MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) (part-time)

Entry requirements

Entry Requirements

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. Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) may be considered for relevant prior learning at the same academic level.

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 be of an informal nature, carried out by experienced practitioners in your 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. 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 MSc Medical Imaging (Ultrasound) course. Applicants who have not received their secondary school education in English will require an overall IELTS score of 7 with a mean score of 7 in all elements.
• 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.

Application information

Making your application

Applications should be made online directly to the university via the apply button above. If you need more details or guidance, please contact enquirycentre@cumbria.ac.uk. There is no official closing date but we would encourage you to apply as early as possible, as many courses are competitive.

We like all our applicants to demonstrate an understanding of what the role of a sonographer involves and a clear rationale for applying for this award. Applications cannot be considered without a suitable clinical placement being secured. This must be in place before commencing the course.

Please email a completed copy of the pre-course checks document to accompany your application to: healthadmissions@cumbria.ac.uk

Download the pre-course checks form

What makes a good application?

We consider all aspects of your application, not simply your qualifications and grades. We look at your academic background and performance, relevant experience (particularly for professional courses where some voluntary or paid experience is required) and your reference. Above all, we look for motivation, commitment and potential - evidence that you can benefit from study at higher education level.

Make sure you include:

• Relevant qualifications/evidence of ability: check our website for the specific entry requirements required for each course. Tell us your previous academic results and your projected grades.
• A supportive reference, from an employer or your school or college.
• A good personal statement.

Explain clearly what attracts you to the course and tell us about your wider interests and experience. If you are applying for a course that incorporates professional training and placements, you should include any relevant experience or visits you have made in the workplace. Highlight your individual strengths and qualities, personal skills, capacity for teamwork, contribution to the community and your enterprise, originality and determination. Select some activities which bring out these qualities.

What next?

When we receive your application, we will send you an acknowledgement and if you are successful at this stage you will get either - an offer (with an invitation to visit the campus to which you have applied), or - an invitation to interview on a particular date. If we are not able to offer you a place on your chosen course we will usually try to offer you a place on a similar course and will contact you to discuss this. Alternatively, if we think you are suitable, but cannot offer you a place on your preferred campus because of the level of competition, we will offer you a place at another campus if one is available.

And if I accept?

The admissions team will contact you and send further information from February onwards about accommodation, and from May/June onwards about preparing to join the university. If you have any other queries, please telephone the admissions offices for information and advice on 0845 6061144.

Deferred entry

We welcome applications for deferred entry on some courses. If you have specific plans during your year out, indicate these on your personal statement as they may be relevant to your course and could enhance your application.

International students

Please see the international pages of our website for full details of our entry requirements (including English-language skills) as well as contacts for advice and support.

From 2009 the UK Border Agency introduced a Points-Based Immigration System (PBS) for students coming to the UK from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).

Students entering higher education will need to obtain a Confirmation of Acceptance (CAS) plus finance confirmation to obtain a Tier 4 student visa.

UK education providers are licensed by the UK Border Agency. When students apply for their visa (or entry clearance) they will need a valid Certificate of Acceptance of Studies from the university. Please note that a CAS is not a guarantee that a visa will be issued.

See the following websites for further details:

• www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk
• www.ukcisa.org.uk