Overview
Are you thinking about a change of career in nursing? Do you have a passion for the need to respond to global and health challenges? Are you ready to embrace the leadership opportunities essential to influence and manage the increasing complexities in care? As a registered nurse you will embark on a challenging but rewarding career that will open stimulating career opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The Registered Nurse (Adult) MSc programme leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). It is a 2-year programme with the next intake beginning in September 2025 and comprises of 50% theory and 50% practical distribution.
As students you’ll be self-directed learners supported by academics and clinical practice staff to develop your practical and theoretical knowledge in preparation for entry to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.
The programme delivers a learner-centred and flexible approach, using blended learning methods that combine face-to-face and online activities including a practical element undertaken in acute and primary health and social care settings.
Inter-professional learning opportunities are integrated into the curriculum involving students from different healthcare disciplines and engagement with service users and carers through simulation and interactive activities.
During the programme, you’ll learn to care for adults with acute / long-term illnesses underpinned by evidence and research-based methodologies essential for health promotion and disease prevention. Some of the clinical practice component will occur within the NHS.
The NHS Values (The NHS values | Health Careers) are shaped by patients and the public and staff have helped develop this expression of values that inspire passion in the NHS and that should underpin everything it does. Individual organisations will develop and build upon these values, tailoring them to their local needs.
The NHS values provide common ground for collaboration and co-operation to achieve shared aspirations, at all levels within the NHS.
As a nursing student, you'll receive at least £5,000 a year which you don't need to pay back. See the UK government website for more information (NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) | NHSBSA).
Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
UCAS course code: B710, institution code: B84.
Course content
Through a blended learning approach, your programme will involve a mix of face-to-face and online learning in order to support and develop you into a highly competent practitioner within the field of adult nursing.
The programme combines theory with practice where 50 per cent of your time will be spent in a variety of practice placements within a wide range of health and social care settings.
Periods of campus-based learning will help prepare you for your practice placements. All modules are compulsory and cover the broad spectrum of adult nursing.
Compulsory
- Enhancing Health and Integrated Care
This module allows students to understand the role of registered nurses in health promotion, protection, improvement, and illness prevention.
- Developing Skills for Practice
This module enhances students' foundational knowledge in nursing practice, focusing on care for individuals with diverse health challenges.
- Applied Research
This interprofessional module will develop the student’s ability to critically understand and conceptualise the process of research and improvement in health and social justice.
- Nursing Practice for Part 1
This module will introduce the nursing student to the care environment, under supervision, in which the essentials of caring skills are delivered. The practice learning will be in accordance with The Code (NMC,2018).
- Enhancing Skills for Nursing Practice (Adult)
This module will build on and enable the nursing student to further develop their knowledge and clinical skills set. This will involve building upon knowledge and skills gained clinically and theoretically in part 1 of their programme. This module will prepare students to care for people with more complex needs.
- Pharmacology and Prescribing Ready
In this module, students will acquire essential knowledge and skills in pharmacological principles and safe medicines management for evidence-based person-centred care.
- Nursing Practice Module for Part 2
This module builds upon the knowledge and skills learnt in practice in part 1 and part 2 of the theory and skills module. It will enable the nursing student to further link this learning to practice to achieve the standards of competence expected at this stage of the programme.
Compulsory
- Skills for Registration (Adult)
This module will prepare students to demonstrate the ability to provide nursing intervention and support for people who require nursing procedures during the processes of assessment, diagnosis, care and treatment for mental, physical, cognitive and behavioural health challenges.
- Transition to Registered Nurse
The module will equip the student with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for their role as a newly registered nurse in leading and managing nursing care and working effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Dissertation
This module will enable students to further develop their understanding of research methods, ethics and governance in order to critically analyse, share and apply research findings to promote and inform best nursing practice.
- Nursing Practice Module for Part 3
The aim of this module is to provide opportunities for the nursing student to expand their knowledge and skills of nursing care, leadership, managing nursing care and working in teams, in order to practice in planned and uncertain situations.
This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Careers and your future
Career Prospects for Nursing Graduates
The programme will produce graduates who wish to purse a nursing career in a shorter time frame within the adult field of nursing.
The registrant will offer their employer an enhanced capability in leadership and research which is responsive to meet local and global health care needs of a diverse and complex population. Opportunities for graduates on the adult nursing pathway are in high demand nationally and internationally. The benefits of job stability, opportunities for specialisation and career advancement are numerous.
These may include roles such as: Ward managers, Matrons, Clinical Educators, Research Nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Advance Nurse Practitioners or Nurse Consultants.
Benefits of working with The National Health Service (NHS) include;
Competitive salaries, pension plans and training and development opportunities to stay updated on the latest healthcare practices.
Flexible Work Options: Various work schedules, including part-time and flexible hours, to accommodate individual needs. Job Satisfaction: The intrinsic reward of making a positive impact on patients' lives and contributing to the healthcare system.
