Postgraduate Course

Postgraduate Certificate First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice

How to apply

Overview

The details

Course: First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice

Start date: October 2025

Study mode: Part-time

Duration: 1 year - 5 years

Location: Colchester Campus

Based in: Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (School of)

Our Postgraduate Certificate First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice course enables experienced musculoskeletal clinicians to gain academic recognition for their First Contact Practitioner training. The content of this course has been aligned with guidance from all national and professional groups involved in the development and delivery of this role.

The first module, First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice, has been designed to map to Stage 1 requirements of Health Education England's 'Roadmap to Practice' and the second module, Evaluation of Clinical Practice for First Contact Musculoskeletal Practitioners, evidences the Stage 2 clinical competencies. You will explore topics relating to FCP practice including communication strategies, screening for sinister pathology, integration of the wider determinants of health, operational issues and professional accountability. A clinical mentor is required to support your clinical learning but this mentor does not need to be 'Roadmap trained'.

Completing this course will enable you to demonstrate:

Advanced understanding of key concepts related to advanced musculoskeletal practice in primary care
Knowledge of how to assess complex health needs in the primary care environment (musculoskeletal presentations), diagnose, prescribe and provide individualised care
Knowledge of the relationships between diseases and the wider determinants of health eg psycho-social theories and individuals' responses to health and illness
Knowledge of how to critically appraise research findings and apply research evidence to question routine practice including relevant ethical and legal issues
Advanced ability to reflect upon one's own professional practice

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP).

Why we're great.

Teaching and assessment focuses on enabling high-quality patient-centred musculoskeletal care
Tutors provide excellent support to help you achieve academic, professional and clinical requirements
The course structure and organisation are designed to minimise barriers to learning; you do not need to travel to campus and study leave requirements are limited

Our expert staff

We have a range of University of Essex staff and external expert specialists who work with us. This pathway is supported by clinicians including FCPs and other experts, eg rheumatologist.

Specialist facilities

This course does not require attendance at the University of Essex but you will have access to facilities including online resources, such as the library and a digital learning environment.

Your future

This course will enable you, as a clinician, to gain academic recognition for your FCP education. It is suitable for clinicians employed as FCPs and for those intending to apply for this role, please be aware that the full pathway requires clinical supervision in musculoskeletal primary care.

Sport scholarships

Our Performance Sport Scholarship programme has been created for talented athletes playing at regional, national or international level, and offers a range of benefits. We want students competing in our focus sports (basketball, volleyball, tennis and football), as well as other team sports and individual athletes, to contribute to our performance sport programme. Our scholarships can include fee discounts of up to 100%, offered to athletes who demonstrate sporting excellence. Athletes who are awarded the scholarship may also receive a host of other benefits, including free kit, access to state-of-the-art facilities, performance coaching, the option to live in our Athlete Village (accommodation fees may vary) and a support package valued up to £1,500. These benefits are designed to help athletes focus on their training, and development, and to enable them to reach their full potential alongside their studies.

Entry requirements

UK entry requirements

Applicants should have a relevant first degree OR a relevant professional experience or qualifications that demonstrates ability to study at Level 7.

Applicants should also:

Have 3-5 years postgraduate experience in the field of musculoskeletal health
Be an experienced clinician who is already working clinically in their area of practice at level 7
Currently be registered with the relevant UK or equivalent professional body

This degree pathway is not available to students who require a Student visa to study in the UK.

International & EU entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications from applicants studying in the EU and other countries. Get in touch with any questions you may have about the qualifications we accept. Remember to tell us about the qualifications you have already completed or are currently taking.

Sorry, the entry requirements for the country that you have selected are not available here. Please contact our Graduate Admissions team at pgquery@essex.ac.uk to request the entry requirements for this country.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require IELTS 6.5 overall with a minimum component score of 5.5 in all components.

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Additional Notes

The University uses academic selection criteria to determine an applicant’s ability to successfully complete a course at the University of Essex. Where appropriate, we may ask for specific information relating to previous modules studied or work experience.

Structure

Course structure

Total credits: 60

The two modules you will take are:

SE761: First Contact Musculoskeletal Practice (30 credits)
SE786: Evaluation of Clinical Practice for First Contact Musculoskeletal Practitioners (30 credits)

Summary of module assessment and award structure (.docx)

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision for you. We'll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities as described on our website and in line with your contract with us. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to significant disruption, we'll let our applicants and students know as soon as possible.

Components and modules explained

Components

Components are the blocks of study that make up your course. A component may have a set module which you must study, or a number of modules from which you can choose.

Each component has a status and carries a certain number of credits towards your qualification.

Status	What this means
Core	You must take the set module for this component and you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component but you must pass. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory	You must take the set module for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Compulsory with Options	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.
Optional	You can choose which module to study from the available options for this component. There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the qualification if you fail.

