Advanced Practice In Intellectual Disabilities And Applied Education

MSc Distance Learning

Course Overview

UCAS code:
Duration: 3 years
Study type: Distance Learning
Napier code: 72716MM

As a practitioner in the public, health and social care services, you are expected to be innovative, provide leadership and make an advanced contribution in your professional role. This course will enable you to do just that in your specialised area of practice.

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Similar to our MSc Advanced Practice and Applied Education course, this route allows you to apply advanced practice and applied education to the specialisation of Intellectual Disabilities.

This part-time course allows you to extend your career, with the emphasis on teaching and learning methods. Rather than producing technicians, it aims to enhance the quality of health or social care by fostering a broader, deeper and more critical approach to intellectual disability practice and education. The course will prepare you for a deeper involvement in the development and communication of the theories behind your practice.

The applied education element of this course allows all nurses undertaking it to record the teaching qualification with the NMC. The course is also recognised by SEDA (the Staff and Educational Development Association), and accredited by the HEA (Higher Education Academy).

This course's aim is to encourage independent and autonomous learning, along with confident teaching and communication techniques. You'll build on your existing knowledge and skills to a point where you will be confident in your ability to participate more actively in your chosen field, particularly in the area of policy development and communication. With the support of our teaching staff, you'll learn to interpret complex materials independently and creatively, reflect on your learning, critically examine approaches to effective team building, and exercise judgement in relation to policy, workloads and professional practice.
  • intellectual disability care consultant
  • health or social care manager
  • lecturer
  • education manager
  • education consultant

What's it like?

A deeper involvement in the development and communication of the theories behind your practice.

Career prospects

We are one of the top universities in Scotland for graduate employability, with over 93% of our graduates in jobs or further study six months after graduating.

The course will prepare you for a more advanced level of your chosen career, specialising in the educational element of the field. It can also allow you to become more active in a research role.

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What's involved

Modular learning

Our courses are structured by modules which gives our students a flexible learning programme. Modules covered by this course:

On offer

Campus life

World class facilities


Developing our students, both professionally and personally, is at the heart of all learning at Edinburgh Napier and is embedded in our approach to Learning, Teaching and Assessment. We put the employability of our graduates at the core of everything we do and we are regarded as one of the Top 10 Universities in the UK for graduate employability.

We are proud to be investing £100m to provide some of the very best teaching and learning facilities and there are plans for a new student union in 2012/13.


Why I chose Edinburgh Napier

Requirements at a glance

Entry to the course

International students

Full-time study (per year)

The fees listed are stated per annum.

Part-time study (per year)

The fees listed are stated per annum.

Part-time study

The number of modules studied is dependant on the exit that you wish to achieve, for example:

  • A Grad Cert is 60 Credits (3 modules)
  • A Cert HE/Grad Dip/ HND is 120 credits (6 modules)
  • A Dip HE credit is 240 credits (12 modules)
  • A Degree is 360 credits (18 modules)
  • An Honours Degree is 480 credits

Please note that some part-time courses give modular exemptions for previous study and vocational experience. Advice is available during application.

Part-time study (per module)

  • A Postgraduate Certificate is 60 credits (3 modules)
  • A Postgraduate Diploma is 120 credits (6 modules)
  • MBA is 180 credits

Fees Table

Fees displayed are correct at the time of publication but the University Court reserves the right to make changes in fees at any time, and without notice, before or after the student's admission to the University.

Tuition fees are reviewed annually and will rise each year during your programme of study, at least in line with inflation.

Funding your study

We have lots of funding options available such as the postgraduate tuition fee loan for Scottish & EU students, specific scholarships for students from India and Africa, as well as bursaries & grants for those closer to home in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Visit our funding pages to find out what you could be eligible for.

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