TEF Gold Undergraduate course

BSc (Hons)

Professional Development in Long Term Conditions

This programme will build on your ability to care for patients with long-term conditions as well as enabling you to support your patients to manage their own health and agree a care plan based on their personal needs.

Immersive learning

Develop effective partnerships with members of the multi-disciplinary team by respecting each professional’s role and responsibilities, while also gaining the skills to improve patient care through better collaboration across professional and organisational boundaries.

Practical experience

Engage in a programme designed to reflect the current health and social care priorities in managing long-term conditions, offering flexibility and responsiveness to meet both employer needs and evolving service delivery requirements.

Shape future healthcare

Choose optional modules that align with your specific work role and support your development as a critical and reflective practitioner. Build a broad set of transferable skills, and contribute effectively to improving services.
BSc (Hons) Professional Development in Long Term Conditions
About Details Experience Careers Fees and funding Apply

About

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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. Gain the knowledge and ability to care for patients with long-term conditions and assist them to manage their own health by creating care plans based on their individual needs.

 

This course is for you if...

you want a flexibly designed programme enabling you to ‘step on and step off’ over a five-year period in response to service need and professional circumstances
Stethoscope over heart
you want to develop the confidence, competence, and resilience to take responsibility for your decisions and deliver safe, high-quality care
Two healthcare professionals, one with stethoscope
you'd like to explore current therapeutic, technological, and complementary interventions to help empower patients and their families to live life to the fullest
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you are eager to underpin your interventions with the best available evidence, contemporary knowledge and high-level clinical decision-making skills
Healthcare worker with clipboard and patient. Physiotherapy

Details

Programme overview

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 two 20 credit core modules and up to two optional modules adding up to 40 credits.
BSc (Hons)– to achieve a BSc (Hons) you will need to earn 120 credits by undertaking three core modules - two 20 credit modules and one 40 credit module - and up to two optional modules adding up to 40 credits.
Students who 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 Long Term Conditions award. For further information on the modules that make up this programme please visit the BSc (Hons)/BSc Professional Development modules - P
Link to Article: BSc (Hons)/BSc Professional Development modules
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Examples of optional modules (not exhaustive)
HEAD362 – Clinical decision making in healthcare practice
HEAB396 – Diabetes mellitus
HEAC368 – Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – management in primary care
Healthcare long-term conditions
 
 
 

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

 
 

Previous experience

If you have previously obtained a health related honours degree at 2:2 or above, you are eligible to access the course via the graduate certificate/diploma route:
Graduate Certificate Professional Development in End of Life Care - 60 credits at degree level
Graduate Diploma Professional Development in End of Life 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.
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Life in Plymouth

Plymouth'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

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Life in the city
Discover what Plymouth 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
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Get involved with one of our many student groups
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

Opportunities for postgraduate study

Be at the forefront of changes to the traditional ways of working and become a Clinical Practitioner (CP) with our MSc Advanced Professional Practice (Clinical Practitioner)
Link to Course: Advanced Professional Practice (Clinical Practitioner)
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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
UK tuition fees caveat
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On Monday 20 October 2025, the UK Government announced its intention to increase tuition fees for home undergraduate students in line with inflation from 2026 onwards.
Along with other universities in the UK, the University of Plymouth intends to apply this new fee. Whilst the exact details have not currently been announced, it is expected that the increase will be in the region of £400, increasing the annual tuition fee to £9,935 for 2026, which will then be subject to automatic inflationary increases thereafter. However, implementation of this increase will be subject to further Government guidance and legislation. 
The University will give further details to both prospective and current students as soon as the Government has issued further information.. More information about fees and costs of studying
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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). You will also need to be working in an environment in which end of life care needs are delivered.
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 as well as working in an environment in which end of life care needs are delivered.
If you wish to undertake any clinical skills modules as part of your programme you will need to be working in an environment where you can meet the 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.
RPL:
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

We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.
English language requirements generic for courses
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To be accepted onto a degree course with us, you must have a suitable English language qualification. 
Our English language requirements
Link to Article: International students – English language requirements
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When to apply

Applications for this programme can usually be made throughout the year. Please check the closing date and apply as early as possible as our programmes are popular.

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 University of Plymouth, please visit additional support for students with an impairment, health condition or disability.
Institution code
NA
Duration

5 years

Course type

Part-time
Study location
Plymouth
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    Open days are the best way to get a feel for studying an undergraduate degree at the University of Plymouth.
     
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