Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £3,650 for the course
International/EU: £3,720 per 60 credits -
How long will I study?
1 Year
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Where will I study?
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When do I start?
September 2026
Course summary
- Enhance your practice through a defined scope in your workplace..
- Complete a remote programme of flexible, work-based learning and academic study.
- Align your development with professional frameworks and the four pillars of practice.
- Strengthen evidence-based practice, critical reflection and creative thinking.
- Join an online community that supports networking and leadership development.
The PGCert Enhanced Level Practice Radiotherapy and Oncology aligns with the NHS England Enhanced Level Practice Schema for Therapeutic Radiographers and the College of Radiographers Education and Career Framework 4th Edition. You’ll enhance your knowledge and capability, grounded in the four pillars of practice – though your individual scope may focus on a particular pillar.
Come to an open day
Find out more at our postgraduate open days. Book now for your place.
How you learn
Learning on this course is flexible, accessible and personalised. Teaching combines synchronous and asynchronous activities delivered through Blackboard, supported by PebblePad for reflective portfolio development. The course is delivered by an interprofessional team of academics and healthcare professionals, enabling you to learn from diverse perspectives in a supportive online environment.
You’ll engage in active, reflective and collaborative learning that promotes critical thinking, emotional intelligence and evidence-informed decision-making. The programme uses Gilly Salmon’s Five-Stage Model to support confidence, collaboration and progressive development in online learning. Activities encourage socialisation, knowledge exchange and the co-construction of understanding through authentic, practice-based tasks.
You learn through:
- work-based clinical projects and case studies
- reflective portfolio development using PebblePad
- critical appraisal of research and evidence-informed practice
- interactive online seminars and live webinars
- peer discussion, collaboration and feedback
Key themes
Research and inquiry underpin the course’s learning, teaching and assessment strategies. You’ll critically engage with theory, evidence-based literature and practice-based research frameworks – including the NHSE Multi-professional Practice-based Research Capabilities Framework and the College of Radiographers Research Priorities. You’ll develop confidence in designing ethically sound service evaluations, critical reviews or research-informed initiatives relevant to enhanced-level radiotherapy practice.
The programme also supports leadership development within radiotherapy and oncology services. You’ll explore service improvement, workforce responsiveness and quality assurance aligned to national workforce frameworks. Learning activities enable you to consider how enhanced-level practitioners contribute to safe, effective and responsive radiotherapy services.
Course Level Support
A supportive online learning community enables professional networking, the sharing of expertise, and the application of theory to complex clinical scenarios. Your Individual Learning Plan supports your progression by helping you identify development goals and align learning with your scope of practice.
You’ll also be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled employment through a number of key areas. These include:
- academic supervision and mentoring from experienced radiotherapy and oncology specialists
- structured formative feedback throughout the programme
- access to PebblePad to support reflective portfolio development
- access to our Skills Centre for academic writing and study support
Applied learning
Work-based learning
Work-based learning is central to the programme, with your existing workplace providing the context for applied learning and assessment. You’re required to meet the requirements of your employer and work within your current scope of practice throughout your studies.
Live Projects
You’ll undertake work-based projects aligned with your defined scope of enhanced-level practice. These may include service evaluations, pathway development, educational initiatives, or research-informed improvements relevant to radiotherapy and oncology services.
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
Senior LecturerStaff 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.
Final year
Compulsory modules
Module Aims:
This module supports you in critically evaluating and enhancing your professional development within the broader organisational, sectoral, and global contexts. It enables you to reflect on your performance against recognised standards of excellence and identify strategies for continuous improvement. The module also examines how personal performance excellence can drive team development and how learners can actively support and enable excellence in others, across the Four Pillars of Practice, Clinical, Leadership, Education, and Research.
Indicative Content:
Understanding of professional career frameworks
Understanding of the transferability of practices
Personal and team performance management and enhancement
Goal alignment (personal, professional, and organisational)
Four Pillars Focus
Clinical Practice
Self-awareness and reflective practice in clinical settings
Role modelling and lifelong learning in clinical environments
Application of clinical standards and frameworks
Leadership
Leadership theory and its application in practice
Distinction between leadership and management
Impact of clinical leadership on service delivery and team dynamics
Education
Education theory and learning styles
Methods of educational support and mentoring in the workplace
Creating inclusive learning environments aligned with British Values
Research
Engagement with service improvement, QI, and research initiatives
Understanding legal and professional frameworks for research
Using evidence to inform practice and drive innovation
Team and Personal Excellence
Personal and team performance management
Coaching and mentoring others to achieve excellence
Equality, diversity, and inclusion in professional development
Promoting British Values: democracy, rule of law, liberty, respect, and tolerance
Module Aims:
This module aims to prepare you to work at an enhanced level of practice. You will develop the knowledge, skills, and professional values required to exercise sound clinical judgement within legal, ethical, and professional frameworks; apply evidence-based reasoning and risk management strategies; and communicate effectively with patients and colleagues across the care pathway.
Indicative Content:
Legal, ethical, and professional principles and frameworks.
Clinical decision making and reasoning.
