Nursing MSc

Study level: Postgraduate
Head shot of a smiling nurse

This Nursing MSc course is designed to help you expand your practice through a focus on leadership, research and evidence-based care. You will be encouraged to strengthen your critical thinking skills and explore how these can be applied to healthcare policy, service improvement and leadership in a variety of clinical and global contexts.

Year of entry

2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

SHCT020

Start date

September 2025
November 2025
January 2026
March 2026
May 2026
July 2026

We are reviewing many of our School of Health and Care courses for 2025-26 entry to transform the teaching and learning. We are currently showing our 2024-25 course information, please keep checking back on this page to see our latest updates.


Course overview

This course supports registered nurses at all career stages, in the UK and internationally, to advance their practice through critical thinking, evidence-based care and development in leadership, research, and education.

  •  This course has been developed in collaboration with healthcare stakeholders and professional collaborators to reflect current and emerging priorities in nursing. It is designed to support nurses in building the skills and knowledge needed for leadership and service development.
  • Explore contemporary issues in nursing, examining the impact of political, social, cultural, and economic factors on health and social care needs, nursing practice and service design.
  • Build expertise in leadership, evidence-based practice, research, and innovative service delivery to stay at the forefront of nursing excellence and drive improvements in care.

This programme is designed to support professional development and career progression but does not in itself confer eligibility for Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration.

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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Ranked 9th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

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Ranked 4th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2025

Why you should study this course

Student benefits:

  • Access to learning from staff who are subject and clinical experts with knowledge of the latest developments in the field (staff may be subject to change).
  • Opportunities to share best practices, ideas, concepts and resources with other nurses from various settings, expanding your knowledge through networking.
  • Improved knowledge of some of the latest developments in clinical practice and leadership./li>
  • Enhanced critical thinking and clinical decision-making skills.
  • Demonstrable leadership skills and knowledge through project work and accreditation from the Chartered Management Institute following the successful completion of Leading Strategic Change for Service Improvement.

Employer benefits:

  • Staff with developed confidence in clinical leadership.
  • Enhanced ability to challenge practice and embed relevant evidence base to support quality care.
  • Enhanced ability to innovate and lead clinical practice change derived from current policy initiatives and evidence bases.
  • Increased commitment to achieving and leading quality care in service delivery.
  • Staff who are better able to be flexible, engage in and potentially lead service developments.

Patients/Service Users/Carers receive effective and comprehensive care from a professional who is:

  • Knowledgeable and skilled in practice.
  • Able to challenge poor practice.
  • Committed to demonstrating and developing contemporary practice to enhance quality in healthcare and healthcare practice.
  • Committed to patient-centred care.

Patients/clients have access to, and benefit from, enhanced quality in healthcare services.

Accreditation and professional recognition

CMI logo

Chartered Management Institute (CMI)

This course is designed to include the criteria set by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) for the CMI Level 7 Certificate in Strategic Management and Leadership Practice. It is expected that students who successfully pass the module Leading Strategic Change for Service Improvement will be eligible to be considered by CMI for the award as an additional qualification. This module is undergoing assessment by the CMI to confirm that all criteria are met to the required standard and therefore, until this assessment is completed, remains subject to accreditation. Should CMI accreditation not be received by the time you are due to study this module we will write to you to confirm this status.



What you'll study

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

Teaching and learning methods may include:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • presentations
  • workshops
  • proposal for a service improvement project.

You will be encouraged to take an independent and self-directed approach to your study and to use the range of learning resources available to support your academic development. Individual modules adopt a range of teaching/learning strategies, including workshops and seminars, student presentations and lectures.

This course uses a mix of flexible online learning and live, interactive workshops on campus. You’ll have access to recorded lectures, readings, and activities through the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). These are designed to be completed before weekly sessions to make the most of your time in class.

Prefer to study 100% online? Click here to view our 100% online course.


