Course summary
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 explore topics relating to FCP practice, including:
- communication strategies
- screening for sinister pathology
- integration of the wider determinants of health
- operational issues
- professional accountability
- 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, e.g. 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 your own professional practice
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for this course can be found on the course finder on the University of Essex website – www.essex.ac.uk
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £4410 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £4410 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £4410 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £4410 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £4410 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £4410 | Year 1 |
| EU | £9550 | Year 1 |
| International | £9550 | 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
Fees displayed are for 2026-27 entry. Fees for part-time courses are calculated pro-rata to the relevant full-time fee.
Tuition fees may be subject to annual increases in each year of study in line with inflation.
Provider information
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
CO4 3SQ