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This degree combines theory with practice-based learning to lead you to professional registration and a rewarding career as a learning disabilities nurse.
Year of entry
2025-26
Location
CU Scarborough (Scarborough)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 years full-time
Course code
HU06
Start date
September 2025
Learning disabilities nurses provide specialist healthcare and support to people with a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information. They work across a range of settings including people’s homes, primary and community settings, schools and specialist services, in-patient hospitals and care homes.
This course aims to equip you to support, empower and safeguard people with learning disabilities. It emphasises the importance of involving individuals, their families and support networks in the holistic assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of care.
The course is aimed at committed and enthusiastic individuals who embody a compassionate attitude and are eager to acquire the skills to deliver professional, impactful and evidence-informed 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 learning disabilities nurse from day one, you'll learn in an environment that puts inclusivity, diversity and dignity at its heart.
Coventry University ranked 15th for General Nursing
Guardian University Guide 2024
This course is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:
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.
Each and every nursing student who graduated from CU Scarborough in 2022 found work within local NHS services (within one year of graduating).
Find out more about this achievementYou will study various cross-field modules as well as modules specific to your nursing field. Throughout the course you will study:
These modules are currently under review and any changes will be updated by summer 2024. Please refer back to this page before applying.
We understand that everyone learns differently, so this course will consist of structured teaching sessions which can include:
As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.
Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 10-12 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.
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 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.
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’ll be digging deeper into topics, review what you’ve learned and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you’ll spend more time in independent study.
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.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.
Assessment methods may include:
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.
The tutors at CU Scarborough are supportive and knowledgeable, the campus is small and modern. We had the opportunity to work with Coventry students within our Learning Disabilities modules. My advice for someone who wants to be a nurse is ‘Go for it!’, no matter how old you are or even if you have young children, like me.
Charlotte Gill, final year Learning Disabilities Nursing student, 2023
Typical entry requirements:
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees -£9,250 per year |
Not available |
EU | 2025/26 fees TBC 2024/25 fees - as UK per year with EU Support Bursary** 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees -£19,850 per year without EU Support Bursary** |
Not available |
International | 2025/26 fees TBC* 2024/25 fees -£19,850 per year |
Not available |
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 may be available to eligible students for each year of study. Read more about this in the NHS Learning Support Fund information booklet.
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.
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition 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.
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.
Our campus building is designed with your needs in mind4. As nursing students, you’ll have the opportunity to:
This is designed to help you to build your confidence before you go on placement.
Gain experience using simulation across a range of care settings. The aim is to:
We may use actors to enhance your experience. This gives you the opportunity to replicate real-life situations. For instance, breaking bad news, demonstrating emotional resilience, and dealing with conflict and aggression.
Our purpose built campus building is arranged around an open central atrium and also includes:
The campus itself is located next to Scarborough’s Sports Village, a complex that includes an Olympic Legacy swimming pool, sports hall, fitness suite, all-weather pitches, and the Scarborough Athletic Club Football ground.
The campus is just a 10-minute walk from the stunning Yorkshire seafront. North Bay is Scarborough’s Blue Flag beach, meaning it is one of the best in Europe for cleanliness, both on the sand and in the water, for facilities, and safety.
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.
There are currently over 3,000 learning disabilities nurses within the NHS and demand for these specialist nurses is high. Typically, past final year students have been offered a range of posts within the NHS and the private sector prior to qualifying.
As a learning disability nurse, you will have opportunities to support people of all ages with learning disabilities in a range of settings, which may include:
Career options for successful graduates may include working in specialist areas such as education, sensory disability or service management or moving into areas such as management, teaching or clinical research.
During your three years on the programme, you will have the opportunity to undertake six placements in a range of service settings5. These will give you the chance to work with and alongside qualified learning disability nurses, and therefore potential local and regional employers. Upon successful graduation, you can apply for registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC), which can enable you to practise immediately (additional costs apply)1.
Local employers include:
The majority of our graduates find employment as qualified nurses in the NHS with a growing emphasis on community settings, in acute hospitals, military nursing or within the private and independent healthcare sector, in private hospitals, nursing or care homes. As your career progresses, a number of options are open to you as a lecturer or specialist practitioner, advanced nurse practitioner, consultant nurse or manager.
Recent graduates have gone on to roles such as working in forensic services, generic and specialised children’s services, end of life care (adults and children), neurology services, dementia services, prison and court diversion, police diversion, schools, research and many more.
We are very proud of the nursing programme at CU Scarborough. We are continuously exploring new approaches to teaching that is responsive to our students and links to real world practice. The course team have a wide range of experience across all fields of nursing and are extremely passionate about using this to prepare the future workforce.
Smaller cohort sizes mean that we get to know our students in their journey to become a registered nurse. We have close links with our practice partners who students will learn in practice with, and many go on to secure jobs in these areas too.
Claire Barwick, CU Scarborough Nursing Curriculum Lead, 2024