Overview
Adult Nursing is a challenging and rewarding profession that offers a wide range of roles caring for people and promoting health.
Stirling is a superb place for you to learn the skills of modern nursing, which are valued around the world. Our BSc Adult Nursing course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, and has also received multiple commendations.
Adult Nursing is a dynamic profession, and this BSc degree will give you the education and confidence necessary to fulfil your role in the healthcare teams of tomorrow. As you study, you’ll learn how to work with a range of multi-disciplinary professionals, groups and individuals to provide care and promote health. Our course is based on a philosophy that our graduates will develop values, integrity and resilience to become socially reflective Adult Nursing practitioners who will provide services based on excellence, compassion, safety and respect.
You’ll be allocated a personal tutor who will be a source of guidance, information and support during your studies. Whilst undertaking practice learning experiences, you’re also allocated an academic assessor, a practice assessor and a supervisor who will all facilitate and support your learning in practice.
We’ll inspire and challenge you, so that you leave us as a confident and capable practitioner ready to join a health and social care team upon graduation.
Nursing is global: international opportunities
Global health themes are integrated throughout our nursing degree. Our nursing students are actively engaged in the global health community. For example, our students are active participants in the Nightingale initiative for Global Health.
There are opportunities for students to study abroad and gain valuable experience. You can also meet, collaborate and learn with visiting students, and in virtual classrooms. Find out more about international opportunities.
BSc (Hons) and BSc Adult Nursing courses
Our BSc course in Adult Nursing extends over three years, and our BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing course is over four years. In their final year, Honours students complete additional modules, including a dissertation and their NMC-required final placement, achieving registration and their Honours degree at the end of Year 4.
This BSc Adult Nursing course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Each year, the course meets the NMC requirement of 50% theory and 50% practice. Following successful completion of the course, including the NMC required final placement in Year 3, students are eligible to achieve professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Students can be nominated for The Student Nursing Times Awards or the newly formed RCN Scotland Nurse of the Year. These awards celebrate the very best in student nurses and nurse education, recognising educational establishments and honouring those who are committed to developing new nursing talent.
The University of Stirling has won Student Nursing Times Awards in 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022.
Entry requirements
SQA Highers
BBC
GCE A-levels
CCC
IB Diploma
28 points
BTEC
MMM
Preferred subjects
Preference will be given to those with a Science or Health Care background.
Widening access students
Widening access students may be eligible for an adjusted offer of entry. To find out if this applies to you go to our widening access pages.
Care-experienced applicants will be guaranteed an offer of a place if they meet the minimum entry requirements and successfully pass an interview.
Scottish HNC/HND
Year one minimum entry - Bs in graded units.
Access courses
If you don’t currently have the relevant qualifications to apply to either university or an HNC, you may want to consider applying for an access course. The University of Stirling runs an Access to Nursing Studies course.
Scottish Wider Access Programme (SWAP)
You can also complete a SWAP Access to Nursing course to gain entry to our BSc Adult and Mental Health nursing degrees. More information can be found here:
Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Foundation Apprenticeships
Considered to be equivalent to 1 Higher at Grade B
Preferred subjects
Preference will be given to those with a Science or Health Care background.
English, Welsh and Northern Irish HNC/HND
Merits and Distinctions
English access course
Access to Higher Education Diploma - 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at level 3. Email our Admissions Team for advice about other access courses.
Preferred subjects
Preference will be given to those with a Science or Health Care background.
Advanced entry may be possible depending on your qualifications. We can only consider advanced entry applications for Year 2 and not Year 3 entry.
Application procedure
What other criteria are considered for BSc Adult Nursing?
We carefully consider other qualities and interests through your personal statement. Explaining why you’re choosing a course is essential and your knowledge of and interest in Adult Nursing should be evident. Voluntary or paid experience in a care setting is welcomed, and you’re strongly advised to make links between the knowledge, values and skills gained in these experiences and the course being applied for. Other experience that demonstrates your commitment and your ability to work in a team is also valuable.
References are also required. You should provide an academic reference if possible - but failing this, an employer’s reference. Friends as referees are not accepted. If you’re applying to transfer from another institution, a reference and a transcript from that institution are required.
Practical learning experiences arranged by the Faulty of Health Sciences and Sport in conjunction with our practice partners may cover a wide geographical area. You’ll be expected to be able to travel to all practice areas within NHS Forth Valley.
