Program Overview

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Veterinary Nursing with Placement Year - BSc (Hons)

Overview

The BSc (Hons) Veterinary Nursing degree at Ulster encompasses a comprehensive educational journey designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for a fulfilling career in veterinary nursing. The degree will provide students with a deep and comprehensive understanding of animal health and welfare whilst developing proficiency in a wide range of nursing skills. Ethical and professional conduct is emphasised throughout the veterinary nursing curriculum, preparing students to uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in their practice. The degree also aims to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students and to instil a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. Ultimately this programme aims to produce competent and compassionate veterinary nurses who are well-equipped to make meaningful contributions to animal health and welfare. Upon successful completion of the programme students can apply to become a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons registered veterinary nurse.

About this Course

About

Provisional accreditation is granted for Accredited Education Institutions (AEIs) with new qualifications that have made substantial progress towards meeting the accreditation standards. Once the first cohort of students completes the qualification, the Veterinary Nurse Education Committee (VNEC) will be presented with all Quality Monitoring (QM) reports undertaken and consider the AEI for full accreditation. Students undertaking provisionally accredited qualifications may be required to pass the RCVS pre-registration examinations. Provisional accreditation will not normally be extended for more than two years, following the first cohort’s completion. Provisionally accredited programmes are automatically deemed to be high-risk and will be audited accordingly.

Licence to practice associated with the course only allows holders to practice in the UK.

Attendance

This is a 4-year course and attendance is full-time.

Start Dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Attendance and Independent Study

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%.

Calculation of the Final Award

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.

Academic Profile

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.

Standard Entry Conditions

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.

A Level

BCC

Essential subject requirement: Biology or DA Life and Health Sciences.

Applied General Qualifications

Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma in Applied Science (RQF) – Award profile DMM.

OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma in Applied Science – Award profile DMM.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Applied Human Biology - Award profile of M plus A Level Grades BC.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Animal Management (RQF) (1080 GLH) 603/3043/0 with an award profile of DMM.

Essential module requirement: One of the following optional units must be included; Unit 9: Practical Skills in Animal Science (60), Unit 11: Advanced Animal Nutrition (60), Unit 17: Principles of Animal Nursing (60).

Irish Leaving Certificate

104 UCAS tariff points to include a minimum of five subjects (four of which must be at higher level) to include English and Maths at H6 if studied at Higher Level or O4 if studied at Ordinary Level.

Essential subject requirement: Biology H3

Scottish Highers

Grades CCCCC to include Biology.

English & Mathematics required at Standard Level 1, 2 or 3.

Scottish Advanced Highers

CDD to include Biology

English & Mathematics required at Standard Level 1, 2 or 3.

International Baccalaureate

Overall profile minimum: 24 points to include 12 points at higher level to include at least 5 points in Biology.

Higher or Subsidiary Level in English Language and Maths at Grade 4 or above required.

Access to Higher Education (HE)

Only science-based Access courses are acceptable and must include Level 3 Biology.

Overall average of 60% to include 60% in level 3 modules (120 credit, NI Access Course).

Overall profile of 9 credits at Distinction; 36 credits at Merit (60 credit, GB Access Course).

If GCSE Mathematics at grade C has not been obtained then a 20 credit Level 2 Mathematics module, passed at 40% or successful completion of NICATS Mathematics as part of the pre-2021 Access Diploma is required.

GCSE

For full-time study, you must satisfy the General Entrance Requirements for admission to a first-degree course and hold a GCSE pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language and Mathematics.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

Additional Entry Requirements

Pass an interactive component; this is an interview with staff with questions based on the professional attributes of a veterinary nurse.

Complete 37 hours relevant work experience with small animals in a veterinary practice or other relevant facility such as an animal charity, kennels, or cattery. This may include voluntary work and evidence will be required.

Enrolment will be subject to passing an Occupational Health assessment.

Other acceptable qualifications include:

• HND/HNC Applied Science (Biology)
• HND - overall Merit with distinctions in 30 level 5 credits. Units may be specified.
• HNC - overall Merit with distinctions in 60 level 4 credits. Units may be specified.

Careers & Opportunities

Career Options

• Registered veterinary nurse
• Animal feedstuff and healthcare industries
• Academia
• Pharmaceutical industry

Fees and Funding

Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and EU Settlement Status Fees

£4,855.00

England, Scotland, Wales and the Islands Fees

£9,535.00

International Fees

£17,010.00

Annual Increase Disclaimer

Important Notice: Annual Fees Increase

Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.

If your study continues into future academic years your fees are subject to an annual increase. Please take this into consideration when you estimate your total fees for a degree.

Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.

Visit our Fees pages for full details of fees.

Correct at the time of publishing. Terms and conditions apply.

Additional Mandatory Costs

• Health Screening and/or Vaccinations: cost dependent on vaccinations required
• Personal protection equipment: scrubs and/or lab coat
• Registration with the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons as a student nurse: approximately £220-£250 for year of entry.

Students will be expected to travel to practice-based learning with associated travel costs for students.

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.