Nursing Studies BSc (Hons) top-up

Undergraduate
Top-up courses

Four people in healthcare uniforms talking

Top up your nursing qualification to a full BSc honours degree in one year. Designed for registered nurses in the UK and worldwide.

Year of entry

2026-27

Location

Coventry University (Vauxhall, London)

Study mode

Full-time

Duration

1 year full-time

Course code

B750

Start date

January 2027

How to apply

Your UCAS Guide

Download a prospectus

Course overview

Healthcare environments are constantly evolving. Modern nursing requires professionals who can manage complex care, guide teams and drive service improvements. As technology advances and patient needs change, sharpening your critical thinking, evidence-based research and leadership capabilities is key to delivering safe, effective care.

Designed for UK and internationally qualified nurses with a Level 5 diploma or equivalent in Nursing, this course allows you to top up your qualification to a full BSc honours degree in one year. Whether you aim to move into specialist clinical posts, step into leadership or progress to master's-level study, this course is designed to prepare you for the next stage of your career.

You will build on your clinical experience by exploring essential areas of modern practice, including leadership, digital health technologies, healthcare policy and research application. Through practical, step-by-step learning, you will collaborate with peers to evaluate clinical research, address real-world challenges and build personal resilience.

Please note: this programme is designed to support continuing professional development (CPD) and career progression by helping you develop advanced knowledge and skills in areas such as leadership, quality improvement, evidence-based practice and digital healthcare. It does not provide eligibility for Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) registration.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

4th Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2027

Why you should study this course

Top up your diploma to a full BSc degree
Upgrade your Level 5 qualification or international equivalent to a full BSc honours degree in one year and continue developing your knowledge, skills and understanding of contemporary nursing practice.
Develop leadership and management skills
Build practical tools in team leadership, quality improvement, change management, and conflict resolution to guide care teams and enhance service delivery.
Apply research to everyday practice
Learn to critically evaluate clinical research and understand how research findings can inform evidence-based nursing practice to support safe, high-quality patient care.
Explore digital health technologies
Build digital fluency and discover how emerging technology and digital tools can be used to support evidence-based care and clinical decision-making, risk prediction and patient outcomes.
Build digital fluency and policy insight
Explore how digital technology, health economics and political frameworks shape modern care, helping you advocate for safe staffing, sustainability and informed decisions.
Focus on one module at a time
Focus on one 30-credit module for six weeks, followed by an assessment week. This approach allows you to build your knowledge step by step, completing your assessments with support and feedback before moving on.
Built-in academic support
Gain more confidence through structured weekly 'Course Hour' sessions that are designed to strengthen your academic writing, research and study skills.

Joint 10th

for Nursing

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027

What you'll study

Modules

Striving for Excellence in Nursing – 30 credits

This module is designed to help you demonstrate effective communication and skilled relationship management, recognising their impact on patient care and team dynamics. You will explore key human factors, including root cause analysis, incident reporting and duty of candour. It also supports your ongoing professional development by helping you develop skills, knowledge and behaviours associated with career progression and leadership opportunities. It also helps you develop skills required to support and supervise others in their learning, fostering a culture of growth and collaboration. This module aims to build your confidence to challenge hierarchies and escalate concerns appropriately. You will learn to deliver constructive feedback to peers while deepening your understanding of accountability and assertiveness in clinical practice.

Compulsory

Leadership and Management for Nursing – 30 credits

This module is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead, manage and drive service development effectively. You will explore key leadership theories, strategic planning, health policy and change management frameworks, alongside principles of quality improvement.

The module aims to help you understand organisational dynamics, strategy and culture, and how these elements influence healthcare delivery. You will also develop core skills in risk management, effective communication, conflict resolution, accountability and delegation. Focus areas include clinical auditing, service evaluation and how nurses manage priorities and lead teams across different levels of seniority.

Compulsory

Integrating research for Evidence-based Care – 30 credits

This module aims to enable you to understand the central role research plays in nursing practice. You will learn to critically evaluate diverse research methodologies and assess how research findings can inform evidence-based nursing practice and patient care.

Reviewing current evidence helps you enhance your research and project management skills. You will learn how to integrate research into practice, advancing healthcare through a strong evidence base. In turn, this supports your personal development while driving quality improvements in your clinical setting. You will get opportunities to develop your academic writing and presentation skills, helping you communicate research effectively across professional contexts.

Compulsory

Professional Challenges in Nursing Practice – 30 credits

This module provides you with a global understanding of the policy, political, legal and ethical frameworks underpinning nursing practice. It explores how these frameworks influence clinical decision-making, patient safety and professional conduct. You will critically examine professional challenges and evaluate their impact on policy development. In doing so, you will consider workforce challenges, digital fluency, regulation, professional culture and the organisation of healthcare.

