Three students at Oxford Brookes University chatting and smiling while walking down the stairs in the new teaching building.

Accredited by Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)

BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult)

Develop the knowledge and practical care skills needed to support adults across a range of healthcare settings.

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Key facts

Duration: Full time: 3 years; Part time: 8 years maximum (limited part-time places available)
Starts: September 2027
Level: Undergraduate
UCAS code: B705 , B706
Location: Marston Road Site; Swindon
School: Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery

About this course

Healthcare delivery is changing fast, and adult nurses are in high demand. Working flexibly with other health and social care professionals is essential. Our adult nursing degree shows you how to care for people in a variety of settings, meeting their mental and physical health needs across their lifespan.

Our facilities let you practise nursing in immersive virtual environments. You could be responding to an accident on the streets or taking care of somebody in a nursing home. You'll then go out and do it for real.

The course has been commended by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for our partnerships with placement organisations, and for its focus on public health.

Accreditations

Approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Top 4 in the UK
Nursing (Adult) is ranked 4th in the Guardian General Nursing subject league rankings.
Interactive facilities
Practise nursing care in augmented reality and other simulations before applying them in real scenarios.
Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
Language courses
Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
UCAS tariff points	112
Contextual offer tariff points	88
A-level	BBC
BTEC Extended Diploma	DMM
International Baccalaureate	27
GCSE English Language	Grade 4 (C)
GCSE Maths	Grade 4 (C)
IELTS	IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.0 in all skills. For more information, please see our English language requirements.

Specific subject requirements

There is a requirement for a level 3 qualification in any subject.

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.

There is a minimum age requirement of 18+ years old for applicants on this course.

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.

All shortlisted applicants will be invited for an interview.

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees
Fee types	2026/27	2027/28
Home full-time	£9,790	£10,050
Home part-time	£1,220 per single module	£1,255 per single module
International full-time	£17,250	£19,300

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. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.

For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.

Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.

The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.

How and when to pay

Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.

For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.

Questions about fees?

Contact Student Finance on:

+44 (0)1865 534400

financefees@brookes.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)

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.

Compulsory additional costs
Compulsory	Amount
For clinical practice you will need some specialist equipment, this could include a stethoscope and a watch.	£60 - £250
If you are a student from the UK, you will typically be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable transport and / or accommodation costs that you incur on your clinical placements whilst studying the course. This is via the NHS Learning Support Fund, you should access this to understand your eligibility (the rules for this are outside of the university's control). There is also some support for international students which is reviewed by the university on an annual basis. Details on expenses and financial support are available on the Placement Education Unit webpage.	£30 - £1,500 per year
For placements in a non clinical enviroment you will need suitable clothing to wear instead of your uniform	From £60 - £250
You will be allocated uniform. You will need to buy suitable shoes that are both professional and functional in line with the dress code.	About £30 - £60
If digital identity checking is not possible for your DBS application, you may need to take your documents to the Post Office for verification.	£16

Optional additional costs
Optional	Amount
It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online.	From £30
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand.	£20 - £60 per book
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills)	£107 - £301 per week
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs)	£139 - £248 per week
Fines are payable on items returned late although we will give you 5 days to return an item before fines are payable. Find out more about how to borrow and return items.	£1 per book
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes with single bus fares in the UK currently capped at £3. Oxford Brookes has committed to offering heavily discounted bus travel for students for at least three years from July 2026 with further information on our Travel webpages.	From £3
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41.	Typically £0 - £200
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) top-up check (to keep up to date)	£13
If you choose to participate in any additional, optional trips, you are responsible for any associated costs.	£10 - £150
Your living expenses will depend on a variety of things, including your accommodation choices and your lifestyle, and can include things like food, course materials, social activities, and household goods and other expenses.	£271 - £328 per year

Learning and assessment

In Year 1, you’ll learn the foundations of nursing across the human lifespan and various fields of practice. You’ll cover biosciences, influences on peoples’ health and wellbeing, the values and beliefs that underpin their lives, and the theories that shape nursing practice.

