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PgD - Medical Imaging (Ultrasound)

This is a challenging yet rewarding programme of study offering you the opportunity to develop the high-level skills required of an autonomous ultrasound practitioner, in 3-4 area of ultrasound practice. This is a highly flexible part-time pathway that will appeal to a wide range of health care professionals who wish to develop ultrasound skills as an extension of their scope of practice. 
 
You will receive high quality teaching from friendly, supportive and enthusiastic staff, who are clinically and research active. The course is delivered via a blended approach combining some online and some face to face [campus-based delivery] at our Lancaster campus. 
You’ll engage in practice-based learning in a clinical environment with expert mentor support. 
 
Accredited by the Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE), this programme delivers high-quality sonographic education at an appropriate level to ensure trainees are competent and able to practice professionally within the sonographic field. Students undertaking a CASE accredited Medical Ultrasound programme will know that high quality education and training is being delivered against set standards.

Due to the availability of multiple start dates, applications for this programme (or module) will only be considered within three months of the intended commencement date, this also ensures all supporting paperwork is up to date. Applicants are therefore advised not to submit their applications more than three months in advance of their preferred start date.

Please note that we do not typically consider applications for this course of study submitted after the following deadlines:
• 31 August for a September start date
• 31 December for a January start date
• 15 April for a May start date

Accredited by:

Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education

Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) cover image

Course Overview

Our PgDip Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) offers you the opportunity to train in three-four areas of ultrasound practice. You will be taught in your place of employment as well as in our modern Clinical Skills Suite by some of the area’s leading experts in this field and using state of the art simulation systems. 
 
The course is modular, offering part-time enrolment options to help you fit your professional development into your lifestyle. Our part-time pathway is flexible in its design, delivery and assessment to help you meet the demands of work and family commitments. A broad range of negotiated modules allow you to put together a programme of study that meets your individual learning needs, supporting your individual career aspirations. 
 
You must have access to a clinical ultrasound placement for a minimum of three days per week. Please note that part-time students must source their clinical placement independently.

On this course you will...

Develop the high-level skills required of an autonomous ultrasound practitioner. 
Develop ultrasound skills as an extension of your scope of practice. 
Receive high quality teaching from friendly, supportive and enthusiastic staff, who are clinically and research active. 
Engage in practice-based learning in a clinical environment with expert mentor support. 
Study around your work commitments, with start dates in May, September or January each year.

Key Details

Recruiting toUK / RoI / Settled in UK
Course LocationLancaster
Institute Institute of Health
Mode of DeliveryBlended Learning
Course Duration Part-time: 2-4 Years
Course Start PointJanuary
May
September
AwardPgD
More informationProgramme Specification
Prospectus
Open DaysLancaster
All

Minimum entry requirements

1st or 2nd class honours degree in a science or healthcare subject.

UK Tuition fees

£9000

Entry in 2025/6 Academic Year

£1500 per 20 credit module. Subsequent year fees are subject to inflation.

£9,240

Entry in 2026/7 Academic Year

£1540 per 20 credit module. Subsequent year fees are subject to inflation.

International Tuition fees

£10,986

Entry in 2025/6 Academic Year

£1,831 per 20 credit module. Subsequent year fees are subject to inflation.

£11,568

Entry in 2026/7 Academic Year

£1,880 per 20 credit module. Subsequent year fees are subject to inflation.

Tuition Fees Policy

Course Structure

What you will learn

We offer a range of modules which will enable you to explore the underpinning knowledge of safe, effective and evidence-based ultrasound practice, in order to help you develop clinical skills in your own department.

When you start you must begin with one of our core modules. Both core modules must be completed in year 1, alongside at least ONE optional module.

Please note optional module choices are made by the placement and not you the student, and these are based fundamentally on patient caseload availability, mentor support and service need.

Modules

Compulsory modules

Physical Principles & Technology in Ultrasound
Professional, Legal & Ethical Issues in Ultrasound

Optional modules (subject to availability and demand)

General Medical Ultrasound (Theory)
General Medical Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Obstetric Ultrasound (Theory)
Obstetric Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Gynaecological Ultrasound (Theory)
Gynaecological Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Breast Ultrasound (Theory)
Breast Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Vascular Ultrasound (Theory)
Vascular Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Theory)
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (Clinical Practice)
Negotiated Ultrasound Practice (Theory)
Negotiated Ultrasound Practice (Clinical Practice)
Research methods
Independent Study in Ultrasound (non-clinical)

Year one

When you start you must begin with one of our core modules. Both core modules must be completed in year 1, alongside at least ONE optional module.

