Anaesthesia and Peri-Operative Sciences

PgDip

  • Entry year 2025
  • Duration Part time 2 years
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Overview

The Postgraduate Diploma in Anaesthesia and Peri-Operative Sciences (PGDip AaPOS) is a part-time programme designed to train Student Anaesthesia Associates to become qualified Anaesthesia Associates. The programme comprises five modules aligned with the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ (RCoA) Anaesthesia Associates curriculum. These are assessed using a combination of continuous assessment, and written assessments that are aligned with the General Medical Council (GMC) Anaesthesia Associate Registration Assessment (AARA), and presentations.

A cross-cutting clinical skills and simulation theme relates the modules to practice in addition to providing robust preparation for the AARA.

The five modules are:

  • Fundamentals of anaesthesia and peri-operative practice.
  • Physiology under stress.
  • Applied pharmacology and safety.
  • Safety, governance and population health.
  • Workplace-based assessment

The qualification is required for employment as an Anaesthesia Associate.

Entry requirements

To apply to this course, you must first be appointed by an NHS Trust to a Student Anaesthesia Associate post.

To apply for a post as a Student Anaesthesia Associate, you'll need to be either:

  • an experienced registered health care professional, e.g. a nurse or operating department practitioner with at least three years' full-time, post-qualification work experience and evidence of recent academic study

Or

  • a graduate with a biomedical science or biological science (2:1 honours degree minimum)

Once you have been appointed, you must use our postgraduate application portal to apply to study for an Anaesthesia and Peri-Operative Sciences PgDip. To learn more about our application process, visit our page on applying for postgraduate study at Lancaster.

If you have not been appointed to a Student Anaesthesia Associate post, please get in touch with your local NHS Trust for details on employment opportunities.

If you are applying to this course based on your clinical experience, or you graduated from your degree-level programme more than seven years ago, you should demonstrate on your CV that you have been engaging with continuing professional development (CPD), for example, through revalidation.

Contact

AaPOS Team at lmspgprogrammes@lancaster.ac.uk.

Pre-master’s programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored pre-master’s pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University master’s degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Course structure

Detailed module information for this postgraduate programme will follow shortly. However, if you have any questions please contact the department.

Fees and funding

2 year programme

Cost per year

£6,760 funded by the NHS

General fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Important Information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2025/2026 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

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We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

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