You should gain a deep understanding of health policy frameworks and political influences on healthcare delivery. Focus areas include safe staffing, quality of care and balancing risk management with risk aversion. This module is also designed to help you understand health economics, sustainability and funding mechanisms.

Compulsory

We regularly review our course content to keep it relevant and current for our students. Consequently, we may update modules to reflect the latest industry standards.

How you'll learn

We understand that everyone learns differently, so this course will consist of structured teaching sessions which may include:

seminars and workshops
group work and peer learning
individual tutorials
practical presentations.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

You can expect 12-15 teaching 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.

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.

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 is 100% exam-free. You will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:
professional development portfolio
practice-focused case studies
written reports
presentations.

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

To apply for this course, you will need to meet the following entry criteria:

Hold a current, valid nursing registration in your home country or the country in which you qualify.
Hold a nursing qualification equivalent to a UK Higher Education Diploma (Level 5 / FHEQ Level 5).
Meet Coventry University’s standard undergraduate admissions criteria.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual/Fair Access Offers

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Offer, you could automatically receive a contextual offer which is 16 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Offer.

To apply for this course, you will need to meet the following entry criteria:

Hold a current, valid nursing registration in your home country or the country in which you qualify.
Hold a nursing qualification equivalent to a UK Higher Education Diploma (Level 5 / FHEQ Level 5).
Meet Coventry University’s standard undergraduate admissions criteria.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:

Russia and Central Asia

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.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.0 overall, with no component lower than 5.5.

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	£9,790 per year	Not available
EU	£9,790 per year with EU Support Bursary £17,600 per year without EU Support Bursary	Not available
International	£17,600 per year	Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

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. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

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.

How do you know if you need to pay UK or international tuition fees?

We assess your fee status using the information in your application. This status determines your tuition fees and the scholarships or financial support you can get. The Department for Education sets the rules for who pays UK (home) or international (overseas) fees in England.

The regulations list which students can pay the home fee rate. Because these rules are complex, the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides fee status guidance to help you find the right category. If you meet all the criteria for one category, your institution must charge you the home rate.

Facilities

Hudson Building

This building in Vauxhall is one of Coventry University’s London campuses. With strong partnerships across the NHS and care sector in London, our students gain practical experience through realistic clinical simulations and teaching shaped by current healthcare practice.

You’ll use facilities through timetabled teaching, practical activities and relevant independent study. Access may vary by module, activity, capacity, supervision or safety requirements. Access may change or be limited where the University needs to follow public authority guidance, decisions or orders.

Careers and opportunities

Advanced skills in leadership, research, digital healthcare and policy development are increasingly essential across modern health and social care systems. This course builds on your clinical experience to support your progression into specialist practice, healthcare management, service improvement or education.

Career paths may include the following:

specialist nursing roles
clinical team leader or ward manager
nurse educator or practice development nurse
clinical audit or quality improvement lead
healthcare project manager or service coordinator
digital health or clinical informatics nurse
advanced clinical practitioner (with further postgraduate study)
postgraduate study (including MSc programmes in advanced clinical practice, healthcare leadership, education or research).

These career paths are indicative examples. Career progression and specific roles may depend on further postgraduate study, clinical experience, or professional registration requirements.

How to apply

View our courses on UCAS

Visit UCAS

UK students

Full-time students can apply for this course through UCAS. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.

How to apply

Apply via UCAS

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 6565

ukadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Complete our contact form.

International students

International codes:
SHCU029H

How to apply

For further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.

You can also download our International Guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation, tips for travel and guidance on how to apply.

If you'd like further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.

+44 (0)24 7765 2152

ioadmissions@coventry.ac.uk

Chat with our admissions team.

Complete our contact form.

Disclaimers

Coventry University together with Coventry University London, Coventry University Wrocław, CU Coventry, CU London, CU Scarborough, and Coventry University Online come together to form part of the Coventry University Group (the University) with all degrees awarded by Coventry University.

¹Accreditations, partnerships and memberships

The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply. See the relevant body website for more details). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships are subject to successful renewal in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery. If the accreditation, recognition or membership of this course changes, we will seek to notify applicants and students as soon as possible.

²UK and international opportunities

Please note that we are unable to guarantee any UK or international opportunities (whether required or optional) such as internships, work experience, field trips, conferences, placements or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be unpaid and/or subject to additional costs (which could include, but is not limited to, equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable travel, public authority guidance, decisions or orders and visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand any visa requirements, please contact the International Office.

³Tuition fees

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

⁴Facilities

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.

Student Contract

By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the current 2026/2027 contract is available on the website. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.