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The BSc Adult Nursing (with or without Honours) prepares graduates to begin the study of nursing as a discipline and, following completion to the threshold standard of ordinary degree, to meet the requirements for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
An NMC accredited Honours pathway provides a competitive, optional additional year to progress to an Honours degree qualification. This has been aligned with the four pillars of nursing: clinical practice, research, education and leadership.
This degree enables nurses to meet the requirements of a modern health care system, work in multi-professional teams and demonstrate leadership and management abilities.
Elizabeth studies on our BSc Adult Nursing programme at Paisley campus.
“There’s a huge array of lecturers with different backgrounds at UWS. You learn so much from everyone and actually it lets you think about different routes that you can go down.”
Elizabeth found her place at UWS – find yours!
Join us at an Open Day to experience #LifeAtUWS. Hosted across at Ayr, Dumfries, Lanarkshire and Paisley campuses, these events provide the perfect opportunity to find out everything there is to know about studying at UWS.
Attend an Open DayWork-based learning makes up 50% of the BSc Adult Nursing (with or without Honours) and you will spend time on placement, working the equivalent of full-time and a variety of shift patterns, with our NHS Health Board partners, or other health providers in their locali
*UWS students access placements in the Clyde sector of NHSGG&C
Study abroad is extremely beneficial to personal and professional development and research has shown that worldwide employers value graduates with intercultural awareness and global competences.
Opportunities for study abroad may be an option at different points in the programme and you will be notified if/when these are available.
(The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024)
We welcome Scottish and UK students and consider all applicants on an individual basis.
Please visit our Undergraduate Entry Requirements page for information on our different entry requirements.
All applicants must satisfy the entry requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) including having the capability to meet the numeracy requirements of the programme and proficiency in English language and literacy (NMC Future Nurse Standards 2023).
An offer to study is also dependent on the outcome of the selection process and background checks:
Access to the programme is dependent on Occupational Health, Protecting Vulnerable Group and Moving & Handling clearance. Failure to attend an occupational health appointment and moving & handling training on two occasions, without prior notice, may result in you being required to pay an administration fee of £60 to cover the cost of non-attendance. Not attending costs the University approximately £120 per appointment. In addition, not completing the Protecting Vulnerable Group (PVG) application on two occasions may result in you being required to pay the cost to complete the application, you can find a note of the current cost at Disclosure Scotland
The Part 1 theory and practice modules, equate to 120 academic credits at SCQF Level 7. This will include 560 hours in clinical practice.
You will complete five ‘on campus’ modules: Essentials of Adult Nursing, Biosciences for Health, Aspire: Foundations for Success, The Context of Modern Nursing and Values in Care.
In addition, you will complete two ‘in practice’ modules: Adult Nursing Practice 1a and Adult Nursing Practice 1b with Progression.
LEARNING AND TEACHING:
You will experience a blended approach to learning which will include theory (scheduled and independent study) and practice learning experiences.
ASSESSMENT:
On campus modules will be assessed using a variety of assessments methods. In practice modules will be assessed by the nurses you are working with during your practice learning experiences.
The Part 2 theory and practice modules, equate to 120 academic credits at SCQF Level 8. This will include 840 hours in clinical practice.
You will complete five ‘on campus’ modules: Promoting Health and Wellbeing, Biosciences for Nursing, Developing Professional Nursing, Diversity and Inclusion in Healthcare and Biosciences for Adult Nursing.
In addition, you will complete three ‘in practice’ modules: Adult Nursing Practice 2a, Adult Nursing Practice 2b and Adult Nursing Practice 2c with Progression.
LEARNING AND TEACHING:
You will experience a blended approach to learning which will include theory (scheduled and independent study) and practice learning experiences.
ASSESSMENT:
On campus modules will be assessed using a variety of assessments methods. In practice modules will be assessed by the nurses you are working with during your practice learning experiences.
The Part 3 theory and practice modules, equate to 120 academic credits at SCQF Level 9. This will include 920 hours in clinical practice or 560 hours for students on the Honours pathway.
You will complete five ‘on campus’ modules: Leading Quality Care, Holistic Care in Adult Nursing, Enhancing Professional Nursing, Applying Evidence to Nursing Practice and Consolidating Adult Nursing Care. In addition, you will complete three ‘in practice’ modules: Adult Nursing Practice 3a, Adult Nursing Practice 3b and Adult Nursing Practice 3c with Progression.
Students who have opted into the Honours pathway, will complete the same ‘on campus’ modules as detailed above. They will also complete Adult Nursing Practice 3a. Honours pathway students do not undertake Adult Nursing Practice 3b or Adult Nursing Practice 3c with Progression.
Instead, they will undertake the Adult Nursing Practice 3b (Honours) module, with their final ‘in practice’ module moving to 4th year.
