The Post Graduate Diploma Specialist Nursing (with pathways) prepares nurses for clinical leadership roles in Specialist Nursing.
The University regularly ‘refreshes’ courses to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible.
In addition it undertakes formal periodic review of courses in a process called 'revalidation’ to ensure that they continue to meet standards and are current and relevant.
This course will be revalidated in the near future and it is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described in this prospectus.
The Post Graduate Diploma 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 include, Adult Nurse (formerly 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 also 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 judgement 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 Supervisor and Assessor. These practitioners are established Specialist Nurses and leaders in clinical care . 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 and Academic Assessor who will supervise your academic development and provide support throughout.
The academic component of the programme consists of a four 30-credit modules.
Research Module
Leadership Module
+ Two Specialist Focus Modules, depending on your selected pathway.
District Nursing students have an additional 20 credits to complete in order to evidence outcomes related to Nurse Prescribing.
Full-time students are 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 studentsattend 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 studentsare 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 interactive. Clinical experts and Users of Health Services and\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 experienced nurses each 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 Essays, Case Studies and NIPAD are used. Patients and families are involved in the assessment process.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).
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 staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced 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 2021-2022.
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The Belfast campus is situated in the artistic and cultural centre of the city, the Cathedral Quarter.
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.
Satisfy the University’s general entry requirements; and
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 7.0 with no element below 7.0.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Due to the professional requirements of this programme, normally no exemptions are permitted. In saying this, District Nursing students who have recently completed the V100/V150 Community Practitioner Nurse Prescribing Programme or the V300 Non Medical Prescribing Programme and are active prescribers are permitted to apply for exemption.
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Graduates of this programme take up posts as Specialist Nurses. Most are in Team Leadershippositions. There is 100% Employability associated with this programme.
All students must complete 75 days Practice Learning in an approved setting. Students must have direct interaction with patients and families in their specialist field during this period. Supervision by an expert Specialist Nurse (Supervisor and Assessor ) will occur during Practice Learning. A Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) NIPAD is required to evidence achievement of professional outcomes.
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of recording as Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (child)
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 registration as a qualified nurse (learning disabilities).
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the purpose of recording as Specialist Practice Qualification (SPQ) (mental health)
2024/25 Fees
Our postgraduate fees are subject to annual increase and are currently under review. See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2023/24 entry.
Philip Goodeve-Docker Award for District Nursing
Margaret 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 28 years and I wanted to develop knowledge and skills in District Nursing. The Postgrad Diploma in Specialist Practice will enable me to develop the professional attributes needed to learn and prepare for practice.
Deirdre McCrory
Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.
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I have been registered nurse for 7 years and I have recently undertaken a Post Grad Specialist Practice in Emergency Care. I feel that this helps me to develop my knowledge and skills within my practice setting by providing continuity of care via assessing, diagnosing, implementing and evaluating the care for my patients. I also feel that it helps me ensure that the holistic care model is used in providing care to all patients within Emergency Care.
Donal Murray,
Charge Nurse,
Belfast Health Social Care Trust.
I qualified as an RMN in 2004 and maintained links with the University through postgraduate study which, to date, has included a PG Diploma in Specialist Practice and currently, I am undertaking an MSc in Specialist Nursing Practice. My studies have certainly enhanced my professional development and have also had a positive impact on colleagues, through the continued fostering of a positive learning culture within mental health nursing practice.
Martina Doherty
Western Health and Social care Trust
