Undergraduate Course

Course details

Study options

Full-time: 4 years

UK fee

£9,250 per year (2024/25)

UCAS points

80 (September 2024 entry)

UCAS code

B77F

Course level

Undergraduate

Qualification

BSc (Hons)

Start date

September

Location

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Course description

Choose a career where you can make a difference every day. We will equip you to deliver exceptional care as a confident, capable and compassionate adult nurse.

If you already hold a degree and are looking to qualify as a nurse, find out more about our MSc Nursing (Adult).

Nursing is challenging, satisfying and life-changing. This highly respected course represents your first step into a profession it is a privilege to join.

Beginning with a foundation year

Studying BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) with a Foundation Year is for you if you have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to the honours degree programme. It provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject area, enabling you to achieve your full honours degree in four years.

On completion of the Foundation Year you will then commence study on the full Adult Nursing degree.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

What you will study

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus entrance

Undergraduate Open Days

The best way to find out if studying at Derby is right for you is to experience an Open Day. Get a feel for the city and campus, tour our first-class facilities and see where you could be living.

Book your Undergraduate Open DayBook your Undergraduate Open Day

How you will learn

From day one you’ll be part of the University of Derby Nursing community and receive the same student experience, plus extra support to help you build your knowledge, skills and confidence.

You will be taught by qualified health professionals with extensive experience of nursing and leadership roles. They have proven, sustained track records in higher education teaching, with most holding Fellowships of the Higher Education Academy.

Our staff keep up to date with latest developments in the sector by undertaking continuing professional development as part of their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Some hold external examiner posts with other universities and some carry out clinical supervision for professionals working in their area of expertise.

We are committed to supporting you at every stage of the course. We offer enhanced personal tutoring which mirrors the professional relationships you will go on to have in practice with service users and colleagues when you embark on your career.

Research is an integral part of our work and we make key contributions to the University’s Health and Social Care Research Centre. Current initiatives include studies into dementia and a major long-term research project exploring values, compassion and care in undergraduate nursing. There may even be opportunities for you to work alongside our researchers to gain an insight into the value of research.

The teaching team is supported by ‘experts by experience’ – leading practitioners who regularly share their knowledge in teaching sessions at the University, together with clinical staff from our placement providers.

How you’re assessed

There is a diverse range of authentic assessments within the programme.  Assessments are aligned to module learning outcomes and support students to build academic skill and professional development.

Assessment feedback and feedforward mechanisms encourage dialogue, provide action plans, and utilise academic, student, and practice support staff where required.  This ensures that students are fit for practice, purpose, award, and professional standing on completion of the award.  

Each assessment within the programme has the following underpinning characteristics: 

The assessment process is transparent, and students receive timely and constructive feedback to support their success. 

Assessment of practice learning is recorded in the Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD), which is designed to support and guide students towards successfully achieving the criteria set out in the Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and Standards for Education and Training (NMC 2018).  The MYEPAD is a regionally validated document developed collaboratively with other local universities. The University of Derby continues to work in partnership to support a consistent approach to student supervision and assessment. 

Personal academic tutoring

Your personal academic tutor will work with you to help you get the most out of your time at university. Having someone to talk to about your academic progress, your university experience and your professional aspirations is hugely valuable. We want you to feel challenged in your studies, stretched but confident to achieve your academic and professional goals.

Find out more about personal academic tutoring

Who will teach you

Debbie Watkinson standing next to a computer showing a screen about assessing patients, smiling

Debbie Watkinson
Programme leader

Debbie Watkinson is a qualified nurse and registered midwife and programme lead for student experience and a senior lecturer in pre-qualifying health care at the St Helena site in Chesterfield.

View full staff profileView full staff profile

Entry requirements

2024 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2024 entry. Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

RequirementWhat we're looking for
UCAS points80
A LevelCDD
T LevelPass (C or above in the core)
BTECMMP
GCSEGCSE Maths and English are preferred, however if you don't have these qualifications you will be able to undertake Maths and English at Level 2 as part of your course of study
Access to HEPass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 0, Merit: 30, Pass: 15

Additional entry requirements

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area)

Fees and funding

2024/25

 Full-timePart-time
UK

£9,250 per year

N/A

International

N/A

N/A

Funding for Nursing and Allied Health courses

By studying on this programme, you are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. The loan will support your studies and enable you to start a rewarding career in healthcare. 
 
All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.

If you're eligible, you can get: 

Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include: 

In addition to this non-repayable grant, you are also able to access a maintenance loan of up to £9,488 per year to support your studies, giving you access to over £17,000 per year of funding. Training grant payments will be paid in three instalments over the academic year. This is to provide you with a consistent flow of funding throughout the academic year as far as possible. 
 
All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply. 

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

How to apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.


This course is only available to students who have applied for the equivalent three-year degree and have been offered this as a more suitable alternative by our Admissions team.

We are not currently accepting direct applications.

Careers

We offer full support to help you achieve your career goals, including guidance on applications, CVs and interview techniques. Health care organisations large and small attend our annual employer fairs as part of their recruitment drives. Some of our students are fortunate enough to have several job offers by the time they complete their course.

Our graduates from our BSc (hons) Adult Nursing course have gone into hospital-based roles on a variety of wards, intensive care units, coronary care units, theatres and A&E departments. Others have secured posts within community teams, private hospitals, nursing homes, health and social care settings, and the voluntary sector. Many take up roles in settings where they gained experience on placement.

As a registered nurse, you could also pursue career opportunities in the armed services, prisons, travel companies and charitable organisations, to name but a few. Some of our graduates have even gone on to work overseas.

Take your studies to the next level

We offer a full range of post-registration courses to help you gain more advanced and specialist skills to take the next step in your career.  You could, for instance, focus on areas such as district nursing, health visiting, school nursing or the management of long-term conditions.

You could also explore broader issues such as leadership for healthcare improvement or inter-professional practice. If you would like to conduct independent research into a specialist aspect of health and social care practice, there are opportunities to progress to doctorate level study too.

Many of our post-registration courses and modules can be incorporated into your workplace practice as part of a programme of continuing professional development. Find out more about our Health and Social Care short courses.

Contact us

If you need any more information from us, eg on courses, accommodation, applying, car parking, fees or funding, please contact us and we will do everything we can to help you.

Contact us Contact us

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Additional costs and optional extras

We’re committed to providing you with an outstanding learning experience. Our expert teaching, excellent facilities and great employability prepare you for your future career. As part of our commitment to you we aim to keep any additional study costs to a minimum. However, there are occasions where students may incur some additional costs.

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

Included in your fees

 

Mandatory costs not included in your fees
Optional costs not included in your fees

 

Please note: Our courses are refreshed and updated on a regular basis. If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

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