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MSc

Advanced Practice in Non-Surgical Oncology

Develop your advanced practice within non-surgical oncology through flexible, personalised study aligned with national frameworks, strengthening clinical reasoning, leadership, education and research capability across multidisciplinary cancer care.

Everything you need to know...

  • Pound sign

    What is the fee?

    Home: £10,940 for the course
    International/EU: £11,150 for the course

  • Time

    How long will I study?

    3 Years

  • Location
  • Date

    When do I start?

    September 2026


Course summary

  • Join a flexible pathway to advance your scope of practice in non-surgical oncology. 
  • Learn remotely through personalised, work-based study and specialist support.
  • Strengthen your confidence and capability across the four pillars of practice.
  • Enhance care within radiotherapy, systemic anti-cancer therapy and acute oncology. 
  • Align with NHSE Multi-professional Advanced Practice Framework and Accend principles.

The MSc Advanced Practice Non-Surgical Oncology supports advanced development within your scope of practice – in areas such as radiotherapy, systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT) and acute oncology (AO). Through flexible, work-based learning, the programme develops your clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and reflective capability as an autonomous practitioner within employer and national framework requirements.   


How you learn

Learning is flexible, accessible and personalised – combining synchronous and asynchronous activities delivered through Blackboard and supported by PebblePad for reflective portfolio development. You’ll engage in active, collaborative and enquiry-based learning that promotes critical thinking, emotional intelligence and evidence-informed decision-making.

The programme uses structured online learning approaches that support progressive development of confidence, collaboration and analytical capability. Learning activities are grounded in authentic, practice-based tasks that connect theory directly to your professional context.

Research and inquiry underpin the programme’s teaching, learning and assessment. Through the mandatory Research and Innovation in Healthcare Practice module and a supervised dissertation, you’ll develop competence in designing and undertaking ethically sound research, service evaluations, or critical reviews relevant to advanced oncology practice.

You learn through:

  • interactive webinars and online seminars
  • work-based learning activities
  • reflective portfolio development
  • peer discussion and collaborative problem-solving
  • research supervision and dissertation support

Key themes

Grounded in the four pillars of practice, clinical, leadership, education and research, the course enables you to strengthen your contribution to multidisciplinary cancer services while promoting patient safety, ethical decision-making and service innovation.

You’ll develop critical decision-making and clinical reasoning skills within your defined scope of practice – in areas such as radiotherapy, systemic anti-cancer therapy and acute oncology – strengthening safe and effective patient-centred care.

You’ll explore leadership approaches, service improvement strategies and ethical frameworks that support innovation, quality assurance and patient safety in complex oncology services.

You’ll examine your role in mentoring, supervision, education and workforce development, strengthening your contribution to multidisciplinary teams and service sustainability.

You’ll critically engage with oncology research and national frameworks, developing the skills to evaluate evidence, undertake service evaluation and contribute to research-informed service improvement.

Course-level support

An Individual Learning Plan supports you in identifying goals, monitoring your development, and aligning academic study with your advanced practice scope. You’ll be part of a collaborative online community that enables professional networking and shared learning across oncology disciplines.

You’ll also be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled employment through a number of key areas, designed to help you balance master’s level study with professional responsibilities. These include:

  • guidance from research-active academics and oncology specialists
  • structured dissertation supervision
  • formative feedback across modules
  • peer collaboration within a multidisciplinary cohort
  • access to our Skills Centre for academic writing and study development

Applied learning

Applied learning is central to the programme. Your workplace serves as the primary site for development, enabling immediate integration of new knowledge into radiotherapy, systemic anticancer therapy or acute oncology practice.

Live projects

You’ll undertake work-based projects aligned to your defined scope of advanced practice. These may include service evaluations, pathway redesign, quality improvement initiatives or evidence-informed clinical innovations.

Your dissertation is an opportunity to investigate a practice-based question or service development need that’s relevant to your oncology setting.

Networking opportunities

Through collaborative online learning and engagement with an interprofessional teaching team, you’ll share experiences and practice insights with peers across radiotherapy and oncology settings.

Your learning is supported by advanced and consultant practitioners who contribute clinical expertise to the programme. You’ll also have opportunities to connect with wider professional communities, including national networks of radiotherapy and oncology practitioners.

Course leaders and tutors

Melanie Clarkson
Melanie Clarkson
Senior Lecturer

Staff profile for Melanie Clarkson, Senior Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Year 2

Elective modules

Module
Credits
Assessment
Final year

Compulsory modules

Module
Credits
Assessment


Future careers

This course supports progression towards advanced practice roles within non-surgical oncology, including radiotherapy, systemic anti-cancer therapy and acute oncology.

Graduates strengthen their contribution to:

  • advanced clinical roles within oncology services
  • service development and quality improvement initiatives
  • education and workforce development
  • research and evidence-informed innovation

Progression into formally recognised advanced practitioner roles remains subject to employer requirements and national framework criteria.

Equipment and facilities

This is a remote learning programme combining asynchronous and synchronous study. You’ll require regular access to a PC, laptop or Mac with reliable internet connectivity, and the digital literacy to engage with Microsoft Teams, Blackboard and PebblePad.

You’ll benefit from:

  • interactive virtual learning environments
  • reflective portfolio tools
  • research supervision and academic databases
  • collaborative online discussion spaces

Where will I study?

You study this course online from any location


Entry requirements

All students

Academic Qualifications

You must hold a degree in a related health care subject, for example BSc (Hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology or Therapeutic Radiography or a Diploma of the College of Radiographers (T).

Other formally certified qualifications

Equivalent, international academic and/or professional qualifications will be considered on an individual basis

Level of English language capability

If English is not your first language or you are an international student studying with us you must have an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill area.

Relevant work or work-related experience

You will typically be working in an extended / advanced role or moving into one within the field of radiotherapy and / or oncology. You must have managerial / employer support and a nominated mentor in a suitable role to support your development during the course. This will normally be a Health Professional already working within an extended / advanced role, a Clinician or a Consultant / Advanced Clinical Practitioner. To satisfy these requirements a letter of support from your manager / employer will be required before you commence the course.

You will need to have access to a reliable internet connection to support engagement with the course and have sound IT skills.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.


Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £10,940 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time. Our tuition fee for UK students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £3,650 per year.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting part-time study in 2026/27 is £11,150 for the course. The tuition fee displayed above is for the full course. If the full course is more than one year in duration, the fee will be divided into annual payments which will then be rounded. This may mean the total fee you pay is slightly higher than the fee stated above. If you take a break in study or have to re-take part of the course, you may also be charged an additional fee and will be notified of this at the time.

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Scholarships and financial support

Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 277.7KB)

Legal information

Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.

 

How do I apply?

You apply for this course via our online application form.

Apply for September 2026

You can also use the application form above to apply for future years of entry.

Not ready to apply just yet?

Why not come to our next open day? Open days are the perfect place to talk to staff and students, visit our campuses and get all the information you need. Alternatively, feel free to ask us a question.

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Why choose us?

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Teaching

Rated Gold in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for the outstanding quality of our teaching and graduate outcomes

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Funding

Home students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year, eligibility applies

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Training

We are one of the largest training providers of health and social care in the UK, giving you access to cross-discipline learning

Where next?

Find out more about Sheffield Hallam's postgraduate opportunities and community.

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Information for international students including entry requirements by country and funding.

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