Physician Associate Studies MSc

UCAS code:

Train for a rewarding career as a Physician Associate, working alongside doctors and multidisciplinary healthcare teams to deliver high‑quality patient care. This GMC‑ validated and regulated MSc programme has an excellent track record, with outstanding results in the September 2025 Physician Associate national exams.

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Overview

Course length:	2 years full-time
Start dates:	September 2026 September 2027
Location:	Edge Hill University
Example offers:	2:1 or above (or equivalent) in a bioscience or health-related subject View full entry criteria
Subject(s):	Medicine
Faculty:	Health, Social Care and Medicine
Department:	Medical School

A nurse with stethoscope speaks with a colleague.

Eager to work in medicine but looking for a role that offers both variety and continuity of care? Training as a Physician Associate through a combination of theoretical and simulated teaching and extensive clinical placements at Edge Hill University could be the perfect fit. Physician Associates are trained as generalists—working alongside doctors and multidisciplinary healthcare teams while bringing stability and consistency to patient care.

Once qualified, you will have the flexibility to practise across a wide range of specialties, including Acute Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Primary Care, Mental Health, Surgery, and Paediatrics, while continuing to build your knowledge and clinical skills throughout your career. Ideal for graduates from science or healthcare‑related backgrounds, this MSc prepares you for a rewarding, patient‑focused role in a rapidly growing profession.

During the course, you will gain valuable and relevant experience to provide high‑quality patient care under the supervision of a doctor, undertaking a substantial proportion of the programme in clinical placement through a home‑based trust model, allowing you to complete the core of your placements within your local NHS trust.

You will be taught by qualified Physician Associates and a range of expert clinicians within the multidisciplinary team, developing modern clinical skills using state‑of‑the‑art resources, including an Anatomage table, alongside opportunities for an elective placement in Year 2. You may also be eligible to receive financial support for travel costs associated with clinical placement.

Upon successful completion of the MSc Physician Associate course, you will be eligible to sit the Physician Associate Registration Assessment (PARA) set by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) and General Medical Council (GMC). The PARA is a national examination that must be passed in order to become fully registered as a PA with the GMC and legally practise in the UK. Please note, registration and regulation of Physician Associates is undertaken by the General Medical Council.

In September 2025, Edge Hill was among the top-performing HEIs in the UK for PA national results. Students achieved a 100% pass rate in the written exam—ranking second overall—alongside a 92% pass rate in the OSCE, with top-tier national rankings across clinical stations.

Course features

Professional practice placements

The clinical placements that the degree offers really helps build employability skills. You will gain many desired employment skills and importantly learn how to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Eleanor Kidd

MSc Physician Associate Studies

View student profile

What you'll study

Our MSc Physician Associate programme is aligned with a spiral curriculum incorporating five central themes. A spiral curriculum aligns closely with the medical model by reinforcing core scientific knowledge alongside its clinical application, revisiting topics with increasing complexity as learners progress. This approach reflects GMC expectations for integrated, outcomes-focused education—supporting the development of safe, competent practitioners who can apply knowledge effectively in real clinical settings.

The five central themes are:

Evidence-based medicine – analyse different research strategies and methodologies for conducting research. You will learn how to carry out a literature review, and study the planning, implementation and reporting of research activity.
Professional behaviours and capabilities – focus on the professional identity, ethics and values essential for the job. You will cover a range of subjects, including role development, teamwork, leadership, protected characteristics, and supporting vulnerable groups.
Clinical sciences – explore the underpinning scientific theory for the presentation of common diseases. You will study the bioscience behind investigative techniques and management principles, including anatomy, physiology, immunology and pharmacology.
Clinical care – discover day-to-day aspects of contemporary clinical practice. You will develop your professionalism skills, discover the importance of patient safety and diagnostic errors including human factors in clinical-decision making. You will also learn about the significance of clinical governance, public health and critical reflection.
Preparation for practice – comprehensive first-hand experience of clinical skills which includes history taking, examination and procedures which will prepare you for delivering high quality patient care. You will learn how to conduct and interpret a differential diagnosis and investigations, gain and understanding of medications, and suggest patient management plans. We will also hone your clinical reasoning, communication and record keeping skills.

Blending in-depth academic teaching with significant clinical placement experience, the programme ensures you develop both knowledge and real-world skills in tandem.

