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This degree combines theory and practical learning to lead you towards professional registration and a rewarding career as a mental health nurse.
Year of entry
Location
CU Scarborough (Scarborough)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
4 years full-time
UCAS codes
H07F
Start date
November 2025
Our degree with foundation year could be the stepping stone you need to achieve your goals. The foundation year aims to prepare you for degree-level study and is a great way to build the confidence, skills and knowledge needed to succeed on your degree course.
Mental health nurses work with a diverse range of people across a variety of settings including community and primary care, charities, in-patient, forensic and specialised services.
Proficient in treating physical health needs, mental health nurses focus on establishing therapeutic relationships with individuals and their support networks. They aim to ensure that individuals are actively involved in decision-making processes related to their own care.
This course aims to equip you with the skills to respond to individuals in distress or crisis, reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and advocate for the holistic health and wellbeing of individuals, communities and populations.
The foundation year course helps you develop the necessary skills for degree-level study. In addition, you will also explore fundamental knowledge in areas such as anatomy, physiology and pathology, professional practice and approaches to health and wellbeing.
If you are compassionate, enthusiastic and committed, we can support you in developing the skills to deliver professional, evidence-informed care that truly impacts people’s lives.
If you are compassionate, enthusiastic and committed, we can support you in developing the skills to deliver professional, evidence-informed care that truly impacts people’s lives.
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 mental health nurse from day one, you'll learn in an environment that puts inclusivity, diversity and dignity at its heart.
Coventry University ranked 1st for Mental Health Nursing
Guardian University Guide 2025
The degree is accredited1 and recognised by the following bodies:
The degree is currently accredited by the Nursing & 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.
87 per cent of 2024 Nursing graduates secured employment locally before they even graduated.
Find out more about this achievementThe foundation year offers an introduction to your chosen subject and supports you to develop the skills required for degree-level study.
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.
The course is set up so that there are practice placements. These placements, as well as the teaching content, has allowed me to learn and develop skills to implement in practice.
Liam Cowton, final year Mental Health Nursing student, 2023
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
Typical entry requirements:
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £9,535 | Not available |
International/EU | Not currently available*** | Not available |
Student | Full-time | Part-time |
---|---|---|
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man | £9,535 per year | Not available |
International/EU | Not currently available*** | Not available |
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 may be available to eligible home students for each year of degree study6. 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. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
Applies to degree only:
The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:
In order to receive funding for degree with foundation year courses, you will need to complete a four-year degree programme which includes the integrated foundation year, otherwise you may be responsible for your foundation year fees. For further information, please refer to the 'Tuition Fee Loan' details in the 'Funding your undergraduate course' section of our 'Fees and finance' page.
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.
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.
During your degree you will undertake several placements in a range of service settings2,5. You will work with and alongside qualified mental health nurses, and therefore potential local and regional employers.
After successfully graduating from this course, you can apply for registration with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) (additional costs apply), which enables you to practise immediately if successful1.
CU Scarborough is committed to preparing you for your future career and aims to give you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. We offer a range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.
Graduates have found employment as qualified Mental Health Nurses in the NHS, and private and charitable sector mental health services across the UK.
As your career progresses, a number of options may be open to you as a specialist practitioner, advanced nurse practitioner, consultant nurse or manager. You could specialise as a primary mental health worker and work with children and adolescents, for example.
Recent graduates have gone on to work in such settings as child and adolescent mental health services, specialist forensic mental health units, and early intervention services.