Acute Care (Top-Up)

Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Acute Care (Top-Up)

Introduction

Learn more about caring for acutely ill adults, and top-up your existing nursing qualification to a BSc (Hons) in just one year. You’ll learn about current laws, procedures and best practice in this field while enhancing your leadership, decision-making and teamwork skills.

Course Options

• 1 year full-time (Top-Up)
• 2-3 years part-time

Key Facts

• Study options: 1 year full-time (Top-Up)
• Start dates: September
• Location: Blended learning
• Fees: £9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

Teaching and Assessment

1 year full-time

• Year 1
  • Modules are subject to change and availability.
  • Assessment: Your practice assessment booklet sets out the core skills you should gain on this course. Depending on the module, you’ll demonstrate these skills in a number of ways, including essays, presentations, observed structured clinical exams (OSCEs) and/or exams.

Core Modules

• Research Methodology
• Undergraduate Major Project
• Into ARU

Optional Modules

• Adult Acute Care
• Care of the Patient Undergoing Anaesthesia
• Cardiac Care
• Critical Care
• Management of Acute Stroke and Rehabilitation
• Management of the Person with Diabetes
• Pain Management
• Pain Management - Theory Only
• Palliative and End of Life Care Management of Symptoms in Advanced Disease
• Principles and Practices of Anaesthesia
• Principles of Respiratory and Thoracic Care
• Surgical First Assistant
• Theoretical Perspectives in Adult Acute Care

Entry Requirements

• Applicants are required to hold a relevant healthcare professional qualification plus:
  • 120 credits at Level 4 and 5 e.g. Diploma in Higher Education in Nursing or Operating Department Practice
  • Qualified health professional, registered with a UK regulatory body
  • Normally have completed a period of consolidation post-registration.
• APCL and APEL may be applied up to the 2/3rds regulation (reg 4.29) to meet the threshold for admission

Fees and Paying for University

Tuition Fees and Student Loans for UK Students (2025/26)

• £9,535 UK students starting 2025/26 (full-time, per year)

Living Costs

• Living at university: The overall cost of university can vary depending on where you’re studying and which course you’re taking. However, some of the main costs you’ll want to think about include:
  • accommodation
  • bills
  • internet, mobile phone and calls
  • travel
  • food and drink
  • socialising and going out
  • study materials.

Facilities and Accreditation

• Outstanding student support
• Join our student community and:
  • learn from experienced tutors, who'll provide encouragement and feedback
  • benefit from a Personal Development Tutor from day one, who's there to support you throughout your time at university
  • make full use of facilities including extensive library and IT resources
  • access support with careers and employability, study skills, health and wellbeing, and more.

Careers

• We work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and this course offers two great ways to boost your career.
• Firstly, you’ll turn your existing qualification/s into a BSc (Hons) degree in just one year. Secondly, when you graduate you’ll have an important nursing specialism under your belt.
• Having developed your intellectual and practical skills on this course, you’ll be a real asset to any team. You might choose to remain in your current job, or you might pursue a more specialist role. Whatever your plans, we’ll help you choose the course modules to suit.
• Once you’ve got your bachelor’s degree, opportunities to study or research at Masters level will be open to you.

Program Outline

Assessment:

• Students will be assessed on their practice assessments, including core skills gained during the course.
• Assessment methods include essays, presentations, observed structured clinical exams (OSCEs), and exams.

Careers:

• Graduates may choose to remain in their current nursing jobs or pursue more specialized roles in nursing.
• The program also opens opportunities for studying or researching at Masters level.

Tuition Fees and Payment Information:

• UK students starting 2023/24 (full-time, per year): £9,250
• UK students starting 2024/25 (full-time, per year): £9,250
• This information also applies to:
• Irish nationals living in the UK or Ireland
• EU, EEA and Swiss nationals benefiting from citizens’ rights under the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement.

Living Costs:

• As a very general guide, living costs at university can range from around £7,000–£9,000 per year.
They may be lower if you're living at home.

Payment:

• If you're a UK student, you don't need the money to pay for university now.
• If you accept an offer to study at university, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your course fees.
• Both full-time and part-time students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan.
Part-time students should be studying more than a quarter (25% intensity) of a full-time course each year.
• You'll start repaying the loan in the April after you graduate.
• If you start a course on or after 1 August 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £25,000.
This is called repayment Plan 5. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £25,000. After 40 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.
• If you started a course on or before 31 July 2023, you won't repay anything until you earn more than £27,295.
This is called repayment Plan 2. At this point, you'll repay 9% on everything you earn over £27,295. After 30 years (from the April after graduation), all remaining debt is wiped.