MSc Adult Nursing - Preregistration (February Start)
Key Details
- Attendance
- Full Time
- Award
- Degree of Master of Science
- Course Length
- 2 years
- Course Start Date
- February 2025
Course Overview
A career in nursing can be as varied or specialist as you choose. Working with people of every age, from childhood to older age, it could see you caring for people recovering from acute illness or living with a disability, as well as working alongside and supporting people to stay mentally and physically well.
Our innovative, accelerated course is ideal if you already have a degree and are looking for a fast-track into the nursing profession. Exposing you to theory and practice, our Master’s programme will build on your prior life experience and graduate attributes, and enable you to qualify as an adult nurse in just two years.
You will explore all aspects of nursing, and gain experience working with people receiving nursing care in a variety of settings, working with a range of health and social care professionals.
With the NHS Constitution at its core, our MSc Nursing programme will offer you the excitement and challenge of achieving your very best and will provide you with the rigorous training you need to become a dynamic nurse.
Our Master’s course has been designed for students who already have an undergraduate degree and who demonstrate the personal attributes and commitment needed to pursue a career caring for others. Your time with us will help you develop into a nurse who’s not only committed, but who is also able to deliver the highest quality of person-centred care.
Informed by the four pillars of Advanced Practice, you will be exposed to theoretical and practice-based learning addressing themes of Clinical Practice, Research, Education and Leadership, ensuring you are equipped to pursue a variety of exciting career opportunities at the point of qualification.
The course entails learning in a university setting, independent online learning, self-directed study, simulated practice and placements in a variety of health and social care settings. It will develop your high standards of care and clinical nursing skills, as well as your education, leadership and research skills, enabling you to excel in the way you work with service users, their families and their carers – and maximising your contribution to the multidisciplinary healthcare team.
Throughout the course, you’ll undertake professionally supervised placements in a wide variety of care settings. Working closely with service users, placements provide a fantastic opportunity to apply and develop your knowledge and skills in a clinical environment. Placements will also enable you to appreciate the importance of research, education and leadership in providing quality care.
Study and Modules
Structure
Our course structure will enable you to study a range of concepts and undertake practice experiences, all highly relevant to adult nursing. Across the two years, you will also study six core modules and be exposed to placements reflective of the patient journey across a range of healthcare settings. This means you’ll spend time getting to grips with the theory and then applying it in practice.
In your first year, you will focus on learning the foundations of nursing, with an emphasis on developing your knowledge and understanding of fundamental nursing theory and concepts. You’ll investigate a range of topics including person-centred care, empowerment, public health and health promotion among others. Essential nursing skills will be taught through simulation in the university’s skills labs, through online learning and during practice placements where the emphasis will be on you developing core practice skills, whilst giving you the opportunity to explore the nurses’ role within a multiprofessional team.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
We take a ‘blended’ approach to teaching and learning, which includes online learning as well as classroom-based activities in order to promote engagement and develop your critical thinking.
Classroom teaching includes lectures, seminars as well as peer learning opportunities, where we encourage you to actively participate with the guidance and facilitation of a lecturer.
In Year 1, teaching centres on learning the fundamentals of nursing theory and practice and how you deliver safe care to people. We emphasise the need to develop research skills throughout the course, and in the first year you will learn to appreciate various research approaches and how they support and guide nursing practice.
You will have two 10-week practice placements in Year 1. Each placement block starts with a week of simulated learning in the UEA skills and simulation centre, where you will be introduced to a wide range of nursing skills. During each practice placement, you will be learning with the support of registered nurses, members of the healthcare team and those using healthcare services. Your practice placements are designed to reflect the typical working patterns of a qualified nurse. You’ll have access to placements in a wide variety of settings located with healthcare provides who work in partnership with UEA, across Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.
Assessment
You will be assessed using a range of methods, carefully chosen to enable you to demonstrate your ability to apply theory to practice.
Year 1 assessments include written assignments, reports and exams. You will also be assessed in practice against the NMC proficiencies set out in the PART 1: MYEPAD (Midlands, Yorkshire and East Practice Assessment Document)
Structure
The second year focuses on enhancing your practical knowledge and the conceptualisation of theory into practice. You will be able to spend more time in practice and specialise during placements by spending time with other members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.
You’ll build on your knowledge and skills, demonstrating your ability to effectively deliver nursing care and communicate with people with complex needs. Using a range of educational and leadership skills you will assess the needs of people while protecting their rights to privacy, dignity, respect and autonomy.
In this year, you will complete a project that draws together the four pillars of advanced practice. This will enable you to develop a high level of critical thinking and reasoning skills, so that you are increasingly able to support people with complex needs.
As you move through the programme towards professional registration, you’ll explore what your role means in relation to enhancing the quality of care, nursing practice and service delivery. As a future leader in practice, you’ll also focus on how to apply research, education and leadership theory to lead, develop and improve services and care provision.
Compulsory Modules
Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.
