In Just 12 Months

A veterinary PgCert, or postgraduate certificate, is a formal postgraduate qualification for qualified vets who want to develop their knowledge, skills and clinical judgement in a specific area of practice. A full PgCert is worth 60 credits at Level 7 on the UK higher education framework. It goes beyond standard CPD or procedural training: you are expected to engage with current evidence, think critically about your clinical work, and apply new learning to real cases in practice. Different veterinary certificate routes vary in structure, credit value and assessment style, so it is important to look not just at the title, but at the level, number of credits, practical content and how the programme will support your development as a clinician.

CPD Solutions PgCerts are among the most practically focused veterinary PgCerts available in the UK. They are designed for working small animal vets who want to develop real clinical confidence, not just gain an academic qualification. Each programme combines intensive practical teaching, case-based learning, direct tutor support and Level 7 critical reflection, helping you develop both your practical skills and your clinical reasoning.

The PgCerts are built around practical clinical development. You attend nine or ten full days of practical training, delivered in three blocks across the year, with no separate lecture-only attendance days. These sessions give you the hands-on foundation for each module, which you then build on through your own clinical cases, reading, reflection and tutor-supported assignments.

You only need to travel three times during the 12-month programme. Each attendance block takes place at the start of a module, giving you focused practical teaching before you return to practice and apply what you have learned. This structure is designed to make postgraduate study achievable alongside a busy clinical role.

Yes. CPD Solutions PgCerts are designed as 12-month programmes, rather than multi-year qualifications. Each PgCert is divided into three modules, combining practical attendance sessions with guided self-directed learning, case-based reflection and assessment. The structure is intensive, but it is designed around the realities of working in first opinion practice.

Level 7 is Masters-level study. In a veterinary PgCert, this means going beyond learning new procedures or collecting CPD hours. You are expected to engage with current knowledge, evaluate evidence, analyse your clinical decision-making and generate new insights into your own work. This is what helps you move from “doing more” to thinking more critically, confidently and independently about the cases you manage.

Critical reflection is one of the most powerful ways for experienced professionals to develop clinically. Instead of answering standard essay questions or sitting formal written exams, you reflect deeply on your own cases, supported by current literature, your case log and tutor feedback. This helps you examine how you make decisions, what you would now do differently, and how your practice is changing as your knowledge and confidence grow.