In Year 2, you will explore various topics within the field of practice you want to pursue. This will include:

therapeutic relationships
communication and collaboration
planning, implementing and evaluating nursing care.

You’ll focus on becoming a registered adult nurse in Year 3. This will include looking after people with multiple health conditions. You’ll learn how to lead, manage, and coordinate nursing care, and what to do when supervising others. We will focus on wellbeing and providing the support that will shape you into a confident, resilient practitioner.

You’ll also complete a dissertation. This will be your opportunity to showcase the skills you will have gained in the first two years by presenting research based on your nursing practice experiences.

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.

Contact hours	Total workload	Timetabled
about 15 hrs a week	1,200 hrs a year	Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00

Assessment

All modules have an assessment component, where we will ask you to demonstrate your learning and its application to enhancing patient care.

Examples of assessments include:

reflective essays
presentations
episodes of care
in-class tests
multiple choice examinations
neighbourhood studies
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 to fulfil the professional requirements to be eligible for registration as an Adult Nurse at the end of the programme.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

NURS4009
15 credits
As a nursing student, this module will help to prepare you for academic and professional learning. You will develop the skills for academic writing, including...
Preparation for Academic and Professional Learning
NURS4009
15 credits
As a nursing student, this module will help to prepare you for academic and professional learning. You will develop the skills for academic writing, including your academic integrity. You will be introduced to evidence-informed practice and critical thinking.
You will select reflective tools and explore the concept of reflection as a tool for developing your self-awareness and learning in the academic and clinical environments.
RNDA4003
30 credits
Following the UK Bioscience in Nurse Education guidance, this module will help you to build confidence in bioscience knowledge that underpins nursing clinical...
Bioscience for Nursing Practice
RNDA4003
30 credits
Following the UK Bioscience in Nurse Education guidance, this module will help you to build confidence in bioscience knowledge that underpins nursing clinical practice. This will involve developing your knowledge of anatomy, scientific terminology, and physiological principles that underpin health and illness, including microbiology and genetics. You will also look at how medications act on body systems.
The knowledge you develop and build will help to inform your clinical decision making and communication regarding patient care.
NURS4013
15 credits
This module complements your first year modules by exploring health in a wider context. You will explore health and health inequalities from an individual...
Adult Health and Wellbeing
NURS4013
15 credits
This module complements your first year modules by exploring health in a wider context. You will explore health and health inequalities from an individual, family, and societal perspective, acknowledging that health inequalities are unfair and often avoidable. You’ll address such health inequalities and the role adult nurses play, looking at key public health, health promotion and education strategies. You'll also examine wider influences and determinants of health, considering political, geographical and socioeconomic factors and how these impact on health across the lifespan and though populations.
You'll build knowledge of the value of the adult nurse’s role in education, empowerment and advocacy. You’ll also gain understanding of the importance of sound professional judgement and collaborative working practice.
This module will prepare you for your second year modules:
Assessment and Planning Adult Nursing Care
Promoting Health in Adult Nursing Practice.
NURS4020
15 credits
Through simulation practice learning and direct patient care, this module will help you to develop a relevant knowledge base, skills and behaviours to fulfil...
Clinical Practice Experience 1 (Adult and Mental Health)
NURS4020
15 credits
Through simulation practice learning and direct patient care, this module will help you to develop a relevant knowledge base, skills and behaviours to fulfil the professional requirements for the adult nursing programme.
Your placement experience for this module will usually include 2 placements during the year. Completion of this module will contribute to the achievement of Part 1 of your programme.

