Nursing (Mental Health) - Pre-Registration
MSc
Key facts
Start dates
September 2023 / September 2024
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Department
Accreditation(s)
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Overview
Our master’s degree allows you to undertake a Mental Health Nursing course which leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
As a mental health nurse you need to be able to show competence in nursing care across people's lifespan. With a particular focus on meeting the needs of people with mental health needs and their families and carers.
The context of healthcare delivery is changing, so it's essential that you can work:
- flexibly
- inter-professionally
- and collaboratively.
We teach you the skills for evidence-based practice, encouraging you to develop a problem-solving approach to clinical practise.
In line with the new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Future Nurse Standards (2018), our Mental Health Nursing Master's curriculum has recently been re-developed. At our recent approval event (March 2020) we were commended by the NMC for our excellent partnership working with placement organisations and for the inclusion of a strong public health theme throughout the curriculum.

How to apply
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
3- year MSc
Honours degree 2.2 or above (or equivalent), preferably in a health/science related subject. Non-health related degrees will be considered.
- GCSE Maths, Science and English at Grade C or above, or equivalent
- One recent academic reference
- Successful performance in the selection process (including an individual interview)
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
Screening
All applicants will be screened for fitness to practise and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be made.
Selection process
All Oxford Brookes University Health and Social Care Programmes conduct Value Based Recruitment (VBR). We recognise that values and attitudes have the greatest impact on the quality of people's care and their experiences.
VBR is a way of helping our Programme recruitment teams to assess the values, motives and attitudes of those who wish to work with people in health and social care settings. When we refer to values we mean, for example, the values included in the NHS constitution.
VBR focuses on 'how' and 'why' an applicant makes choices in how they act and seeks to explore reasons for their behaviour. Further details about the VBR framework can be found here.
English language requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, an Academic IELTS score of 6.5 (with 6.5 in Reading and Writing, and 6.0 in Listening and Speaking) is required.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
We offer a range of courses to help you meet the entry requirements for your postgraduate course and also familiarise you with university life in the UK.
Take a Pre-Master's course to develop your subject knowledge, study skills and academic language level in preparation for your master's course.
If you need to improve your English language, we offer pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirements of your chosen master’s course.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Application process
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Fees quoted are for the first year only. If you are studying a course that lasts longer than one year, your fees will increase each year.
Financial support and scholarships
All eligible nursing students on courses from September 2020 (new and continuing) will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which they will not need to pay back. For more information please visit https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Learning and assessment
You will study a nursing curriculum which has been developed in partnership with:
- students
- clinical partners
- mentors
- service users
- carers.
Your learning follows a 'spiral' design and is structured incrementally from one year to the next, with a specific focus for each year.
In each year of the programme, you will have placements in your field of practice, with some taught content specific to your nursing field.

Learning and teaching
You will learn through the following methods:
- experiential learning
- mentoring, coaching and supervising
- active learning
- student-centred learning
- blended and online learning
- use of technology and informatics
- collaborative learning with other disciplines, interprofessional learning, cultures and agencies
- problem-based/solution-focused learning
- simulation Based Education (SBE)
- tutorials
- online discussion
- collaborative learning sets.
And you will have access to an extensive range of learning resources through Moodle, an online repository of:
- lectures
- handouts
- information and learning exercises.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
We will assess you with a variety of methods, such as:
- reflective essays
- presentations
- clinical examinations
- multi-choice examinations
- neighbourhood study
- case studies.
All modules have an assessment component which requires you to explicitly demonstrate an understanding of how the module theory informs and enhances patient care.
You will receive feedback on your assessments which will shape and develop your learning.
Assessment of your practice learning occurs within the credit-rated Education in Nursing Practice modules. This must be passed to fulfil the professional requirements for the programme and ensure that you are eligible for registration as a nurse.
Your practice will be assessed by a practice supervisor or assessor selected on the basis of having the necessary qualifications to function as a practice assessor, as per the NMC Pre-registration Standards (2010).
Research
The new Oxford Institute for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research (OxINMAHR) is an Oxford Brookes University-led partnership of key stakeholders which leads and participates in world class research and evidence-based practice.
We have researchers with a range of experience, working in established areas including:
- cancer care
- children and families
- drugs and alcohol
- physical rehabilitation and enablement
- interprofessional education and collaborative practice.

After you graduate
Career prospects
Graduates from this course contribute significantly to high quality client care, the continued development of patient-centred care therapy, and theory-practice integration.
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.