Course summary
Join a School that is ranked 1st in England and Wales and 3rd in the UK for Nursing by The Complete University Guide 2021. Mental health nursing is a diverse, challenging and rewarding career with people at its heart. Validated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) our programme provides you with the skills and knowledge to become a registered Mental Health Nurse within 3 years. You will offer help and support to people of all ages, their families and carers. The role is diverse, and care can be offered in a variety of situations including hospitals, homes and community settings. Whilst a key role of the mental health nurse is to form therapeutic relationships it is important that you are also able to use effective communication strategies to demonstrate compassionate, creative and critical mental health care that focuses on recovery. The programme content emphasises the holistic components of individual mental health recovery, acknowledging the importance of maintaining health and the wider psychological and social impacts of personal wellbeing. We have a highly equipped Clinical Simulation Suite which enables you to learn in a realistic ward, community, home and emergency simulations, meaning you can safely practice and develop essential skills to develop your confidence before going into placement. We also have dedicated mental health communication booths where you can develop your practical skills. You will spend 50% of your time in clinical practice, working alongside experienced practice supervisors in hospitals, community and other specialist mental health care team provisions. A varied placement experience undertaken across the three years of the programme will allow you to integrate academic theory with clinical practice. Our clinical placements reflect the work of the mental health nurse in supporting people from all age groups when they experience the impact of mental health problems. You will be allocated both a personal tutor who will offer you pastoral support and an academic assessor who will support your professional development during the programme. On successful completion of the programme you will be eligible to register with the NMC as a Mental Health Nurse. With this registration, you can work in a range of healthcare settings, both in the United Kingdom and abroad. Above all else, we strive to ensure that you are ready for the next step in your career. That’s why 100%* of our nursing students are in employment or further study after 6 months of graduating (*DHLE and HECSU). As part of a large School based at the largest University Hospital in Wales, we will help you to enjoy an academically rich and fulfilling experience. Key features of our programme include:
- Fully funded place – you will have the option to choose a fully funded place on the programme. A full NHS bursary, including tuition fees and a non-repayable bursary for living costs, is available for this programme providing you agree to work in Wales for two years after registration (subject to change).
- Specialist experiences – you will have the opportunity to practice in our dedicated communication booths and transfer those skills into practical experience in a range of mental health settings from a range of services within the locality, including substance misuse services and within the prison setting.
- Clinical specialists - you will be taught by a staff group that hold a wide range of clinical experiences at senior and specialist levels in Mental Health Nursing.
- Innovative use of the latest technology – you will use augmented reality which will be utilised to teach anatomy and physiology, enabling you to view the internal mechanics of the human body and understand pathophysiology.
- Opportunity for international experience - during Year Two, there is an opportunity for you to undertake a placement learning opportunity in an environment of your choice, either within the UK or overseas.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council
How to apply
This course is not accepting applications from students requiring a Student visa. For more information, please contact the course provider.
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- B763
- Institution code:
- C15
- Campus name:
- Main Site - Cardiff
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
International applicants
An NHS placement is a required part of this course. The NHS only makes placements available to students who are eligible to pay UK fees. Therefore, this course is not available for international students.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - BBB - BCC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM - DMM
Access to HE Diploma
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 31 - 29 points
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)
Extended Project - A
GCSE/National 4/National 5
T Level - M
You must also supply a personal statement that is relevant to the profession. If you are applying to more than one professional programme, you should email a bespoke personal statement for each programme to [email protected] at the same time as submitting your application via UCAS. In your personal statement, you should demonstrate that you understand the profession, have an insight into the course itself, and describe any relevant work experience. Only one personal statement may be submitted for each programme. You must meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) good health and character, and fitness to practice requirements. We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects. We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements. ENROLMENT CONDITIONS Before starting your course, you will also need to complete an occupational health questionnaire, attend any subsequent appointments and receive all of the necessary vaccinations to undertake clinical placements safely. You must have a validated negative sample for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C. This is arranged by the Occupational Health Department following commencement of the programme. We won’t make an offer without an interview and no offers will be made until all interviews have taken place. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements at Level 2 (typically GCSE) and Level 3 (typically A-level) in order to be eligible for consideration for interview. If you meet the minimum entry requirements your application will be give a numerical score based on your personal statement. Eligible applicants will be ranked according to this score and the top ranking applicants will be invited to interview Our interview process We use the multiple mini interview (MMI) format, which is a series of short, carefully timed interview stations that you will rotate around in turn. The MMIs help us to determine if you: - can think on your feet - have thought about some of the issues that are important to the profession - can critically appraise information - can communicate ideas effectively. They also focus on exploring the personal qualities and attributes that are important to your future career development. These interviews allow us to meet you in person and assess information that isn’t always readily forthcoming in the application process—they aren’t intended to test the amount of prior knowledge you have about the subject or the profession.
Additional entry requirements
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Health checks
Interview
English language requirements
All applicants are expected to have demonstrable English language skills. Most courses ask for GCSE English grade C/4 or equivalent, but some courses ask for GCSE English grade B/6 or equivalent.
To find out more, please go to:
https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements/undergraduate
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| England | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9250 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Students from the UK and Islands:
A full NHS bursary, including tuition fees and a non-repayable bursary for living costs, is available to applicants from the UK. Full details, including information for applicants from the Channel Islands and the EU, are available on our NHS funding pages: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/funding-your-healthcare-course
Fees stated are for the 2025/26 academic year. The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase.
Fees for entry in subsequent years are subject to increase and will be confirmed by the end of October in the year preceding your start date of your programme.
Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required for you to complete to the degree programme stated. Please note that you may choose to participate in study trips, associated placements or purchase equipment while studying on your degree programme which will be at your own cost. Tuition fees do not include living costs such as accommodation, subsistence or travel.
Students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland:
If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, unless you qualify for UK fee status, tuition fees for 2025/26 will be in line with the fees charged for international students. You can check whether you are eligible for UK (Home) fee status on the UKCISA website: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Wales-fee-status#layer-6099
Students from the rest of the world (international):
An NHS placement is a required part of this course. The NHS only makes placements available to students who are eligible to pay UK fees. Therefore, this course is not available for international students.
Sponsorship information
Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.
Provider information
Cardiff University
PO Box 921
Cardiff
CF10 3XQ