refined in the workplace. This model ensures that practitioners do not just study advanced care—they actively perform it, supported by academic mentors and clinical experts.

Queen's University Belfast is a historic and research-led university located in the heart of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded as Queen's College Belfast in 1845 and established as an independent university in 1908, Queen's combines a long heritage with modern ambitions. The campus sits within a designated conservation area and serves a diverse community of around 24,915 students, including roughly 3,500 international students, creating a lively and inclusive environment for study and social life.

Academically, Queen's is a Russell Group member with strong disciplinary strengths and a clear focus on employability. The university hosts four flagship Global Research Institutes addressing Global Peace, Security and Justice; Cyber Security; Health Sciences; and Food Safety, offering students opportunities to engage with impactful research. Career-facing initiatives such as Degree Plus and targeted employer workshops enhance internships, placements and graduate prospects, while sustained investment in campus infrastructure has delivered new teaching facilities, a student centre and a cutting-edge clinical simulation centre for health-related programmes.

For international students, Belfast offers an affordable and welcoming city experience with rich cultural life and efficient transport links across the UK and Ireland. University support services help with arrival, visas and accommodation, and a variety of clubs, societies and volunteering options make it easy to build networks and gain practical experience. Queen's is a strong choice for students seeking rigorous teaching, active research opportunities and clear pathways into careers in the UK and beyond.