The BSc (Hons) Specialist Nursing (with pathways) prepares Nurses for Leadership roles in Specialist Nursing.
The BSc Hons Specialist Nursing (with pathways) is aimed at preparing Nurses for Leadership roles in a field of Nursing of their choice. There are a range of Pathways to suit all Nurses including District Nursing, Mental Health Nursing, Learning Disability Nursing, and Community Children’s Nursing. The full range of Adult Nursing Specialisms are offered, including Nurse Practitioner, Palliative Care, Stroke Care, Diabetes Care and Emergency Care.
The programme leads to more than one qualification. You will obtain a degree from Ulster University and a professional qualification from the United Kingdom Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Students of District Nursing obtain a further professional qualification in Nurse Prescribing.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
The term, ‘Specialist Nursing’ refers to, the exercising of higher levels of judgment and decision making in relation to the nursing care of individuals, families and communities. As a future Leader you must display this higher level of decision making across four areas; clinical practice, care and programme management, clinical practice development and clinical practice leadership. At Ulster we focus on developing you as a Leader and help you achieve academic and professional competence in all these areas.
This programme is a 50-50 programme, meaning that 50% of the programme is university-based and 50% based in the practice learning setting. In the Practice Learning setting you will be allocated to a Sign-Off Mentor. This Sign-Off Mentor who is an established Specialist Nurse and Leader in Clinical Care will supervise you throughout the Programme. He/she will assess you and sign off your competencies prior to recording the professional qualification with the NMC. You will also be allocated to a Pathway Leader who will supervise your academic development and provide support throughout.
The academic component of the programme consists of a four 30-credit modules.
District Nursing students have an additional 20 credits to complete in order to evidence outcomes related to Nurse Prescribing.
See Overall Course Structure: http://bit.ly/1Xt1b7W
The BSc(Hons) Specialist Nursing (with Pathways) is a recognised academic and professional qualification across Europe. The quality of the education is high as is the academic expectation on you as a student. You will receive the latest ideas on academic writing, research and critical analysis. The quality of learning resources at Ulster University are very high and the support of students is also good.
All of the Specialist Nursing Teaching Team at the University are established authors and researchers and provide consultancy to numerous organisations in the UK and Ireland. At the end of the programme you will be able to apply for Masters Degrees in any University across Europe. Ideally we would like you to apply to Ulster where you will have automatic entry to our MSc Nursing.
Full-time studentsare expected to attend the University for at least 2 days per week, with the remaining time allocated to Practice Learning. Full-time students are normally time-tabled for Mondays and Fridays.
Part-time students attend the University for 1 day per week during Term-Time. In Semester One this is normally a Monday and in Semester Two a Wednesday. Some Pathways have additional days ( i.e Emergency Care) but you will be informed of this at Induction. Practice Learning is organised on days that suit you and your Sign-off Mentor.
All students are expected to attend all classes associated with the programme and be punctual and regular in attendance. Attendance will be monitored both at the University and in the Practice Learning setting and Employers are informed of all absences.
Teaching methods on the programmes are innovative and intearctive. Clinical experts and Users of the Health Service or Independent Sector, are invited to teach students about current practice, developments in the field and personal experiences of specialist nursing services.
Seminars enable students to take responsibility for leading discussions on practice based issues and reviewing the current literature in their field. Tutorial sessions enable small group work to be carried out that facilitates a specific focus for particular specialisms. Skills classes, role plays, use of table-top scenario simulation (including computerised manikin) and video play back are used where appropriate to develop skills in a range of professional interventions.
All of the above methods encourage active student participation and empower individual students to recognise that as an experienced nurse you have a wealth of experience that can be utilised to illustrate the points being made in classes.
Assessment is seen as crucial part of the learning process. A range of assessment methods including OSCEs, Reflective and Academic Esasys, Case studies and Portfolio are used. Patients and families are involved in the assessment process.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study. In Master’s degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures correct for academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2022-2023.
The Belfast campus is situated in the artistic and cultural centre of the city, the Cathedral Quarter.
High quality apartment living in Belfast city centre adjacent to the university campus.
