Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci
Subject and course type
- Nursing and Midwifery
- Undergraduate
Take the first steps towards your career as a Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nurse with ΞΆΓάΘ¦. We are rated No.1 in London for Nursing (The Times Good University Guide 2025) and in the top 10 in the UK for General Nursing (The Guardian University Guide 2025).
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Develop the skills you need to make a difference
Deliver high-quality care to patients within clinical, community and practice health settings.
Throughout our Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci course, you will be taught by our Simulated Learning and Clinical Skills Team. You will learn clinical skills fundamental to deliver high-quality care to patients at all life stages.
By taking part in award-winning innovative simulations with role players and full body manikins, you will develop the knowledge, skills and values needed for safe and effective patient care.
As well as developing practical and therapeutic skills, you'll have the opportunity to learn from people with lived experience of mental health challenges at the Recovery College.
In 2023, we won two awards at the Student Nursing Times Awards, including Teaching Innovation of the Year for our simulated public health elective. This was part of our annual student nursing electives programme, which was also nominated for the Best Student Experience award, where students are supported to organise their own national or international placement of their choosing.
Mental health nursing and learning disability nursing are both highly rewarding careers where you can make a real difference.
Why choose this course
Our Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci integrated masters course will prepare you to apply to the NMC register as a Registered Nurse in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing.
Mental health nursing and learning disability nursing are both highly rewarding careers where you can make a real difference. One in four people experience mental health problems in any given year, and this course prepares you to work in collaboration with service users, their relatives and carers towards recovery.
You'll explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan, from children to older people and those with dementia or other mental or physical health needs. You'll study the factors that affect health inequalities in our society and how we can improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic spectrum conditions (ASC).
Your studies include core elements for all fields of nursing and modules specific to mental health and learning disabilities. You'll learn first-hand from mental health service users and carers, through our strong partnerships with service users and carer-led organisations. These include the Recovery College, the Sutton Carers Centre and the South West London Recovery College.
You'll also have the opportunity to apply your learning through placements in hospital and community settings. Plus, you'll have the chance to take a national or international elective at the end of your second year. In the UK, mental health students have worked at a wide range of settings, including Broadmoor Hospital. while others travelled to places such as Ireland, India, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
ΞΆΓάΘ¦ has been ranked No 1 in London for Nursing (The Times Good University Guide 2025).
Accreditation
This degree confers both an academic award and a professional qualification in nursing. On completion of the programme, students are recommended to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for professional registration.
Course content
Year 1
Core Modules
30 credits
This module is designed to help you develop your knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and physiology across the lifespan in relation to nursing, which is an essential element of nursing proficiency.
Pathophysiology will be explored in relation to common conditions and you will also begin to develop your knowledge of pharmacological concepts in preparation for therapeutic interventions explored in Year 2.
The main features of the module are to enable you to apply scientific principles to nursing care. It will also support you to identify and understand current nursing practices underpinned by scientific theory.
60 credits
This module introduces you to the context of nursing practice across a range of healthcare settings. You will learn about contemporary healthcare concepts and a range of common health conditions. You will be introduced to The Code (NMC, 2018) to gain knowledge and understanding of its importance in guiding the nurse to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care, which is essential when caring for service users in partnership with families and other healthcare professionals. You will also develop your clinical skills and knowledge during this module.
30 credits
This module will introduce you to the socio-political influences shaping the changing context of maternity care provision. You will develop an understanding of feminist theory, psychology, sociology and public health as it applies to childbearing. This module aims to prepare you for the role of the Maternity Support Worker in improving and promoting public health, including sexual health.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Year 2
Core Modules
30 credits
The module focuses upon the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to work collaboratively with mental health service users, in relation to mental and physical health and well-being. The concept of shared decision making and collaborative working will underpin all psychosocial approaches and interventions to improve both physical and mental health. You will explore the individual, social and service factors contributing to poorer physical health outcomes and inequalities experienced by people with serious and complex mental health needs.
30 credits
This module will provide you with the requisite skills and knowledge to understand the principles of evidence-based healthcare and how to apply them effectively to your clinical practice. The concepts and skills you will learn include those used to search for, review and critique evidence. You will also develop the clinical skills and proficiencies required for Part 2 of your programme, through skills and simulated practice learning activities. A key element of this will be developing an understanding of the digital technologies used for enhancing care in line with contemporary healthcare policy.
