Choose a fulfilling career that changes lives. This accredited course paves the way for you to be a registered Learning Disabilities nurse, supporting people with learning disabilities and their families.
Learning disability nurses work to provide specialist healthcare and support to people with a learning disability, as well as their families and staff teams, to help them live a fulfilling life. If you’re caring and compassionate, with exceptional communication skills and a real passion for helping people, this degree is for you.
If you are a registered Nursing Associate and hold a FdSc and are looking to qualify as a Mental Health Nurse, find out more about our BSc Direct Entry programme.
A highly rewarding career choice
Learning disability nurses work to provide specialist healthcare and support to people with a learning disability, as well as their families and staff teams, to help them live a fulfilling life. They work in a range of settings, including people's homes, education, residential and community centres and hospitals.
This course is built around the ethos that everyone has a right to evidence-based care, whatever their background and circumstances. It equips you to excel as a confident, versatile and capable mental health nurse.
This programme is a holistic learning experience, enabling students to become emotionally resilient and transformational Registered Nurses of the future. This is a full-time 4-year course and students will complete a range of modules to develop the fundamental knowledge and skills for safe effective nursing practice where the interests of people using or needing nursing services are put first.
Students develop an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of their chosen field of practice and recognise the principles of nursing across all fields and across the lifespan. Modules provide the foundation for students to develop a compassionate professionalism whereby they are trusted in the care they provide. Learning will be facilitated through a range of classroom-based activities, skills laboratories and by electronic means such as online learning, web-based training and technology-delivered instruction.
Expertise to inspire you
You'll be supported by enthusiastic and dedicated academic staff who are immersed in their areas of practice and committed to supporting you at every stage of your studies. All academic staff are current NMC registered professionals with some continuing to work in clinical practice alongside their teaching role. The academic team includes renowned professionals whose work features regularly in leading journals and books and who help shape national policies.
This course is mapped against the NMC standards to ensure that your learning is up-to-date and relevant. In delivering the programme, we respond to national changes such as the latest government policies. As a result, some of the information about the course may change.
Wide-ranging placement experience
A compulsory part of the course is practice learning which equates to 50% of the overall programme in line with the NMC standards (NMC, 2018). Students must complete at least 2300 hours of practice learning to support the application of theory to practice.
Practice learning is achieved through a variety of placement experiences to enable you to gain essential practical experience by participating in 24-hour care. Throughout, you'll benefit from the support of Practice Assessors and Practice Supervisors who will help you get as much out of the experience as possible.
Students experience a wide variety of simulated learning activities throughout the programme to prepare for the real world of nursing. This also ensures students continually link theory to practice and feel supported for entering the clinical environment.
First class facilities
Our Derby campus offers outstanding facilities, including clinical skills suites built to professional standards, with replica wards, counselling rooms and treatment rooms fully equipped with the latest resources.
As health care is increasingly delivered by multi-professional teams, we offer opportunities for you to learn with, and from, students from other disciplines. This is really important in preparing you to work in more flexible ways after graduation. By learning to work together, you can help achieve the best outcomes for patients and service users.
Students also participate in learning that is specific to their field but is also co-taught across the four fields of nursing. There is opportunity for students studying at different academic levels to learn with, and from each other. This provides the opportunity to meet the NMC standards whilst replicating professional relationships that students encounter in clinical practice.
Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.
So that you are fully prepared for your career, we ensure that your skills and knowledge match current working practices in health and social care. The practical abilities you develop on placement will be underpinned and extended by the knowledge you gain through lectures, tutorials, workshops and simulated practice activities.
We harness the latest technology in all aspects of the course. Modules are linked to the University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), so that you have 24-hour access to relevant resources both on and off campus. We also capture ‘live’ lectures via Panopto which you can view at times that suit you via the VLE.
In addition, our students benefit from access to a range of online resources such as Clinical Skills Net, an online resource offering video tutorials in essential clinical skills. The anatomy and physiology content of the programme is supported in a similar way through WhileyPLUS.
How you’re assessed
There is a diverse range of authentic assessments within the programme. Assessments are aligned to module learning outcomes and support students to build academic skill and professional development. Assessment feedback and feedforward mechanisms encourage dialogue, provide action plans, and utilise academic, student, and practice support staff where required. This ensures that students are fit for practice, purpose, award, and professional standing on completion of the award.
Each assessment within the programme has the following underpinning characteristics:
- Each assessment has value and distinct relevance to professional nursing practice.