Will there be an interview?
If your application proceeds, then you will be invited to attend a compulsory interview.
What other factors are involved?
All applicants are subject to a Disclosure Scotland check. This will show all spent and unspent criminal convictions, including (but not limited to): cautions, reprimands, final warnings, bind over orders or similar. To the extent relevant to this course, your check may also show details of any minor offences, fixed penalty notices or penalty notices for disorder.
Previous criminal convictions need not exclude you, but all convictions must be declared and some occurrences may result in an unsuccessful application. A panel may be convened to determine the applicant’s fitness for accessing practice placements.
All applicants must be passed fit by occupational health. This will require a questionnaire and a personal visit to the campus.
To protect your privacy, neither of these checks will normally be carried out until after an offer has been made.
This process is subject to change.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is accepted by the Faculty, and this may result in a shortened programme of study. We can only consider advanced entry applications for Year 2 and not Year 3 entry.
If English is not your first language you must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of your English language skills:
- IELTS Academic or UKVI 7.0 overall with a minimum of 6.5 in writing and 7.0 in speaking, listening and reading.
- Pearson Test of English (Academic) 67 overall with a minimum of 62 in writing and 67 in speaking, listening and reading.
- IBT TOEFL 94 overall with 19 in reading, 24 in writing, 20 in listening and 22 in speaking.
See our information on English language requirements for more details on the language tests we accept and options to waive these requirements.
Pre-sessional English language courses
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this course, our partner INTO University of Stirling offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to this degree.
Find out more about our pre-sessional English language courses
Course details
Our BSc Adult Nursing course is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). The BSc Adult Nursing course extends over three years, and the BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing over four years.
You’ll gain the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values that are essential to deliver safe, compassionate, respectful, ethical and effective care in an evolving and dynamic health and social care environment.
Each year of our degree meets the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirement of 50% theory and 50% practice. You’ll be introduced to the fundamentals of nursing, and then progress to explore advanced assessment skills, caring for patients with an acute illness and complexities of contemporary adult nursing.
Through our partnerships with a diverse range of health and social care organisations, you’ll have the opportunity to put your theory into practice. You’ll work all shift patterns of the practice learning environment which may involve both day and night shifts to experience the full learning opportunities of these areas.
This course is designed for you to achieve proficiencies required for registration in the UK as a nurse. You may also have the choice of undertaking a national or international placement.
You’ll be allocated a personal tutor, who will be a source of guidance, information, and support during your studies.
You’ll study alongside our Mental Health Nursing and our BSc Paramedic Science students during Year 1 to gain a holistic understanding of how health and social care professionals work together to bring about the best in patient-centred care.
We’ll also focus on developing the leadership and management skills needed to foster quality and innovation within the health and social care setting.
Course objectives
The overarching course outcomes reflect the NMC Standards for Pre‐registration Nursing Education (NMC, 2010) and will aim to ensure our graduate nurses are able to:
- Deliver high-quality essential care to all.
- Deliver complex care to service users across their field of practice.
- Act to safeguard the public, and be responsible and accountable for safe, person‐centred, evidence‐based nursing practice.
- Act with professionalism and integrity, and work within agreed professional, ethical and legal frameworks and processes to maintain and improve standards.
- Practise in a compassionate, respectful way, maintaining dignity and wellbeing and communicating effectively.
- Act on their understanding of how people’s lifestyles, environments and the location of care delivery influence their health and wellbeing.
- Seek out every opportunity to promote health and prevent illness.
- Work in partnership with other health and social care professionals and agencies, service users, carers and families ensuring that decisions about care are shared.
- Use leadership skills to supervise and manage others and contribute to planning, designing, delivering and improving future services.
Modules
The module information below provides an example of the types of course module you may study. The details listed are for the academic year that starts in September 2024. Modules and start dates are regularly reviewed and may be subject to change in future years.
Course details
We've been awarded five-star excellence for our teaching in the QS Stars University Ratings 2024.
Your Adult Nursing degree will provide you with learning experiences in practice learning placements across a wide range of areas. Practice learning will be supported by your engagement with theoretical elements of the course, and also by your practice assessor and practice supervisor. You’ll develop skills of critical reading, appreciation and analysis, numeracy and literacy. These skills are both graduate attributes and essential skills for a graduate nurse.