Teaching contact hours

Full-time students will have on average 10 hours of contact teaching time per week, part-time study hours will vary depending on the number of modules you choose.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 10 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

There are also optional individual or group tutorials, which will normally be approximately 5 hours per module.

The Nursing MSc course team have developed comprehensive content for all modules to support your learning on our digital education platform.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending on the module. Assessment methods may include:

  • essays
  • virtual learning environment (VLE) engagement
  • service improvement plan
  • reports
  • research proposal
  • Independent research study for the dissertation.

Assessment tools are varied and designed to maximise your opportunity to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge, critical thinking and application of theory to nursing practice.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Applicants should hold at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree in Nursing and should have completed a qualification leading to registration as a nurse. We will consider applicants with a Diploma in Nursing and evidence of continuing professional development that shows an ability to study at master’s level*.

*For information regarding what might amount to ‘evidence of continuing professional development that shows an ability to study at master’s level’ please contact our admissions team using the quick enquiry form.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

Typical entry requirements

Applicants should hold at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree in Nursing and should have completed a qualification leading to registration as a nurse. We will consider applicants with a Diploma in Nursing and evidence of continuing professional development that shows an ability to study at master’s level*.

*For information regarding what might amount to ‘evidence of continuing professional development that shows an ability to study at master’s level’ please contact our admissions team using the quick enquiry form.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall (with at least 5.5 in each component area)

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £11,200   Not available
EU £11,200 per year with EU Support Bursary**
£18,600 per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International £18,600   Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.


Facilities

Our aim is to offer you sector-leading facilities4.

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Lanchester Library

The library is usually open 24/7, in term-time. It’s where you can access your course’s specialist Academic Liaison Librarian. It’s also home to specialist teams which can support you with your academic writing and maths and statistics questions.

The Hub

The Hub

The Hub is the centre of student life on campus. Facilities include a food court, convenience store, multi-faith centre, medical centre, hairdresser, coffee shops and the Your SU offices. It has fully licensed function spaces and a bar.

 

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Careers and employability

Get one-on-one career and employability guidance lasting up to 36 months from the end of your course. We’ll help you find placements and graduate roles, offer CV and application checks, mentoring, skills workshops, employer events and more.


Careers and opportunities

Successful graduates should be well-prepared for roles in leadership, service improvement, research and public health, equipped with the skills to make significant contributions to the nursing profession.

On successful completion of the course, you should be able to :

  • analyse approaches to support leadership, quality and service improvement and project management within policy and professional frameworks of nursing
  • demonstrate a professional approach to self-development in a broad range of competencies relevant to nursing across national borders and areas of practice including digital literacy, critical decision-making, problem-solving, presentation and teamwork
  • understand and use different research methods, critically evaluating which suit nursing and healthcare studies best and create evidence-based recommendations that can improve practice and influence policy
  • use leadership and management theories to solve complex problems in healthcare. You should be able to demonstrate how to shape policies, improve services, and lead changes in healthcare organisations
  • examine health policies from both national and international perspectives. Analyse how these policies affect healthcare and suggest well-informed strategies to make improvements
  • explore health inequalities by looking at social, economic and environmental factors that cause differences in health. Develop and support evidence-based ways to promote fairer health outcomes for all
  • combine knowledge from nursing, public health, social care and policy to come up with creative solutions for healthcare challenges
  • communicate your ideas and research clearly and effectively to different audiences, such as academics, policymakers and healthcare professionals, using the right formats and following ethical and academic standards.

Where our graduates work

Successful graduates should be ready to take on advanced and influential roles in nursing with the skills to lead teams, drive innovation and shape the future of health and social care. You’ll develop a global outlook and the expertise to make a real difference through research, education, service improvement and public health.

Previous graduates have gone on to build a career in the following areas

  • Leadership and management roles in health and social care.
  • Research and academic positions in nursing and healthcare education.
  • Service transformation and quality improvement.
  • Public health, policy, and advocacy roles at local, national, and global levels.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.


How to apply

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