Get your career as a mental health nurse off on its best foot forward with UWS's BSc Mental Health Nursing.
This is an NMC-accredited programme with BSc Honours pathway, providing a competitive, optional additional year to progress to Honours degree qualification+.
You’ll gain the knowledge, skills, practical experience and confidence to treat complex health and mental health needs, with a recovery-focused approach.
This degree consists of 50% theory and 50% work-based learning. It allows you to put the theory you learn into practice in real life clinical environments. Theory is delivered using a combination of online and campus-based approaches to support your application of theory to clinical practice.
Upon graduation, you’ll achieve registration as a Registered Nurse in Mental Health with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
+The Honours degree qualification is currently subject to change. The latest information will appear on this webpage once confirmed.
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 programme.
As a nursing student you will have the opportunity to provide care across a range of practice learning environments. These may be within NHS Boards, private, voluntary, or independent organisations to enable achievement of programme learning outcomes and Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards of Proficiency.
(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
In Year 1 you will receive a broad introduction to mental health nursing, understanding the inter-relation of physical and mental health and the importance of treating the person, not just the illness. You will develop knowledge and clinical practice through modules in health and human development, values in practice and academic & professional development. In addition you will complete modules which focus on your own area of specialism, exploring mental health and understanding self and society.
In Year 2 you will complete modules on health & human development, promoting mental health, partnerships in mental health, and building healthy communities. You will also spend time enhancing your clinical skills on placement.
In Year 3 you will develop your knowledge, decision-making and practical skills as you develop the professional standards required for registration as a Registered Nurse in mental health. You will study modules in management in mental health, leadership in mental health and carry out an evidence led enquiry. You can also elect a placement in an area of personal interest such as:
As well as spending time on placement you will undertake an individual research project on a related topic of your choice.
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, tutorials, practical workshops and guided laboratory work.
There will also be group work, literature reports and research projects in order to ensure our degrees provide a strong set of additional skills, such as presentational and communicative skills.
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.
This intellectually stimulating programme will prepare you for a successful career in a wide range of mental health settings, including:
UWS offers opportunities to develop further skills in mental health practice through its MSc Mental Health Practice and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes, Forensic Mental Health, Leading People-centred Integrated Care, Dementia Care, Nursing, Advanced Clinical Practice, Drugs and Alcohol Studies and/or mental health research degrees.
For more information on undertaking a career in Mental Health 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:
£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 UCASThere's Still Time to Apply for September 2025!
Clearing opens on Saturday 5 July, but you don’t have to wait — many of our courses are still accepting applications right now. Complete our late application enquiry form and our team will be in touch to guide you through the process.
The deadline to submit via UCAS is Monday 30 June at 18:00 (UK time)
Enquire now for September 2025 entry
Please refer to our Undergraduate Application Guide for domestic & EU/EEA to find more information on when and how to apply to study at UWS.
You can find out more about applying for this undergraduate course on UCAS.
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.
Do you have a question about applying for this course? Our friendly admissions teams are here to help!
UK based prospective students
If you’re applying from within the UK, our applicant enquiry team is here to guide you every step of the way.
International prospective students
Our international team is ready to support you with your application and any questions about joining UWS from abroad.
Going to university is about much more than getting a qualification, it’s also the chance to enjoy an exciting social life, gain some independence and make the most of the new opportunities available.
DiscoverWe 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.