Nursing (Top-up)

Program Overview

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Nursing (Top-up)

International students only

BSc (Hons) Top-up

Attendance

Full-time

Location

Preston Campus

Start

September 2025January 2026

Duration

1 year

Start

September 2025

Delivery

In-person

This course provides the necessary training for international students to apply for NMC exams for registration in the UK. The BSc (Hons) Nursing top-up degree allows you to consider how nurses contribute to the local, global, and wider health and social care agendas.

The course promotes sharing, understanding, respecting, and valuing of nursing across boundaries and cultures. We do this by reviewing the basis of nursing, examining its diverse nature and developing cultural empathy through theoretical and contextual analysis.

All modules will encourage you to consider the evidence that supports nursing care. This will lead to the development of a professional network of like-minded colleagues who could be located across the globe.

By examining a range of information, you'll be able to express your opinion of how evidence and quality of care influence health and nursing practice globally.

You'll develop your knowledge and clinical abilities through class discussions and skills activities. This will help you undertake and evaluate quality patient care (current, potential, and proposed) worldwide.

Why study with us

• The course prepares you to undertake the NMC exams for International Nurses wishing to register as a qualified Nurse in the UK.
• The course will prepare you for further academic qualifications.
• The course team are here to provide personal support to all students. This includes all aspects of living in the UK, from accessing healthcare, to faith, and academic study support.

Important information

• This course is only available to international students.

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

These modules are set and you have to study these as part of your course.

• Clinical Concepts in Nursing Practice
  • The aim of the module is to prepare and provide you with the opportunity to achieve nursing skills, values, and practice, to meet the standards of proficiency for undertaking the NMC Test of Competency OSCE (NMC 2021).
  • Module code: HI3018
• Policy, Practice and Professionalism in Nursing
  • The aim of the module is to enable you to critically debate the personal, policy and practice dimensions of contemporary nursing and healthcare practice; and to develop a critical perspective on the professional roles of nurses and other healthcare staff in delivering appropriate and relevant care to patients, their families and local communities.
  • Module code: HI3019
• Valuing Research
  • This module aims to build on your knowledge of the relevance and evidence within the development of clinical practice.
  • Module code: NU3047
• Developing Leadership Skills
  • The aim of the module is to provide you with the opportunity to explore the concept of leadership within healthcare services. You will develop a range of leadership skills to meet current and future demands of complex healthcare organisations.
  • Module code: NU3268
• Influencing and Promoting Health
  • In this module, you will explore a variety of issues, dilemmas, and innovations in health promotion and education. You will develop your skills in influencing health in a variety of ways. You will be encouraged to review health-promoting activities and topics, along with how these are communicated.
  • Module code: NU3317

What you'll do

• Our course team includes NMC registered Nurses with a variety of clinical backgrounds. You'll develop your clinical skills and competencies in line with NMC proficiencies covering such skills as A to E assessment of the deteriorating patient. You'll also have study days for specific nursing interventions such as cardiac monitoring, drug administration, and venepuncture.
• The course will prepare you to undertake the NMC requirements for overseas nurses wishing to join the professional register. It will also provide a great foundation for further academic study.
• The assessment methods on the course are varied and comprise of OSCE’s, MCQ examinations, case studies and oral Viva’s.

Nursing course facilities

• The Worldwise Learning Centre is open all year round. The centre offers support and professional development opportunities for students.
• Our library is open 24 hours a day during term time providing flexible study spaces and excellent learning resources. As well as extensive nursing and educational information and access to course-specific librarians.
• Our brand new Student Centre, at the heart of the campus, provides a huge range of services focused on you. From student support to vast social spaces, a café and meeting rooms, you'll find space to take a break, catch up with friends and access your support needs.

Future careers

• The course will prepare you to undertake the NMC requirements for overseas nurses wishing to join the professional register and acquire their pin number. It'll also provide a great foundation for further academic study.
• If you're wishing to return to your own country, continuing to practice and develop your clinical skills will help maintain your clinical competencies whilst studying in the UK.

Entry requirements

• All candidates must be a qualified nurse in their own country
• Have successfully attained UK Diploma in Higher Education level study or equivalent level of study
• Students will present evidence of academic attainment equivalent to 120 credits at Level 5
• IELTS: 6.0 with no component lower than 5.5 in all components for overseas students

Fees and funding

2025/26

International

Full-time £17,325 per year

Additional costs

As part of your course there may be additional costs to consider that are not included in your tuition fees. Most of these will be optional, but some courses have essential additional costs.

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer many scholarships, bursaries and funds to support you during your studies. Select your country or region to see if you are eligible and how to apply.

• Care Leaver Bursary
• Estranged student support
• Dependants Bursary
• Financial support package

Learning and assessment

We use simulation in our state-of-the-art clinical skills labs for the clinical skills module. You'll be assessed via clinical portfolio, written exams including numeracy and care planning as well as a final OSCE examination. This is a 40-credit module and lasts for 12 months.

You'll use our Library and computer suites for the Valuing Research module. In this module you'll undertake a multiple-choice exam and a research paper critique. This will show your awareness of the importance of understanding and using evidence-based practice to deliver excellent current patient care.

The Developing Leadership Skills module asks you to consider a change in practice you have led or been part of. And to reflect upon your leadership journey by undertaking a 3000-word assignment. This is taught on campus in small groups to maximise student discussion and exchange of ideas. Mock examinations are used to build up your confidence before undertaking the summative exam.

The Promoting and Influencing Health module asks you to consider a health promotion issue from your own country and develop a health promotion package. Students who have undertaken this module in the past have used a wide variety of methods to educate the population using technologies such as videos, films, sways, as well as teaching packages and posters. Assistance is given to develop your technical skills with the help of the School’s Digital Microsoft Champions.

In the last module, you'll look at aspects of working as a registered nurse, not only within the UK, but also within your own country. You'll consider such issues as ethical dilemmas, decision making, and professionalism in relation to clinical situations you may encounter. The module assessment is a substantive piece of work which we believe to be valuable and relevant to you in your professional practice.

You'll receive guidance and feedback on draft work before final submissions. Summative work is marked by members of the module team, moderated by a senior member of the academic team. And all work is sent to our external examinator to ensure all correct procedures with the marking has taken place.