- They support development and progression through the programme.
- Each assessment focuses on supporting students to meet the NMC standards for registration.
- They support the application of theory to practice.
The assessment process is transparent, and students receive timely and constructive feedback to support their success.
Assessment of practice learning is recorded in the Practice Assessment Document (MYEPAD), which is designed to support and guide students towards successfully achieving the criteria set out in the Future nurse: Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses and Standards for Education and Training (NMC 2018). The MYEPAD is a regionally validated document developed collaboratively with other local universities. The University of Derby continues to work in partnership to support a consistent approach to student supervision and assessment.
Who you'll meet
You will be taught by qualified health professionals with extensive experience of nursing and leadership roles. They have proven, sustained track records in higher education teaching, with most holding Fellowships of the Higher Education Academy.
Our staff keep up to date with the latest developments in the sector by undertaking continuing professional development as part of their registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
On completion of the programme, students are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council in their field of practice. Students have five years to register their award with the Nursing and Midwifery Council following completion of the programme. A variety of careers and career pathways are open to Registered Nurses and may choose to work in hospitals, community services, primary care services, mental health services, children’s services, learning disability services, general practice, and private, voluntary, and independent services across the NHS or other health and care organisations.
Graduates of the programme may wish to return to academic study, further developing their skills and knowledge to undertake a range of specialist or advanced roles. There is a wide offer of post-registration provision within the College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care, and many students choose to return to the University of Derby for postgraduate study; at masters and doctoral level and for continuing professional development.
2025 entry
These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.
may apply to students who meet certain criteria.
| Requirement | What we're looking for | | UCAS points | 112 |
| A Level | BBC |
| T Level | Merit |
| BTEC | DMM |
| GCSE | GCSE Maths and English Grade 4/Grade C (or above) or equivalent qualification |
| Access to HE | Pass Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits: 45 at Level 3 with a minimum of Distinction: 15, Merit: 24, Pass: 6 |
| English language requirements | IELTS: 6.5 (with at least 6.0 in each skills area) |
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, our admissions team may offer you an alternative course that will enable you to continue in your aspirations towards becoming a registered nurse.
*The University will accept the Senior Healthcare Support Worker Apprenticeship in lieu of UCAS points or level 3 qualification requirements.*
Students should apply for the full degree programme and our admissions team will get in touch with you after the interview stage if this pathway is suitable for you.
Health or care experience that demonstrates insight into the professional values and behaviours associated with health and care environments is desirable.
Additional entry requirements
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course, our admissions team may offer you an alternative course that will enable you to continue in your aspirations towards becoming a registered nurse.
Students should apply for the full degree programme and our admissions team will get in touch with you after the interview stage if this pathway is suitable for you.
2024/25
| | Full-time | Part-time |
|---|
| UK | £9,250 per year | N/A |
| International | £14,900 per year | N/A |
Funding for Nursing and Allied Health courses
By studying on this programme, you are eligible for a Tuition Fee Loan of up to £9,250. The loan will support your studies and enable you to start a rewarding career in healthcare.
All new and continuing nursing and allied health students on pre-registration courses will also receive a grant of at least £5,000 per year that is not means-tested and will not have to be repaid. This is provided through the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and is not managed by the University. Please check with the LSF for residency requirements and eligibility criteria.
If you're eligible, you can get:
- A training grant of £5,000 per academic year
- Parental support of £2,000 if you have at least one dependent child under 15 years or under 17 years if registered with special educational needs
- Money back for excess travel and temporary accommodation costs while you're on your placement
- £1,000 if studying a shortage specialism
Among others, the shortage specialisms have been confirmed to include:
- Mental health nursing
- Learning disability nursing
- Diagnostic radiography
In addition to this non-repayable grant, you are also able to access a maintenance loan of up to £9,488 per year to support your studies, giving you access to over £17,000 per year of funding. Training grant payments will be paid in three instalments over the academic year. This is to provide you with a consistent flow of funding throughout the academic year as far as possible.
All NHS LSF applications must be submitted within six months of the start of the academic year and you will need confirmation of your Student Finance in order to complete your application. You need to set up an NHS Learning Support Fund online account to apply.
Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.
Teaching hours
Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.
Course updates
The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.
If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.
Minimum numbers
Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.
Discover Uni
This is a new course so the data displayed via Discover Uni is for students studying in another subject area.
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