The MSc Nursing is a challenging course suitable for qualified nurses who wish to develop higher levels of criticality in research and leadership.
The Master of Science (MSc) in Nursing is a challenging post graduate qualification for nurses, midwives or health visitors from all fields of practice. This course will assist qualified staff to develop personally and professionally in a wide range of topics and issues including communication, health promotion, leadership, person-centred practice and research.
In the full-time mode, the MSc Nursing (general pathway) it is typically completed over one calendar year.
There are several pathways available:
MSc Nursing Palliative Care Pathway
MSc Nursing Dementia Care Pathway
MSc Nursing Practice in the UK Pathway
MSc Nursing Education Pathway
MSc Nursing Emergency Care Pathway
MSc Nursing Leading Practice Pathway
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
MSc Nursing (general pathway): This will allow students to build upon their existing knowledge, skills and values. This course will challenge students about their practice and offer different opportunities to enhance their knowledge, understanding and critical thinking through classroom and personal study. Nurses undertaking this option often self fund.
International applications from individuals who are qualified as nurses in their own country are particularly welcome for this course. As this course is for qualified nurses and it does not include registration as a nurse.
All staff contributing to the programme hold or are working towards a teaching qualification.
Students can study the following modules;
MSc Project
This 60-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. Students are allocated an MSc supervisor. The student completes either a traditional research project or a service evaluation or a project development initiative. Students must write a project proposal, apply for ethics, collect data, analysis the data and the write the final report. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Transforming Practice Through Person-Centred Collective Leadership
This module encourages students to lead small step change contributing to quality improvement initiatives leading to transformation of services through person centred practice. It focuses on the development of strategic leadership skills in nurses in order to meet the global challenges facing todays healthcare systems.
Ethics and Professional Decision Making
This module is optional
This module develops students' understanding of the major components and complexities of professional decision making and accountability and the central role this plays in the design, delivery and evaluation of ethically safe and effective compassionate care for people within services in hospital and community settings. Within the module. students will critically analyse the relationships between professional decision-making, accountability, governance and patient safety within an interdisciplinary context. Assessment is by coursework.
Advanced Knowledge in Symptom Management in Palliative Care
This module is optional
This module will develop the capacity to critically engage with complex symptom management and to apply this knowledge and skills to the development of advanced symptom control from a pharmacological and non-pharmacological perspective. lt emphasises the palliation of pain and other symptoms and the application of an evidence based holistic person centred approach. The module Incorporates a variety of teaching approaches.
Quality Improvement in Nursing Practice
This module is optional
This module provides students with the policy background to quality improvement and encourages critical analysis of quality within healthcare. It provides students with an opportunity to explore issues relating to their workplace and to utilise skills of problem solving considering aspects like the patient experience and stakeholder involvement. The module also encourages practitioners to critically reflect on quality improvement to improve nursing practice and person centred care. Assessment is by coursework.
This module is a compulsory module for students on the MSc Nursing - Leading Practice pathway.
Principles of Nursing Assessment
This module is optional
This level 7 module will encourage students to develop their knowledge of the evidence that underpins nursing assessment. Students will further develop their ability to care for people experiencing a range of conditions, and will enhance their understanding of complexity within care. Assessment is by assignment and OSCE.
Enhancing Learning and Teaching in the Practice Setting
This module is optional
This module provides the opportunity for practitioners who undertake an educational role, facilitating others' learning in the practice setting, to develop their understanding of effective learning and teaching. It enables participants to develop and enhance their skills in practice-based learning, teaching and assessment. It provides the opportunity for participants to reflect critically on their own experience as a learner, a practitioner and an educator, and to identify aspects of their own practice that could be developed and/or improved.
Advanced Methods in Research and Development in Health and Social Care
This 30-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. This module builds upon previous study of research methods and enables students to develop and apply theoretical and scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills, extending their understanding of the philosophical and practical aspects of research, service evaluation and project development initiative. Students are required to write an identified research question relevant to research, service evaluation or a project development initiative. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Principles of Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Healthcare Practice
This module is optional
The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop your understanding and skills around learning and teaching in practice. The module will provide you with opportunity to construct professional knowledge about the fundamental principles of learning, teaching and assessing and directly impact upon how you use these skills to develop learning activities in your practice.
Advanced Communication for Transforming Nursing Practice
This module is optional
Recent reports and evaluations in healthcare suggest that standards of communication are slipping and there is growing disquiet in relation to the patient and family experience. This module provides an opportunity to enhance practice in relation to communication and interprofessional and interagency working. A flipped classroom approach combined with authentic simulation and role play facilitates students gain a fresh perspective on self-awareness and self-agency to innovate and advance nursing. Assessment is by coursework.
Informed Practice in Dementia Care
This module is optional
This module provides students with a thorough understanding of the theoretical and clinical aspects of dementia which underpin informed practice. Collaborative working with people and families, inter-professional and inter-agency practice informed by differing perspectives, together with research, clinical guidelines, policy and strategies are explored in the delivering of person-centred care across the dementia trajectory. Assessment is by coursework.
Principles of Palliative & End of Life Care
This module is optional
This module aims to develop students' knowledge in palliative and end of life care, enabling them to gain a wider strategic understanding in order for them to provide quality person-centred care. It emphasises the principles and philosophy of palliative and end of life care and the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to service delivery. The module incorporates a variety of teaching approaches. Method of assessment is 100% coursework.
Essential of Pathophysiology
This module is optional
This postgraduate module provides nurses with an opportunity to synthesise knowledge of physiological disorders both at a systems and cellular level. A problem-solving approach using clinical cases is used to illuminate how knowledge of pathophysiology is applied. Assessment is by coursework consisting of a class test and a case study.
Attendance will be at the Jordanstown campus.
MSc Nursing (general pathway): This is a full time course. Attendance will vary depending on modules being studied.
The final component of all MSc Nursing pathways is a research project (dissertation). This module is by supervision and as such there are no face to face taught classes. Occasionally additional workshops may be offered. Regular supervisory meetings will take place where students will be supported by an experienced member of academic staff. These meetings will be arranged between supervisor and supervisee over the duration of the research project (normally one semester in full time study mode).
Teaching, learning and assessment take a variety of forms across the suite of modules in this course. The strategies used are based on principles of adult learning such as self-direction and a capacity to draw upon experience. The course assumes that students have recent experience in practice.
Teaching strategies are selected by the nature of the intended learning outcomes. The learning experience is designed to encourage students to become active and motivated learners, who can seek information, question and analyse its validity and draw appropriate and logical conclusions. Students are encouraged to make connections between theoretical content and professional experiences and this facilitates their ability to move from understanding practice and applying skills taught, to questioning and critiquing practice, and ultimately to proposing and carrying out research or innovation that contributes to service/practice developments or enhancements.
Teaching methods on the course include:
Assessment throughout the course has been constructively aligned to the learning outcomes of each of the modules and all contain a combination of formative and summative components. Ongoing formative assessment that has a significant diagnostic function occurs throughout the course and students are encouraged to discuss their progress and actively plan to address identified learning needs. Summative assessment of student performance and progression in modules on the MSc Nursing (general pathway) is carried out through coursework. Assessments include essays, presentations, literature reviews and reflective analyses. These are designed to test knowledge and understanding, to allow students to integrate and apply information, and encourage the development of critical thinking skills.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
2-24 York Street, Belfast, BT15 1AP
High quality apartment living in Belfast city centre adjacent to the university campus.
Find out more - information about accommodation (Opens in a new window)
At Student Wellbeing we provide many services to help students through their time at Ulster University.
Find out more - information about student wellbeing (Opens in a new window)
Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year: 1
Status: C
This 30-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. This module builds upon previous study of research methods and enables students to develop and apply theoretical and scientific knowledge and problem-solving skills, extending their understanding of the philosophical and practical aspects of research, service evaluation and project development initiative. Students are required to write an identified research question relevant to research, service evaluation or a project development initiative. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module encourages students to lead small step change contributing to quality improvement initiatives leading to transformation of services through person centred practice. It focuses on the development of strategic leadership skills in nurses in order to meet the global challenges facing todays healthcare systems.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module develops students' understanding of the major components and complexities of professional decision making and accountability and the central role this plays in the design, delivery and evaluation of ethically safe and effective compassionate care for people within services in hospital and community settings. Within the module. students will critically analyse the relationships between professional decision-making, accountability, governance and patient safety within an interdisciplinary context. Assessment is by coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module will develop the capacity to critically engage with complex symptom management and to apply this knowledge and skills to the development of advanced symptom control from a pharmacological and non-pharmacological perspective. lt emphasises the palliation of pain and other symptoms and the application of an evidence based holistic person centred approach. The module Incorporates a variety of teaching approaches.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module provides students with the policy background to quality improvement and encourages critical analysis of quality within healthcare. It provides students with an opportunity to explore issues relating to their workplace and to utilise skills of problem solving considering aspects like the patient experience and stakeholder involvement. The module also encourages practitioners to critically reflect on quality improvement to improve nursing practice and person centred care. Assessment is by coursework.
This module is a compulsory module for students on the MSc Nursing - Leading Practice pathway.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module aims to develop students' knowledge in palliative and end of life care, enabling them to gain a wider strategic understanding in order for them to provide quality person-centred care. It emphasises the principles and philosophy of palliative and end of life care and the need for an inter-disciplinary approach to service delivery. The module incorporates a variety of teaching approaches. Method of assessment is 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
The aim of this module is to enhance knowledge of the issues emerging in global healthcare that have a direct bearing on health and social care practice in order to creatively develop evidence-based solutions and lead developments in practice.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This level 7 module will encourage students to develop their knowledge of the evidence that underpins nursing assessment. Students will further develop their ability to care for people experiencing a range of conditions, and will enhance their understanding of complexity within care. Assessment is by assignment and OSCE.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module will equip students to understand and evaluate professional issues in nursing. Students will have the opportunity to use their developing knowledge to gain insights into the management of assessment, planning, delivery and evaluation of compassionate person-centred nursing care. They will be able to use the principles of evidence based decision-making to engage with contemporary nursing practice and prepare for inter-professional team-working and leadership.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
Designed to support students in preparing for OSCE assessment by enhancing their knowledge of, and skills in carrying out, nursing procedures in context of UK nursing practice, this module will familiarise them with the structure and processes of OSCE assessment. This module does not lead to registration as a nurse in the UK. It will enable students to engage in simulated practice activities to ensure they can provide safe, effective and evidence-based nursing care while demonstrating compassion and person-centredness in their communication and professional approach to those in their care.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
In this Level 7 module the student will be able to develop wide and deep theoretical and practice knowledge in fundamental principles and practices of emergency care nursing. Students will be challenged to deepen their skills as reflective, critical, skilled, and collaborative emergency care nursing professionals. The successful student will become a more effective and collaborative professional, realising their personal and professional potential. Leading through example the successful student will be increasingly capable of providing high quality emergency nursing care in a demonstrably safe and effective manner alone and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
In this Level 7 module the student will be able to develop wide and deep theoretical and practice knowledge in fundamental principles and practices of emergency care nursing. Students will be challenged to deepen their skills as reflective, critical, skilled, and collaborative emergency care nursing professionals. The successful student will become a more effective and collaborative professional, realising their personal and professional potential. Leading through example the successful student will be increasingly capable of providing high quality emergency nursing care in a demonstrably safe and effective manner alone and as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module provides the opportunity for practitioners who undertake an educational role, facilitating others' learning in the practice setting, to develop their understanding of effective learning and teaching. It enables participants to develop and enhance their skills in practice-based learning, teaching and assessment. It provides the opportunity for participants to reflect critically on their own experience as a learner, a practitioner and an educator, and to identify aspects of their own practice that could be developed and/or improved.
Year: 2
Status: C
This 60-credit module is compulsory for the student to achieve their MSc award. Students are allocated an MSc supervisor. The student completes either a traditional research project or a service evaluation or a project development initiative. Students must write a project proposal, apply for ethics, collect data, analysis the data and the write the final report. This module is assessed by 100% coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop your understanding and skills around learning and teaching in practice. The module will provide you with opportunity to construct professional knowledge about the fundamental principles of learning, teaching and assessing and directly impact upon how you use these skills to develop learning activities in your practice.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
Recent reports and evaluations in healthcare suggest that standards of communication are slipping and there is growing disquiet in relation to the patient and family experience. This module provides an opportunity to enhance practice in relation to communication and interprofessional and interagency working. A flipped classroom approach combined with authentic simulation and role play facilitates students gain a fresh perspective on self-awareness and self-agency to innovate and advance nursing. Assessment is by coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This module provides students with a thorough understanding of the theoretical and clinical aspects of dementia which underpin informed practice. Collaborative working with people and families, inter-professional and inter-agency practice informed by differing perspectives, together with research, clinical guidelines, policy and strategies are explored in the delivering of person-centred care across the dementia trajectory. Assessment is by coursework.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This postgraduate module provides nurses with an opportunity to synthesise knowledge of physiological disorders both at a systems and cellular level. A problem-solving approach using clinical cases is used to illuminate how knowledge of pathophysiology is applied. Assessment is by coursework consisting of a class test and a case study.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
Applicants for the MSc Nursing will be a qualified nurse, midwife or health visitor (in any field of practice) with registration or licensure in their country of practice and have a first degree or equivalent 2:1 classification.
English language requirements for international applicants
For those who do not have English as a first language, the minimum requirement for this course is an academic IELTS of 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Accreditation of Prior Learning may be considered through the School of Nursing APL process. Students are encouraged to discuss this with the Course Director. There are no exemptions from the MSc Research Project.
In this section
The MSc Nursing encourages qualified nurses, midwives and heath visitors from all fields of practice to develop high levels of reflection, decision-making and criticality in nursing theory and research. This is particularly useful for nurses who wish to develop their careers and strive for promotion, particularly those aspiring to higher roles in research, leadership and education.
Also available within the programme, are MSc Nursing pathways in Health Assessment, Dementia Care, Palliative Care, Education and Leadership.
MSc Nursing (general pathway): students undertaking this course are full time students. No work placement or study abroad is required for this option.
£7,000.00
£17,090.00
Where the postgraduate course selected offers multiple awards (e.g. PG Cert, PG Dip, Masters), please note that the price displayed is for the complete Masters programme.
Postgraduate certificates and diplomas are charged at a pro-rata basis.
Find out more about postgraduate fees
There are several awards available to students during this course. Students with outstanding performance in the leadership module may be considered for the Professor Robert Bowman Award. Outstanding students in MSc research project module may be eligible to apply for the Mona Grey Award.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
