Are you interested in a career as a nurse or midwife but aren’t sure which of our courses is right for you? We provide a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate nursing and midwifery degrees to equip you with the skills and knowledge required for whichever area you choose to specialise in. Here, you can read about some of the key differences between our nursing courses and find out which one may be the most suitable for you.
Studying on many of our nursing courses, you’ll benefit from some of our superb facilities at the Living Lab and Helen McArdle House, which are home to an immersive suite, simulation manikins, mock hospital wards and more. Most of our nursing courses will also offer you the chance to spend time on placement with one of our partner Trusts and/or work with our Patient, Carer and Public Involvement participants (PCPIs) where you can build on your healthcare experience in a safe environment.
How long is a nursing degree?
The length of our nursing and midwifery degrees varies between courses, but generally, our traditional undergraduate nursing degrees are all studied full-time over three years. The study mode for our top-up nursing degree and postgraduate nursing courses is slightly different, and you can read more about this below.
Our undergraduate nursing courses
1. BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing Practice
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who may not have any prior work experience or do not already hold a degree
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over three years
Our BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing Practice degree is one of the traditional routes into nursing and might be a good option for you if you’re unsure about your specialism, as it covers a wide range of the core skills required to be a nurse. Adult nurses are key workers, so job opportunities are plentiful both in and out of hospital settings.
This adult nursing course will give you the opportunity to learn all about the roles and responsibilities of a nurse, as well as teach you how to demonstrate care and compassion towards a variety of different patients. 50% of your studying will take place in clinical practice and you’ll complete a placement with one of our local partner Trusts as part of your adult nursing degree. When you graduate, you’ll be able to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as a registered nurse.
We also offer a blended nursing degree – the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing (Blended) – which teaches you all the same skills, but might be more suitable for you if you’d like more flexibility incorporated into your studying.
Find out more reasons why you should study adult nursing.
2. BSc (Hons) Midwifery Practice
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who may not have any prior work experience or do not already hold a degree
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over three years
Our newest specialist course within Nursing and Midwifery is the BSc (Hons) Midwifery Practice degree, which will allow you to apply to become a registered midwife with the NMC when you graduate. Being a midwife is an incredibly rewarding and dynamic career, ensuring that women/persons have a safe experience through pregnancy, labour and after birth, and this midwifery course delivers the essential skills you’ll need to kickstart your career. Most midwives go on to work within the NHS, where you can then choose to progress into more senior roles or specialise in a particular area of perinatal care.
The midwifery degree offers a personal approach by applying a biopsychosocial model to enhance your learning, as well as focusing on the mental health aspects of the process. Clinical placements make up 50% of the course and will include community midwifery, ante-natal and post-natal wards, the delivery suite, and clinics. You’ll also benefit from our fantastic midwifery facilities which support interactive simulation.
3. BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing Practice
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who may not have any prior work experience or do not already hold a degree
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over three years
If you have a genuinely caring, compassionate approach to working, can think critically, and have the confidence to work in diverse settings with multiple groups of people, you might want to consider a mental health nursing degree. The BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing Practice course will help you learn the necessary skills to deliver restorative interventions to patients experiencing mental distress and illness. As well as core nursing skills, you’ll specialise in a range of additional training, such as physical health monitoring and promotion and interpersonal therapeutic skills to promote recovery and positive wellbeing. You’ll spend time on placement to gain valuable hands-on experience, plus have plenty of opportunities to practise in our specialist mock mental health ward.
Mental health nurses are the largest professional group and when you graduate, you’ll be able to register as a qualified mental health nurse with the NMC. Discover even more reasons to study for a mental health nursing degree.
Find out more reasons why you should study mental health nursing.
"My favourite part of the degree is the hands-on skills we learn; the practical experience we have not only in the University’s state-of-the-art simulation facilities, but also on placement, really helps to cement the course’s academic teaching. The University of Sunderland is the best choice for me, as the academic staff are always on hand to support you through your studies. The facilities, simulation suites and mock wards also help to underpin your knowledge. It’s a university that really cares about its students."