The modules that are available for you to choose for each component will depend on several factors, including which modules you have chosen for other components, which modules you have completed in previous years of your course, and which term the module is taught in.

Modules

Modules are the individual units of study for your course. Each module has its own set of learning outcomes and assessment criteria and also carries a certain number of credits.

In most cases you will study one module per component, but in some cases you may need to study more than one module. For example, a 30-credit component may comprise of either one 30-credit module, or two 15-credit modules, depending on the options available.

Modules may be taught at different times of the year and by a different department or school to the one your course is primarily based in. You can find this information from the module code. For example, the module code HR100-4-FY means:

100

The department or school the module will be taught by.

In this example, the module would be taught by the Department of History.

The module number.

The UK academic level of the module.

A standard undergraduate course will comprise of level 4, 5 and 6 modules - increasing as you progress through the course.

A standard postgraduate taught course will comprise of level 7 modules.

A postgraduate research degree is a level 8 qualification.

The term the module will be taught in.

AU: Autumn term
SP: Spring term
SU: Summer term
FY: Full year
AP: Autumn and Spring terms
PS: Spring and Summer terms
AS: Autumn and Summer terms

COMPONENT 01: CORE WITH OPTIONS

(30 CREDITS)

COMPONENT 02: CORE WITH OPTIONS

(30 CREDITS)

Teaching

The teaching methods for the two modules include a diversity of methods. Your clinical competencies will be evidenced from clinical experience which will be supported by a clinical supervisor and academic supervisor. Teaching methods also include task-driven remote learning to prepare you for the teaching events (delivered using a digital platform).

Assessment

Across the two modules, you will be assessed by coursework, a patient presentation and completion of professional tasks.

Fees and funding

Home/UK fee

TBC

This CPD pathway allows you to study flexibly. Fees are therefore charged per module and may vary. A full list of current module fees can be found on the School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences CPD page, or by contacting msk@essex.ac.uk

International fee

TBC

Fees will increase for each academic year of study.

Masters fees and funding information

Research (e.g. PhD) fees and funding information

What's next

We hold Open Days for all our applicants throughout the year. Our Colchester Campus events are a great way to find out more about studying at Essex, and give you the chance to:

tour our campus and accommodation
find out answers to your questions about our courses, student finance, graduate employability, student support and more
meet our students and staff

If the dates of our organised events aren’t suitable for you, feel free to get in touch by emailing tours@essex.ac.uk and we’ll arrange an individual campus tour for you.

If you are intending to follow a modular programme, please email sres@essex.ac.uk. You will be guided through how to apply and we will refer you to the relevant programme or module lead to discuss your plans.

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

We recognise the importance of your previous academic learning and professional experience, and you can use both to gain credit value towards the specific programme you are interested in, known as Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning or APEL.

APEL is dependent on many factors. If you are interested in this option please email us at sres@essex.ac.uk before you apply. It is necessary to highlight any prior learning before you apply as the modules you wish to study may be dependent on this. For further information on our AP(E)L procedure, please review the University's Quality Enhancement information.

Application forms and supporting documents

PGCert Programme application

Programme application form (.docx)

Module application

If you are interested in applying for a specific module, you will need to complete the module application form:

Module application form (.docx)

Your application and funding

If you are being funded by your employer, please obtain your line manager's signature once you have completed the application form including how payment will be made and, if you work within the NHS, forward to your Education Liaison Manager for processing.

If you are self-funded, please complete the application form providing the required information and forward to our contracts administrator, who will then instruct you on how to make payments.

If you are being funded by a charitable organisation, please complete the application form, with the signature of the person providing the funds and the way in which they will be paying, and forward to our contracts administrator, who will then instruct your sponsor on how to make payments.

Once we have received your signed and completed application form we will write to confirm if you have been successful in gaining a place.

Module contact: Contact the team at msk@essex.ac.uk.

Downloads and related links

Other courses you may find of interest

Available as a standalone module or as part of MSc/PG Diploma/PG Certificate programmes offered, modules are at level seven:

Soft Tissue and Joint Injection Therapy – 15 credits
Introduction to Musculoskeletal Ultrasound – 15 credits
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Professional Practice – 30 credits
Advanced Musculoskeletal Assessment – 15 credits

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The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include, but are not limited to: strikes, other industrial action, staff illness, severe weather, fire, civil commotion, riot, invasion, terrorist attack or threat of terrorist attack (whether declared or not), natural disaster, restrictions imposed by government or public authorities, epidemic or pandemic disease, failure of public utilities or transport systems or the withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications. The University would inform and engage with you if your course was to be discontinued, and would provide you with options, where appropriate, in line with our Compensation and Refund Policy.

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