LEARNING AND TEACHING:
You will experience a blended approach to learning which will include theory (scheduled and independent study) and practice learning experiences.
ASSESSMENT:
On campus modules will be assessed using a variety of assessments methods. In practice modules will be assessed by the nurses you are working with during your practice learning experiences.
The Part 4 theory and practice modules, equate to 120 academic credits at SCQF Level 10. This will include 360 hours in clinical practice.
You will complete four ‘on campus’ modules. This includes two core modules: The Honours Dissertation and Effective Teaching in Practice. Students will also choose two of the following option modules: Recognising and Responding to Deterioration, Delivering Relational Care, Dementia Champions: Enhanced Care Delivery, Complex Care in Aging and Frailty or Mental Health in Adult Healthcare.
In addition, you will complete one ‘in practice’ module: Adult Nursing Practice Honours Progression.
LEARNING AND TEACHING:
You will experience a blended approach to learning which will include theory (scheduled and independent study) and practice learning experiences.
ASSESSMENT:
On campus modules will be assessed using a variety of assessments methods. In practice modules will be assessed by the nurses you are working with during your practice learning experiences.
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, workshops and guided activity in our clinical skills laboratories. This will be supported by materials hosted on our virtual learning environment.
Your time on campus is also designed to support your professional development as you work towards becoming a Registered Nurse.
Group work, role play, and presentations help you to develop the communication, teamworking and leadership skills needed for professional practice.
Our nursing degree uses a variety of assessment methods. The below list provides a guide to the types of assessment methods you can expect:
Programme Specification and Module Descriptors for Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses are available to download (PDFs). These provide you with core information concerning your chosen subject.
View our Programme Specifications & Module Descriptors
The programme is designed with periods of time spent on campus, blocks of time spent in practice with annual leave, study leave/assessment weeks and catch-up time included.
Student nurses get 7 weeks of annual leave per year and should not plan to go on holiday out with these 7 weeks.
Part 1 (September 2025- August 2026) leave dates are confirmed as:
Part 2 (September 2025- August 2026) leave dates are confirmed as:
Upon completion you can register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a Registered Nurse. Most graduates use their registration to become Staff Nurse, School Nurse, Specialist Nurse / Nurse Practitioner or Health Visitors working in the community. Some graduates move into wider fields of public health. Job opportunities are excellent and graduates can expect a good starting salary and career prospects. For students interested in working abroad this degree enables you to work in the rest of the EU, Canada and Australia
Some graduates choose further study, leading to postgraduate certificate or diploma or an MSc in a heathcare-related subject.
For more information on undertaking a career in Adult Nursing click here.
If you are ordinarily resident in Scotland, you may be eligible to receive £10,000 worth of funding in each of the first three years of your BSc programme, and £7,500 if you study an honours year, for tuition and living costs. This funding is available through the Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery student bursary scheme (PNMSB) which comes from the Scottish Government Health Directorate but is administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).
You can find out more on the webpages below:
"I'm loving every minute. The support system at the University has been absolutely fantastic. Before UWS, I had quite low self-esteem, but the University has helped me build on my confidence, to the point where, at the Royal College of Nursing Congress, I was able to stand up in front of hundreds, possibly thousands, of people to put my point across about student nurses in the cost of living crisis. It was such an amazing learning opportunity".
Charlie, Adult Nursing student
£1,820 cost per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£9,250 Cost per year of study, but not more than £27,750
£1,820 per year of study (usually paid by the Scottish Government via SAAS*)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
£9,535 per year of study (4 years of study for the price of 3 years)
Ready to apply? All UK & EU Undergraduate applications should be made through UCAS. Further information for international, part-time and exchange applications can be found below.
Apply on UCASClearing runs from 5 July through to 20 October. Spaces are limited, therefore we encourage application as soon as possible.
If you are using Clearing to apply for University for the first time, you’ll need to register with UCAS and submit an application.
Find out more about applying through Clearing.
A small number of courses will require applications to be made directly to UWS. This will be noted where required.
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA .
For applications and more information on applying, please visit www.ucas.com
Students from non-EU/non-EEA countries can apply directly to UWS via our dedicated online application system. The latest we can process your application is 6 weeks before the course start date to allow for visa processing times. For more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS please refer to our International Undergraduate Application Guide.
For part-time & online study, you should apply directly to the University through our online application system, not through UCAS. Please select the part-time mode of study when submitting your application. Before you begin your application, it is important to read the part-time application step-by-step guide for a smooth process.
To come to UWS as a visiting student on a study abroad or exchange programme, you must apply entirely through our online system.
An ATAS certificate is not required for overseas students applying for this course.
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You can also phone us on 0800 027 100
We will always try to make sure that we publish accurate course information but we do not accept responsibility for any mistakes or omissions. We will also try to make sure that we deliver our courses in line with our published information. However, we may not always be able to do so and you can find further information about this in our enrolment terms and conditions.