Undergraduate prospectus 2023/24
Learning Disabilities Nursing, BSc Hons
Study our learning disabilities nursing degree for a rewarding career supporting people with learning disabilities and helping to achieve equality in health care.
Learning disabilities nurses play an important role in the health and well-being of people with learning disabilities, as well as their families and carers. They work in a variety of specialist settings and within generic services to provide support.
Our degree provides you with the skills to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities, including those with complex needs. You will experience practice-based learning in the community with patients, families and carers in south-east London and Kent.
We prepare you to apply for registration as a learning disabilities nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC). Our course helps you achieve the outcomes identified in the NMC Realising Professionalism: Standards for education and training, Part 3 (2018) and Future Nurse: Proficiencies for registered nurses (2018).
All nursing students on courses from September 2020 will benefit from guaranteed, additional support of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not need to pay back. See more information.
UCAS points
112 (full requirements below)
Course/institution codes
B761 A BSc/LD
School
Campus
Duration
3 years full-time
Start month
September
Home fees 2023/24
What you should know about this course
What you will study
About the course team
You will be taught by an experienced team of experts, which includes senior academics, technical officers, and practitioners with industry experience. Trained postgraduate researchers may also contribute to seminar teaching with the module leader. Teaching is informed by our research and consultancy work, and 97% of our lecturers hold a teaching qualification.
Come and meet us
We are offering virtual events so that you can still experience how Greenwich could be the right university for you.
Next Open Days
Got a question?
To find out more about our Open Days and Campus Tours or if you need any assistance, please email opendays@gre.ac.uk.
Entry requirements
GCSE Mathematics and English Language with a minimum of grade 4 (C) are required
or Level 2 from a pre-2014 Access course
or Functional skills level 2
or IELTS of 7.0 (with minimum of 6.5 in each skill) and maths
or equivalents.
And 112 UCAS points.
We also accept:
- BTEC/National Diploma
- International Baccalaureate
- Advanced and Progression Diplomas
- Access courses
- NVQ (Level 3)
- Diploma in Health and Social Care (Level 3)
- Foundation degrees.
For more information, contact courseinfo@greenwich.ac.uk or 020 8331 9000.
You can also read our admissions policy.
Further information about entry
Candidates will be required to:
- Attend an interview at a Selection Day
- Appropriate healthcare experience through work shadowing or observation either voluntary or paid is encouraged.
- Provide an academic or professional reference. This reference should be included as part of your application and must be provided by an academic or professional referee from their professional email address (for example from your teacher or an employer from their work email address); we are unable to accept a personal or character reference provided by family or friends.
- Demonstrate within your personal statement an interest in, and understanding of, the specific discipline of nursing you are applying for.
- Complete a Suitability Declaration, Occupational Health Screening, and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Programme not open to Overseas applicants requiring a Student visa.
COVID vaccine
An important part of many of our Health programmes is the opportunity to learn on placement and work with patients, service users and their families. On all our programmes leading to a professional accreditation with either the NMC or HCPC, placement in a health or social care setting is a compulsory learning outcome of the programme.
Prior to commencing on your chosen programme of study we strongly urge you to complete a full course of Covid-19 vaccinations. Although not currently compulsory, both the NMC and HCPC strongly encourage all registrants to be fully vaccinated. This is because There is a global scientific consensus, supported by our own medicines regulator in the UK, on the importance and value of full vaccination against Covid-19 and the benefits for people receiving care, vaccinated individuals themselves, their families, communities and the wider health and social care system.
While currently you can register with the NMC and HCPC as a non-vaccinated individual, their expectations and regulatory advice is clear, please see here for NMC position on Covid-19 vaccination and here for the HCPC’s position.
Available to overseas students?
No
Can I use prior learning?
Find out more on our Recognition of Prior Learning pages.
Enhanced disclosure
Applicants for this course are required to complete a suitability declaration, an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check, and an occupational health check.
How you will learn
Covid safe teaching and learning
We are looking forward to welcoming students to our campuses for 2022/23. In line with government guidance, we are committed to delivering as much of our teaching, learning and student activity as possible on campus for the 2022/23 academic year. Depending on the national situation, and government advice, the situation may change but we are confident we are ready to manage any changes quickly and safely. Find out more about how we are keeping our campuses safe.
Teaching
In a typical week learning takes place through a combination of:
- Timetabled learning
- Independent study
You can view more information about how each module is taught within our 'What you will study' section.
Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.
Class sizes
Class sizes vary by module. Lectures are normally attended by larger groups, and seminars/tutorials by smaller groups. This can vary more widely for modules that are shared between degrees. All students will have opportunities for 1-to-1 time with their tutors.