Physical Principles and Technology in Ultrasound
This module introduces the underpinning physics and technology of ultrasound imaging.
Professional Legal and Ethical Issues in Ultrasound
This module introduces the relevant professional, legal and ethical issues relating to medical ultrasound practice.
Optional Module (with clinical practice)
Choose three optional clinical module(s) (Theory and Clinical Practice elements). The aim of these modules is to enable you to demonstrate and apply the relevant knowledge, skills and professional abilities to effectively perform and interpret medical ultrasound examinations, relating to your agreed scope of practice.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

Learning on this course is blended and most modules will have an element of live virtual tutorial type sessions using Blackboard collaborate or Microsoft teams, which you will be expected to engage with a range of learning opportunities and activities. You will need a suitable laptop or pc with speakers and a webcam and adequate internet access/broadband speed to work remotely on-line. Some modules may also have a campus based clinical skills, and reversed classroom, elements to the teaching.

The delivery of your modules may vary from tutor to tutor, module to module, so please follow the guidance of your module leader and the information provided within the relevant module blackboard site.

You will learn through group activities, lectures, practical work, seminars, self-directed study and simulation activities.

Practical ‘hands-on’ skills development will be supported by access to a state-of-the-art ultrasound simulation suite and a fully equipped ultrasound room in our clinical skills suites.

There is further information related to on-line study here on our website which you may find helpful:

https://my.cumbria.ac.uk/student-life/learning/resources/studying-from-home/online-learning/

How you will be assessed

A range of assessment methods are used to ensure that all intended learning outcomes are met. These include written assignments, unseen online OSE examinations, computer-based assessments, formative and summative clinical assessment and image viewing examinations. All assessments are linked explicitly with real-world tasks that would be expected of an autonomous ultrasound practitioner.

You may be assessed in various ways including:

Coursework

Presentations

Reflective writing

Verbal assessments

Online Exams

Reports.

Assessment of clinical placements is a requirement of the qualification; you will be assessed to ensure you are clinically competent before you can receive the award.

Career Outcome

On successful completion of all core and mandatory elements, you will be able to provide evidence of preparation for practice to the standards required for a first post-qualification sonographer. From consultation, key service partners have confirmed that this would allow appointment of graduates in most regional NHS contexts. However, applicants from a non-health care background should note that, at present, employment in some NHS trusts would not be possible due to the requirement for professional registration. These potential restrictions on employment will be discussed with you during the application process and you will be asked to sign a memorandum of agreement confirming your understanding and acceptance.

At present, sonography is not a registrable health care profession. on successful completion graduate entrants (who do not hold an existing registrable qualification) will not be eligible for HCPC registration. In collaboration with CASE and the Society and College of Radiographers, this course has been mapped closely against existing HCPC standards of proficiency for diagnostic radiographers.

On completion you will be able to apply for registration through the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) with the register of clinical technologists. details of the application process can be found on their website: https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/home

UK CASE accredited ultrasound awards are recognised both nationally and internationally. When developing the course, we have worked closely with regional and national stakeholders to ensure that when you graduate you will be well prepared to work as an autonomous ultrasound practitioner within your chosen specialties.

Overview

1st or 2nd class honours degree in a science or healthcare subject.

Students with other qualifications may be admitted to the course, please contact the Enquiry Centre for further details. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) may be considered for relevant prior learning at the same academic level.

Fair Admissions

When you apply, our Admissions specialists will review your whole application. We are looking for your potential to succeed so will assess your qualifications, any relevant work experience, your personal statement, and references.

Selection Criteria

You will be required to pass an element of pre-course assessment, carried out in the department sponsoring you. It is the sponsoring department’s responsibility to facilitate this assessment, and this will be carried out to ensure that you show an aptitude for Ultrasonography. You will need to undertake a preliminary practical assessment to demonstrate the relevant psychomotor skills such as hand-eye co-ordination, pattern recognition and spatial awareness. The assessment will usually be of an informal nature, carried out by experienced practitioners in your own clinical placement, who will then provide a written reference to confirm your suitability. 

Before being accepted onto the course, all applicants will be interviewed, usually by telephone/Microsoft Teams. Interviewers from the course team will, amongst other attributes, be looking for a commitment to further study, an understanding of content and standard of the course and interpersonal skills.

As part of the recruitment process, applicants may be assessed for their values using the core requirements set out in the Value Based Recruitment (VBR) Behaviour Framework as outlined in the NHS Constitution .

