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Registered Nurse Level 7 Degree Apprenticeship MSc

Employers – Make an enquiry Apply now Information for apprentices Information for employers
  • Level of study:
    Masters, Apprenticeship
  • Entry Requirements:
    More information
  • Start date:
    January 2027
  • Duration:
    Two years
  • Attendance:
    Full-time
  • Course delivery:
    Block release (Clifton Campus)
nursing student with patient

About this course

For January 2027 entry, this course will be available for Adult Nursing and Mental Health Nursing only.

This course is for individuals with an undergraduate degree, are employed in a health or social care setting and wish to become a Registered Nurse. Our Level 7 Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship allows healthcare professionals with a level 6 qualification in any subject area can gain the qualifications needed to pursue a career in nursing.

What are the benefits?

Employers will benefit from upskilling their current staff as registered nurses with a professional qualification and NMC status.

  • A flexible curriculum

    and blended learning approach that allows students to build theoretical knowledge and put it into practice on placements in healthcare settings.

  • Study in our state-of-the-art facilities

    Apprentices study in our brand-new purpose-built Health and Allied Professions Centre on Clifton Campus, featuring mock hospital wards, consultation and counselling rooms, creative teaching spaces, and specialist equipment.

  • Learn from the experts

    at a university rated TEF ‘Gold’ for teaching and learning.

Our Level 7 Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship course gives students a robust knowledge of adult nursing practice, as well as the wider sector, both in and outside of the classroom. It is the perfect combination of theory and practice, allied to great facilities, modules built around the latest research and teachers who’ve worked for years in professional healthcare. Apprentices will develop your nursing knowledge based around:

  • A holistic view of patients’ physical and psychological needs enabling you to provide high quality, culturally competent patient centred care
  • Being innovative leaders in the field of healthcare challenging care practices and leading evidence-based decision making
  • Refining and applying clinical skills with the goal of developing clinical practice and becoming a role model
  • A high-quality practice-learning environment, with simulated exercises and activities
  • Placements in a variety of healthcare settings
  • Some fantastic opportunities for career development in practice, leadership, education and research both in the UK and internationally.

The five strands of nursing at NTU

Our course combines evidence-based healthcare knowledge with teaching that’s specific to the field of adult nursing. With this approach, we help students to develop a critical understanding of the sector, as well as the specialist skills needed as a registered adult nurse. Our course is built around five “strands”, namely:

  • Applied bio-, psycho- and social sciences
  • Clinical practice and nursing skills
  • Professional concept, philosophies and theories
  • Preparation for practice
  • Personal and professional development

Across these strands, apprentices will develop and critique the core knowledge, skills and attributes needed for a successful career in adult nursing – both in the UK and internationally.

Course accreditations

  • NMC Logo

Module information

Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll be studying throughout the course:

Year One

Year Two

Completing your Apprenticeship

To achieve the apprenticeship, all apprentices must complete an End-Point Assessment (EPA). The EPA is an independent assessment that ascertains whether an apprentice is competent in their occupation.

Gateway

Gateway is the period of time between the end of the off-the-job training (practical period) and the beginning of the assessment period when EPA will take place.

At Gateway, the apprentice, employer and training provider will review the apprentice’s knowledge, skills and behaviours to determine whether they are ready to take their EPA. This is normally done at a Gateway review meeting which takes place near the end of the apprenticeship. At this meeting, all three parties will check that the mandatory aspects of the apprenticeship have been completed and that the apprentice is ready to take their final assessment(s).

Apprentices must meet the Gateway requirement set out in the assessment plan before taking their EPA.

End-Point Assessment

This apprenticeship is integrated. This means that the end-point assessment is administered by Nottingham Trent University and is usually linked to the academic award that apprentices study whilst in their off-the-job training period.

Details of the assessment elements can be found in the assessment plan.

The end-point assessment for this apprenticeship standard is the examination board.