15 credits
This module will provide you with the foundational pharmacological and medicines management knowledge to enable you to safely develop your skills and knowledge in the administration of medicines to clients, patients and service users. You will develop your understanding of the regulatory, legal, and ethical frameworks that influence medicines management and the underlying pharmacological science. Issues such as concordance will be explored, and the skills required to access resources to support medicines management practice. Embedded within the module is simulated practice learning that will support the development of your clinical skills related to medicines management.
30 credits
This module will enable you to develop the knowledge, skills, and approaches of planning and delivering care with people with a learning disability within their support systems.
You will further enhance your knowledge, skills, and approaches to facilitate reasonable adjustments made to improve access to healthcare for people with a learning disability. You will develop your understanding of working in partnership with a range of health and care professionals, and people with a learning disability to achieve optimum individual health and wellbeing within a multi- or inter-disciplinary context.
You will develop, evaluate, and reflect on both packages of care and resource/resources designed to improve the health and wellbeing of people with a learning disability.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Optional Modules
15 credits
In Year 2 of the course, you will have the opportunity to undertake an option module. Examples of modules available include: Global Health, Wound Management, Child and Adolescent Mental Health. You will be provided with details of all modules available at the beginning of Year 2 so you can make your decision.
Year 3
Core Modules
30 credits
This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for their future leadership role in coordinating and managing the complex needs of people with a learning disability across a range of organisations and settings. The module explores the complex role of the learning disability nurse, working as a specialist, to enrich the quality of life of people with learning disabilities. Experts from lived experience will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting students through a range of complex case studies and current socio economical and workforce challenges. You will build on their knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
30 credits
This module explores some of the most common health needs that impact people with a learning disability. It considers how we define health and wellbeing, and how learning disabilities nurses can support people who use services to maintain good wellbeing. It considers health across the life span, and across a spectrum of conditions of which learning disability is part. You will learn about digital safety, and how this contributes to wellbeing. You will practise applying the social determinants of health to case studies and vignettes of people with a learning disability, based on contributions from experts by experience. You will also learn about the health inequalities that people with a learning disability experience. You will also begin to consider the intersectionality between learning disability and the social determinants of health. This will enable you to plan care in inclusive, co-produced ways.
30 credits
Navigating the transition from student to a professional practitioner who is skilled at leading teams is critically important to the delivery of safe, effective and high quality health care. This module is designed to prepare you for professional nursing practice by expanding your knowledge and skills to enable you to be an accountable and compassionate leader within the health and social care system.
The module focuses on leadership, team working, and performance management and enables nursing students to reflect on their transition to registered practice and build the evidence base for a career development portfolio. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
30 credits
This module focuses on knowledge and skills necessary to deliver safe and competent practice and recovery focused care. It will focus on assessment and implementing and evaluating a range of evidence-based care interventions within a variety of mental health settings. You will have the opportunity to develop, practise and reflect upon their knowledge and skills of key evidence-based interventions designed to meet the holistic needs of service users and carers. You will be able to explore the importance of measuring outcomes in care and evaluating the clinical effectiveness of your own performance through reflective practice.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Year 4
Core Modules
60 credits
This module aims to explore the key areas that will enable you to transition and fulfil the role of a registered nurse. The module is designed to prepare you for professional nursing practice by further developing your knowledge and skills to enable you to be an accountable and compassionate registrant within the health and social care system. It focuses on the mechanisms that underpin care organisation and delivery, how nurses are integral to and can influence this and aims to develop your critical understanding of the factors influencing the environment in which you will be working. The role of politics in health and social care policy is critically explored and the module will provide you with the opportunities to explore these issues through a social justice lens.
30 credits
This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for your future leadership role in providing, leading and coordinating care that is compassionate, evidence based and group/person-centred across a range of organisations and settings.
Experts from practice will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting students through a range of complex case studies and current socio economical and workforce challenges. You will build on your knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances. It acknowledges that mental health nursing should take into consideration the individual's wishes, their culture and the services available within the current political landscape. It will expand your consideration of the care environment and service provision, to provide enhanced coordinated care delivery.
30 credits
This module provides you with an opportunity to critically explore and evaluate an area o healthcare practice that you are interested in. It will enable you to extend the knowledge you have gained about evidence-based healthcare and undertake a small, focused literature review. This will facilitate the further development of your EBH skills and allow you to explore an area of interest in more depth. The module will be facilitated by individual supervision provided by your personal tutor.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Future Skills and career opportunities
This degree confers both an academic award and a professional qualification in nursing. On completion of the programme, students are recommended to the for professional registration.