Mitigating and managing risk.
Applying professional judgement and evidence-based practice.
Acknowledgement of the patient pathway.
Effective communication, including interprofessional collaboration.
History taking and documentation.
Awareness of clinical assessment.
Motivational interviewing
Reflective practice and continuing professional development
Leadership in clinical decision-making and contribution to service improvement.
Quality assurance, patient safety, and innovation in practice.
Using and appraising evidence, audit, and research to inform practice.
Digital literacy, informatics, and their role in clinical documentation and patient care
Elective modules
This module will develop your evidence‑based understanding of breast cancer, encompassing tumour biology, genetics, and the tumour microenvironment, the malignant disease process. You will explore epidemiological trends, diagnostic and prognostic tools alongside ethical considerations such as genetic testing and consent and evaluate key treatment modalities. The module aims to provide insight into the impact of breast cancer and its treatment on physical, psychological, emotional and social wellbeing. Survivorship care is addressed in detail, focusing on long‑term follow‑up, management of side‑effects, lifestyle interventions, and you will appraise support strategies for people across the spectrum of care. The module encourages synthesis of current evidence and exploration of future directions, equipping you to integrate diagnostic, treatment, and survivorship elements into holistic breast cancer care.
You will study topics such as
Epidemiology of breast cancer: incidence, risk factors, screening, health inequalities
Molecular biology: oncogenes, tumour suppressors (e.g. BRCA1/2), tumour microenvironment, metastasis
Diagnostics: imaging, prognostic tools, histopathology, classification, staging, molecular subtyping
Treatment: surgery, radiotherapy, systemic therapies (chemotherapy & hormone), targeted therapies, immunotherapy, novel agents
Survivorship: follow-up, side effects, lifestyle interventions, psychosocial support
Evidence based practice: contemporary evidence and future directions.
This module aims to facilitate an in-depth understanding of the consequences of cancer and its treatment and the role of supportive oncology across the cancer care spectrum. It aims to enhance your understanding of the holistic assessment and management of symptoms and how a personalised approach to care is facilitated.
You will explore the underpinning evidence base and be encouraged to reflect on your role, and that of health & wellbeing services, in the delivery of supportive care.
You will study topics such as:
Consequences of cancer and its treatment:
Acute and late physical effects, psychological, sexual, social, vocational and financial issues. Social determinants and specialist needs.
Ethos and core components
Of supportive oncology, enhanced supportive care, and personalised care.
Principles of holistic symptom management
Effective communication and advanced communication. Symptom assessment strategies/tools and approaches to management e.g., pharmacological, clinical, lifestyle modification; and collaborative working.
Supporting self-management
Information provision, shared decision making, behaviour change theory and practice. Use of digital tools.
This module will develop your understanding of oncology and multimodality management options for cancers arising in the gynaecological region, you will explore patient pathways and transitions across the spectrum of care, taking into consideration decision-making, and evaluating personalised care.
You will enhance your understanding of the impact of gynaecological cancers, and treatment on physical, sexual and reproductive health; psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing and appraise support strategies.
Policy, guidelines and contemporary evidence that underpin practice will be explored and you will be encouraged to critically reflect on your own and others practice within the multi-disciplinary team and consider addressing health inequalities and improving outcomes.
You will study topics such as:
Relevant anatomy, risk factors, aetiology, epidemiology, diagnosis, staging & anatomy.
Approaches in Surgery, Radiotherapy, Brachytherapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted & Immunotherapies.
Acute & Late effects, psychological, sexual and social impact of the disease and its treatment including fertility preservation and menopause.
Patient-centred communication and shared decision-making.
Symptom management; Prehabilitation & Rehabilitation and Personalised care.
This module will develop your understanding of oncology and multimodality management options in common Head and Neck cancers (excluding Thyroid).
Provide insight into the impact of its treatment on physical, psychological, emotional and social wellbeing and appraise support strategies for people across the spectrum of care.
You will be encouraged to critically reflect on your own and others practice within the multi-disciplinary team and consider the impact of care on the patient/carer experience and how this might be improved.
You will study topics such as:
Risk factors, aetiology, epidemiology, staging & anatomy.
Approaches in Surgery, Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy, Targeted & Immunotherapies
Acute & Late effects, Psycho-social impact of the disease and its treatment.
Symptom management; Prehabilitation & Rehabilitation and Personalised care.
This module introduces students to leadership within health and social care, focusing on developing self-awareness and reflective practice. Students will explore leadership and management theories, assess their leadership style using diagnostic tools, and create a development plan aligned with personal and organisational goals.
Module Content
You’ll study topics such as:
Key leadership and management theories in health and social care
Leadership challenges and strategies in professional practice
Understanding followership and its role in effective leadership
Self-assessment using leadership diagnostic tools
Personal leadership reflection and development planning
Ethical, inclusive, and values-based leadership
This module aims to facilitate your reflection and critical appraisal of underpinning theories of learning, teaching and assessment of adults that enables the design, delivery and evaluation of education. The emphasis is on exploring how educational concepts and theories are implemented and how they impact on your professional practice in the health and social care setting.
