Critical Care (Online Learning) MSc, PgCert, PgDip, PgProfDev

The MSc Critical Care Programme is aimed at anyone driven by a desire to improve outcomes for Critically Ill adults. Our tutors, students and approach reflect the multidisciplinary nature of critical care and the clinical, academic, and professional themes that run through the programme aim to develop healthcare professionals who question, lead, and motivate others to achieve the best care for their patients. The programme has been designed and developed in partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. We have designed the MSc Critical Care (online) programme for healthcare professionals who encounter critically ill adults in their daily practice. These professionals include:

• nurses
• doctors in training
• senior doctors from all specialties
• allied health professionals (for example, pharmacists, physiotherapists, paramedics and dietitians)

Prospective students will often be working full-time in professional roles and need a flexible approach to study. The programme is therefore designed as a part-time, fully online, MSc programme.

You have the option of graduating after one, two, or three years with a postgraduate certificate, postgraduate diploma, or MSc respectively.

You will study core clinical subjects in years one and two of the programme, covering, but not limited to:

• Recognition of critical illness
• Initial treatment and stabilisation
• Advanced organ system support
• Daily assessment and management of the critically ill adult
• Sepsis

This will provide you with a practical, and evidence-based knowledge base which can be immediately applied in the clinical setting.

You will be able to customise your learning by choosing from elective courses as you progress through the programme.

Integrated into the programme is a graduate exposure to academic research practice in the core 'Unlocking the Literature' teaching theme. This starts in the second teaching block and builds over the first 2 years.

You will become equipped with the skills to access and appraise the biomedical literature which we hope will fuel your curiosity, and allow you to actively participate in clinical discussions:

• on the programme
• at the bedside

You will develop as an independent and critical thinker. You will be able to appraise primary and secondary research (research synthesis), and incorporate its findings into:

• personal practice
• guidelines
• work improvement

Those who complete the full MSc will have the choice in their third year to complete a supervised dissertation (systematic review, primary research project, comprehensive clinical guideline, or quality improvement project) or to conduct small critical care-related projects and select up to four elective options from a range of critical care related courses from across the University of Edinburgh.

Online learning

This programme is 100% online, allowing you to study at times that suit you. You can study for 15-20 hours per week, enabling you to balance study with work and family commitments.

Our online learning technology is fully interactive, and award-winning and enables you to communicate with our highly qualified teaching staff from your own home or working environment.

Our online students not only have access to the University’s excellent resources but also become part of a supportive online community, bringing together students and tutors from around the world.

We are globally recognised for our research, development and innovation and we’ve provided our students with world-class teaching for more than 425 years.

An Edinburgh degree works for you

The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50 and placed 22nd in the 2024 QS World University Rankings.

Our graduates are ranked 26th in the world by employers1.

Excellence in research

The University of Edinburgh has an international reputation for innovative research across a wide range of disciplines.

According to the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF2021), the University is ranked fourth in the UK based on the quality and breadth of its research - known as research power - and is Scotland’s top-ranked institution.

The REF2021 results reveal that nearly 90 per cent of the University’s research activity is in the highest categories – 4 star and 3 star – which are classified respectively as ‘ world-leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’, a growth of 10 percentage points since the previous REF in 2014.

Innovation in teaching

The latest report from the Quality Assurance Agency awarded us the highest rating possible for the quality of the student learning experience. We are always working to develop innovative approaches to teaching in order to discover the methods that work best for students, including e-learning techniques and peer-assisted learning.

Experts in online learning

We offer the largest portfolio of postgraduate online degrees in the UK2, welcoming more than 8,000 online students since 2005. Our flexible and supportive programmes are well-established and an increasingly popular choice for students looking to balance further study with professional or family commitments.

Beautiful capital city

Ranked in the world’s top 10 student cities3, Edinburgh is a compact city with excellent transport links, which makes it easy to get around and to travel to other parts of Scotland.

Large enough to offer something for everyone, but small enough to feel like home, Edinburgh is a modern, sophisticated and beautiful European city with a diverse, multicultural community.​

Facilities and support to help you succeed

You will have access to one of the largest and most important academic libraries in the world, housing over 1.8 million printed volumes. You’ll also benefit from 30 open-access computer labs with 24-hour access across key locations, as well as free laptop loans.

We offer a free Student Counselling Service and a University Health Centre, and our Student Disability Service provides a range of support for students with disabilities. We also offer excellent childcare services, making it easier to juggle parenthood and study.

Impressive global community

Our ambitious internationalisation strategy ensures the teaching and research we deliver offers global benefits. We’re ranked in the world's top 20 most international universities4. Students from two-thirds of the world’s countries study here.

We collaborate with a host of world-leading institutions in fields as diverse as e-science, engineering, life and medical sciences, and arts and culture. We’re also a member of the global research network Universitas 21 and the European networks Coimbra Group and LERU.

Leading on social responsibility and sustainability

We are committed to being a world leader in addressing global challenges including poverty, climate change and the growing demand for energy, food and water.

As Scotland’s first Fairtrade University, we have been promoting better conditions for farmers and communities in developing countries since 2004.

We have championed environmental sustainability since the early 1990s and were a founder signatory to the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment 2009 and to the 10:10 campaign.

The University is host to several Global Academies committed to tackling issues related to health, justice, environment, and agriculture and food security. The Academies cross boundaries in research and teaching, adopting a multi-disciplinary response to challenging global issues.

1QS World University Rankings 2024 2Higher Education Statistics Agency 2017/18 3QS Student Cities 2023 4Times Higher Education, World’s Most International Universities 2022