MSc Community Public Health Nursing (top-up)
Course Overview
If you've already successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting), you can build up to an MSc qualification by completing a 60-credit dissertation module at the University of Bolton. You'll explore the ethical principles, values and moral concepts in health and social care, and choose a specific topic to research in-depth for your dissertation, with the aim of developing both your theoretical knowledge and practical abilities.During the programme, you'll be guided in making links between research, theory and practice, and have opportunities to use and enhance your skills in critical analysis, decision-making, service delivery and leadership. You'll be expected to use your discretion and judgement effectively, deal with complex issues systematically and creatively, and communicate your conclusions clearly. Throughout this course, you'll have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of professional practice and improve your skills in the workplace.
Highlights
- This programme allows you to advance your professional development by building skills and awareness in a health and social care discipline of your choice.
- You can complete the MSc Community Public Health Nursing (top-up) around your day-to-day role with the support of an academic supervisor.
- On successful completion of this course, you will be awarded an MSc in Community Public Health Nursing.
Key Features
- The MSc Community Public Health Nursing (top-up) programme is ideal if you wish to build on previous postgraduate studies to complete a master's degree.
- You'll have access to University facilities, including our well-stocked library and 24/7 computer suite.
Entry Requirements
- You must have already successfully completed the Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Health Visiting).
- You should also have appropriate work experience.
- You may be required to attend an interview and/or provide a portfolio of work.
- 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.
- 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
Upon successfully completing your studies, you'll be able to synthesise practice and theory in decision-making within practice, service delivery and leadership. You'll also be able to demonstrate competence, autonomy and professional accountability in the development of higher-level skills. You'll be ready to use your skills to enhance service delivery and outcomes for service users and/or the community.
The course aims to develop professionals who can independently access information and use the information to critically assess, evaluate and disseminate the evidence base for community nursing care. It helps develop problem-solving skills and prepares you to take a leadership role in the community context.
What can I do with this qualification?
The knowledge and skills you'll possess on successfully completing this course can be applied to a wide range of community nursing or public health roles in various settings, such as NHS clinical nurse manager, practice education facilitator or manager of a care home. You could consider careers in advanced clinical practice, public health practice or government.
You'll also be able to consider further postgraduate study in research. Research students can become engaged in a range of research projects that focus on advancing nursing knowledge, skills and expertise, and improving health outcomes for patients and families.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible careers include:
- Teaching and education
- Policy research
- Children and families social work
- Health promotion
- Health service management
- Community development
Fees & Funding
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.
Bursaries
Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.
As an MSc Community Public Health Nursing (top-up) student, you may be eligible to apply for a bursary or educational grant offered by an external organisation. Please get in touch with the programme leader for some suggestions of organisations you might contact. As external funding is not linked to the University of Bolton, we cannot guarantee availability.
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
You may apply directly to the University using the University's online application form. Please select your chosen start date from the list below:
You should have to hand:
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Details of the educational establishments you attended and dates
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Your certificates for the qualifications you are using to gain entry to the course – you will need to enter the completion date and upload copies
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Details of any employment history including name, address, dates and role
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Personal statement – this can be either input into the relevant field or uploaded separately
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Details including e-mail addresses of two referees, at least one of which should be someone who can provide an academic reference
Please make sure any documents you wish to upload in support of your application are in pdf or jpeg format. Personal statements may be word documents.
Please ensure your data is correct at each stage of the application before you proceed to the next page. If you use the back button at any time during the application, you should check the validity of the data you have already input.
If you experience difficulties during the application process, contact the Admissions Team on 01204 903394 or admissions-team@bolton.ac.uk
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Apply online: University of Bolton MSc Community Public Health Nursing Top-up - 27 January 2025
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Apply online: University of Bolton MSc Community Public Health Nursing Top-up - 22 September 2025
International Applicants
International applications are not possible for this course
As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.
We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.
Teaching & Assessment
This course involves much self-directed study, so you'll need to manage your learning experience independently. The area for investigation will be matched, as far as possible, with your supervisor's interests, expertise and existing research projects. Your supervisor will work with you to identify suitable topics early in the course. Topics will be chosen that give you the opportunity for research that advances the boundaries of your knowledge and offers you a realistic chance of completion.
You'll need to meet with your dissertation supervisor, who will initially advise on the following processes:
1. Clarifying the terms of the project.
2. Establishing a timetable for the project and dates for subsequent student/supervisor meetings.
3. Identifying learning opportunities.
4. Study design, methodology, ethical approval (where necessary), and analytical strategy and methods appropriate to the study.
Supervisory support is essential to this course, but ultimately, you will initiate most of your learning. You'll need to meet your supervisor periodically as you undertake the project (for up to a maximum of 12 hours in total). This programme adopts a blended learning and teaching style, including online delivery and engagement where appropriate.
Assessment is via a 15,000-word dissertation. Formative assessment techniques are also used to promote ongoing learning.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Dissertation
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 98% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 2% |
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.