Independent learning
Outside of timetabled sessions, you are also expected to dedicate around 30 hours a week to self-study. This may involve further reading and research, preparing coursework and presentations, and preparing for tests and exams. Our facilities are designed to support you in these activities.
We encourage you to join societies and participate in sporting and other activities to engage in the wider life of the university community.
Overall workload
If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job. For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying.
Each module you study towards this degree is worth 15 or 30 credits. These represent around 150 or 300 study hours respectively. If you receive 100 contact hours for a 30-credit module, you should expect to commit 200 hours to independent study to complete it successfully.
Assessment
Students are assessed through a combination of assessment methods depending on the modules chosen.
You can view how each module is assessed within our 'What you will study' section.
Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.
Feedback summary
We aim to provide feedback on assignments and to release examination results within 15 working days.
Dates and timetables
The academic year runs from September to June.
Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.
Official statistics on Discover Uni
Full time
Fees and funding
Your time at university should be enjoyable, rewarding, and free of unnecessary stress. Planning your finances before you come to university can help to reduce financial concerns. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.
2023/24 fees
| Full-time (per year) | Part-time (per 30 credits) | |
|---|---|---|
| View fees |
Accommodation costs
Whether you choose to live in halls of residence or rent privately, we can help you find what you're looking for. University accommodation is available from just over £100 per person per week (bills included), depending on your location and preferences. If you require more space or facilities, these options are available at a slightly higher cost.
Funding your study
There is a range of financial support options available to support your studies, including the Aspire@Greenwich award for study resources that many full-time students will receive.
Discover more about grants, student loans, bursaries and scholarships. We also provide advice and support on budgeting, money management and financial hardship.
Other costs
Further costs may include (but are not limited to):
- Books and journals (estimate, £150 per year)
- Shoes (£60) and clothing (£100) (dependent on field and uniform policy)
- Travel costs to and from placements
- Parking (if appropriate)
- Meals while on duty.
Careers and placements
Will I have a work placement?
We have excellent links with the National Health Service and other care providers. Through your placements, you have the opportunity to work in a range of different settings, including community learning disability teams, forensic services, assessment and intervention services and special needs schools. This will give you experience and knowledge of working with children, young people and adults with learning disabilities, including those who have more complex needs.
More on health placements.
How long is my placement?
You will spend 50% of your time each year in these valuable work placements, where you will be assessed by qualified practitioners. These placements will be in a variety of institutional and community settings, which will enable you to fully understand the needs of individuals with a learning disability. As a learning disabilities nurse, you will play a vital role in providing specialist support and interventions.
What sort of careers do graduates pursue?
Successful completion of this course will equip you to work as a Registered Nurse Learning Disabilities in various setting, such as community nursing, inpatient services, specialist liaison roles, and within generic mental health services or child health services.
This course helps you develop a wide range of transferable skills to boost your career development and progression in nursing.
Do you provide employability services?
Our Employability & Careers Service (ECS) is committed to supporting our students and recent graduates in their transition towards a rewarding graduate destination. We aim to empower our students to achieve their potential, with support including:
- CV and cover letter checks
- Application support
- One-to-one careers advice
- Interview tips and support
- Careers fairs
- Internships
- Graduate jobs.
Support and advice
Academic skills and study support
We want you to make the most of your time with us. You can access study skills support through your tutor, our subject librarians, and our online academic skills centre.
Where appropriate, we provide support in academic English and mathematics. If you need to use particular IT packages for a specific module, we provide training for this.
Support from the department
Throughout your degree, we aim to make you aware of the range of opportunities available to you as a registered learning disabilities nurse.
We also promote multi-professional and collaborative working, with shared learning between nursing and midwifery students.
Our friendly and supportive staff are committed to supporting you during your studies.
Not quite what you were looking for?
We've got plenty of other courses for you to choose from. Browse our undergraduate prospectus or check our related courses below.
Health and social care degrees at the University of Greenwich
You’ll learn from our expert, research-active tutors and be well supported during your work placement. You’ll benefit from great job prospects thanks to our strong links with NHS trusts and social care providers.
Visit our health and social care degrees subject page.
Health and social care degrees courses
Nursing degrees at the University of Greenwich
Join us and gain the skills for a fulfilling career that makes a real difference. You’ll benefit from our excellent links with health service providers, and you could get extra support of at least £5,000 a year, which you won’t need to pay back.
Visit our nursing degrees subject page.
Nursing degrees courses
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Need more help?
020 8331 9000• Live chat• courseinfo@gre.ac.uk• More information