Find out more - information about accommodation
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Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year: 1
Status: C
All Specialist Nursing Practice Programmes at Ulster require students to complete a 75-day (600 hrs) practice learning period where they work under the supervision of a Nursing Midwifery Council approved Practice Supervisor and a Practice Assessor plus an Academic Assessor. This period of Practice Learning is mandatory at both undergraduate and post graduate level. Furthermore this practice learning period runs alongside the theoretical part of the programme, one year for full time students and two years for part-time students. Course regulations state that the academic award is wholly dependent on completion of the Specialist Practice Assessment document.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module aims to facilitate specialist nursing students develop knowledge and skills in leadership, enabling them gain a wider strategic understanding in order to become effective leaders within an interdisciplinary team. Learning and teaching methods include lectures, seminars and an opportunity to explore personal leadership in a practice learning setting. Assessment is by 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module builds on Advanced Health Assessment and\or Principles of Health Assessment and is undertaken during the last semester of the Nurse Practitioner pathway. It is practice focused and aims to consolidate the knowledge and skills developed in practice learning environment throughout the duration of the programme, under the guidance of the Practice Supervisor, Practice Assessor and\or Academic Assessor. Assessment is 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This 30 credit core module introduces undergraduate specialist nursing practice students to the principles, theory, practice, standards and application of assessment and formulation of care, safety and therapeutic interventions used in mental health practice. Students are introduced to the origins, basic model, key concepts and research evidence of assessment and formulation of care, safety and therapeutic interventions in mental health practice and are encouraged to engage in class lectures, workshops, discussions, simulated learning from case studies and directed/independent study.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module aims to facilitate specialist nursing students to develop their knowledge in symptom management. It emphasises the palliation of pain and other symptoms and the application of an evidence based holistic approach. The module incorporates a variety of learning and teaching approaches. Assessment is by coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This level 6 module is a requirement for students undertaking a specialist nursing practice qualification in palliative care and can also be undertaken as a standalone module. It emphasises the principles and philosophy of palliative and end of life care and the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to service delivery. The module incorporates a variety of teaching approaches. Method of assessment is 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module is designed to enable students to enhance previously acquired knowledge and skills required to deliver specialist nursing care to people with learning disabilities, their families and other carers and to apply these as competent community health care nurse specialists in a range of community based settings. Assessment involves coursework, and assessment of practice in clinical placement.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module will provide the student with the scientific knowledge and analytical techniques to provide safe and effective care to patients presenting with undifferentiated and undiagnosed minor emergencies. The module is assessed by written examination.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module facilitates students in the development of scientific knowledge and specialist practice skills that enable students to care for people that present with multiple needs resulting from trauma or serious illness. Assessment is by coursework, examination, OSCE and presentation.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
In this level 6 module students will extend their knowledge of diabetes and use this to understand the role of the diabetes nurse specialist in enhancing opportunities for patients to successfully manage their diabetes. The contribution of other disciplines towards understanding the needs of people with diabetes will be explored. A range of teaching and learning methods will be used. Students will be assessed by course work.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module provides students with a thorough understanding of the theoretical and clinical aspects of TIA and stroke which underpin specialist nursing practice. Interdisciplinary and inter-agency team working, together with research, clinical guidelines, policy and strategies are explored in the delivering of person-centred care from stroke onset into the longer term. Assessment is by coursework.
Year: 2
Status: C
This module provides students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills to review evidence, in particular research findings on which to justify or change current practice, and use certain research techniques. Teaching methods will comprise introductory lectures and workshops. Assessment is by coursework and equates to a research-based dissertation in an honors degree.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This level 6 module provides an opportunity for students to develop and enhance the knowledge base and practice of health assessment, in order that appropriate interventions and management can occur. Students will begin to develop their assessment skills under the guidance of a mentor during this module. Assessment is 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This module provides specialist nurses with an opportunity to explore physiological disorders both at a systems and cellular level. A problem -solving approach using clinical cases is used to illustrate how knowledge of pathophysiology is applied in practice. Assessment is by coursework consisting of a class test and a case study.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This 30 credit core module prepares undergraduate specialist nursing students to explore critically key challenges in current mental health practice with specific reference to meeting the needs of people with debilitating mental health problems. The emphasis is on exploring current models of care and service delivery and evidence based clinical practice in mental health settings. Assessment is by coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This specialist module will provide students opportunities to explore a range of important professional, legal, political and ethical issues in relation to nursing care of people with learning disabilities and their families in interdisciplinary working within community settings. Students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in decision-making and leadership through their ability to integrate theory with practice in a changing context of care. The module is assessed by 100% course work.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
In this level 6 module students will extend their knowledge of Type 1 diabetes and use this to understand the role of the diabetes nurse specialist in enhancing opportunities for patients to successfully manage their diabetes. The contribution of other disciplines towards understanding the needs of people with diabetes will be explored. A range of teaching and learning methods will be used. Assessment is by Coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This module provides students with the theoretical and clinical underpinnings of specialist stroke nursing, and with the previous module and remaining modules of this course, it prepares students to provide high quality care to people with stroke and their carers. It appraises the specialist nursing role in light of the social, psychological, physical and cultural impact of stroke.
