The published course and module descriptions were accurate when first published and remain the basis of the course, but the University has had to modify some course and module content in response to government restrictions and social distancing requirements. In the event of changes made to the government advice and social distancing rules by national or local government, the University may need to make further alterations to the published course content. Detailed information on the changes will be sent to every student on confirmation in August to ensure you have all the information before you come to Oxford Brookes.
Nursing (Adult)
BSc (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
(Oxford based) B705 (Swindon based) B706
Start dates
September 2022 / September 2023
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Part time: 8 years maximum (limited part-time places available)
Department
Accreditation(s)
Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
UCAS Tariff Points
104
Overview
Adult nurses are in high demand in the UK, and need to demonstrate competence in meeting the physical and psychological needs of patients across their adult lifespan.
As healthcare delivery is changing, the ability to work flexibly with other professionals in health and social care is essential. As a student nurse on the Adult Nursing programme, you will therefore gain a range of practice experiences in variety of settings.
In line with the new Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Future Nurse Standards (2018), our Adult Nursing 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
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
GCSE: Grade 4 (C) in English, Maths and Science. For English and Maths, Level 2 Functional Skills are accepted as alternatives to GCSEs.
Relevant experience (e.g. in a hospital) or a suitable indication of your interest in, and understanding of, the relevant healthcare profession.
Securing a place is subject to both a satisfactory DBS and an Occupational Health clearance. If neither clearance has been completed prior to enrolment or a DBS issue has been declared on application, then enrolment may not be possible.
If enrolment has been agreed, then continuation on the programme will be contingent on satisfactory clearances.
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.
All shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview.
English language requirements
An IELTS score of 6.5 in all areas is required for ALL applicants whose first language is not English.
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.
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.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Application process
Full time Home (UK) applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home (UK) applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
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, if any, are detailed below.
Extra costs
Costs that are NOT included in tuition fees are as follows:
- Books
- Binding dissertations
- Exchanges and elective modules
- Library loans and fines
- Living accommodation at university
- Graduation
- Photocopying
- Travel
Further information on additional costs for healthcare courses can be found here.
This list is not exhaustive and other course-specific costs may be incurred.
For the most up-to-date information on additional costs, please keep checking the website as we will update this as further information becomes available.
Learning and assessment
Each year students have two placements and module content that is specific to the field of Adult Nursing. The focus is on the complexity of nursing interventions, as indicated below:
Year 1
Developing the foundations for nursing practice across the lifespan and fields of practice. This includes preparing students for academic and professional learning, biosciences, understanding the influences of health and well-being of themselves and others, and consideration of underpinning values and beliefs.
Year 2
Students are supported in further developing therapeutic relationships, communication and collaboration in the assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of nursing care within their specific field of practice.
Year 3
Focusing on students preparing for the transition to a registered Adult Nurse and the complex care of people with multiple comorbidities. Students will explore leading, managing and coordinating nursing care, and the supervision of others. Throughout there will also be a focus on wellbeing and the support required to develop confident and resilient practitioners.

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
The teaching and learning approaches have been designed to reflect the transformational ethos of the philosophy. Learning will be facilitated by a range of approaches during both the practice and university experiences such as:
- Experiential learning;
- Mentoring and supervising
- Active learning;
- Student-centred learning;
- Blended and on-line learning;
- Use of technology and informatics;
- Collaborative learning with other disciplines in practice, interprofessional learning;
- Problem-based/solution-focused learning; for example, small group working using complex, multi-faceted scenarios, prioritising or decision-making in practice.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
All modules have an assessment component, where we ask you to demonstrate your learning and its application to enhancing patient care.
Examples of assessments include:
- Reflective essay
- Presentations
- Episodes of care
- In-class tests
- Multiple choice examinations
- Neighbourhood study
- Case studies.
During placements your progress will be assessed by a Practice Assessor (NMC Pre-registration Standards, 2019) using the Brookes electronic Practice Assessment Document (BePAD).
Each Clinical Practice Experience module must be achieved in order to progress into the next year of the course, as well as fulfil the professional requirements to be eligible for registration as an Adult Nurse at the end of the programme.
Study Abroad
We currently have exchange agreements with partners in Europe (Ireland, Spain and Sweden) and with the University of Pennsylvania in the USA (rated the number one university in the world for nursing). Further information will be provided at the start of the programme to inform students about the possibility of an exchange experience.
After you graduate
Career prospects
The Adult Nursing course at Brookes has an excellent track record of employability (95% of our students are at work within six months of finishing the course, Unistats 2019).
Registered Adult Nurses have the opportunity, post-qualification, to develop their careers in many specialist settings, such as intensive care units, accident and emergency departments, operating theatres or specialist wards where medical or surgical treatment is provided. They can also work in the community, within district or practice nursing, in industry, or in the private health care sector. Oxford-based students have the opportunity to complete a community pathway in year 3, where students set on working in the community can develop their knowledge and experience of community nursing. Opportunities also exist to work abroad, for the Armed Forces or to specialise in research, nurse education or management.
The Oxford Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research (OxINMAHR) can provide interested nursing graduates with a structured research career pathway opportunity, developed in partnership with local NHS partners.
We also offer a range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) / Learning Beyond Registration (LBR) opportunities for qualified nurses who wish to undertake further study at post-qualifying and postgraduate level.
Further study
Nurses have to be effective lifelong learners because health care is becoming ever more complex as new treatment options and strategies are adopted. As a qualified nurse there are many opportunities to develop your skills through continuing professional development, which can range from short refresher sessions through to postgraduate study, including MPhils and PhDs.
All our courses aim to prepare you to be lifelong learners and there is a wide range of courses available at Oxford Brookes for continuing professional development (CPD).
Free language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
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.