Teaching and Learning
In Year 2, teaching centres on embedding theory and research into your practice to enable you to deliver high quality care to people and support their families and carers. The emphasis is on managing and leading care and improving the quality of care and healthcare services in partnership with others.
You will have three practice placements in Year 2. The first two placements will be 10 weeks and the final placement is 12 weeks. Like Year 1, the first week of each placement will be a simulated practice week.
By the end of your studies, you will have developed your knowledge, skills and professional values in order to demonstrate completion of the NMC proficiencies and requirements for professional registration.
Independent Study
Throughout your two years, we encourage you to think critically about your practice, so that you become a confident, reflexive independent learner. Within directed study time, you will be expected to fully engage with our Virtual Learning Environment and use this time to develop your skills of critical enquiry.
Assessment
In Year 2, you will complete a dissertation that encompasses the learning outcomes for all Year 2 modules. In practice, you will be assessed against the NMC proficiencies set out in the PART 2: MYEPAD and PART 3: MYEPAD.
Entry Requirements
- Degree Classification
- Minimum 2:1 or equivalent; this programme is also applicable if you are a registered Mental Health, Learning Disabilities or Children's Nurse who wishes to become a NMC registered Adult Nurse. If you are a registered nurse looking for post-registration study opportunities within your own field of practice then this course is not suitable and you may wish to consider our other post-registration, professional nursing courses delivered at Degree and Master's level.
- Degree Subject
- All subject areas considered
- GCSE
Applicants will be required to have a minimum of GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4 / C or equivalent.
- English Foreign Language
We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:
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IELTS: 7.0 (minimum 6.5 in all components)
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PTE (Pearson): 76 (minimum 67 in all components)
Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.
Other tests, including Cambridge English exams and the Trinity Integrated Skills in English are also accepted by the university. The full list of accepted tests can be found here: Accepted English Language Tests
INTO UEA also run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please visit:
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- Interviews
The strongest applicants will be invited to interview. Please note that meeting the minimum academic entry requirements will not guarantee that you will be selected for interview. Interview invitations will be sent by email. Please keep a close eye on all emails from UEA after you submit your application.
Interview format
Our interviews for 2024 will take place on our campus. You will be invited to a morning or afternoon session by email. The email will include the arrival time and building location. We use a variety of the buildings on our campus for interviews, but they will either be on our Main Campus or on our West Campus (which is around a 20-minute walk from the centre of the Main Campus, near the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital). The session will last no longer than 3 hours in total.
As part of the session, you will take part in ‘multiple mini-interviews’ with academic members of staff from the School of Health Sciences at UEA, clinicians from the profession, service users* and/or current UEA students from the course.
*A ‘service user’ is someone who has access to use health or social care services or could be affected by the services of health and social care professionals.
You will undertake your ‘multiple mini-interview’ alongside 1 or 2 other applicants for the course. Together, you will be taken to your interview room, which will be furnished with three interview stations. You will attend each interview station in turn, rotating with the other applicants you have been grouped with.
Before you visit each interview station, you will be given time to read some information. The information will include the interview questions or topics that you will be asked about. You will then be given a set amount of time with the interviewer(s), who will ask you the questions verbally.
The other applicants who you have been grouped together with will be following the same process as you at the same time. They will be speaking to alternate interviewer(s) to you simultaneously. You will all continue the process above until you have been interviewed at all three interview stations.
As part of your interview day, you will also have an opportunity to join some other sessions, for which you will not be assessed. The sessions are an opportunity for you to learn more about the course, the university, the students that study here, and for you to ask questions of current students and teaching staff. There may be an opportunity to undertake some practical skills during some of these sessions, if possible. There may also be an opportunity to tour the teaching facilities. These parts of your interview day are not compulsory, and do not form part of the assessment.
Applicants who are based outside of the UK at the point of applying will be offered an online interview. The format will match the process outlined above as closely as possible.
Interview questions
At each interview station you will be asked questions that focus on a particular domain. The order in which you are asked about these domains will be variable. The domains are:
- Your knowledge of the professional field for which you are applying.
- Your personal qualities and suitability for the profession. To help with discussion around this domain, you may be asked to consider a scenario and asked questions about how you would respond to it. You will be given time to read the scenario before you approach the interview station, and it will also be read to you by the interviewer(s).
- Your understanding of and suitability for the course at UEA.
On all interview stations, interviewers will also consider your understanding of the values that are required of a healthcare professional. This will include your understanding of moral and ethical values, competence, commitment to improve and personal accountability. You won’t necessarily be asked specific questions about these areas, but the information you include in your answers to all questions will be considered when the interviewer(s) assess you.
Interview Skills for Nursing Applicants - Free Course
Take advantage of our free course through Future Learn: Interview Skills for University Nursing Programme Applicants
This free one-week course aims to increase your chances of being accepted onto a UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) approved Nursing programme in the UK. You’ll be guided through the interview process to help you understand the purpose of the interviews and how they’re conducted. We introduce a range of resources, which will help you develop your knowledge of the Nursing profession and potential career pathways. Through information, guidance, and activities, you’ll learn how to identify transferable skills and relevant experiences that you can draw upon during your Nursing course interview, giving you the best chance of success.
