Nursing (Learning Disabilities Nursing), MSc
With essential training and decision-making skills, you will be ready for an exciting career in nursing with this Master’s degree in Adult Nursing.
Gain the skills that employers need with our Master's in Learning Disabilities Nursing. We provide quality training alongside strong tutor support and a vibrant student experience. You will become a caring and compassionate nurse with the critical thinking, decision-making and leadership skills to make a difference. Our first-class team of skilled, expert and research-active nursing lecturers will help you achieve your full potential, with a view to your registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Learning Disabilities Nurse.
Learning disabilities nurses play an important role in the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities, as well as their families and carers. As part of the programme, your clinical placements will span a variety of specialist and generic services in London and Kent, including NHS and charity providers.
All nursing students on courses from September 2020 will benefit from guaranteed, additional support of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not need to pay back. See more information.
School
Location
Duration
2 years full-time
Start month
September
Home fees 2025/26
£9,535
What you should know about this course
What you will study
About the course team
Welcome to our Nursing (Learning Disabilities Nursing) MSc. Our teaching comes from a first-class team of skilled, expert and research-active nurse lecturers.
Come and meet us
We are offering virtual events so that you can still experience how Greenwich could be the right university for you.
Next Open Days
Got a question?
To find out more about our Open Days and Campus Tours or if you need any assistance, please email opendays@gre.ac.uk.
Entry requirements
Applicants should have:
- An honours degree; normally a 2.1 or above, in any subject
- Plus a minimum of three GCSEs including English language and mathematics at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent qualification.
- Plus experience of working/volunteering in a health/social care setting for at least 700 hours within the past five years.
- Applicants should provide details of care experience relevant to learning disabilities nursing on their UCAS application form.
- Verification of care experience hours will be required if offered a place on the programme.
- To apply for this course, please apply through UCAS Undergraduate. Our UCAS Course Code is B770.
For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.
You can also read our admissions policy.
Further information about entry
In addition candidates must:
- Attend an interview
- In line with NMC requirements, students without English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an IELTS examination results (academic or general) where the scores are at least 7.0 in the listening and reading sections and at least 7.0 in the writing and speaking sections, and where the overall average score is at least 7.0.
- References are required for the UCAS application. Only references from a professional email address will be accepted.
- If offered a place, candidates will be asked to verify 700hrs care experience and knowledge of nursing through RPL to enable them to undertake the 2 year nursing programme.
Students who require a visa to study in the UK are not eligible to apply for this programme.
COVID vaccine
An important part of many of our Health programmes is the opportunity to learn on placement and work with patients, service users and their families. On all our programmes leading to a professional accreditation with either the NMC or HCPC, placement in a health or social care setting is a compulsory learning outcome of the programme.
Prior to commencing on your chosen programme of study we strongly urge you to complete a full course of Covid-19 vaccinations. Although not currently compulsory, both the NMC and HCPC strongly encourage all registrants to be fully vaccinated. This is because There is a global scientific consensus, supported by our own medicines regulator in the UK, on the importance and value of full vaccination against Covid-19 and the benefits for people receiving care, vaccinated individuals themselves, their families, communities and the wider health and social care system.
While currently you can register with the NMC and HCPC as a non-vaccinated individual, their expectations and regulatory advice is clear, please see here for NMC position on Covid-19 vaccination and here for the HCPC’s position.
Available to overseas students?
No
Can I use Prior Learning?
Entry requirements for all the MSc pre-reg nursing programmes include completion of a portfolio of evidence prior to joining, which allows direct entry into the second year of our pre-reg cycle, and allows the NMC required hours of study and hours of practice from Year 1 to RPL. There is no RPL for any course to be completed while on the programme.
Enhanced disclosure
Applicants for this course are required to complete a suitability declaration, an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check, and an occupational health check.
How you will learn
Teaching
Teaching is delivered by a range of lectures, seminars and tutorials, involving group-based learning and one-to-one support, using the latest range of teaching methods and technology to support student learning. In a typical week, learning takes place through a combination of lectures and seminars. You will be able to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller group sessions.
Class sizes
Information coming soon.
