MSc Nursing Post-registration

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.

On successfully completing the University of Bolton's post-registration adult nursing master's degree, you'll possess the knowledge and skills you need to advance your career in nursing, adopt new technologies and approaches in health care and take on team leadership responsibilities. You'll also be well-prepared to work in clinical research, combining nursing practice with academic research and pursue doctoral study in the future.

As a graduate of this qualification, you'll be able to synthesise practice and theory in decision-making for 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.

We'll support you to become a professional who can independently access information and use the information to critically assess, evaluate and disseminate the evidence base for nursing care. The course develops problem-solving skills and prepares you to take a leadership role in the nursing context.

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:

• Health service management
• Policy research
• Public health
• Armed forces
• Secondary schools
• FE and HE teaching and education
• Clinical research
• Health promotion
• Occupational health
• Overseas aid and development
• Prisons
• Universities
• Holiday companies
• Voluntary organisations

If you hold an international nursing qualification, the University of Bolton's MSc Nursing (Adult) Post-registration course is specifically designed to support you if you aim to achieve professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) via the Test of Competence (ToC). The NMC is the UK regulator for nursing and midwifery professions.

You can choose an option module that focuses on preparing you for the NMC OSCE for international nurses. Our experienced team will explain the process, detailing the skills, knowledge, values and behaviours the NMC requires. You'll undertake a simulated version of the OSCE (a mock exam) so that when you successfully complete this degree, you'll be ready to apply to the NMC and take the formal OSCE at an approved test centre. While you study with us, you'll also have access to additional numeracy support to help you prepare for the online CBT element of the ToC.

Please note that the NMC ToC is not part of this course and will incur additional charges. For details, please visit the NMC's Test of Competence web page at https://www.nmc.org.uk/registration/joining-the-register/toc/.

While we have specifically designed this master's degree with the NMC ToC in mind and promise to prepare you to the best of our ability, the University of Bolton is unable to guarantee that you will achieve all the elements of ToC after completing the qualification. The ToC assessments are external and beyond our control.

Home/EU Fees

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £5,664 for the academic year 2025/26.

Home students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Home fee of £5,664 for the academic year 2026/27.

International Fees

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £17,500 for the academic year 2025/26.

Overseas students starting this course in the first year will be required to pay a Overseas fee of £17,500 for the academic year 2026/27.

Bursaries

Click here for more information on our Master's Bursaries.

Important note regarding tuition fees: 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.

Home Undergraduate Tuition Fee Adjustment

The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The tuition fee set is based on the regulations and guidance in force at the time of offer but remains subject to adjustment in accordance with any government-approved inflationary increase. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for all years of study, including the first year, by no more than the maximum increase permitted under legislation and regulatory guidance issued by the UK Government and the Office for Students.

Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.

This approach ensures that tuition fees remain compliant with applicable legislation, proportionate to inflationary changes, and consistent with government policy linking permitted fee uplifts to the maintenance of high-quality education and outcomes. For more information, please refer to the government guidance at: gov.uk – Universities to deliver better outcomes in return for full fees.

Postgraduate and International Tuition Fee Adjustment

The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for subsequent years of study in accordance with its Course Fees Policy. Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.

Our students' learning needs and preferred learning styles vary, so we use a blended learning approach, including online (where appropriate). Importantly, throughout the course, we'll guide and encourage you to draw on your practice experience while studying theory and consider how you could apply the theory you've learned to your practice.

Lectures introduce the core course content, while seminars, presentations and discussion groups allow you to explore subjects in greater detail. Small group and one-to-one tutorials offer space to ask questions, ensuring you understand your study topics. We use simulations delivered by tutors, case studies, practical scenarios and workshops to help you learn to apply academic theory to real-life practical scenarios, allowing you to gain insights into contemporary practice in working health and social care environments.

You'll also need to undertake a significant amount of personal study, including general background reading, preparing for seminar activities, working on assignments, revising for examinations, and engaging with virtual learning environments (VLE) and e-learning packages. 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, in clinical modules, assessment of practice in simulated clinical environments. These contribute to your final module mark and demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes.

We also use other assessment forms to help you learn, provide feedback, and inform your development. These do not, however, count towards your final module mark.

The programme comprises 180 credits at level HE7. There are three core modules: two worth 20 credits each and one worth 60 credits (the dissertation). The remaining 80 credits are achieved by successfully completing option modules from a range available in consultation and agreement with the programme leader.

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.

• Professional Practice Research Project
• Developing critical analytical skills for professional practice
• Contemporary Nurse Leadership
• The Complexities of the UK Health and Social Care Environment

Assessment methods

Learning Activities

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.