ΞΆΓάΘ¦ students are highly sought after, with students gaining first posts in acute hospitals and the community across Surrey and London in leading NHS and independent organisations.
Types of jobs include:
- Staff mental health nurse
- Forensic staff nurse
- Staff nurse child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Research nurse
- Psychiatric liaison nurse
Links with the healthcare sector
We have 10 practice partners for mental health nursing from the NHS and private sector including:
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
- Central and North West London Foundation NHS Trust
- Huntercombe Hospital
- The Priory Group
- Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Huntercombe Hospital
- Hexagon Housing Association
- Royal Hospital for Neurodisability (Putney)
- Cygnet Healthcare Woking
Future Skills
Embedded within the Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci course and throughout the whole ΞΆΓάΘ¦ experience is our Future Skills campaign.
The demands from modern day employment are continuing to evolve. In response to this, we developed our Future Skills programme to help you obtain the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.
As you move through your degree, you'll learn how to apply these graduate skills in different scenarios and articulate to employers how being able to do so gives you the edge.
At ΞΆΓάΘ¦, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it
For more information on how ΞΆΓάΘ¦ prepares you for the future job market, visit our Future Skills page.
Teaching and assessment
Scheduled learning and teaching on this course includes timetabled activities including lectures, seminars and small group tutorials.
It may also include placements, project work, practical sessions, workshops, conferences and field trips.
Outside the scheduled learning and teaching hours, you will learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, preparing for and completing your work for assessments. Some independent study work may need to be completed on-campus, as you may need to access campus-based facilities such as studios and labs.
Our academic support team here at ΞΆΓάΘ¦ provides help in a range of areas.
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, support you throughout your time at ΞΆΓάΘ¦ and show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at ΞΆΓάΘ¦.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 120 credits across a year (typical for an undergraduate course) would equate to 1,200 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below for each year of study. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- Year 1: 57% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 2: 83% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 3: 75% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 4: 75% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will be a blended course which means you will spend some time on campus, some learning online and some time on clinical placement.
Types of assessment
- Year 1: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 2: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 3: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 4: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student friendly as possible, scheduled learning and teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9am and 6pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.
We aim to provide feedback to you on your assessments within 20 working days.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Β£9,535 |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2026/27): | Β£19,900 |
| Year 2 (2027/28): | Β£20,700 |
| Year 3 (2028/29): | Β£21,500 |
| Year 4 (2029/30): | Β£22,400 |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'Overseas' student. In 2026/27 the fees for this course are above.
* For full time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full time taught International fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.
| Fee category | Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | Β£9,535 |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2025/26): | Β£18,800 |
| Year 2 (2026/27): | Β£19,600 |
| Year 3 (2027/28): | Β£20,400 |
| Year 4 (2028/29): | Β£21,200 |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'Overseas' student. In 2025/26 the fees for this course are above.
* For full time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full time taught International fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.
NHS Training Grant
Nursing students on pre-registration courses will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which doesn’t need to be paid back, subject to eligibility criteria. For more information, please visit the NHS Business Service Authority.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying this course at ΞΆΓάΘ¦, there are several opportunities to seek funding support.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from Β£50 to Β£250 per year. And a personal computer can range from Β£100 to Β£3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
ΞΆΓάΘ¦ will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from Β£30 to Β£350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our free intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, ΞΆΓάΘ¦ upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Placements
Placement expenses for travel and accommodation may be reimbursed by NHS Bursaries where, for example, the requirement exceeds that of attending university; or requires additional accommodation to that of the usual term time location. These expenses may need to be covered initially by the student before any applicable reimbursement is received. Please note: EU and international students may not be eligible for support for travel and accommodation.
The University will pay for your application to be processed, but you’ll need to subscribe to the Update Service for £16 per year. This allows universities and potential employers to view any changes to your DBS.
Professional body membership fees whilst on course are approximately Β£10. Nursing and Midwifery Council registration fees, once qualified, are currently Β£120 for the year.
Subject to eligibility and approval by the faculty, students are able to arrange their own elective clinical placements either in the UK or overseas. Students are required to make the necessary arrangements for any electives, including costs such as travel, accommodation, visas and additional vaccinations.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
Key information
The scrolling banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).