Independent learning
The MSc involves a considerable amount of independent study.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of contact hours (lectures, seminars, etc), independent learning, and assessments. There will be a full-time placement each semester.
Assessment
On this course, you will be assessed by essays, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), reports, exams, and a practice assessment document.
Feedback summary
Information coming soon.
Dates and timetables
Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.
Fees and funding
University is a great investment in your future. English-domiciled graduate annual salaries were £10,500 more than non-graduates in 2023 - and the UK Government projects that 88% of new jobs by 2035 will be at graduate level.
(Source: DfE Graduate labour market statistics: 2023/DfE Labour market and skills projections: 2020 to 2035).
| Cohort | Full time | Part time | Distance learning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home | £9,535 | N/A | N/A |
Accommodation costs
Whether you choose to live in halls of residence or rent privately, we can help you find what you're looking for. University accommodation is available from £126.35 per person per week (bills included), depending on your location and preferences. If you require more space or facilities, these options are available at a slightly higher cost.
Scholarships and bursaries
We offer a wide range of financial help including scholarships and bursaries.
The Greenwich Bursary
This bursary is worth £700 for new undergraduate students with a low household income, entering Year 0 or 1 who meet the eligibility criteria.
EU Bursary
Following the UK's departure from the European Union, we are supporting new EU students by offering a substantial fee-reduction for studying.
Financial support
We want your time at university to be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress, so planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.
Careers and placements
Will I have a work placement?
We have excellent links with the National Health Service and other care providers. Through your placements, you have the opportunity to work in a range of different settings, including community learning disability teams, forensic services, assessment and intervention services and special needs schools. This will give you experience and knowledge of working with children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, including those who have more complex needs.
How long is my placement?
You will spend 50% of your time each year in these valuable work placements, where you will be assessed by qualified practitioners. These placements will be in a variety of institutional and community settings, which will enable you to fully understand the needs of individuals with a learning disability. As a learning disabilities nurse, you will play a vital role in providing specialist support and interventions.
What sort of careers do graduates pursue?
Successful completion of this course will equip you to work as a Registered Learning Disabilities Nurse in various setting, such as community nursing, inpatient services, specialist liaison roles, and within generic mental health services or child health services. This course helps you develop a wide range of transferable skills to boost your career development and progression in nursing.
MSc nursing graduates are well-positioned to gain promotion to senior and leading roles in nursing and healthcare sectors. This includes posts such as advanced practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse consultants, nurse teaching, research and senior managerial and operational posts.
Do you provide employability services?
Our services are designed to help you achieve your potential and support your transition towards a rewarding graduate career.
The Employability and Careers Service provides support when you are preparing to apply for placements and graduate roles. It includes CV clinics, mock interviews and employability skills workshops.
Each School also has its own Employability Officer, who works closely with the industry and will provide specific opportunities relevant to your own course.
Support and advice
Academic skills and study support
We want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre.
Where appropriate, we provide support in academic English and mathematics. If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we provide training for this.
Support from the department
We want to make the experience for our health and social care students as simple as possible, keeping costs to a minimum and ensuring our students get the best experience. To support our students on these courses we offer a package that includes free occupational health costs, including immunisations, and a full uniform set. Terms and conditions apply.
Not quite what you were looking for?
We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from. Browse our postgraduate courses or check our related courses below.....
Health and social care at the University of Greenwich
You’ll learn from our expert, research-active tutors and be well supported during your work placement. You’ll benefit from great job prospects thanks to our strong links with NHS trusts and social care providers.
Visit our health and social care degrees page.
A comprehensive guide to our new physiotherapy course with Mark Dayson
Embark on an exhilarating path with our latest BSc Hons Physiotherapy course. This hands-on, practical course readies you for the clinical realm through immersive practice placements and beyond.
Health and social care degrees
Nursing at the University of Greenwich
Our nursing degree provides the essential knowledge and abilities to become a skilled nurse. You’ll benefit from our excellent links with health service providers, and you could get extra support of at least £5,000 a year, which you won’t need to pay
Visit our nursing degrees page.
Mode of study
Select from the dropdown below.
| Course level | |
| UCAS code | |
| Duration | |
| Location |