Nursing (Learning Disability), BSc (Hons)

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Key Course Details

UCAS Code: B762
Mode of Study: Blended Study
Typical Offer (view equivalents): BBB-BCC
Location: Singleton Park Campus

Start Date	Tuition Fees - Year 1
Sep 2025	NHS

Course Overview

Our Learning Disability Nursing degree course will give you the skills and experience to launch a rewarding career in this diverse and essential profession.

Over the course of this carefully integrated, three-year BSc programme, you will learn how to adopt a life span approach to nursing a person with a learning disability. As you progress, our range of learning and teaching strategies will develop your critical thinking to enable you to identify the diverse and complex needs of people with learning disabilities; make an accurate nursing diagnosis and plan and evaluate the care required. You will learn how to deliver effective care to people with a learning disability who may have multiple health morbidities as well as mental, physical, cognitive, or behavioural health challenges, enabling practitioners to be able to support people with learning disabilities of any age.

At the end of the course, you will be demonstrating person centred care for people with a learning disability and work closely with their families. As a qualified Learning Disability Nurse you will develop clinical and leadership skills to ensure that the gap between access to healthcare and people with learning disabilities is continuously shortened.

Why Learning Disability Nursing at Swansea University?

We have an outstanding reputation for nursing and are ranked in the Top 10 in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Times Good University Guide 2025).

Our academic staff are qualified nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals, many of whom are also practising clinicians, providing an exceptional combination of theoretical rigour, professional insight, and practical expertise.

We have very strong links with Welsh health boards, opening up clinical placement opportunities for you in hospitals or community mental health teams in both urban and rural locations.

If you are a UK student who can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Bursary Scheme, as well as maintenance funding and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance.

Please see our NHS Funding webpage to check your eligibility for funding before applying.

Your Learning Disability Nursing Experience

Our excellent facilities include a realistic clinical suite so you can put your theoretical knowledge into practice in an environment that reflects as closely as possible the actual conditions that you will experience when you go on placement in a hospital or community setting.

You can also study some modules through the medium of Welsh and may be eligible for internal scholarships or support through Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

Nursing Careers

On graduation, you will be eligible to apply for Registered Nurse (Learning Disability) status with the Nursing and Midwifery Council and to register as a nurse for work in EU and EEA.

You can expect a starting salary of £28,407 rising to £57,349 for a highly experienced staff nurse. Specialist nurses and practice managers can earn £50,056.

Modules

Module Summary

Year 1 (Level 4)

FHEQ 4 Undergraduate / HECert

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

None found.

Optional Modules

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Introduction to nursing and health care (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN183
Cyflwyniad i nyrsio a gofal iechyd (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN183W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Understanding health and Illness (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN184
Deall Iechyd a Salwch (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN184W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Contexts of Care (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN185
Cyd-destunau Gofal (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN185W

Year 2 (Level 5)

FHEQ 5 Undergraduate / HEDip

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

None found.

Optional Modules

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Acute Care (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN2019
Gofal Aciwt (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN2019W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Care of the Person with a Long-Term Condition and Palliative Care Needs (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN2020
Gofalu am y Person â Chyflwr Hirdymor ac Anghenion Gofal Lliniarol (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN2020W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Ensuring Quality Care (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN2021
Sicrhau Gofal o Ansawdd (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN2021W

Year 3 (Level 6)

FHEQ 6 Undergraduate / Honours

Students choose 120 credits from the following:

Compulsory Modules
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code
Practice and theory hours requirement	Academic Year	0	SHG3127

Optional Modules

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Care of the Service User with Complex Needs (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN3107
Gofalu am y Defnyddiwr Gwasanaeth ag Anghenion Cymhleth (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN3107W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Advancing Nursing Practice (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN3108
Ymarfer Nyrsio Uwch (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN3108W

AND

Choose Exactly 40 credits from the following Modules:

NOTE : Students must select one of the following modules.

Core Modules with Welsh Language Option
Module Name	Module Duration	Credits	Module Code	Guidance
Preparation for professional practice (Learning Disability)	Academic Year	40	SHN3109
Paratoi ar gyfer ymarfer proffesiynol (Anabledd Dysgu)	Academic Year	40	SHN3109W

Entry Requirements

A level (or equivalent) typical offer

BBB A Level Health or Science related courses preferable and and 5 GCSE's including Maths, Science and English/Welsh language

How You're Taught

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching.

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.

We use a variety of teaching methods to deliver the nursing degree, you will benefit from a flexible, blended learning approach including group work, seminars, clinical skills sessions, role-play, laboratory sessions and e learning.

You will study half of the theory at university and half in practice so you will be able to put your academic learning into real clinical practice settings supported by experience Health care practitioners.

We use a variety of methods to assess your learning across all nursing modules including coursework essays, oral and poster presentations, projects, portfolios, multiple choice and unseen examinations, objective structured clinical/practical examination (OSCE’s), and on-line assessments.

This course may offer some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

Welsh Provision

Some provision

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study some elements of this course through the medium of Welsh but there is not yet enough provision to reach 40 credits in each year.

Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
An interview through the medium of Welsh when applying for a place.
The option to receive your personal correspondence in Welsh, English or bilingually.
The option to write and submit your coursework or exams through the medium of Welsh (even if you have chosen to study in English), and your work will be marked in Welsh.
A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
One-to-one support to improve your academic Welsh language skills.
An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

Professional Body Accreditation

Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Meet Your Lecturers

The teaching team consists of highly qualified lecturers who have been delivering clinical programmes for many years.

Tuition Fees

Start Date	UK	International
September 2024	NHS	N/A
September 2025	NHS	N/A

Fees for full time undergraduate UK students may increase in subsequent years of study in line with the maximum regulated fee level set by the Welsh Government

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

If you are a UK student who can commit to working in Wales for two years after graduating, you could get your tuition fees covered in full through the NHS Wales Values and Standards of Behaviour as well as maintenance funding and a reduced rate loan from Student Finance.

Please see our NHS Funding webpage to check your eligibility for funding before applying.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

Travel to and from campus
Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
Purchase of books or texts
Gowns for graduation ceremonies

Careers and Employability

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

Academic Support

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

Academic writing
Maths and statistics
Critical thinking
Time management
Digital skills
Presentation skills
Note taking
Revision, memory and exam techniques
English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Study Abroad and Global Opportunities

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all schools. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as Sri Lanka, South Korea, Fiji, Bali, the USA and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

How to Apply

Eligible applicants will be invited to interview and interviews for this course take place via Zoom. Check out our Interview Tips for more information on what to expect

Application Deadlines

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.