Mental Health Nursing (pre-registration) MSc

Study level: Postgraduate
A nurse and a woman looking down

Pursue a career in mental health nursing utilising your current care experience and degree. On successful completion of the course, you will be eligible for registration as mental health nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

Year of entry

2025-26

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

2 years full-time

Course code

HLST259

Start date

January 2026


Course overview

Mental health (MH) nursing supports recovery and wellbeing across all ages through high-quality, holistic, person-centred care. This course trains you to build therapeutic relationships, promote patient involvement in decisions, and address psychological, physical and social needs while ensuring safeguarding.

  • This course aims to equip you with the knowledge, skills, and behaviours to independently address diverse mental health needs across the lifespan. It prepares you to analyse, develop, and deliver effective care to individuals, focusing on mental health and wellbeing, physiological and social needs with an emphasis on evidence-informed practice, care, and compassion.
  • Learn the clinical and personal skills required to provide autonomous, compassionate, and person-centred care. Learn to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams as a mental health nurse to coordinate safe, evidence-based care.
  • Through recognition of your previous care experience and completion of four practice placements organised by Coventry University during your course, you should achieve 50 per cent practical placement training needed for registration as a mental nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).2,5
  • Study one module at a time, with five weeks of learning followed by one week of assessment per module.
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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Ranked 11th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

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Ranked 8th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024

Why you should study this course

  • The course aims to develop high standards of person-centred care, complex care coordination, decision-making, leadership, and mentoring. It prepares you to be an accountable professional, excel in multidisciplinary teams, and demonstrate leadership through relationship management and emotional intelligence.
  • The course is ideal for graduates of health-related disciplines, psychology, criminology or sociology degrees with some experience in health and social care. It is also suitable for existing nurses looking for dual qualification.
  • Theoretical course aspects will be further developed through simulation and clinical placements relevant to the mental health nursing field.2,5
  • All eligible students on this course can apply for a minimum training grant payment from the government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.6

Studying in the School of Health and Care

Gain the skills and experience to transform lives, communities and the future of healthcare delivery. We aim to empower you to become a stand-out healthcare professional, capable, competent and confident in your field and role within the wider healthcare team.

While continuously developing your sense of professional identity as a nurse from day one, you'll also collaborate with learners from other School of Health and Care fields, learning in an environment that puts inclusivity, diversity and dignity at its heart.

Accreditation and professional recognition

This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:

Nursing and Midwifery Council

Nursing and Midwifery Council

The course is currently accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).1 Following changes that have been made to improve the course, we will apply for re-accreditation for entrants of 2025-26. If any changes occur with respect to our accreditation, we will notify applicants and students as soon as possible.

This is a normal part of the process of continuous improvement of our courses to ensure they remain up-to-date and reflect best practice.


Nursing at Coventry University

We have an excellent reputation for the quality of the education provided to trainee and qualified nurses.

Why study with us
We have an excellent reputation for the quality of the education provided to trainee and qualified nurses.

What you'll study

You will study the fundamental knowledge, skills and behaviours required of mental health nurses, to enable you to work in diverse clinical environments, supporting people experiencing mental health challenges and their support networks with their holistic needs. Over two years of study, you will progress and build upon skills and practice experience to enable you to coordinate complex care with individuals.

Modules

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/online lectures
  • clinical simulation
  • seminars
  • workshops
  • tutorials
  • online learning materials
  • practical clinical work in a practice setting.2,5

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time student on this course, you will study modules totalling 180 credits across two academic years. A typical 30-credit module requires a total of 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours, and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average you will have between 4 and 8 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the opportunity to attend optional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback.

Practice-based learning

Practice-based learning forms an essential and significant part of your learning experience. Practice hours will differ between placements and different health and care courses. You will have access to university staff, but should expect to spend the majority of your contact time with practice collaborators undertaking placement activity. Overall, the hours you undertake in practice-based learning will need to satisfy the eligibility requirements set by the professional body regulating the profession, the NMC. No less than 2300 practice-based hours gained from a combination of placement and simulated learning will need to be completed over the course of your degree.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

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:

  • critical appraisal essays
  • reflective accounts
  • presentations
  • viva voce
  • reports
  • Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
  • practice assessment
  • independent project
  • numeracy test.

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


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

  • An honours degree 2:2 or above in a health-related subject.
  • GCSE Grades 4/C or above in English and maths.
  • Satisfactory health clearance, confirmation of vaccination status and enhanced criminal record disclosure. Please refer to the full requirements in the disclaimer section5.

All learners who meet the admission criteria are interviewed following a values-based recruitment process.

There is a requirement to demonstrate completion of 600 practice hours in relevant health/care settings through the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process to meet the NMC standard of nursing education of 2,300 practice hours. The RPL process will credit you for 600 hours to meet the stated NMC criteria. You will be supported in the RPL process.

Non-UK degrees will be accepted if healthcare-related and accompanied by a 'Certificate of Comparability' which you can obtain from www.enic.org.uk.

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


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year
Not available

All eligible students on this course may qualify for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.6

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


Facilities

Students working in Allison Gingell building facilities

Alison Gingell Building

The Alison Gingell Building features mock hospital wards, an operating theatre, critical care settings and other real-life environments.

Students and a tutor with a manikin in the hospital ward

Mock Hospital Wards

Our mock hospital wards and critical care settings give you the chance to experience patient scenarios in a real-world environment.

Patient, student and staff member talking in community house setting

Community Houses

Our two full-size community homes can be used for sessions simulating working with patients outside of a hospital setting.

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

Successful completion of this course is a strong indication to potential employees that you have both the ability and the academic characteristics required for working in a variety of clinical settings.

You could find yourself working as a nursing leader, clinical expert, educator or researcher within the mental health profession in a range of public and private healthcare settings.


How to apply

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