Entry requirements
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification |
Minimum grade |
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and:
Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs
AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects)
ACT (score of 26+) |
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
Please note, we don't accept General Studies AS or A Level and you must show evidence of recent academic study within the last five years at entry level.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
We also require GCSE mathematics and English language or equivalent at grade C or above, or maths and English language functional skills level 2. If you've studied for a GCSE which has a numerical grade, you'll need to achieve a grade 4 or above.
Your completed application form will be reviewed by our Admissions team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, your application will be individually assessed by the Mental Health Nursing Practice Admissions Tutor and, if successful, you'll be shortlisted for interview.
The selection process will include a multiple mini interview (MMI), which will assess you on your values, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
This is available to applicants who meet the course-specific APL requirements. It may apply to applicants who wish to transfer their NMC-approved nursing studies from another university where they've achieved 120 credits at Level 4 and a minimum of 675 placement hours. The APL entry route is also available to Nursing Associates who are aiming to become a registered nurse.
If you're interested in the APL route, please contact the nursing admissions tutors for further information by emailing nursing.admissions@sunderland.ac.uk.
Fitness to practise
Medical assessments of your mental and physical health and disclosure of criminal convictions apply to all nursing courses and are based on current NMC requirements. Nurses are registered healthcare professionals and the ability to practise safely, effectively, and professionally is essential, so all applicants are required to follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you're required to complete the following:
- A health declaration form. Here, you must demonstrate that you're of good health, good character, and can satisfactorily pass occupational health screening. In addition, you'll be required to attend an Occupational Health Assessment with an NHS Trust. The University will, taking into account current NMC regulations, make any reasonable adjustments if required. Please refer to the HEOPS nursing student fitness standards.
- A self-declaration form about your conduct
- Obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost of the DBS check is covered by the University.
Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application, and you must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you'll be given an unconditional offer. If you're successful, you'll also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you're fit and there are no changes to your DBS.
We require international applicants to meet the equivalent UK entry requirements and IELTS with a minimum of 6.5 in each element with an overall score of 7. To be eligible for an interview, you must currently have attained an overall IELTS score of at least 7 with 6.5 in each element.
Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.
Fees and finance
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
- £9,535 if you are from the UK*/Europe
- £16,500 if you are an international student
*Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation. The fee for your first year of study for 2025/26 will be £9,535. You will pay tuition fees for every year of study. Fees may increase every year based on the Retail Price Index.
Read more about EU fees and funding in our Help and Advice article.
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
If you currently serve (or have recently served) within the Armed Forces, then the Ministry of Defence's ELCAS scheme may be able to help cover your funding for this course. Read more about funding for Armed Forces personnel.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