Year 2

Compulsory modules

HESC5012
15 credits
This module will teach you the research process, the associated research methods, data analysis and the ethical considerations associated with health and social...
Research Methods and Analysis
HESC5012
15 credits
This module will teach you the research process, the associated research methods, data analysis and the ethical considerations associated with health and social care research. The module focuses on the techniques and skills for data collection and analysis in quantitative and qualitative research designs. It provides you with more advanced skills to critique research and determine its usefulness for evidence based practice. It is the pre-requisite research methods module for the honours degree dissertation.
NURS5027
15 credits
Research shows that better relationships with patients leads to better outcomes. In this module, you’ll gain an insight into how the diverse experiences of...
Enhancing Therapeutic Relationships in Nursing Practice
NURS5027
15 credits
Research shows that better relationships with patients leads to better outcomes. In this module, you’ll gain an insight into how the diverse experiences of people and their families inform all stages of the nursing process, and you'll help them get the most out of therapy from a physical and mental health care perspective.
You’ll deepen your knowledge from Year 1 of how human connection, communication and self-awareness can be a crucial element in forming a therapeutic relationship with the patient, greatly influencing their quality of care and overall health outcome.
You'll be supported to critically reflect on the concept of therapeutic use of self and approaches to working collaboratively with people and their families, who may be at any stage of life and who may have a range of mental, physical, cognitive or behavioural health challenges.
By the end of this module, you’ll be able to manage individuals’ physical, psychosocial and developmental stages in order to inform your practice.
NURS5034
15 credits
In this module, you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct care. You’ll develop a...
Clinical Practice Experience 2 (Adult)
NURS5034
15 credits
In this module, you’ll gain valuable hands-on experience through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct care. You’ll develop a real-world knowledge base and obtain relevant skills and behaviours to equip you with the essential abilities for working in the clinical practice environment and fulfilling the professional requirements for the adult nursing programme.
Alongside this, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in two placements during the year. Completion of this module will contribute to the achievement of Part 2 of your programme.
NURS5047
30 credits
In this module, you will build upon your knowledge and understanding gained in the bioscience module of Year 1, with particular focus on a variety of adult...
Assessing and Planning Adult Nursing Care
NURS5047
30 credits
In this module, you will build upon your knowledge and understanding gained in the bioscience module of Year 1, with particular focus on a variety of adult illnesses related to key physiological systems. You’ll immerse yourself in topics such as pathophysiology and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, which will make up part of your assessment and discovery of how these elements impact on people’s health and illness experience.
You will also consider the effects of lifespan development, disease trajectory and care locations. The insights you'll discover will go towards promoting your knowledge and designing your skills of assessment, diagnosis, and planning, which are vital for evidence-informed clinical practice. Throughout your studies, you’ll also be taught a variety of tools and frameworks to aid assessment and planning. By the end of this module, you’ll be positioned with the ability to make responsible clinical decisions.
NURS5024
30 credits
Promoting health is one of the key cornerstones of good nursing practice. You’ll learn through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct...
Promoting Health in Adult Nursing Practice
NURS5024
30 credits
Promoting health is one of the key cornerstones of good nursing practice. You’ll learn through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct care. You’ll develop a real-world knowledge base and obtain relevant skills and behaviours to equip you with the essential abilities for working in the clinical practice environment and fulfilling the professional requirements for the adult nursing programme. Alongside this, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in two placements during the year, and completion of this module will contribute to the achievement of Part 2 of your programme.