Successful completion of this apprenticeship will meet the education requirements for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

We regularly review our course content based on student and employer feedback to ensure they remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or availability in future years. Optional modules will only run where there is sufficient demand. This will be determined on a case-by-case basis to protect the academic and student experience.

How you're taught

The degree integrates academic and work-based learning through employment. You will be taught in three blocks per year, with five study days per week (three days at a time at university and two as guided study).

How you're assessed

The end-point assessment will take place after the two-year degree, although completion of the degree is dependent on completion of the end-point assessment.

Contact hours

The Nursing and Midwifery Council state that pre-registration nursing courses should be 50% theory and 50% practice and that the practice element should consist of 2300 hours of clinical placements.  However, this applicants for this course need to claim 600 hours Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for theory and 600 hours RPL for practice. The remaining 1700 hours of theory will be a combination of contact time at the university and guided/independent study.

Hands-on nursing: your work experience opportunities

Placements are the foundation of our nursing courses, and a crucial part of your learning. No other experience gives you the applied, hands-on insights into modern nursing – from decision making to relationships. It’s on placement that you’ll apply the theoretical principles of holistic assessment, values-based practice, person centred care, and effective collaboration between service users, their families, and other providers. You’ll work across a variety of health and social care settings, in a wide range of public and private sector environments – all the time developing your understanding of the person’s journey and the services they access.

You’ll benefit from our reputation in the healthcare sector, and our fantastic professional links throughout nursing. The range and diversity of experiences on offer means you can properly explore the role – and in your second and third years, you’ll even get the chance to complete an practice learning placement in an alternative field. It’ll deepen your understanding of nursing and improve your job prospects even further.

Learn from the experts

As tomorrow’s professionals, you’ll be taught by today’s experts – people who’ve worked (and are still working) across the healthcare sector. Tutorials and personal contact time are an important part of our nursing courses, and we ensure you’re supported in both one-to-one and group-learning environments. You’ll have your own personal tutor, and a range of module leaders. As these are new courses, we’ve had the opportunity to build them from the ground up, ensuring they’re informed by the latest research and practice – and meaning that you’ll learn at the forefront of modern nursing.

Throughout the programme, we’ll give you all the support you need: from advice and feedback, to securing practice learning placements, to helping you deal with any unforeseen personal circumstances or difficulties.

Clinical and nursing skills

Your registration by the Nursing and Midwifery Council hinges on proving you’ve got the required nursing skills – the practical components of this course. You’ll develop these skills in our suites, through a range of simulated exercises that bridge the gap between the classroom and your practice placements. You’ll then keep a record of the skills you’ve acquired and contact hours you’ve completed in your ePortfolio.

Entry requirements

UK students

In order to be eligible to undertake an Apprenticeship, you must ensure the following are in place prior to the start date of the course:

  • You are a UK resident or have the right to work in the UK.
  • Have a job or a job offer from an employer who will support you to complete your apprenticeship.
  • Will spend at least 50% of your working week in England over the duration of the apprenticeship.  This also applies to remote and hybrid workers

Make sure to read the course-specific entry requirements in the additional requirements section below.

International students

In order to be eligible to undertake an Apprenticeship, you must ensure you can fulfil the following prior to the start date of the course:

  • You have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least the previous 3-year period on the first day of your apprenticeship.
  • Your ordinary residence in the UK and Islands has not during any part of that period been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.
  • You have permission granted by the UK government to live in the UK and such permission is not for education purposes only.
  • You must be able to complete the apprenticeship in the time you have available (e.g. your Visa must last for the duration of the apprenticeship as well as your contract of employment).

Make sure to read the course-specific entry requirements in the additional requirements section below.

Policies

We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.

Fees and funding

UK students

- see the fees for this course, as well as information about funding and support.

To undertake an apprenticeship, you must be employed. Your employer will pay your tuition fees.

If you or your employer have any questions regarding the fees and funding available for this apprenticeship, please see our Apprenticeships pages, email our Apprenticeships team, or call  +44 (0)115 848 2589.