Experience of Healthcare
We are aware that it is a difficult time to try to gain relevant experience in healthcare. First time applicants to Nursing, Midwifery and the Allied Health Professions will all be in a similar situation.
Clinical work experience will not generally be a requirement for applying to train in healthcare. We will be looking for you to show that you are able to work with people, that you appreciate the health and social care setting, and that you understand what a career in health will involve. While we will expect you to show some understanding of what it is like to be the professional of your choice, part of this involves demonstrating that you know what it is like to work in a responsible role, particularly with the public.
Note that your experiences are only as valuable as the way you talk about them and what understanding you take from them. It is important that you think about how you might be able to demonstrate your understanding of healthcare, that you can relate this to experience or research, and that you can explain what you have learned.
What type of experience or research do you need?
Any activity, life experience or research that helps you to prepare for training to be a healthcare professional will help. This means any activity that allows you to demonstrate that you have:
- Had people-focused experience of providing a service, care, support or help to others, and that you understand the realities of working in a caring profession.
- Developed some of the values, attitudes and behaviours essential to being a Nurse, Midwife or Allied Health professional such as conscientiousness, effective communication and the ability to interact with a wide variety of people. The values that we are looking for are set out in the NHS Constitution.
- A realistic understanding of Health and Social Care and in particular the physical, organisational and emotional demands of the career.
Practical ways to gain experience
Keep a reflective diary on what is happening in the news and online. Listen to what healthcare professionals have to say and reflect on this. All healthcare professionals can be a valuable source of information and experience, not just those that work in the specific profession that you are applying for. Demonstrating that you have a sense of all healthcare professions (and how they work together) will help you in both your personal statement and interview.
Volunteer in your spare time if you can, all forms of voluntary work can provide helpful work experience. If volunteer work in the NHS isn’t something that is available to you, think about what else you could explore i.e. working with other people in a caring or service role. Voluntary commitments to community groups (for example groups related to the work of churches, mosques and temples, or other groups such as Scouts or Guides) and online community support groups may also provide valuable experience of taking on responsibility, dealing with people and communicating effectively.
Remember: what is important is what you learn about yourself and about other people, and what you learn about how effective care is delivered and received. How you learn these things is only a small part of the story; it is how you communicate what you learnt that matters.
- Intakes
This course is open to UK, EU and International applicants. The annual intake for this course is in February each year.
Additional Information or Requirements
The University will also take into account the employment experience of applicants where relevant.
RPL Information
Following interview, successful candidates will be required to complete a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) online portfolio set against defined NMC outcomes (NMC, 2018), which, on confirmation of achievement, candidates will be eligible to commence the MSc accelerated programme in 2 years.
Due to its ‘shortened’ design graduate entrants are required to demonstrate 460 equivalent theoretical learning hours before starting the programme as a condition of the admissions process. This is achieved through the completion of a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) Portfolio. In order to start the programme and progress you need to successfully complete the RPL.
Placements
As this course includes patient facing placements in health or social care settings, and these are a mandatory component of the course, you will need to comply with the placement vaccination policy. Failure to meet the placement vaccination policy may prevent you from joining the course or may lead to your withdrawal from the course in the future. Future employment may also be subject to this condition.
Assessing Your Fitness to Become a Registered Healthcare Professional
Please see our guidance on assessing your fitness.
Fees and Funding
Tuition fees for the Academic Year 2024/25 are:
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UK Students: £18,500 (Full-time on a two-year basis. Course fee charged £9,250 per academic year)
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International Students: £42,350 (Course fee charged as £42,350 over two academic years, £21,175 per academic year. 2023-24 entrants are liable for £19,800 in 2024-25)
We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.
Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.
Scholarships and Bursaries
The University of East Anglia offers a range of Scholarships; please click the link for eligibility, details of how to apply and closing dates.
Course Related Costs
Find out more about additional course costs.
Find out about scholarships, bursaries and UK government postgraduate student loans.
How to Apply
Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.
The closing date for receipt of complete applications is 01 June 2024.
To apply please use our online application form.
FURTHER INFORMATION
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:
Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk
International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.
Employability
After the Course
You’ll graduate with an MSc in Nursing and full registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council. You will be equipped with the clinical, communication, research, education and leadership skills to enable you to provide high quality, person-centered care.
Nursing is a rewarding, challenging and exciting career, and the qualities and qualifications you’ll possess will open doors to a huge range of settings, in the UK and internationally.
As a UEA graduate, you will continue to enhance your lifelong learning skills to ensure you develop professionally throughout your career.
Careers
A degree at UEA will prepare you for a wide variety of careers. We've been ranked 1st for Job Prospects by StudentCrowd in 2022.
Examples of careers that you could enter include:
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NHS
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Private sector
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Voluntary sector
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Nursing management
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Education
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Research
Discover more on our Careers webpages.