It's important to note that specific benefits and opportunities may vary depending on the employer, region, and individual career choices.
Professional Registration
Upon graduation, you’ll be eligible to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Successful completion of the programme also provides eligibility to apply for professional registration with regulatory bodies in other countries, for example: Canada, New Zealand, Australia and many others. For current information on the specific requirements and registration process for each country we recommend that you consult the webpages of the relevant regulatory body.
Rights to Work in the UK for International Students
International students graduating from this programme may be eligible to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa that provides the right to work within the UK healthcare sector.
This visa also provides the right for dependants to come to the UK and exemptions from UK health insurance surcharges. Further information about the current benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa and rules for applying can be found at the UKVI website.
Information on further visa options is available on our Post Study Work Options webpage.
UK entry requirements
2025/6 entry
- Bachelor (Honours) Degree - 2:2 or above in any subject (Nursing degree acceptable as long as applying for a different pathway)
- GCSE Maths and English grade C/4 (or equivalent)
- For all national and international applications, as a condition of entry onto the programme, you will be required to make a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) claim. This will be in the form of a brief portfolio which demonstrates theoretical and practical knowledge that is relevant to the MSc Registered Nurse programme. You will need to evidence at least 500 hours of practical experience in a health or social care environment prior to submitting your RPL claim. You will be provided with full support from the programme team and detailed guidance notes to assist you with your claim.
EU and International entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS: 7.0 (min 7.0 in Reading, Listening and Speaking with no less than 6.5 in Writing)
- Academic and the Occupational English Test (OET) - grade B (350 or above) for reading, listening, and speaking, and at least grade C+ (300 or above) for writing
- Further information can be found on the Nursing and Midwifery Council's website: Accepted English language tests - The Nursing and Midwifery Council (nmc.org.uk)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2024/5 entry
UK
£13,750 full-time
International
£23,615 full-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
The 2-year programme is a 50% theory (minimum 2300 hours) and 50% practice (minimum 2,300 hours). Some of these hours will be achieved via a recognition of prior learning claim.
Your theoretical sessions will be delivered on campus, however there may be occasions when sessions may be delivered via a virtual platform. 100% attendance for the theory component of the programme is essential and you must complete 100% of the practice hours to successfully complete the programme. Learning will be supported with a wide range of resources within Brightspace, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).
The course encompasses a flexible approach to learning with strategies designed to further enhance your academic and learning skills incorporating the use of digital technologies. For example, lectures; Team Based Learning; seminars; group work; simulation; role play; case discussions; peer learning; flipped classroom.
A range of learning activities have been developed within the curriculum to allow you to experience inter-professional learning with students from other health programmes. For example: Registered Nurse Degree, Specialist Community Public Health Nursing, Social Work, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Physician Associates.
Feedback, Personal Tutoring Hours, and Project Supervision will be offered both in-person on-campus or via online platforms. This will allow you to easily receive feedback, advice and guidance without having to travel to campus on a day that you might otherwise not be attending.
All coursework will be submitted via a digital assessment platform which supports students’ assessment and feedback. Both practical and written exams will be on-campus.
The programme has been designed to support the integration of physical and mental health, as well as the application of care across health and social care.
This approach enables you to demonstrate the professional values expected to deliver high-quality evidence-informed care to all individuals, their families and their communities.
Within your skills-based teaching your existing practice skills are further enhanced through simulation sessions and the use of authentic scenario-based learning. This will provide you with learning opportunities across all four fields of nursing.
Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.
We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.
There is a focus on inter-professional learning and the critical integration of theory to practice to promote independent thinking through the process of critical reflection.
You’ll be taught by highly qualified and research-engaged nurse academics who will ensure that everything you learn is up-to-date and relevant to the NHS care setting.
You’ll benefit from an innovative teaching approach that incorporates digital technology, team-based learning, face-to-face teaching and online learning.
Simulation is used to teach concepts relating to the care of patients. You’ll practise your nursing skills through the use of real-world nursing scenarios through simulations, so you’ll be confident and skilled ready for your practice placements.
Assessment and feedback
- Formative and summative assessments further support the learning process in preparing you for success to registration.
- Throughout your course you’ll receive feedback in the form of professional conversations arising from simulated practice, written feedback and automated immediate feedback (instant feedback given through digital technology). This will be timed in order to guide you through your studies and help you with your ongoing development.
- Formative activities include online discussions, interactive tools, presentations, simulations, and peer assessment to prepare students for summative assessments.
- Summative Assessments will include written assignments, examinations, OSCE’s (objective structured clinical examinations) which assess your clinical competency and confidence, presentations and viva voces. You will receive assessments to resemble nursing activities in professional practice as well as testing transferable skills thus providing a comprehensive evaluation of learning throughout the programme.
- Summative assessments also extend to practice placements where you’ll need to meet the training requirements outlined by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.