International students

- see the fees for this course, as well as payment advice and scholarships.

To undertake an apprenticeship you must be employed. Your employer will pay your tuition fees.

We will review your identity documents / immigration status to verify your residency eligibility in line with the apprenticeship funding rules, at the application stage.

If you or your employer have any questions regarding the fees and funding available for this apprenticeship, please see our apprenticeships FAQs, contact our Apprenticeships team at apprenticeships@ntu.ac.uk, or call +44 (0)115 848 2589.

Additional costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses. There are just a few additional things you may need to budget for:

Textbooks and library books

Your modules will point you to key textbooks and recommended reading. Many are available online, and in our libraries, but some students choose to buy their own copies. You’ll receive resource lists showing where to access eBooks, digital resources and physical copies. Our friendly Library team is always on hand to help you find what you need.

Printing and photocopying costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the printing and photocopying information on the Library website.

Careers and employability

Through our blended and block study learning approach, building up theoretical knowledge while putting it into practice – individuals will develop holistic, clinical and decision-making skills in line with the demands of modern nursing. Registered nurses are a statutorily regulated profession and successful completion of this apprenticeship will meet the education requirements to see registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

  • Employability Promise

    Personalised support, one-on-one coaching and industry-specific advice – it’s all part of our Employability Promise. And it doesn’t end when you leave NTU – you’ll have access to all our careers services for three years after you graduate (conditions apply).

  • NTU Enterprise

    If you’re a budding entrepreneur, NTU Student Enterprise can help you to develop your ideas and innovations and turn them into a reality. We also offer training, mentoring, workshops, financial advice and more to develop your business skills.

Campus and facilities

You’ll mainly be studying in the purpose-built Health & Allied Professions (HAP) Centre.  The 34,000 square foot building features mock hospital wards, consultation and counselling rooms, creative teaching spaces and specialist equipment.

Our self-contained, community-focused Clifton Campus has been designed to keep our students busy between lectures. Catch-up with your coursemates in the Pavilion’s barista café and Refectory; brainstorm group presentations in chic and stylish study spaces; enjoy some proper R&R in The Point, home of our Students’ Union. The campus also hosts the multimillion-pound Clifton Sports Hub, offering great options for everyone — whatever your interests, and however competitive you’d like to get!

You’re also right next to the bright lights of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. All through termtime, a dedicated on-campus bus service will get you to the heart of the action (and back) in under 25 minutes. You’ll find a city stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure: enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.

Applying

UK students

Applications to this course can be made through NTU Applicant Portal.

To apply for this course, you must have secured your employer's agreement to support you through the degree apprenticeship course and have been allocated an architecturally qualified Employment Mentor from your place of work.

Firstly, your employer should contact our Apprenticeships team to discuss next steps in the applications process, and support available.

Apply now

International students

In order to be eligible to undertake an Apprenticeship, you must ensure you can fulfil the following prior to the start date of the course:

  • You have been ordinarily resident in the UK and Islands for at least the previous 3-year period on the first day of your apprenticeship.
  • Your ordinary residence in the UK and Islands has not during any part of that period been wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full-time education.
  • You have permission granted by the UK government to live in the UK and such permission is not for education purposes only.
  • You must be able to complete the apprenticeship in the time you have available (e.g. your Visa must last for the duration of the apprenticeship as well as your contract of employment).

If you are able to fulfil this, please follow the application guidelines for UK students.

Please read our application guidance before you start your application.

We advise you to prepare and apply as early as you can as Student visa processing time can vary.

We'll send you important emails throughout the application process. Please check your emails regularly, including your junk/spam mail folder.

Apply now

Application guidance for apprenticeships

We have lots of useful advice and guidance to help you discuss your options with your employer or apply for available apprenticeship opportunities.

Application support

If you need more help or support, you can call our Apprenticeship team on +44 (0)115 848 2589, or email apprenticeships@ntu.ac.uk.

Keeping in touch

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Call +44 (0)115 848 2999
Email the international team