The course uses a range of hybrid teaching and learning experiences including lectures, small group work, skills, simulation lab and oral presentations. These will equip you with a diverse range of skills to enhance your abilities as a proficient nurse.
A wide range of approaches to teaching and learning are adopted by the Faculty. Central to this is a student-centred approach, which uses small group teaching (enquiry-based learning or EBL) in combination with lectures, seminars, group work and clinical skills teaching.
You will be assessed by a range of methods, including: examinations, essays, reports, clinical skills assessments, presentations and assessments of practice. You’ll need to pass each semester assessment before progressing to the next semester.
Our placements go beyond standard hospital placements. Find out more about how nursing placements are a key foundation of studying Nursing at Stirling.
For any course related questions, please contact +44 (0)1786 466340 or nursingrecruitment@stir.ac.uk.
Fees and funding
Scottish students
This fee is set by the Scottish Government and is subject to change.
Although you’re liable for annual tuition fees, if you are domiciled in Scotland you can apply to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) to have your tuition fees paid by the Scottish Government on your behalf.
You will be charged the annual tuition fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
This tuition fee may be subject to change depending on guidance provided by the UK Government.
You can apply for financial assistance, including a loan to cover the full cost of your tuition fees, from your relevant funding body. Students from the Republic of Ireland are eligible for a tuition fee loan of up to £9,535 from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS).
We also offer additional funding – such as our Honours Year Scholarship – for students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. See our funding opportunities section below for more information.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy and terms and conditions.
International students (including EU)
Eligible students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. See our range of generous scholarships for international undergraduate students.
You will be charged the annual fee each year when you enrol. Your fees will be held at the same level throughout your course.
If you need to take additional modules or resit modules, you will be liable for an additional fee.
For more information on courses invoiced on an annual fee basis, please read our tuition fee policy.
Additional costs
There are some instances where additional fees may apply. Depending on your chosen course, you may need to pay additional costs, for example for field trips. Learn more about additional fees.
Students domiciled in Scotland
All SAAS-eligible students are entitled to a £10,000 bursary each year for Years 1-3 of study, and an additional £7,500 if completing an Honours year. Find out more about paramedic, nursing and midwifery funding from SAAS.
Students domiciled in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
Our Nursing Scholarship and Access to Nursing Bursary provides students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland a £2,000 cash award per year (for Years 1-3 of study) on one of our undergraduate nursing courses. The scholarship can also be combined with our Honours Year Scholarship, which covers the full cost of tuition fees in students’ Honours year of study.
The University also covers the costs of occupational health consultations; criminal record checks; compulsory uniforms; and inoculations for undergraduate nursing students from England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland. These benefits represent a cost saving of around £430.
There’s no need to apply for these awards – eligible students will automatically be identified as part of the admissions process.
International (including EU) students
Eligible international students will automatically receive a scholarship worth between £8,000-£30,000 over the duration of your course. Find funding opportunities for international students.
Mature students and students with family
There is extra funding to help with the costs of childcare. SAAS provide funding for students domiciled in Scotland. This includes Dependant’s Allowance, Single Parent’s Allowance and Childcare Allowance for Parents. Full information can be found on the SAAS website.
See what funding opportunities and loans are available to help you with tuition and living costs.
If you’re domiciled in the UK, you can typically apply to your relevant funding body for help with living costs. This usually takes the form of student loans, grants or bursaries, and the amount awarded depends upon your personal circumstances and household income.
International (including EU) students won’t normally be able to claim living support through SAAS or other UK public funding bodies. You should contact the relevant authority in your country to find out if you’re eligible to receive support.
We aim to be as flexible as possible, and offer a wide range of payment methods - including the option to pay fees by instalments. Learn more about how to pay.
After you graduate
Preparing you for the world of work
Our Adult Nursing degree will prepare you to meet the needs of a modern profession, and provide the best possible patient care in a range of settings. Some of our graduates focus on practice - initially consolidating their learning by working in roles such as a staff nurse in a hospital, community setting or care home - while others progress to postgraduate studies. These experiences can develop a career pathway, leading to specialised areas such as palliative care or advanced nurse practitioner roles.
The majority entering employment find roles within the NHS, while others have found employment in other areas of the public sector - as well as with private healthcare providers and the voluntary sector.
Be the One: Robert Muirhead
Hear from graduate Robert who now works as a Staff Nurse in the Surgical Assessment Unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital.
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