Physician Associate Studies

This course is not accepting applications for deferred entry.

University of Brighton has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

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Course summary

The Physician Associate MSc is taught by UK trained PAs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives and paramedics. You learn from the multidisciplinary team that you will work with in the future. It equips you with the skills to take a medical history, perform physical examinations, request and interpret investigations, diagnose and develop treatment and management plans. The integrated curriculum ensures our graduates are optimally prepared for the PA Registration Assessment (PARA). It includes significant time in local and regional clinical placements and simulation facilities. The PA programme launched in 2016, with the first graduates exiting in 2018. We have a 100% pass rate on the PA National Exam. The student experience is at the heart of how we deliver the course and we encourage an open and honest dialogue with our students throughout their two years. It is a very challenging but ultimately very rewarding experience. At a time of significant change in the NHS, PAs are playing a valuable role supporting doctors and the wider team in the diagnosis and management of patients. For further information on Physician Associates, please visit the Faculty of PAs at the RCP website here. To understand what a Physician Associate does on a day-to-day basis, visit the NHS ‘explore roles’ page where you will find more information and videos. You can also keep up-to-date with our own BSMS PAs Twitter channel @BSMSPAs.

Modules

Year One Biomedical and Clinical Sciences for PAs – A (includes problem-based learning) (60 credits) Clinical Skills for PAs – A (includes communication and physical exam skills) (30 credits) Clinical Practice for PAs – A (GP placements) (15 credits) Pharmacology and Prescribing for PAs (15 credits) PA as a Professional Evaluation Report (PAPER) – A (10 credits) Year Two Biomedical and Clinical Sciences for PAs – B (15 credits) Clinical Skills for PAs – B (15 credits) Clinical Practice for PAs – B (clinical placements in regional secondary care trusts and GPs) (70 credits) Preparation for Practice (student selected placement within affiliated trusts) (10 credits) Evidence Based Practice (3000 word dissertation) (20 credits) PA as a Professional Evaluation Report (PAPER) – B (10 credits)

Assessment method

Year One One day a week is spent in a General Practice placement and the remaining three days on campus for large and small group teaching, clinical skills and anatomy. Friday teaching is delivered online, consistent with the latest evidence and best teaching practice. There will be some Fridays, were assessments or teaching are best suited to in-person delivery, and attendance on campus is required. Adequate notice is provided as to mode of delivery. In the second year of study, students are on placement in one of the three regional trusts; East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (ESHT), Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust (SASH), University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust. Time is also spent at Sussex Partnership NHS Trust for Psychiatry placements in Crawley.

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

Course does not award QTS

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:: BB96

Institution code:: B72

Campus name:: Brighton

Campus code:: B

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

Year 1

International applicants

A UK PA qualification does not currently entitle graduates to work as PAs outside of the UK. EU nationals are required to pay international fees and are not eligible for student funding from the UK government. However, there are exceptions to this for Irish nationals and EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. For the latest information, please see gov.uk/student-finance. If you do not have settled status in the UK and require a work visa, then you will be fee assessed as Overseas and will therefore be subject to the International fee rate. Fees are charged per year. There are expected rises each academic year in line with inflation.

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Applicants require a 1st or upper second-class (2:1) degree in life sciences or another health-related undergraduate degree within the past five years. Applicants should also have some healthcare related experience in the form of work or shadowing.

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.bsms.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught-degrees/physician-associate-studies.aspx

English language requirements

Test	Grade	Additional details
IELTS (Academic)	7.5	No element below 7.0

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

There is no data available for this course. For further information visit the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England	£9535	Year 1
Northern Ireland	£9535	Year 1
Scotland	£9535	Year 1
Wales	£9535	Year 1
Channel Islands	£9535	Year 1
Republic of Ireland	£9535	Year 1
EU	£17250	Year 1
International	£17250	Year 1

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

The fees listed in the table above are for full-time UK undergraduate students in academic year 2025-26. You will pay further fees in each year of your course. Fees may increase each year. UK undergraduate and certain postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government. The annual fee increase will not exceed the UK government's maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant academic year. Many of our courses include the option of a salaried placement year. Tuition fees for a placement year are charged at a lower rate of £1850. The international tuition fees listed above are for full-time courses during the academic year 2025-26. Further tuition fees are payable in each year of study. Non-regulated tuition fees, which usually apply to international students and UK postgraduate students* are subject to an annual increase of a maximum of 5% or the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), whichever is higher. *Some designated postgraduate courses are regulated by the UK government – the annual fee increase for eligible UK / Home students on these designated courses will not exceed the UK government’s regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant academic year.

Sponsorship information

A training grant of approx. £5,125 split across the two years from NHS England (NHSE) has been available for students. This has been available to all students of PA programmes regardless of the university they study at. Universities do not receive confirmation that this will continue until the start of the academic year. Should this continue, it will be received by the university and automatically deducted from your fees. Please note that students do not need to apply for this.