A particularly high standard of spoken and written English is necessary to cope with the clinical work on the PgC/PgD/MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) course. Applicants who have not completed their secondary education in the UK or Ireland must demonstrate proficiency in English. This may include achieving an IELTS Academic score of at least 7.0 overall, with no individual component below 7.

You will usually need to have at least 12 months’ equivalent full-time post registration clinical experience, in your respective profession, and you will need support from a clinical ultrasound department and access to a clinical placement in such a department for the duration of the course. 

It is your responsibility to ensure a suitable clinical placement is organised, prior to starting, and for the duration of your chosen award. The university regretfully cannot assist students in finding or securing a clinical placement for this award, at any time during their time on the course. You must have access to a suitable clinical mentor and suitable patient case load for a minimum of 21 hours per week. If your placement is terminated for any reason, the university cannot assist you in finding another placement. If a suitable clinical placement cannot be found in these circumstances, you will be required to withdraw from the course. 

Applicants should be eligible for registration by their respective UK professional or regulatory body e.g. Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), General Medical Council (GMC), Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), Society of Vascular Technologist (SVT). You will also need to provide one reference in support of your application, from the department offering a clinical placement who can confirm your suitability to train in ultrasound. 

Overseas students can usually only be considered if they are able to secure a suitable placement in the UK or Ireland. Regretfully the university is unable to assist in this process. 

Contextual Admissions

Contact pgadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk for more information.

Fees & Funding

Tuition Fees

UK Tuition fees

£9000
Entry in 2025/6 Academic Year

£9,240
Entry in 2026/7 Academic Year

International Tuition fees

£10,986
Entry in 2025/6 Academic Year

£11,568
Entry in 2026/7 Academic Year

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

This programme is delivered via a blended learning approach, combining campus-based teaching with online learning activities and live virtual tutorials. Students are therefore required to have regular access to a suitable laptop or personal computer with speakers, webcam and microphone, together with reliable internet access, in order to engage fully with online learning materials, virtual tutorials and assessments. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure access to appropriate IT equipment and a suitable study environment for online learning.

More Information

We have a wide range of scholarships, bursaries, grants and funds available to support you throughout your studies with us. This includes the Cumbria Bursary - a non-repayable bursary designed to support first year students with a household income of less than £25,000..

Student Finance

Additional Costs

Stationery, printing and digital storage

Approximately £30 to £40 per year

RequiredPer yearStationery

You should budget for stationery and consumables for personal use. These may include notebooks, pens and pencils, digital storage devices, printing and photocopying. The amount you spend will depend on your study preferences.

Books and journals

Approximately £50 to £300 over the course of your studies

OptionalThroughout the courseBooks and journals

Most core textbooks and journals are available through the University library. You may choose to purchase personal copies of books or other resources used to support your studies.

Some courses recommend particular books or provide an estimated annual budget for purchasing personal copies. Search for your course below for details.

Technology requirements

Cost depends on the equipment and internet service you choose

RequiredThroughout the courseDigital learning and IT

You will need regular access to a laptop or computer capable of accessing the internet and running software such as a word processor and Microsoft Teams. Microsoft 365 is provided as part of your studies. You will also need a reliable internet connection. The amount you spend will depend on the equipment and internet service you choose.

Information on borrowing university laptops

Travel and accommodation for campus attendance and placements

Cost varies depending on where you live and how often you need to attend

RequiredThroughout the courseTravel and accommodation

Part-time students are usually employed by their sponsoring placement. You will need to pay for travel to and from the University and, if required, accommodation for academic blocks and required campus attendance.

Support and reimbursement

Students on these courses are usually employed by a sponsoring placement. Check with your employer or sponsoring organisation whether any travel or accommodation support is available.

Remote placements may require additional arrangements for placement visits or assessment. Any potential charges should be confirmed with the course team before publication.

Equipment for online sessions

Cost depends on the equipment you already have

RequiredThroughout the courseDigital learning and IT

Parts of this course are taught online, so as well as a laptop or computer you will need a webcam, microphone and speakers or headset, and an internet connection good enough for live video calls.

Remote placement visits

Cost varies

ConditionalVariablePlacements

Placement visits and clinical assessment moderations usually take place online through Microsoft Teams. If your placement is remote, there may be an additional charge for in-person or repeat placement visits by University staff.

Elective placement costs

Cost varies

ConditionalVariablePlacements

You (or your sponsoring placement) will need to pay all costs for any elective placement, whether it is required or you choose to take one.

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PgD - Medical Imaging (Ultrasound)