How you'll study

The varied approach includes face to face lectures, tutorials, practical sessions and online materials. You will enhance your skills to develop higher level critical thinking, clinical reasoning, reflection and writing consistent with postgraduate study.

Academic study comprises just under 50% of the course, with the remainder spent on clinical placements. You will complete clinical placements in hospital and community settings. This will provide you with invaluable experience of specialities including general hospital, emergency medicine, general practice, mental health, paediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology.

All placements will be arranged for you by the University and aligned to competencies determined by the GMC.

Upon full enrolment onto the course, you will be provided with university scrubs, gifted a stethoscope to be used whilst studying and on placement, and be offered the opportunity to be reimbursed for travel costs associated with placement by means of a “travel grant” in excess of £2700* from NHS England.

*The travel grant amount increases slightly per annum; you will be advised of the exact amount when enrolled.

How you'll be assessed

You will be assessed through a combination of written tests, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), presentations, essays and case reports. You will also compile a portfolio to demonstrate your professionalism and achievement of competence whilst on clinical placement. All components of the assessments must be passed to progress to the next year or to be eligible to sit the national examinations.

Who will be teaching you

The programme team comprises expert staff including highly experienced clinicians in areas such as emergency medicine, primary care, mental health, paediatrics and obstetrics and gynaecology.

Whilst on placement you will be supported by an educational supervisor (either a consultant or general practitioner depending on the setting) as well as clinical supervisors and the wider multi-disciplinary team.

You can expect to receive your timetable at enrolment. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day or evening of the week.

Entry criteria

You should have a degree equivalent to UK first-class or second-class honours (2:1 or above) in a bioscience, sport science or health related subject.

You must be able to evidence studying human bioscience content either in this degree or at Masters level.

If you are unsure if your degree is suitable or you do not meet the degree requirements but have relevant clinical experience or at least 2 years within the last 5 years, you are welcome to contact us via [email protected] to discuss your suitability for the course.

You should also have GCSE English Language and GCSE Mathematics at Grade C or Grade 4 or above (or equivalent).

An interview forms part of the selection process. We do not make offers without interview. Interviews usually take place between February and April.

Fitness to practice / Health requirements

If you accept an offer from Edge Hill you will need to submit a Declaration of Health in respect of physical and mental fitness and will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Enhanced Disclosure indicating that you meet the mandatory criteria of ‘Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults’. Further information will be sent to you after you have firmly accepted an offer.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will require IELTS 7.5, with a score no lower than 7.0 in each individual component, in line with General Medical Council requirements. This must be achieved prior to your application.

How to apply

Apply online through UCAS

Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, are eligible to apply for this course.

Please note this course is not available to other international students. Please see our A-Z of courses for alternative options.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Facilities

Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine

The Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine offers outstanding facilities for the education and training of health and social care professionals.

The contemporary teaching and learning resources include leading edge clinical skills facilities, an 860-seat lecture theatre, and a variety of teaching rooms and social learning spaces.

Where you'll study

Learning resources

The Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre offers a variety of simulated environments from home, through primary and emergency care, to secondary care and beyond. The flexible and adaptable facilities include a ward environment, operating theatre, an anatomy and ultrasound resource centre, a ‘Better at Home’ suite, clinical skills area and consultation rooms.

You will benefit from access to a wide variety of healthcare equipment, as well as a range of full-body patient simulators that can breathe, talk, have pulses and can simulate a wide range of symptoms and clinical conditions. This will enable you to undertake practical scenarios in realistic settings, providing ideal preparation for professional practice placements and future employment.

Finance

Tuition fees

£9,790

a year

For the academic year 2026/27 the UK Full-Time tuition fee is currently set to £9,790. Please note this is subject to Parliamentary approval and is likely to be increased in line with inflation (RPIX). There may be further inflationary increases in your subsequent years of study. Further details can be found at ehu.ac.uk/fees.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Tuition fees

£9,535

a year

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Your future career

To be employed as a physician associate, graduates must take the national exam set by the set by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP). You can find out more information on the RCP website.

Once you’ve passed the exam, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the GMC. You are required to have registration before you can work as a PA.

After registration, you can go on to work as a physician associate, within an appropriate clinical area.

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Physician Associate Studies

Physician Associate Studies MSc

Overview