Indicative content
Lesson planning and evaluation
Theories of adult learning and teaching in higher education
Teaching strategies
Assessment and feedback
Learner support
M level academic writing
Engagement with the HEA UKPSF and other professional body requirements as appropriate.
Module Aim:
This module enables learners to critically apply knowledge of pathophysiology and pharmacology within the context of oncology care. It supports the further development of clinical reasoning and decision-making skills by exploring the mechanisms of cancer, therapeutic interventions, and the pharmacological principles underpinning treatment regimens. Apprentices will evaluate how this knowledge informs safe, effective, and person-centred care, and enhances their contribution to multidisciplinary oncology practice, without assuming prescribing responsibilities.
Indicative content:
- Underpinning principles of pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of commonly used medications in the treatment of related toxicities.
- Awareness of co-morbidities and impact on treatment
- Understanding Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
- Principles of Systemic anti-cancer therapies
- Impact of frailty on treatment outcomes
- Understanding the effects of polypharmacy
- Pathophysiology in oncology.
- Principles of supported self-management of oncology patients.
- Management of acute oncology emergencies.
This module will develop your understanding of oncology and multimodality management options of all stages of Prostate cancer. Provide insight into the impact of its treatment on physical, psychological, sexual, emotional and social wellbeing and appraise support strategies for people across the spectrum of care. You will be encouraged to critically reflect on your own and others practice within the multi-disciplinary team and consider the impact of care on the patient/carer experience and how this might be improved.
You will study topics such as:
Relevant anatomy, risk factors, aetiology, epidemiology, staging & grading.
Approaches in treatment including novel modalities.
Acute & Late effects, Psycho-social impact of the disease and its treatment; Symptom management; Prehabilitation & Rehabilitation and Personalised care.
All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
This module prepares and enables you to embed research and innovation as a core component of your practice and engage in projects that address priorities and seek to transform lives.
It explores the role of research and innovation in healthcare practice and will provide you with an in-depth insight into a range of designs and methods that are used when undertaking such projects.
The practicalities of proposing, implementing and undertaking successful projects is explored and you will be supported to create your own research and innovation plan for practice.
Indicative content:
Health innovation and research - principles and priorities
The research cycle:
Research paradigms and methodology
Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods research
Service evaluation: applying research design and methods
Literature based reviews
Formulating research/evaluation questions
Ethics and governance
Public and service user and carer (social care) involvement and co-production
Funding and support
Project management
Research impact:
Dissemination and knowledge exchange (for example writing for publication)
Enhancement of career opportunities in research
This module aims to provide high level knowledge on the impact of cancer and its treatment on sexual function and sexual wellbeing.
You will explore theory, evidence, and practice to understand these effects and the complex interconnected factors such as body image, intimacy, relationships and personal identity.
Through evidence-based learning and reflective practice, you’ll develop skills and build confidence to support sexual wellbeing of people living with and beyond cancer and their caregivers, partners and families with compassion and sensitivity.
The module also explores professional contributions and effective collaboration in multi-professional teams across the spectrum of care. With development of resilience and self-care strategies, helping you sustain your professional effectiveness and personal wellbeing in emotionally demanding roles.
You will study topics such as:
Cancer & treatment impact on sexual function, psychological and sexual wellbeing e.g. body image, intimacy, relationships and personal identity
Management of sexual dysfunction and psychosexual consequences, exploring a range of approaches to informational, emotional, esteem, social, medical or clinical interventions.
Assessment and referral pathways
Supporting families and partners
Clinical, cultural, legal and ethical perspectives that arise in providing sexual symptom information, management and personalised care for people affected by cancer.
Practitioner resilience and reflective practice
Future careers
This programme supports practitioners in radiotherapy and oncology working at an enhanced level of practice – helping you to further develop within your defined scope of practice. It aligns with national workforce frameworks and supports continued professional development within radiotherapy and oncology services.
The postgraduate certificate may also provide a foundation for progression to further postgraduate study.
Equipment and facilities
As a remote programme combining asynchronous and live online learning, you’ll need regular access to a PC, laptop or Mac with reliable internet connectivity. You’ll use Microsoft Teams, Blackboard and PebblePad to access learning materials, submit work, and participate in collaborative activities.
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, A first degree 2:2 or equivalent, for example, BSc (Hons) Radiotherapy and Oncology, 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, you must have an IELTS score of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill area. This programme is open to international students.
Relevant work or work-related experience You will typically be working in a specialist 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 typically be a Health Professional already working within an 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 must be prepared to embrace the challenges of level 7 study, including online and remote learning, have access to a reliable internet connection to support engagement with the course and have sound IT skills.
The Recognition of prior learning (RPL), either with prior certificated credit or prior experiential credit, may be used within this course. This must be discussed with the programme leader at the application stage.
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 £3,650 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.
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 distance learning study in 2026/27 is £3,720 for 60 credits
Scholarships and financial support
Find information on scholarships, bursaries and postgraduate student loans.
International scholarships up to £3000 ›
Alumni scholarships up to £2000 ›
Postgraduate loans for UK students ›
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.
