About Advanced Clinical Practice - Postgraduate Certificate in University of Limerick

The PG Cert in Advanced Clinical Practice is designed to enhance graduates’ critical thinking and develop evidence based practitioners as future leaders of effective services. Graduates will obtain in-depth knowledge of an area of Health Sciences to apply to their professional practice. 

Students can register on a fulltime or part-time basis.  Students must complete one core modules and 2-3 elective modules. The full-time option is completed over one academic semester. In the flexible part-time option, students register for one or two per semester and complete the qualification over two semesters. Offering the programme in this way addresses the educational, professional, clinical and financial demands of the student, the employer and clinical service.

The programme is designed to expand existing professional knowledge and to produce high quality evidence based practitioners who are better positioned to develop their individual disciplines as well as the wider health agenda. They aim to produce graduates who are committed to life long learning. The programme will offer participants the opportunity to critically examine and reflect on their own practice and to implement mechanisms of change to enhance current practice.

Objectives: Graduates will obtain in-depth knowledge of an area of Health Sciences to apply to their professional practice.They will reflect critically on their own and others’ learning styles and practice.

Programme Aims: 

• To discuss professional issues relating to the provision of healthcare services
• To examine the different sectors of patients/clients, service providers and models of service, and their differing needs
• To source, critically appraise and synthesise the most up-to-date research 
• To acquire advanced level of clinical reasoning and critical thinking
• To develop advanced level assessment and identification of service need in the students area of clinical practice
• To integrate research knowledge with clinical expertise and patient preference to establish the means of providing cost-effective, high quality clinical services​

From this Postgraduate Certificate, graduates will be able to describe and appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of the current range of theory and research in their clinical field.  There is the option for students to potentially progress from the PG Certificate in Advanced Clinical Practice to the MSc in Advanced Healthcare Practice (Taught MSc programme with dissertation component).

Academic qualification equivalents

• A four-year or three-year honours degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised university. First-division results are required with a minimum overall grade of 60%*.
• Particular programmes may require an interview and/or work experience.  

         *The programmes listed below have specific entry requirements. Please read carefully if you are interested in applying to one of these       programmes.

Masters of Mechanical Engineering/Aeronautical Engineering

• Students are required to hold a four-year or a three-year honours degree in a relevant discipline from a recognised university with a minimum average score of 70% or above and no backlogs.
• Students for both courses must also submit a written paper outlining the details of their Final Year Project as part of the application. 

MSc. Nursing

• A four-year or three-year honours degree in a relevant discipline from a first-level university. First-division results are required with a minimum overall grade of 65%.

English language requirements (one of the below):

• IELTS: Minimum score of 6.5* with no less than 6.0 in any component.

  *Please note some programmes have a higher IELTS requirement.

  **Please note, we can only accept Academic IELTS. General IELTS will not be accepted. 

• TOEFL : 580 (paper based) or 90 (internet based)
• PTE: a minimum score of 61 (with no section score below 59)

University of Limerick Highlights 

University of Limerick Cost of Living

The estimated cost of living for one academic year (9 months) at UL is: