Providing flexible and engaging distance learning opportunities to students keen to succeed in today's challenging health & social care environment.
This online, readily accessible programme offers both clinical and non-clinical pathways aimed at producing graduates who will excel in their chosen health professional career. The programme aims to support the development of action focussed and enabled students who will be able to integrate the knowledge and theory they engage with on the programme into responsible health and social care activities within their workplace environment. In doing so the graduates will not only improve services where they work but will also act as mentors for others who wish to do the same. Pathways and modules are subject to availability and cohort viability.
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
Students will enter the programme at level 6 having been accredited for 240 credit points at levels 4 and 5 (queries should be directed to aplnursing@ulster.ac.uk) and will normally complete this programme part-time over a minimum of two years.
The programme consists of 4 x 30-credit modules, two of which make up the chosen pathway option in year 1 and the final two in year 2, which are compulsory core modules.
Students have the choice of five pathway options:
The Year 1 modules by pathway are:
Continence Care Pathway:
The Fundamentals of Adult Continence Promotion
This Level 6 module provides the student with an enhanced theoretical basis for the understanding of the issues essential for the provision of evidence based, individualised care for people who live with incontinence. Normal anatomy and physiology are explored as the basis for a thorough understanding of the genesis of continence problems and their resolution and local, national and international perspectives in continence care are explored.
Advancing Care for People with Continence Disorders
This module provides a theoretical basis for the enhanced delivery of evidence-based, personalised continence care. The treatment modalities for both urinary and faecal incontinence are explored and the role of the healthcare professional as an agent of change is actively investigated. The role of local, national, international policies and competencies to provide a mechanism to promote a standard of care delivery nationally is explored.
OR
Developing Practice Pathway:
Effective and Compassionate Communication in Health and Social Care Practice
This module provides the conceptual frameworks for compassionate, professional communication and behaviour within health and social care, providing essential knowledge and skills for students to develop professional competence to deliver compassionate communication in all health care contexts. It aims to enhance the integration and application of skills related to these core areas which are central to the professional competence in professional health and social care practice.
Fostering Innovation in Practice
This Level 6 module covers health care topics such as the need for innovation /change, leadership to promote innovation and managing change. The module enables healthcare students to develop their learning and skills by working on an innovative change to their current practice. It focuses on learning skills needed to plan an innovative change to their practice and achieve maximum benefit from critical reflection of practice, with a view to introducing new ways of working.
OR
Neuroscience Care Pathway:
Principles and Practice of Neuroscience Care
This module prepares students to meet the complex and specific needs of people with acute and continuing neurological disorders. It provides them with the physiological understanding of the conditions in order that therapeutic interventions can be rationalised. The module enables them to critically evaluate their practice informed by new knowledge and perspectives, considering also the experiences of people in their care.
Developing Neuroscience Practice
This module provides an opportunity for students to identify and influence change in their practice within the neuroscience setting. They will develop critical thinking and reflective skills to enable them to improve practice and deliver the best possible care for the person and their family. Students will enhance their understanding of the ethical challenges related to decision-making in situations when autonomy is compromised.
OR
Stoma Care Pathway:
The Fundamentals of Stoma Care
This level 6 module helps students to develop an in-depth understanding of the basic sciences and disease processes that can lead to stoma formation. Students will be assisted to discuss critically the care challenges that can be experienced by people who have a stoma and identify how they can play an influential role in assisting the person living with a stoma to improve their well-being and life quality.
Advancing Care for People with Stoma
In this Level 6 module the student will be able to discuss common stoma care issues encountered in neonates and children and 'out of the ordinary' issues in stoma care, outlining appropriate responses to such events. The module will explore key issues associated with multi-professional care, professional development and the future-proofing of service and will examine ethical challenges involved in advocacy and working with healthcare industry agencies.
OR
Urology Care Pathway:
The Fundamentals of Urology
This Level 6 module prepares members of the professional care team to deliver high quality care for patients with urological disorders by equipping them with the essential knowledge that underpins urology. Ultimately the module seeks to assist professionals to acquire high level understanding of the science that informs urological assessment and intervention so promoting well-being in the person.
Advancing Care for People with Urological Disorders
This level 6 module helps to prepare care professionals to better understand and deliver high quality care for patients with urological disorders by equipping them with essential knowledge, skills and attitudes that promote effective, knowledgeable and holistic intervention. Ultimately the module seeks to assist the professional to acquire a high level of knowledge and personal reflection to facilitate the future development of evidence based urological care.
OR
Paramedic Studies Pathway:
Applied Human Biology and Pharmacology for Pre-Hospital Care
This module aims to build upon and expand the knowledge of pre-hospital clinicians within the interlinked fields of physiology, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and psychology. To enable students to grow as autonomous practitioners, this module will examine the evidence behind current best-practice management and intervention strategies across a range of presentations. Upon completion of the module, students will have increased confidence in planning and enacted evidence-based strategies to improve care across a variety of settings.
Leadership for safe and effective prehospital person-centred care
The provision of leadership and supervision can be challenging for pre-hospital healthcare professionals and requires the development of key decision-making skills to confidently work in inter-disciplinary teams in the provision of safe and effective person centred care in diverse care environments. This module introduces students to leadership, quality improvement and innovation strategies, clinical education and education. Case reviews are used to advance leadership, decision making, accountability, negotiation, and provide constructive feedback
The Year 2 Core compulsory modules across all pathways are:
The Research Project
This core module provides students with the opportunity to develop skills in retrieving and using research evidence. The module is designed to allow students to conduct an independent critical investigation of an area of health and social care relating to their own interest and to write a systematic review on that investigation. Students will also have the academic guidance through support from the staff member assigned as their supervisor who can lend their expertise in collegiate collaboration.
Global Perspectives in Transforming Health
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 help students plan evidence-based strategies to improve patient/client care.
This is a fully online part-time programme, students are expected to engage regularly with the programme and online activity and interaction will be monitored and recorded.
The programme is designed to be particularly cognisant of the needs of the online learner. There is a wide range of support materials, services, pedagogy and personal assistance of teaching staff will be placed at their disposal. Students from varying backgrounds will be facilitated to develop the skills necessary to be a successful learner in the online environment and in collaboration with their student colleagues they will be assisted to become a supportive and empowered, multidisciplinary community of learners.
Throughout the programmes there is an emphasis on the use of critical reflection in combination with a critical approach to the evidence base around healthcare. There is an increasing focus on the use of creative methods and creativity to tap into exciting ways to stimulate learning and insight. These methods in combination enable the course to realise the twin goals of achieving deep learning through promoting active learning. This diverse learning experience offered encourages students to become active and motivated learners, who can seek information, question and analyse its validity and draw appropriate and logical conclusions.
Learning, teaching, and assessment in the School and in this course are based on the concept that knowledge and information gained in the theoretical modules need to be contextualised within a framework that clarifies its origins and development leading to current practice. This also takes into account the fact that theoretical knowledge needs to be grounded in the ‘real world’ of healthcare and is critiqued from the context of its applicability to or impact upon practice. Concurrently, it is recognised that students themselves are people who bring a rich source of knowledge that enables reflection and thus facilitates the co-creation of learning.
Throughout courses and modules students are encouraged to make connections between theoretical content and practice experiences thus facilitating an ability to suggest possible developments or enhancements in practice that in turn would lead to knowledge generation opportunities. The strategies used are based on Knowles’ (2007) andragogical principles of adult learning such as self-direction and a capacity to draw upon experience. This creates the ideal environment to help students understand the symbiotic link between theory and practice. Underpinning all of this, however, is the concept of patient safety. This is a key issue for the School and students are reminded that patient safety and maintaining confidentiality are of paramount importance.
Teaching methods on the course include online lectures that provide students with the necessary knowledge base to develop their insight into the practice and thus inform skill development, tutorial sessions which enable small group work to be carried out along with online debate and discussion.
Students with special needs will receive a personal assessment of additional support required in line with the recommendations as outlined in The Special Education Needs and Disability (NI) Order 2004 (SENDO).
