BSc

Nursing (Mental Health)

Nursing (Mental Health) Code B760 Attend an Open Day Attend an Open Day

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Key Facts

B760

  • UCAS Tariff

    96 - 104

  • Course duration

    3 years

Available for September start 2025

Further details on entry requirements

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Our Mental Health Nursing degree programme at Aberystwyth University, accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), will give you the skills and experience to meet the evolving health needs in this diverse and rewarding profession. Nursing is a challenging but rewarding career that'll change lives, including your own. As a mental health nurse, you'll play your part in improving access to healthcare, wellbeing, social inclusion, and quality of life.

Working in a variety of settings, including specialist and community services, and people's homes, mental health nurses provide focused health support to people of all ages.

This course is not currently available to international applicants who are ordinarily resident outside of the UK.

Course Overview

Why study Mental Health Nursing at Aberystwyth?

Our academic staff are registered nurses and allied health professionals, many of whom are also practising clinicians, providing an exceptional combination of theoretical rigour, professional insight, and practical expertise.

We have very strong links with Welsh health boards (Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Powys Teaching Health Board, Swansea Bay University Health Board) opening up clinical placement opportunities for you in a variety of settings in both urban and rural locations. Meanwhile, the nearest hospital, Bronglais General and Gorwelion is located in close proximity to our Healthcare Education Centre.

By taking a person-centred approach to care delivery, you will initially focus on meeting people's essential care needs and, as you progress through your second and third years, you will develop the skills and capabilities to assess, provide and manage the complex care needs of individuals and groups of people.

Students’ clinical and academic skills are developed within a strong and established system of support through personal tutors in the Health Care Education Centre and clinical mentors in placements. Placements are embedded into the programme to enable you to develop your clinical skills. You will experience a range of clinical settings which may require you to travel out of the local area of Aberystwyth.

To develop your skills in academic writing, reflection, critical thinking, and decision making, a small group approach to learning is adopted whereby you are supported by your personal tutor. This is complemented by lectures, online activities, individual tutorials, directed study, and skills-based learning in the Healthcare Education Centre’s Clinical Skills Unit.

Learning in the Healthcare Education Centre at Aberystwyth is enhanced by our newly established Clinical Skills Unit, a simulation suite where you can learn and practice clinical skills in a safe and supportive environment. Our facilities which include the clinical suite allows you to put your theoretical knowledge into practice in an environment that reflects as closely as possible the actual conditions that you will experience when you go on placement in a hospital or community setting.

You can study 50% of your nursing degree through the medium of Welsh and you may be eligible for financial support from the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. Our practice-based module is supported by Welsh speaking Practice Supervisors and Practice Assessors. You can complete your clinical assessments through the medium of Welsh. If you’re a non-Welsh speaker and wish to learn Welsh, we offer basic conversational health-related Welsh lessons within the programme.

The study places on this programme are commissioned by Health Education and Improvement Wales, and funding to cover tuition fees will be in accordance with the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. Further financial support from the Scheme is also available as well as being able to apply for reduced maintenance support through Student Finance. You will have to commit to working in Wales for two years after qualifying and registering as a nurse with the NMC. This process is managed centrally by NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership, and the Student Streamlining Scheme will ensure that you will be matched to a suitable position of your choice in your identified locality.

Non-UK students may be eligible for the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme providing they have the appropriate visa status i.e., Indefinite Leave to Remain and are required to have resided within the UK for 3 years prior to the course. EU Nationals who have and maintain settled or pre settled status in the UK and Irish Nationals will also remain eligible for the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme. However, to confirm if you are eligible to receive the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, please see further information from NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership. Please visit the NHS Funding webpage to check your eligibility for funding before applying.

Our Staff

The majority of teaching staff in the Department of Life Sciences are qualified to PhD level and are research active. Vocational courses also have staff whose background lies within industry. The Department has a large number of research only staff with whom students may have contact.

Modules September start - 2025

Please note: The modules listed below are those currently intended for delivery during the next academic year and may be subject to change. They are included here to give an indication of how the course is structured.

* Also available partially or entirely through the medium of Welsh

About this course

Duration: 3 years

Careers

Upon graduation, you will be eligible to apply for Registered Nurse status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and to register as a nurse for work in EU and EEA. You can expect a starting salary of £25,655 rising to £53,219 for a highly experienced staff nurse. Specialist nurses and practice managers can earn £45,000.

If you’re in receipt of funding from the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme you will have to commit to working in Wales for two years after qualifying and registering as a nurse with the NMC. This process is managed centrally by NHS Wales Shared Service Partnership, and the Student Streamlining Scheme will ensure that you will be matched to a suitable position of your choice in your identified locality.