Assessment is by coursework.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
In this section
The A Level requirement for this course is not specified.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 7.0.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Applicants must:
District Nursing Students Require a NI Access prior to Entry
All Self-Funded students will be have an interview with the Course Director and/or the Pathway Leader. They must have NI Accessand Uptodate Professional Indeminty Insurance. In addition Honorary Contracts with HSCTs in Northern Ireland may be required for Practice Learning.
Acreditation for Prior Learning (APL)
Students entering the degree programme will get acreditation for Level 5 Modules. Please note when you are checking the Modular structure for this programme, you will only be studying the Level 6 Modules. Some modules are listed at Level 5. Ignore these as it is assumed that you have covered this material in your Diploma and have received APL.
Due to the professional requirements of this programme, normally no exemptions are permitted at Level 6. In saying this, District Nursing students who have recently completed the V100 Nurse Prescribingand are active prescribers are permitted to apply for exemption from the Nurse Prescribing Module.
In this section
Graduates from this course are now working for:
With this degree you could become:
Graduates of this programme will be able to apply for Specialist Nursing posts in hospital and community settings. Most become Team Leaders in Specialist Nursing. There is 100% Employabilityfrom this programme.
All students must complete 75 days Practice Learning in an approved Practice Learning Setting.This should occur in a setting where you have direct interaction with your client group.
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of recording as Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (adult)
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of recording as Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (mental health)
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of recording as Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (learning disabilities)
Recorded by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of registration for Independent and Supplementary Nurse Prescribing (V300)
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of registration as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse
The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.
For modules commenced in the academic year 2023/24, the following fees apply:
| Credit Points | NI/ROI Cost | GB Cost | International Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120 | £4,710 | £9,249.60 | £15,840 |
| 60 | £2,355 | £4,624.80 | £7,920 |
| 30 | £1,177.50 | £2,312.40 | £3,960 |
| 20 | £785 | £1,541.60 | £2,640 |
NB: A standard full-time undergraduate degree is equivalent to 120 credit points per year.
*Please note our on campus part-time postgraduate courses are not open to international (non-EU) students.
Philip Goodeve -Docker Award for District Nursing
Maragret Devlin Award for Diabetes Nursing
Access NI (enhanced disclosure) is an additional cost for Self-Funded students.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
"I have been a registered nurse for 18yrs and have worked in district nursing for almost 9 yrs. I wanted to undertake this course to enable to progress up the career ladder. I feel this course will help develop my knowledge in relation to district nursing and also help develop both management and leadership skills. I work for NHSCT. Initially to progress as district nursing sister which is band 6 and then hopefully to a band 7 senior practitioner post/continuing care nurse"
Bridie Logue
Northern Health and Social care Trust
"I have been a registered nurse for 7 years and have worked in District Nursing for 4 years. In order to further my career I wanted take this Specialist Nursing course in District Nursing. I find the research module and the leadership module are both very challenging. Its difficult to get into the way of academic writing when you havent been studying for a while and I feel that it has taken me until week 9 to figure out exactly what is expected and even at that am not 100% sure that am on the right track. Maybe thats just me!"
Many thanks
Donna McCarrison
Staff Nurse in Community
South Eastern Trust
"I have been a registered nurse for 27yrs, moving only in the last 2yrs to the children’s' community setting. I wanted to gain more knowledge in this specialist area of Children’s' Community Nursing. I find the degree in Specialist Nursing helps me with continued development in leadership and decision making skills in order to work and help the children and families availing of the services within the community setting. In turn ,enabling me to deliver the most up to date evidence based practice to provide high quality specialist care".
Euphrasie Mc Laughlin
Western Health and Social Care Trust.
