Skip navigation
Clinical Critical Care (Online Distance Learning) at University of Glasgow - UCAS

University of Glasgow

Degree level: Postgraduate

Clinical Critical Care (Online Distance Learning) (Taught)

Course options

2025 - 20262026 - 2027
Apply

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

The care of critically ill patients is a challenging and highly specialised area of health care practice. The polio pandemic in the 1950s led to the birth of the modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Another pandemic (Covid-19) has seen the term ‘ICU’ rise to prominence once again as the area in hospital where the most severely ill patients are cared for. Critical Care is a term that was repeated daily in the media during the pandemic. It is the specialty we practice in and are passionate about, and the area of health care we are dedicated to teaching at the University of Glasgow. WHY THIS PROGRAMME

  • Work and assignments are tailored in order for students to reflect on implementing knowledge and skills in their own unit, country or region.
  • Teaching will be delivered by experts in the fields of Critical Care via a state-of-the-art Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
  • Teaching sessions will include prerecorded lectures, online live webinars, practical demonstrations and peer discussion forums.
  • Study, in depth, a wide range of clinical and non-clinical topics pertinent to the practice of Critical Care.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE This programme is delivered fully online. The MSc consists of 10 core courses plus a dissertation. There are two exit points, the Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert)* and the Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip). The PgCert consists of a blend of clinical and non-clinical courses totalling 60 credits. The PgDip consists of 120 credits. Learning is done exclusively via a state-of-the-art Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) with emphasis on the research and governance principles which underpin contemporary practice, as well as leadership and management skills. The MSc/PgDip courses in year 1 are designed to introduce the academic skills required to complete the course and apply evidence based practice. The students will also start the in depth exploration of core clinical subjects in Critical Care and begin to produce independent reports/essays for submission online. In Year 2, students will further enhance their knowledge of core Critical Care subjects and be introduced to leadership & management principles as well as clinical governance and quality Improvement in Critical Care. In Year 3, MSc students will write a dissertation around a topic of their choice within their own professional domain allowing them to use the skills of academic enquiry learned. There will be opportunities to discuss clinical cases, policies, management pathways, research and other aspects with world leaders in the field of Critical Care education and the opportunity to form professional ties with them. Core Courses Clinical: Acute Kidney Injury Gastrointestinal Emergencies Neurocritical Care Nutrition in Critical Care Respiratory Failure Sepsis Trauma and Multi-Organ Failure Non-Clinical: Clinical Governance and Quality Improvement Leadership & Management in Critical Care Leading Care - Putting leadership into the health and social care context Leading improvement in care provision Research and Scientific Writing Skills Transforming care services *PGCert: During this programme you will be required to choose a blend of clinical and non-clinical courses all of which must total 60 credits. Please see the courses above and be specific in your application which ones you would like to study.
  • 40-50 credits from clinical courses.
  • 10-20 credits from non-clinical courses.
Specialism in Critical Care & Leadership You can choose to graduate with a ‘specialism’ in Critical Care & Leadership:
  • Leading Care - Putting leadership into the health and social care context
  • Leading improvement in care provision
  • Research and Scientific Writing Skills
  • Transforming care services
  • Critical Care and Leadership Dissertation
Students completing the Postgraduate Diploma will take no more than 120 credits. Students completing the Postgraduate Certificate will take no more than 60 credits.

How to apply

International applicants

International applicant information can be found via gla.ac.uk by searching for 'international'.

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in any Health Care profession (Medicine, Nursing, Physiotherapy, Pharmacy, etc.). We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent. All applicants must have relevant in hospital adult critical care experience. Please upload a CV and a short personal statement listing your clinical experience in caring for critically ill patients (no more than 150 words).

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

All fees are published on the University of Glasgow website. https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/feesandfunding/

Sponsorship information

Sponsorship and funding information can be found via gla.ac.uk by searching for 'scholarships'.

Clinical Critical Care (Online Distance Learning) at University of Glasgow - UCAS