Assessment methods in the course are designed to measure the student’s achievement of the intended learning outcomes and have been informed by the University’s Learning and Teaching strategy and by the Assessment Handbook 2014. On-going formative assessment that has a significant diagnostic function occurs throughout where students are encouraged to discuss their progress and actively plan to address identified learning needs. Within modules feedback from self, peers and tutors help maintain development of student competence. Assessment for learning facilitated by increasing the amount of formative assessment and feedback is seen as key to developing insight in this course and students are encouraged and helped to develop self and peer assessment skills.
Assessment types range from assignment writing, reflective diary or portfolio compilation, group presentations and online tests or workbook completion.
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.
91% of staff in the School hold a recognised teaching qualification.
78% of staff are Fellows of the Higher Education Academy , 11 staff are Senior Fellows and 2 are Principal Fellows of the Higher Education Academy. The School has a track record of academic promotions up to and including, professorial level for Learning and Teaching related activities.
Results of the 2014 Research Excellence Framework show that 96% of Nursing and Health Science research was judged to be of international excellence or world leading.The Institute of Nursing & Health Research takes the lead in delivering research and evidence-based practice education to ensure that students are exposed to research active staff and are given the opportunity to reflect upon the impact research and evidence have on practice.
The School has an active Educational & Professional Issues Research Group which links with CHERP and several members of the Subject Team have been awarded CHEP (Ulster) Development Funding, Teaching Development Grants from the Higher Education Academy which has supported innovations in the areas of small group teaching and online assessment.
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.
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.
In this section
Applicants must satisfy the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements for international applicants
Applicants must satisfy the University's general entry requirements including meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the university, which in the case of international applicants whose first language is not English is a minimum acceptable score for the British Council IELTS of 6.0 (with no contributing band of less than 5.5) or equivalent; and
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Entry to the undergraduate programme is at level 6 and therefore for entry applicants must:
(a) i. satisfy the University's general entry requirements including meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the university, which in the case of international applicants whose first language is not English is a minimum acceptable score for the British Council IELTS of 6.0 (with no contributing band of less than 5.5) or equivalent; and
ii. have completed a Higher National Diploma / Foundation Degree or equivalent level 5 study, in a relevant health or social care or cognate subject.
OR
(b) be able to provide evidence of their ability to undertake the programme through the
accreditation of prior experiential learning.
AND
(c) i. demonstrate that they are working with the appropriate client base to facilitate study; and
ii. be currently registered with a Professional Health Care or Regulatory Body within their own country (where that is available).
The initial offer standard may vary from year to year. See prospectus entry.
Applicants for The BSc (Hons) will be expected to have completed a Higher National Diploma / Foundation Degree or equivalent level 5 study, in a relevant health or social care or cognate subject or be able to provide evidence of their ability to undertake the programme through the development of a portfolio for accreditation of prior experiential learning matched against the programme learning outcomes at Levels 4 & 5 (contact aplnursparasc@ulster.ac.uk for more information).
In this section
Students on this programme are expected to be working in the fields of healthcare and/or social care. On completion of this programme of study, we expect students to continue in their employment with an enhanced range of transferable and subject specific skills to benefit their employer, communities, individual patients/clients and their families. We also expect graduates to achieve a higher personal profile within their organisation thus enhancing their prospects of promotion and/or career development. A number of students may progress to postgraduate and doctoral level studies and choose from a range of courses available in the School of Nursing and Paramedic Science and the wider University.
Students are required to be working with the appropriate client base to facilitate study.
Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
There may be an additional cost of a set of headphones with integrated microphone to use during online lectures and some assessment types. These headphones are essential to cut down background noise when participating in Blackboard Collaborate Ultra which is an audio / visual virtual classroom, however they do not need to be an expensive item and simple headphones such as those provided with some mobile phones can be used.
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.
“On completion of BSc(Hons) Applied Health Studies programme I was successfully appointed as a Urology Nurse Practitioner. The online course enabled me to focus on studies whilst working to advance my career, thank you Ulster” - S. Smyth, Wrexham.
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.