Teaching & Learning

As a full-time student, undertaking the 3-year nursing programme, you will be expected to undertake 37.5 hours weekly study during theory weeks, and 37.5 hours per week when attending practice placements.

The full-time programme is divided equally into theory and practice learning weeks with a total of 4,600 hours of learning.

What will I learn? 

In your first year, you will concentrate on introducing you to nursing as a career in professional practice. Cross-field modules, where both adult and mental health field nursing students are taught together, will focus on providing holistic, person-centred care and will develop your understanding of human development, factors influencing health and well-being, service delivery, professional nursing practice, human anatomy, physiology and integrated pharmacology will also be included. The theory modules will also prepare you for your three clinical practice placements, providing you with the opportunity to learn essential care skills and complete the All-Wales mandatory training passports in our state of the art, multi-professional Clinical Skills Unit.

In your second year, you will focus on enhancing your professional practice. Field specific modules will develop your understanding of knowledge underpinning your chosen field of practice (adult or mental health), exploring common and complex conditions, underlying pathophysiology, disease process and symptom management. You will also develop a more advanced understanding of human anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology and how this knowledge informs professional nursing practice and holistic person-centred care, specific to your chosen field of practice. You will also have another three practice-based placements during the course of the year.

In your third and final year, you will see both cross-field and field-specific modules being taught, where the focus will be on developing your compassionate leadership skills which will be required for professional practice. The module will introduce fundamental principles underpinning creativity, innovation and change in practice, as well as revisiting key concepts which supports nursing and medicine management. You will be guided to examine your learning journey so far and critically explore your readiness to become an autonomous registered professional with the confidence to deliver safe and effective, holistic person-centred nursing care. In addition, you will also have another three practice-based placements throughout the year.

You will be allocated a personal tutor during the three-year programme. Your personal tutor will support your learning journey and professional development. The personal tutor role is crucial in supporting students with any problems or queries and will help you maximise your student experience.

How will I be taught?

Our philosophy of nurse education encompasses flexible, progressive and innovative approaches ensuring you will be a caring, competent and critically thinking nurse. Some of our approaches include experiential learning, enquiry and action-based learning, group work and face-to-face learning.

We use a variety of teaching methods to deliver the nursing degree, you will benefit from a flexible, blended learning approach including group work, seminars, clinical skills sessions, role-play, laboratory sessions and e learning.

With a strong focus on building independent learning and research skills, the course also provides an excellent preparation for future professional development. With the help of distance learning and self-directed materials you'll be supported to take responsibility for your own learning.

You will study half of the theory at university and half in practice so you will be able to put your academic learning into real clinical practice settings supported by experience Health Care practitioners.

Simulation is essential in nurse education and the University has invested in a Clinical Skills Unit which models local care delivery. This includes areas which reflect the patient journey from home and community services to assessment, planned and acute care. You will be able to gain valuable exposure to clinical skills in a safe, learning environment which mirrors the nurse/patient experience.

We will use a variety of approaches to assess your learning. You will also be assessed in practice by your allocated Practice Assessor and Academic Assessor. You must pass the Once for Wales proficiencies, professional attitudes, and behaviour assessments and specific in-point assessments, which are all part of the All-Wales Practice Assessment Document and Ongoing Record of Achievement.

Typical Entry Requirements

UCAS Tariff 96 - 104

A Levels BCC-CCC

GCSE requirements (minimum grade C/4):
English and Mathematics Grade C/4 or above

BTEC National Diploma:
DMM-MMM

International Baccalaureate:
28-26

European Baccalaureate:
75%-65% overall

English Language Requirements Where candidates are from outside the UK the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required as evidence of literacy. The IELTS with an overall score of at least 7 and at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections is accepted. They also accept OET certificate minimum of C+ in writing alongside a minimum of B in reading, listening and speaking.

Other Requirements Good Health and Good Character. Enhanced DBS and Occupational Health Screen required for admission onto the programme. Applicants will be invited to attend for a value-based interview with a member of academic staff, service user, student and a representative from clinical practice. Aberystwyth University will follow the All Wales recruitment and selection principles for pre-registration nursing and midwifery programmes. Please contact nrsstaff@aber.ac.uk The Healthcare Education Centre supports contextual admissions and applicants will be assessed on an individual merit.

Country Specific Entry Requirements:
International students whose qualification is not listed on this page, can check our Country Specific Entry Requirements for further information.

The University welcomes undergraduate applications from students studying the Access to Higher Education Diploma or T-level qualifications, provided that relevant subject content and learning outcomes are met. We are not able to accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas or T-levels as a general qualification for every undergraduate degree course.
Our inclusive admissions policy values breadth as well as depth of study. Applicants are selected on their own individual merits and offers can vary. If you would like to check the eligibility of your qualifications before submitting an application, please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office for advice and guidance.

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