International Students - What You Need To Know

“Nursing is a role recognised throughout the world and is a key role in improving public health and health care and they make up half of the health care workforce” (Nursing Now 2017)

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) describes nursing as “the use of clinical judgement in the provision of care to enable people to improve, maintain, or recover health, to cope with health problems, and to achieve the best possible quality of life, whatever their disease or disability, until death” ( RCN 2014).

RCN also stress that at its heart: to be a nurse is to provide healthcare in a way that puts the individual first. It’s a diverse and rewarding experience. As well as treating health problems, nurses learn to support people of all ages, working in partnership with others to promote quality of life.

In the UK all nursing programmes have to be approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).  

At Brookes, we deliver NMC-approved nursing programmes at both Bachelors (BSc) and Masters (MSc/MSci) levels. These courses will specialise in one of three nursing areas: nursing for Adults, nursing for Children, or Mental Health nursing. We also deliver two 4-year dual awards at MSci level; one for Adult and Mental Health nursing, and another for Children’s and Mental Health nursing.

Our BSc and MSc courses all take place over three years, while the MSci courses stretch to four. The NMC stipulates that a programme must be 3 years in length, in order to provide comprehensive training.

But if you already have a qualification or prior health care experience, then some of this can be reduced by Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL). With suitable APL, both the BSc and MSc routes can take as little as 2 years.

Over the course of a full 3-year course, a student will be required to spend 2,300 hours learning theory. With a further 2,300 hours spent in practice. (This can be reduced with APL, as described above.)

The practice hours will be spent in placements, giving the student the chance to learn in a real healthcare setting.

For the Oxford Campus, all placements are in Oxfordshire, either in our local internationally-renowned NHS Trusts or in the private sector. You can find out more about the local trusts here and here.

In Swindon the placements will be in Wiltshire and predominantly in the local NHS Trust.

You will average 2 placements per year, mixing both acute hospital areas and community areas. These placements will give you the chance to learn about the full range of health care experiences of people in the UK. As well as day time shifts, you will be expected to work evenings, weekends and night duty during your programme. 

The BSc, MSc and MSci programmes all include a research project.

Students may also have the chance to engage with our growing Oxford Institute for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Research (OxINMAHR). There are plenty of relevant events and a wide range of research areas – you may even get the chance to work with them directly as supervisors on your research project.

We also have an opportunity for aspiring students to be mentored more closely for research through the INTALECA scheme.

If your first language isn’t English, then you will usually be required to achieve an IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum score of 6.0 in each component). The exception to this is if you have lived and studied in the UK or if you have studied and passed a degree in English. In these circumstances, individual cases will be taken into consideration.

Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.

If you’re worried about the language requirements, then Brookes has a variety of courses to support you. These will help you to meet the academic and English language entry requirements for their courses, and also familiarise you with UK university life.

Find out more about the international foundation pathways we offer and our pre-sessional English language courses.

Country specific entry requirements

If you are studying outside the UK and want to learn more, then we offer further details via our country specific information pages. These include your specific country entry requirements, translated information and details of local representatives who can help you to apply.

We have a wide range of accommodation in Oxford and also some accommodation in Swindon. You will be able to access your placements from your accommodation by either public transport or by car.

You can find more details here.

There are many reasons to choose to study nursing at Brookes, from our specially designed syllabus, to the chance to train with internationally-renowned health professionals.

But perhaps one of the most unique advantages of studying at Brookes is that the Nursing degrees are part of the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery.  This is a partnership between Oxford Brookes University, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, under the umbrella of the Oxford Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC.)

The School combines education, clinical practice and research across the nursing, midwifery and allied health professions in a way that is unique within the UK. As well as unique training opportunities, the School also offers professional development that will equip you to excel in your future nursing career.

For more information about the Department of Nursing and the Oxford School of Nursing and Midwifery please see this link.

• Tell us what your motivation is specifically to the field of nursing you are applying for? (Mental Health/Adult/Children’s)

• What is your understanding of the role of the nurse and the various care settings that a nurse may practice in? (Community/hospitals/research/care homes)

• Tell us about the caring qualities and attributes that are required to be a nurse? (You may wish to link these to the 6C’s)

• Share with us what skills you have developed from work or practice experiences you have had. How have these helped to develop your interest in the area of nursing you are applying for? (You may not have had experience of working in a health care setting, but you may have other experiences such as caring for a family member).

• Provide us with an overview of academic study you have undertaken that supports your decision to apply for the programme. (For example: conferences/ relevant courses/EPQ. How have these helped you to think more critically?)

• Tell us about the transferable skills that you have. (For example: teamwork, time-management, listening, and problem solving skills.)

Successful completion of your programme will mean you are eligible to apply to be on the register of the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) for the field you have studied (Adult, Child or Mental Health). 

Once registered, you will be able to practice in the UK in that field only. This is regardless of any previous nurse training you may have done or registration you may have in another country.

During your programme, we will help you to work with local health care providers to secure your first job in nursing in the UK. However if you do decide to leave the UK, this website will help you to identify where you can use your NMC registration.