M(Nurs) Nursing (Adult) (Integrated Master's)
Course Overview
Designed for exceptional adult nursing candidates, the University of Bolton's four-year NMC-approved MNurs Nursing (Adult) (Integrated Master's) degree provides an enhanced pathway to becoming a registered nurse in adult nursing practice. Offered in partnership with local NHS Foundation Trusts and other healthcare organisations, this innovative course prepares you for a successful career caring for people over 18 and future leadership in the adult nursing field. The UK has a shortage of qualified nurses, so the career opportunities are excellent.You'll spend 50% of your time in practice learning experience at our partner trust, and studying at the University will complement and enhance your learning in the workplace. We'll support you as you learn to care for adults with acute and long-term illnesses, in hospital and at home, and gain expertise in health promotion and disease prevention.
Together with our partner trust, we'll work to prepare you to become a confident, professional nurse able to deliver and lead adult care within an ever-changing health and social care environment. On successfully completing this integrated Master of Nursing qualification, you'll possess the knowledge and skills you need to perform as an independent, highly competent, compassionate nurse who can be trusted to maintain professional standards and protect the public, combined with the confidence and ability to think critically, apply knowledge and skills, and provide expert, evidence-based, direct nursing care.
The first three years of the course focus on the knowledge, skills and competencies required to register as an adult nurse. At the master's level, you'll equip yourself to become a future nursing leader by studying advanced leadership, education and development, and higher-level clinical and analytical skills.
PLEASE NOTE: This programme is only open to Home students who are currently studying year 2 (HE5) of an eligible BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) programme at the University of Bolton. You must have started your degree in September or January and be on track to achieve an upper second-class honours degree classification. If you're not currently studying an eligible course, please see the related programmes section of this web page for details of the University of Bolton's BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) courses.
Highlights
- The University of Bolton's MNurs Nursing (Adult) (Integrated Master's) course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Once you've successfully completed this degree, you'll be eligible to register as a qualified nurse.
- After successfully completing and gaining this Master of Nursing qualification, you'll have the opportunity to apply for a Band 5 Nursing post with local NHS Foundation Trusts and other healthcare organisations.
- Your practice learning experience may be in a range of clinical environments within local NHS Foundation Trusts and other healthcare organisations.
- Our expert team deliver teaching across the University's sites, which includes the modern state-of-the-art facilities in Bolton One. We currently have a number of clinical skills suites and plan to expand this provision further across the University's sites. We take a blended learning approach using a range of different teaching and learning methods, including lectures, seminars, problem/enquiry-based learning, e-learning, and peer learning and assessment. Clinical skills and simulated learning are also embedded throughout the programme.
- Our Nursing courses are in the top 20 in the UK and first in Greater Manchester for student satisfaction, according to the Complete University Guide 2023.
Key Features
- Within this MNurs programme of study, you'll undertake further enquiry into nursing leadership and innovation. This will include completing the NHS Leadership Academy – Edward Jenner Award, which supports health and care professionals in the first step on their leadership journey.
- In the final year of this course, you'll undertake a 30-credit module in teaching and supporting learning in professional education. If you're interested in nursing research and education, the credits gained on this module can be used at a later date (but within a limited timeframe) to RPEL into the PgCert in Teaching and Learning Higher and Professional Education, should you wish.
- As you may be aware, registered nurses undertake additional preceptor training during their first year in practice. We work closely with our Trust partners to offer our integrated master's students a bespoke preceptorship package that will contribute to your portfolio of evidence and accelerate your completion of this training in the year after you graduate.
- We'll work to enable you to learn an extensive range of nursing skills and techniques so that you can care effectively for adult patients in a variety of healthcare environments. Our ambition is for you to become a nurse leader of the future.
- You'll gain first-hand work experience and have the opportunity to develop an invaluable network of professional contacts during your extensive time (50%) gaining practice learning experience at local NHS Foundation Trusts and other healthcare organisations.
- Professional expert academic tutors from a wide range of clinical and academic backgrounds deliver the theory elements of the course. Teaching sessions take place at the University of Bolton with supplementary training sessions across our NHS partner trusts.
- Qualified healthcare practitioners contribute to many of the modules and are invited as guest speakers so that you have the opportunity to learn from their first-hand examples of current practice.
- We also work to help you appreciate the views of health and social care service users and carers by involving them throughout the course.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Nearby Manchester is one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, and the Northwest of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline, and heritage.
Entry Requirements
- To apply for this Integrated Master's course, you must be a Home student who is currently studying year 2 (HE5) of an eligible BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) programme at the University of Bolton. You must have started your degree in September or January and be on track to achieve an upper second-class honours degree classification.
- You must submit an application form via the University's online application portal (you cannot use a transfer form). Please contact the programme leader for details about how to access the application form. You can find their contact details in the Programme Contacts section of this page.
- You must be successful at interview.
- You'll also need to ensure your occupational health, DBS, and character documentation is up-to-date.
- Before applying, please check your student funding will cover the extra year.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
- We do not offer entry to year 1 (HE4) of this course, so you must apply for entry to one of the University of Bolton's eligible BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) degrees, which specify the entry requirements below.
- 104 UCAS points.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Health and social care and biology-related subjects are preferred.
- You must also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English, Mathematics and, preferably, Science. Please contact us for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents.
