PGCert MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING

London South Bank University

United Kingdom, London

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Home/United Kingdom/London /London South Bank University/PGCert MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING

London South Bank University

United Kingdom , London

Key Facts

Program Level

Certificate

Study Type

Part Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Croydon

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines24-Sep-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 12 month(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 6,200 / year(s)

Next Intake 24-Sep-2026

PGCert MUSCULOSKELETAL ULTRASOUND IMAGING

About

Designed for professionals working in diagnostic radiology within the NHS, private practice, or elite sports, the PgCert Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging course caters to those seeking to enhance their diagnostic ultrasound skills, whether to advance existing musculoskeletal scanning capabilities or to expand their scope of practice to include musculoskeletal ultrasound imaging.

Building on this foundation, the course features a pathway assessment leading to a competency-based qualification, ensuring graduates emerge as skilled, confident practitioners in musculoskeletal ultrasound. You will learn from a diverse team of experienced clinicians, including MSK radiographers, sonographers, and sports and exercise medicine consultants, offering real-world insights from both the NHS and private sectors.

Our course, sponsored by ESAOTE which provides the latest technological diagnostic equipment, perfectly blends theory with practical application, preparing you to achieve excellence in your professional practice of musculoskeletal sonography.

Located on the LSBU Croydon campus, our course is an integral part of the School of Allied and Community Health within the Institute of Health and Social Care. Renowned for being one of the most extensive institutions of its kind in the nation, offering state-of-the-art facilities and a vast network of support.

Why study Musculoskeletal Ultrasound at LSBU?

check-circle: Accredited by CASE (Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education).

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Entry Level Requirements

Need further information? Call us on 0800 923 8888 to discuss entry requirements.

To qualify for admission, applicants must fulfil all of the following requirements:

Applicants must have a 2:1 honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification in Health Care related subject.
Applicants must be registered with the relevant UK professional/regulatory body.
Applicants must have an appropriate amount and type of post-qualification experience in a clinical musculoskeletal or ultrasound specialism.
Applicants must have an appropriate clinical placement with signed agreement for sufficient scanning experience from a Practice Educator/Clinical Mentor, Internal and External Assessors, and Clinical Manager/Department Lead. No unconditional offer will be made without a clinical placement agreement form completed and signed by all parties.
Applicants must provide two references: one from a recent employer and one academic. Where a professional reference may not be feasible, both references can be academic.
Applicants must submit a maximum of one A4 page personal statement outlining why they have chosen to study MSK ultrasound, how they meet the eligibility criteria, and their plans for utilising their qualification in their professional career post-graduation.

If an applicant is shortlisted, they will be invited to complete an interview. The interview panel will might consist of LSBU staff, lecturers, service users and clinicians. 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.

The university operates an equal opportunities policy where there is no discrimination in view of age, gender, race, marital status, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, disability or religious beliefs.

All offers of places on the course are conditionally based on:
1. Satisfactory outcome of an interview;
2. Occupational Health clearance;
3. Satisfactory outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check

Applications from candidates with disabilities are considered and assessment of abilities and needs undertaken sensitively. The safety of the potential students is an important consideration.

All applicants must be 18 years or over at the commencement of the course.

English Language Requirement
Students for whom English is not their first language must achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall or equivalent (including 7.0 in written element and a minimum score of 6.5 in speaking, reading and listening element) for the International English Language Test Score (IELTS) [or TOEFL: 570 including 55 in the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and at least 5 in the Test of Written English (TWE)], at the time of application.

Credit Accumulation & Transfer and Accreditation of Prior Learning
Students for whom English is not their first language must achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall or equivalent (including 7.0 in written element and a minimum score of 6.5 in speaking, reading and listening element) for the International English Language Test Score (IELTS) [or TOEFL: 570 including 55 in the Test of Spoken English (TSE) and at least 5 in the Test of Written English (TWE)], at the time of application.

Practice Placement Handbook

Clinical Placement Agreement form

Career

Careers

Employability Service

At LSBU, we want to set you up for a successful career. During your studies – and for two years after you graduate – you’ll have access to our Employability Service, which includes:

Free employability workshop and events for student all year round, more details can be found on our event section.
Online board where you can see a wide range of placements: part-time, full-time or voluntary. You can also drop in to see our Job Shop advisers, who are always available to help you take the next step in your search.
LSBU Careers Hub offering group workshops on CVs, interview techniques and support, guidance on future careers, as well as loads of career resources, connecting you with employers, exciting events, 1-1 support and relevant workshops.

Our Student Enterprise team can also help you start your own business and develop valuable entrepreneurial skills.

Employability

The PgCert Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging course has been mapped against the CASE standards of profession, educational framework, learning objectives, competencies, and codes of conduct.

Upon successful completion of the PgCert Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging course, graduates will obtain 60 credits at level 7 and will be able to demonstrate a competency-based award in musculoskeletal ultrasound to employers. This will enable them to work autonomously as a musculoskeletal sonographer in a number of different clinical settings. Thus, they may go on to incorporate musculoskeletal ultrasound examinations as part of their routine clinical assessments in order to achieve a definitive diagnosis for their patients, in either public or private sector.

Sonographer regulation and registration

'Sonographer' is not currently a protected title in the UK and at this present time some graduates may NOT be eligible to be registered with the HCPC. For this reason, employment may not be possible in certain NHS trusts and some private sector organisations, although many organisations already employ sonographers from non-traditional backgrounds. Graduates from this programme will be eligible to join the Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT) accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Placement

In preparation for enrolling onto the PgCert Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging course, it is the responsibility of the student to identify an appropriate Practice Educator/Clinical Mentor, who has appropriate qualifications and experience (i.e. PgCert/Dip qualification and a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience or level 2 radiology) in MSK ultrasound.

An external assessor must be also identified, working independently from the student or student’s clinical placement, who moderates the final practical assessment with the internal assessor or Practice Educator/Clinical Mentor. The student will need to provide the details of an external assessor for the final exam, who meets the criteria outlined in the LSBU Practice Placement Handbook. If the student is unable to identify one, the University might be able to identify and allocate an external assessor.

Students must acquire a portfolio of 250 ultrasound scans which can be compiled over one academic semester. 100 scans of these must be directly aided and 150 scans will be unaided. The 100 aided scans must be audited. Students should undertake a portfolio of practice/learning and demonstrate competency in the areas that clearly align with their subsequent breadth/remit of ultrasound scanning following completion of the course.

Although the number of hours of clinical practice is difficult to quantify and can potentially have an adverse effect on student learning, as competency of a student may not be achieved at the same length of time when compared with another student, CASE recommend that students spend at least 14 hours per week undertaking supervised ultrasound examinations with their Practice Educator/Clinical Mentor for the entire duration of the learning period.

Following completion of the summative assessment and the course overall, it is recommended that the student presents their complete portfolio of practice/learning and competency assessments to their employer (or regulator, as appropriate) as evidence of their initial practice. Hence, the clinical assessment portfolio can be used in evidence of practice for professional bodies and regulators.