Advance your career with an IBMS professional qualification
Overview
The IBMS Certificate of Expert Practice (CEP) Distance Learning courses are online qualifications designed for biomedical scientists at Member (MIBMS) or Fellow (FIBMS) level with at least two years of post-registration experience.
These qualifications allow you to specialise in:
- Laboratory IT and Clinical Informatics
- Leadership and Management
- Quality Management
- Training
Upon completion, these qualifications support your career progression and can be used to advance to other IBMS qualifications.
Assessment
Each course is delivered through Ulster University's Blackboard Learn platform and follows a structured format:
Course structure
✔ A two-week introductory module (common to all courses)
✔ Six specialist modules, each lasting two weeks (except for the Easter module, which lasts three weeks)
✔ Continuous assessment to support self-monitoring
Modules by specialism
Laboratory IT and Clinical Informatics
- Medical Laboratory Information Technology
- Data Analysis, Interpretation and Presentation
- Clinical and Data Governance
- Procurement and Project Management
- Systems Interface and Middleware
- Digital Futures
Leadership and Management
- Introduction to Management
- Working in Organisations
- Managing People
- Finance
- Customer Relations
- Change and Projects
Quality Management
- Introduction to Quality Management
- Quality Management Systems
- Governance, Risk Management and Compliance
- Audit
- Conformance Management
- Change
Training
- Roles and Responsibilities
- Professional and Academic Qualifications
- Planning and Organising Laboratory Training
- Communication
- Learning Techniques and Presentation Skills
- Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment process
✔ Tutor-led forums for discussion and clarification of course content
✔ Two assessments – one at the midpoint and one at the end of the course
✔ End-of-course online examination
📌 Full details on course structure and assessment are available in the CEP Course Information Summary.
📌 Course dates for 2027
- Applications open – W/C 17 August 2026
- Closing date for applications – 18 December 2026 (or when places are all filled)
- Introductory module starts – 8 January 2027
- First assessment piece deadline – 11 March 2027
- Course completion – 29 April 2027
- Final examination – 20 May 2027
- Second assessment piece deadline – 11 June 2027
- Result notification – 14 June 2027
- Certificates issued – W/C 19 July 2027
Applying
Entry requirements
Leadership & Management, Quality Management and Training
To apply, you must:
✔ Be a Member or Fellow of the IBMS
✔ Be HCPC registered
✔ Be resident in the UK
✔ Maintain IBMS membership throughout the qualification
Laboratory Information Technology and Clinical Informatics
To apply, you must:
✔ Be a Licentiate, Member or Fellow of the IBMS
✔ Be an Honours degree graduate with at least two years equivalent experience in laboratory (pathology) information technology (IT).
✔ Be resident in the UK
✔ Maintain IBMS membership throughout the qualification
How to apply
📩 Submit the following to [email protected]
✔ Completed application form, use the correct form in Resources section below specific to the specialism.
✔ Payment of £848
Payment options
Fees can be paid via:
✔ Purchase Order - submitted with the application form
✔ Credit or debit card - upon submission of your application form you will be contacted for payment details.
📌Please note
- The CEP application window will open on Monday 17 August 2026 and the application deadline is Friday 11 December 2026.
- On the application form, you must briefly describe why you are applying. This information is used for understanding your experience and motivation—it does not affect your application decision.
- Candidates can only take one CEP course at a time.
- Places for each CEP course are limited. Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Deferrals, withdrawals, and mitigating circumstances
📌 To defer, withdraw, or report mitigating circumstances, contact [email protected] as soon as possible.
Need more help?
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the Higher and Expert qualifications please contact us.