MSc Physician Associate Studies
Course Overview
The physician associate (PA) is one of the newest allied medical professions and presents a unique and exciting route to clinical care for graduates. Physician associates play a key role working as part of a multi-disciplinary team alongside doctors, nurses and the wider health care team to deliver care to patients of all ages. As a physician associate, you’ll take medical histories, perform clinical examinations, order and interpret test results, participate in clinical reasoning and diagnosis, and develop evidence-based patient management plans.Working in partnership with local NHS Trusts, our experienced and dedicated academic staff will support you to achieve clinical learning and skills development. We’ll guide you as you gain the theoretical knowledge that underpins the physician associate role and integrate this knowledge into your practice during your clinical placements.
Initially, you’ll focus on developing a thorough understanding of the academic knowledge underpinning the physician associate role. We’ll also support you to gain core clinical skills, developing your confidence and practical knowledge in the safe confines of our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Suites before you’re exposed to primary and secondary care environments and practice through short placements.
In the second year, you’ll have longer clinical placements in these areas, as well as gain experience in emergency care, paediatrics, mental health, and obstetrics. As a graduate, you’ll have competence in the core clinical skills of the physician associate and possess practical experience of health care procedures, ready for a career in this demanding and rewarding profession.
Highlights
- This course offers the high level of clinical knowledge and skills needed to achieve certification as a physician associate (PA) in the UK. To qualify to practice you’ll need to pass the National Certification Examination run by the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians (FPARCP) and enrol on the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR).
- Developed in response to employer-led demand for the physician associate role in the Greater Manchester area, this course offers you the opportunity to qualify to work in medicine as part of a multi-professional team in just two years.
- You don’t need prior experience in health care or health and social care qualifications to join this course. We welcome applications from graduates in areas such as biology, chemistry, engineering, psychology and other social sciences so long as you have some prior higher education knowledge of human biology and areas such as infectious disease, public health, molecular science or cell biology.
- You’ll have access to facilities in the flagship £31 million Bolton One building, including our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Suites, where you’ll be able to practice skills and develop knowledge using clinical equipment and simulators.
Key Features
- Our teaching team includes expert clinicians working in current practice alongside supporting and teaching students on the course. This ensures your clinical learning is at the cutting edge of practice.
- As well as in-class learning, simulated clinical experience and real-life clinical practice, this course includes time dedicated to supporting and preparing you for your first National Certification Examination.
- Personalised work-based learning through placements in various clinical areas in primary and secondary care facilities will complement your highly structured academic studies.
- Your Clinical Tutor will act as an advocate during your work-based placements, supporting you, your mentor and your assessors to agree on appropriate workplace activities that support your learning goals.
- You’ll gain first-hand clinical experience and have the opportunity to develop an invaluable network of professional contacts during your extensive time on clinical practice placements in Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- You should have at least a lower second class honours degree (2.2) in a life or health science subject.
- Alternatively, you should have at least an upper second class honours degree (2.1) in a science, engineering or social science subject, along with higher education credits (for instance, Open University modules) in human biology and either infectious disease and public health or molecular and cell biology, with an overall mark of at least 60%.
- Health care professionals (for instance, operating department practitioners, paramedics and adult nurses) with a Diploma of Higher Education with at least 50% overall and a minimum of two years experience in a professional role are invited to apply.
- You must also have GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent).
- If you don’t meet these requirements but have a level HE5 qualification in a relevant area, and recent honours-level or postgraduate credits linked to your profession (or relevant professional qualification), and a minimum of two years’ experience in a professional healthcare role, and a portfolio of supporting evidence, we’ll consider your application.
- You’ll be invited for an interview to ensure that you understand the requirements and level of this course and ensure it’s the correct course for you. We may also ask you to submit a portfolio of evidence in support of your application or undertake an assessment so that we can gauge your current academic ability.
- The interview process will involve face-to-face interviews with academic and practice staff. You’ll also be assessed on your values, behaviours, communication and problem solving skills. We’re seeking students who can demonstrate commitment to a career as a physician associate, who have excellent communication skills and who are caring, compassionate and courageous.
- If you’re successful at the interview stage, you’ll be asked to undergo occupational health screening and a DBS check.
- You’ll need to demonstrate that you’re of good health and good character and satisfactorily pass occupational health screening.
- We'll consider applications where appropriate work experience can be demonstrated in lieu of, or in addition to, the published academic qualifications in line with the University’s Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) procedures.
- This course involves working unsupervised with vulnerable adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
Physician associates are highly sought-after clinical professionals in the health care sector. This generalist role works under medical supervision, assisting doctors in a variety of health care settings. The physician associate profession is supported by the Department of Health, the Royal Colleges of Physicians and General Practitioners, and particularly by the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians (FPARCP).