- Qualifications gained outside England and Wales will be assessed on an individual basis according to guidance by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
- If you have successfully completed an FdSc Nursing Associate programme approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council or FdA Health and Social Care (Assistant Practitioner) qualification, you may be eligible to apply for exemptions toward the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult). If you apply to join the degree at Level 2 (HE5), you may make a claim for recognition of prior learning (RPL) up to a maximum of 50% of the programme. Please note that you'll be required to produce a portfolio of evidence for this RPL claim.
- You'll be asked to attend an interview if your application is successfully short-listed. The interview process will involve face-to-face interviews with academic staff, practice staff and service users. You'll also be assessed on your values, behaviours, communication and problem-solving skills, and undertake a numeracy and literacy assessment. We're seeking students who can demonstrate commitment to a nursing career, have excellent communication skills, and are caring, compassionate and courageous.
- If successful at the interview stage, you'll be asked to undergo occupational health screening and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
- You'll be required to satisfactorily pass occupational health screening.
- You'll need to demonstrate that you are of good health and good character prior to enrolment and on an ongoing basis throughout your studies and career. You must also declare immediately any police charges, cautions, convictions, conditional discharges or determinations that your fitness to practise is impaired.
- This course involves working unsupervised with vulnerable adults and you must gain an Enhanced Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) before starting your studies. Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online Update Service.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 7.0 with normally no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
- The University of Bolton recognises prior learning, whether gained through academic credit and qualifications or through professional and employment experience. Previous learning may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for this programme or for exemption from part of this programme. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning, and each claim will be considered in accordance with the University’s policy and regulations for the recognition of prior learning.
- You'll need to ascertain if you're eligible for a student loan via Student Finance England or will need to be able to self-fund.
- Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
On successfully completing the University of Bolton's adult nursing integrated master's degree, you'll possess the knowledge and skills you need to perform as an independent, highly competent, compassionate nurse and work within the field of adult nursing. You'll also be primed to become a nursing leader of the future.
As a graduate of this Master of Nursing degree, you'll possess key transferable skills, including the ability to work independently, adapt to changing circumstances, work in teams and groups, and listen and respond to customers and their needs. You'll become adept at planning and time management, rational decision-making, critical thinking, and physical assessment and develop excellent communication skills during your time in both university and practice settings. During your master's level studies, you'll develop advanced leadership, and higher-level clinical and analytical skills.
What can I do with this qualification?
Alternative career options
Graduates can use this qualification as a stepping-stone into many other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible areas include:
- Public health and health promotion
- Management
- Armed forces
- Schools
- FE and HE teaching
- Clinical research
- Occupational health
- Overseas aid and development
- Prisons
- Universities
- Holiday companies
- Voluntary organisations
Professional Recognition
The University of Bolton's MNurs Nursing (Adult) (Integrated Master's) course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
On successfully completing this degree, you'll be eligible to apply for professional registration with the NMC.
Fees & Funding
Healthcare students starting and continuing their course from 1 September 2020 onwards can apply for additional funding support from the NHS Learning Support Fund. Please visit NHS Learning Support Fund web page for details.
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Bolton’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@bolton.ac.uk for more information.
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
Please contact the programme leader for details of the application procedure. You can find their name, email address and phone number in the Programme Contacts section of this page.
International Applicants
Please contact the programme leader for details of the application procedure. You can find their name, email address and phone number in the Programme Contacts section of this page.
Teaching & Assessment
Modern healthcare professionals require a range of skills and values. Our practice partners and tutors will help you gain experience in a range of clinical scenarios designed to develop your skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Your studies will be split with 50% dedicated to theory and 50% committed to practice learning experience at local NHS Foundation Trusts and other healthcare organisations, which can offer learning experiences in a range of services across their sites (please note, considerable travelling may be required). As you progress through the course, we'll guide and encourage you to draw on your practice learning experience while studying theory and apply the theory you've learned to your practice so you can understand how the two complement each other.
The course explores the concepts of health and ill health in the adult population and the key sciences in nursing, including the biosciences, psychology and sociology. Topics such as assessment, care planning, law, ethics and the importance of communication with service users and healthcare colleagues are covered. You'll have the opportunity to learn about the importance of research and how its application in healthcare can transform the lives of patients and their carers, how to access and assess the latest research, and how to incorporate your findings into care plans and intervention strategies.
We'll support you in gaining key transferable skills, including the ability to work independently, adapt to changing circumstances, work in teams and groups, and listen and respond to customers and their needs. During your studies, we'll also encourage you to develop planning and time management, rational decision-making, critical thinking, physical assessment and communication skills. We aim for you to develop into a compassionate, kind and empathetic practitioner who respects and supports the patient's privacy, dignity and individuality, and makes safe and effective clinical decisions.
For theory-based modules, we use a blended learning approach that includes lectures, presentations, simulations delivered by tutors, seminar discussions, small group workshops, small group and one-to-one tutorials, virtual learning environments (VLE) and e-learning packages. You'll also need to undertake a significant amount of personal study, including general background reading, preparing for seminar activities, working on assignments and revising for examinations.
To help support your learning, the University also offers additional study skills sessions, such as essay writing, library skills and electronic searching, and numeracy.
We use a range of assessment methods, including essays, reports, presentations, portfolios, set exercises via multiple choice questions, objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), traditional examinations and assessment of practice in the practice setting. The assessment of practice and theory are equally weighted in their contribution to the degree award as a whole.
We adopt a blended teaching and learning style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
If your circumstances change and you're unable to complete the master's level (HE7) elements of this course, you may be able to leave the course at the end of the honours level (HE6) with the BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult) qualification.
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
