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2025/26.

Specialist Practitioner (District Nursing), BSc Hons (Top up)

If you’re a nurse hoping to lead and inspire your own team, our top-up degree will help you become a specialist practitioner in district nursing and lead on care delivery in your community.

Our top-up degree is for nurses who wish to pursue a career as a specialist practitioner in district nursing. This course combines the study of health and policy with research and evidence-based practice to develop your skills in this specialist field of nursing.

You spend half of your learning time in practical work placements, where you are assessed by qualified practitioners. The other half is spent learning nursing theory in our state-of-the-art laboratories on campus. Our work placements often result in employment for students through the trusts they are sponsored by.

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We received Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023. This recognises our outstanding performance in student experience and outcomes.

Duration

  • 1 years full-time
  • 2 years part-time

Start month

January

Home fees 2024/25

TBC

What you should know about this course

  • We provide the essential knowledge to lead a team of staff and provide care in the community
  • This course is 50/50 theory and practice learning. If this appeals to you, our course provides on-the-job training as well as state-of-the-art laboratories to support your studies
  • Our placements often result in employment, as our students are regularly recruited through the trusts they are sponsored by.

What you will study

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Course information is currently unavailable for this programme. Please contact course-info@gre.ac.uk for more information.

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 per cent 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

Applicants should have:

  • A first level nursing qualification
  • Current registration with the NMC
  • A minimum of 120 credits at level 5 (normally). If you do not have this you can complete an APEL claim which is accreditation od Prior learning.

For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.

You can also read our admissions policy.

Further information about entry

Students are seconded from an employing Community NHS Trust. Numeracy and literacy testing as well as an interview are some of the usual methods of recruitment for the employing Trust as well as meeting the academic requirements for entry to the programme. You will also need to complete an online application form for the university, once places with employing Trusts have been confirmed.

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.

How you will learn

Teaching

Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and 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

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

Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.

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.

Cohort Full time Part time Distance learning
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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 £126.35 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.

Accommodation pages

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.

Financial support

Other costs

Information coming soon.

For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.

Careers and placements

Will I have a work placement?

We have a 50:50 theory and practice element to our degree, meaning half of your learning time is spent in practical work placements, where you are assessed by qualified practitioners.

Our work placements often result in employment, with our students regularly being recruited through the trusts they are seconded/sponsored by.

What sort of careers do graduates pursue?

This course is professionally recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Career options include District Nurse and a range of Leadership roles.

Find out more about careers in nursing.

Do you provide employability services?

Our Careers Service is committed to supporting our students and recent graduates in their transition towards a rewarding graduate destination. We strive to deliver a professional service with the aim of empowering our students to achieve their potential. We provide the following:

  • CV and cover letter checks
  • Application support
  • One-to-one careers advice
  • Interview tips and support
  • Careers fairs
  • Internships
  • Graduate jobs.

Contact: employability@gre.ac.uk / 020 8331 8810

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

We offer strong support to all our students. We aim to help you deliver and lead district nursing services safely and effectively at individual, group and community levels. Our top-up degree fully prepares you to promote health and well-being, while proactively preventing ill health within the context of contemporary local and national policy.

Accommodation information

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Apply now

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study full-time then you apply through the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).

If you are a UK student or have settled/pre-settled status (EU) and you want to study part-time then you can apply directly via our online application form.

If you are from outside the UK, you can apply via UCAS, directly via our online application form or via one of our in-country representatives. If you require a student visa, you cannot study part-time at undergraduate level.