The UK’s population is increasing and ageing. The demand for physician associates who can support GPs, hospital doctors and medical teams in acute and primary care is rapidly expanding. The role was developed in the United States in the 1960s, and is now a well-established health care profession. Introduced to the UK in 1993, the role has proved so valuable that the UK government has set targets to increase the number of physician associates working in the NHS.
Many parts of the UK offer promising employment opportunities, and some physician associates also work in the private sector.
Please note: the British Physician Associate programme does not qualify you to work in the USA.
What can I do with this qualification?
Alternatively, you might consider teaching and research posts or further study towards a PhD.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use this qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers. For some of these roles, relevant experience and/or postgraduate study may be required. Career areas include:
- Public health
- Management
- FE and HE teaching
- Clinical research
- Health promotion
- Overseas aid and development
- Universities
- Voluntary organisations
Professional Recognition
Physician associate courses in the UK are not currently subject to formal accreditation; however, this is likely to change in the very near future. In anticipation of this change the course will meet the Royal College of Physicians Faculty of Physician Associates draft accreditation standards.
All students will be registered with the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians (FPARCP).
On completion of the programme and passing of the National Certification Examination, you’ll be required to register on the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR) held by the FPARCP. This will incur an additional cost.
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Unfortunately, due to the limited number of places available for this course, we cannot accept direct applications from home students at this time. Please visit www.ucas.com to see details of the next available start date and learn how to apply for a place. We encourage you to apply as soon as applications open.
International Applicants
Thank you for your interest
In order to determine your suitability for this course as an international student and also to confirm you meet any initial eligibility criteria, we need you to answer a few short questions.
Teaching & Assessment
This full-time course is two years in duration, involving at least 106 weeks of learning (92 weeks of this is structured learning). This includes time dedicated to supporting and preparing you for your first National Certification Examination. This is a highly demanding course, so please be aware that you’ll be expected to complete at least 50 hours of learning per week.
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods. You can expect lectures, seminars, clinical simulations, service user simulations, work-based learning, seminars and group discussion, tutorials, guided study, and using virtual learning environments (VLE) and e-learning packages. Problem-based learning is an essential element of the course and allows you to identify your individual learning needs and develop critical thinking. You’ll also need to undertake a significant amount of personal study, including general background reading, preparing for seminar activities, working on assignments and revising for examinations.
Your studies will start by developing your underpinning knowledge of core medical science and the professional standards of a physician associate. You’ll learn clinical skills in our state-of-the-art Clinical Simulation Suites at the University – these are simulated clinical environments complete with simulated patients that allow us to mimic emergency clinical scenarios in a safe and supportive environment. This allows you to learn how to manage such situations and gain experience of the procedures and personnel involved before you further develop these skills in genuine clinical environments under supervision during your work-based practice placements. You’ll also begin to build a portfolio to demonstrate your development of competence in these clinical skills.
Your studies will involve a significant proportion of work-based learning at practice placements with our partner NHS Trusts (please note that travelling to various locations will be required). These will be woven into each learning block, and you’ll begin to apply your developing knowledge, skills and behaviours from your earliest weeks of the course. Your clinical placements will start in your first learning block, and your exposure to the clinical setting and differing specialisms will grow to reflect your increasing knowledge and skills. Most placements will be in Greater Manchester. However, please be aware that some may be in the Lancashire area, and it will be your responsibility to arrange travel to placement locations.
Once you have developed the key underpinning medical science knowledge, you’ll learn how to make safe clinical decisions and interpret the investigations and imaging you have ordered to further a patient’s diagnosis and care – this will prepare you for your role as a physician associate. Throughout the programme, you’ll be closely supported in both the University and clinical settings, and our focus will be on helping you achieve your individual learning needs.
In addition to learning how to diagnose and care for adults in hospital and other care settings, you’ll also learn to practice in different clinical specialisms, including paediatrics, General Practice, mental health, and emergency medicine. Other placement opportunities based on local health needs, your interests or learning needs may also be available.
You can expect a range of assessment methods, including essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, set exercises via multiple-choice questions, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), traditional examinations and assessment of practice within the practice setting. As well as completing the assessments set by the University of Bolton, you’ll develop a clinical portfolio and sit the Physician Associate National Certification Examination at the end of the course – the National Certification Examination is run by the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians (FPARCP) and incurs an additional cost. All students who qualify from UK physician associate programmes are required to pass the National Certification Examination before they can be declared fit to practice in the UK and must then undergo recertification every six years.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Anatomy, Physiology and Pathophysiology
- Foundations of Professional Clinical Practice and Core Procedures
- Advancing Skills of the Physician Associate, Health Education and Core Procedures
- Assessments, Diagnostics and Treatment Planning for Physician Associates
- Physician Associate Dissertation/Research Project
- Impact of the Physician Associate in Practice (Project)
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 33% Practical exams 25% Written exams 42% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Placement/study abroad 48% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 52% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