Emma Krieger
BSc (Hons) Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice
4. BSc (Hons) Children's and Young People's Nursing Practice
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who may not have any prior work experience or do not already hold a degree
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over three years
Do you want to make a difference to the lives of children and young people with varied healthcare needs? If so, the BSc (Hons) Children’s and Young People’s Nursing Practice course could be right for you. This children’s nursing degree allows you to specialise in paediatric care, helping you to develop the skills required to communicate with children, young people, and their families. You’ll spend 50% of your time on placements to enhance your practice, and you’ll be able to use our mock children’s ward on-campus which is complete with cribs and simulation manikins to replicate real hospital scenarios as closely as possible.
When you graduate with your children’s nursing degree, you’ll be able to register with the NMC as a qualified children’s nurse and be fully prepared to work in a variety of healthcare settings including hospitals, GP surgeries, children’s centres, and the family home.
5. BSc (Hons) Nursing (Top-Up)
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who want to top-up their registered nurse qualification to a full honours degree
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years
The BSc (Hons) Nursing (Top-Up) degree has been designed for those who already hold a Higher Education Diploma Level Nursing Qualification (NQF Level 5) or equivalent, and places a strong emphasis on relating nursing theory to clinical practice. If you’re looking for more flexibility to move between different types of nursing jobs or want to progress in your career, this nursing top-up degree can be a steppingstone towards more senior roles and more responsibility as a nurse.
Find out more reasons why you should study the nursing top-up course.
6. FdSc Registered Nursing Associate
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for undergraduate applicants who are either new to healthcare, or experienced healthcare workers looking for a recognised qualification
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over two years
Nursing associates were introduced to the NHS workforce to bridge the gap between healthcare support workers and registered nurses, and they work across all four areas of nursing, making it a flexible and varied career choice. Many of the key responsibilities of a nurse associate are similar to that of a nurse, but you'll be focused more on delivering and monitoring your patients as opposed to leading on the planning and evaluation of care.
You'll need a foundation degree to become a nursing associate, and we offer the FdSc Registered Nursing Associate course at Sunderland. When you graduate with your nursing associate degree, you’ll be able to register with the NMC and go straight into work, or undertake further studying to become a registered nurse.
Find out more about becoming a nursing associate.
Our postgraduate nursing courses
1. MSc Nursing
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for postgraduate applicants who already hold at least a 2:2 honours degree in nursing
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over one year or part-time over two years
If you already hold a relevant undergraduate degree and wish to pursue a master's in nursing, the MSc Nursing could be an excellent choice for building on your existing skills and knowledge to develop within your career. Having a postgraduate qualification can be significantly beneficial if you want to advance in your profession, including progressing towards the next salary band if you work for the NHS.
This master's degree in nursing places a particular emphasis on enhancing your capabilities to undertake research and improve yourself as a leader. Once you graduate, you’ll have gained a wider perspective of nursing, a valuable network of contacts within the profession, and the overall ability to make a greater impact on people’s health and wellbeing.
2. MNurse (Adult)
- Who is the course suitable for? This nursing course is suitable for postgraduate applicants who already hold at least a 2:2 honours degree in a health-related subject, or registrants from another field of nursing
- Course mode: The course is studied full-time over two years
The MNurse (Adult) is an accelerated postgraduate nursing course which has been designed to promote the development of the high levels of knowledge, skills and professionalism required in adult nursing. It’s a master's in nursing which may be particularly relevant for those who wish to convert from a healthcare-related degree to become a registered nurse, which you will be able to do once you graduate and register with the NMC.
This intensive master's degree in nursing offers a 50/50 split between theory and clinical practice, providing a blended learning curriculum where studying takes place at home, on campus, and on placement. Placements on the MNurse course are with Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, where you will receive full supervision and guidance from a clinical mentor throughout.
Find out more about how the MNurse course can help your career.
If you’re interested in applying for one of our nursing or midwifery courses, visit the Nursing and Midwifery subject area where you can find out everything you need to know about the application process, our facilities, placements, and more.
Published: 25 July 2023