Final Year

Compulsory modules

NURS6047
45 credits
This module is your introduction to professional values, professional identity, ethical principles and the culture and practice of nursing. You will study...
Foundations of Nursing Practice
NURS6047
45 credits
This module is your introduction to professional values, professional identity, ethical principles and the culture and practice of nursing. You will study themes such as:
team working
collaborative practice
person and family centred care
nursing models.
You'll examine the nursing process within the context of your field of practice. You will also look at caring for people across the lifespan and meeting the specific care needs of people within your chosen field of practice, which will help you to develop a sound basis of nursing practice.
RNDA6003
30 credits
In this module you’ll develop research awareness and understanding of the principles and how to apply them in this particular clinical practice. You’ll be given...
Dissertation
RNDA6003
30 credits
In this module you’ll develop research awareness and understanding of the principles and how to apply them in this particular clinical practice. You’ll be given the opportunity to identify your own research question and undertake an independent project under the guidance of an academic member of staff. In addition, there will be the chance to utilise various texts and literature to support your study.
RNDA6001
30 credits
In this module, you’ll consolidate your existing learning, and develop your knowledge of problem solving and decision-making skills with a person-centred...
Nursing Care of Adults with Complex Needs
RNDA6001
30 credits
In this module, you’ll consolidate your existing learning, and develop your knowledge of problem solving and decision-making skills with a person-centred approach for specific population groups. You’ll focus on implementing safe and effective practice, ensuring that you are well equipped to appropriately meet the complex needs of the adults in your care. You’ll use an Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) approach to undertake the assessment and management of complex scenarios in a variety of multi-field settings, allowing you to implement holistic methods of care to support the health needs and outcomes of adults with complex needs.
You’ll explore how collaborative working with professional colleagues provides optimal care. Alongside this, you’ll have the opportunity to integrate and develop your understanding of relevant theory as well as anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of complex care needs of adults to ensure you are capable of making the right decisions for their healthcare needs.
NURS6052
45 credits
This module will provide you with the ultimate opportunity to seek learning opportunities as a student nurse. You’ll consolidate your skills, knowledge, and...
Consolidation of Adult Nursing Practice
NURS6052
45 credits
This module will provide you with the ultimate opportunity to seek learning opportunities as a student nurse. You’ll consolidate your skills, knowledge, and strategies required to prepare you to be an effective, safe and knowledgeable practitioner, capable of delivering compassionate, high quality and evidence-based care.
Not only will this module provide you with the ability to develop and manage your own professional practice, but it will equip you to support, supervise and manage others; paving a way for you to lead and take developmental steps forward in the professional nursing world.
You'll consider your future career, learning milestones, and form your own identity as an adult nurse. You'll consider strategies that are essential in successfully functioning as practice supervisors, such as effective leadership skills for working with diverse teams. You’ll explore change management theory, which will support the creation of your own service improvement project proposal.
NURS6055
15 credits
Through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct care, this module will allow you to develop a relevant knowledge base, skills and...
Clinical Practice Experience 3 (Adult)
NURS6055
15 credits
Through a combination of simulation practice learning (SPL) and direct care, this module will allow you to develop a relevant knowledge base, skills and behaviours to fulfil the professional requirements for the adult nursing programme and ensure you are eligible for nurse registration. You’ll be given the opportunity to experience two placements during the year. Completion of this module will contribute to the achievement of Part 3 of your programme.

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Careers

Once you become a registered adult nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue a career in a variety of healthcare settings. Our graduates have gone on to work in many areas of the NHS and the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector. These include cancer care units, emergency departments, and surgical and medical wards.

Some graduates work in nursing homes and hospices, as well as community settings like district nursing. Others have pursued nursing careers in the military. One of our graduates works for the World Health Organisation in Denmark, working on cross-border nursing treatment.

If you want to carry on with your studies, we offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Learning Beyond Registration (LBR) opportunities. Since nurses need to be lifelong learners, you may want to consider short refresher courses or postgraduate study. Options include our MSc in Advanced Nursing Practice and Professional Doctorate in Nursing, plus PhDs and MPhils.

How to apply

Start your application Attend an open day or webinar Ask a question

Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)

BSc (Hons) Nursing (Adult)

Key facts

About this course

Accreditations

Top 4 in the UK

Interactive facilities

Study abroad

Language courses

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Specific subject requirements

Fees and funding

Fees

Fees

How and when to pay

Questions about fees?

Funding and scholarships

Additional Costs

Learning and assessment

Assessment

Year 1

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Preparation for Academic and Professional Learning

Bioscience for Nursing Practice

Adult Health and Wellbeing

Clinical Practice Experience 1 (Adult and Mental Health)

Year 2

Final Year

Information from Discover Uni

Full-time study

Part-time study

Careers

How to apply