MSc Nursing (Adult)
- Entry year:
- 2025/26
- Start date:
- September
- Study mode:
- Full-time
- Course duration:
- 2 years
- Campus:
- City
Why study this course with LJMU?
- Qualify as a Registered Nurse with our two-year masters (Level 7) degree
- Open to graduates with a Level 6 bachelors degree in any field who have approximately six months' health or care work or voluntary experience
- £5,000 per year grant for Adult Nursing students living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, plus other funding support (eligibility criteria apply)
- £2,000 per year grant for students with dependent children (eligibility criteria apply)
- Start month: September
- Campus location: City Campus
- UCAS Course Code: PAD1
About this course
Our MSc Nursing (Adult) postgraduate degree will prepare you for the complex, demanding, and rewarding arena of adult nursing. This programme supports you to become a proficient, safe and accountable practitioner, who can deliver person-centred, evidence-based effective care.
Year 1
Throughout the first year of you degree, we will help you build on the foundation of your existing experience.
Year 1 comprises four modules totalling 90 credits. These modules focus on establishing your theoretical understanding of contemporary nursing practice, along with developing complex nursing skills within clinical practice.
As the year progresses, you will expand your evidence-based practice and begin to explore the role of research within nursing.
Year 2
Year 2 also has four modules totalling 90 credits.
Through successful completion of these modules, you will develop skills as an emerging autonomous practitioner, with a deep theoretical and practical understanding of the complexities of nursing care, and how nurses can support, empower and advocate for the best interests of patients.
You may also be interested in MSc Nursing (Child). If you don't hold an undergraduate degree, please visit our BSc (Hons) Nursing pages: Adult, Child, Mental Health.
Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
The programme consists of four modules per academic year. This includes three core modules and one field specific module.
Within year one of study, you will undertake the following modules:
- Assessing Health Needs
- Research and Evidence-based Safety and Quality in Nursing Care
- Managing Complex Care Delivery in Adult Nursing
- Developing Practice Learning
Within year two of study, you will complete the following modules to develop your skills of critical enquiry and leadership:
- Planning and Evaluating Adult Nursing Care
- Leading and Managing Effective Nursing Care
- Critical Enquiry in Health
- Consolidating Practice Learning
Further guidance on modules
Modules are designated core or optional in accordance with professional body requirements, as applicable, and LJMU’s Academic Framework Regulations. Whilst you are required to study core modules, optional modules provide you with an element of choice. Their availability may vary and will be subject to meeting minimum student numbers.
Where changes to modules are necessary these will be communicated as appropriate.
Core modules
Professional accreditation
This programme meets the standards of the NMC Future Nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses (NMC, 2023).
Your Learning Experience
An insight into teaching on your course
Our postgraduate Adult Nursing MSc degree uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches that are designed to engage and inspire you. These include lectures, seminars, group work activities, clinical simulation and tutorials.
The NMC Standards for Pre-registration Nursing Programmes (NMC 2023) are central to this, with teaching and assessments that will ensure you receive the appropriate breadth of knowledge and experience required to become a skilled and confident Registered Adult Nurse.
Throughout your course, you will put theory into practice, developing your clinical skills in a range of hospital and community settings.
We use an active blended learning approach at LJMU. This means you will attend face to face teaching on campus - usually at the School of Nursing and Advanced Practice, based in the Tithebarn Building (part of our City Campus), along with independent learning and work online. Examples of online activity include tutorial discussions, discussion boards and collaborative or individual projects such as wikis, padlets, blogs and e-portfolios.
You will be taught by a team of professionally qualified academic staff, many of whom also work in practice, and have experience in designing, developing and delivering professional programmes. This team liaise closely with with your practice supervisors and assessors to ensure you are supported in bringing theory and practice together, so you get the best learning experiences whilst out on placement.
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
In each academic year you will have to undertake three summative theoretical assessments: one for each theoretical module. Assessment methods will be authentic to nursing to demonstrate knowledge and competency, in preparation of ‘real-world’ tasks that you will be expected to experience in your professional career.
Formative assessments will also take place both within the theoretical and practice learning environment. To prepare for summative theoretical assessments, you will be given the opportunity to practice the appropriate skills that relate to the variety of assessment methods that are utilised throughout the programme. This will enable you to adequately prepare for written, verbal, practical and examination forms of assessment in each year of study.
Where you will study
Part of the City Campus, the School of Nursing and Advanced Practice is based in the Tithebarn Building, adjoining the Avril Robarts Library, which is open seven days a week. In addition to specialist clinical practice suite facilities, you will find high quality seminar rooms, IT suites and lecture theatres, plus a café and social spaces.
Course tutors
Christopher Kiely
Programme Leader
Christopher qualified as a Registered Nurse (Adult) in 1997. Since qualification, Christopher gained experienced in a range of settings to include acute care, sexual health and community settings. In 2006, Christopher pursued further studies leading to the award of MSc Leadership in Healthcare with qualification as a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse (Health Visiting) and was subsequently employed as a health visitor in the north west region. In 2024, Christopher joined the team at Liverpool John Moores University, having gained university teaching experience across three other higher education Institutions in the United Kingdom. Currently, Christopher is the programme lead for the MSc Nursing degrees.
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Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer
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Career paths
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
On successful completion of the degree programme, you will be eligible to apply to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for registration as a qualified Adult Nurse. Holding your NMC Pin means you can work as a nurse anywhere in the UK.
There is strong demand for registered nurses across the NHS and private sector, and it is not uncommon for LJMU nursing students to secure job offers during their final degree year.
Tuition fees and funding
- Full-time per year:
- £9,535
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as library membership and student IT support with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources including programme-appropriate software and on campus wifi.
Financial Support
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages. The University offers a range of financial support for students. You'll find all the information you need on our specialist financial support pages including details of the Student Support Fund and other activities to support with the cost of living.
Additional Costs
In addition to fees, students should also keep in mind the cost of:
- Accommodation
- Travel costs and field trips unless paid for by LJMU
- Stationery, IT equipment, professional body membership and graduation gown hire
Fees
The fees quoted above cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- Library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- Access to programme-appropriate software
- Library and student IT support
- Free on-campus Wi-Fi via eduroam
Additional fees you may need to factor in are travel costs to placements and parking if using a car whilst on placement. However, you may be able to claim reimbursement of travel costs through the Learning Support Fund provided by the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA).
Students who would like to buy extra uniform items, further to their standard uniform which is included in the course fees, have the option to do so.
International experiences may incur costs.
Funding
NHS Training Grant
The Training Grant is a non-means tested grant of £5,000 each academic year. It is administered by the NHS Learning Support Fund, and as it's a grant, you do not have to pay it back. You can decide how to use the money - it could go towards your study fees or living expenses, for example.
Eligible students must apply for the grant at the start of each academic year.
You can find the latest information, including eligibility criteria, on the NHS Learning Support Fund website.
Opportunities for funding may be available through the Student Loans Company.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
How to apply
Securing your place at LJMU
UCAS is the application route for this full-time programme. Further information on the UCAS application process can be found here https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/study/undergraduate-students/how-to-apply.
Candidates who are successful at interview will be required to submit a portfolio, the content of which will demonstrate evidence of 700 hours of care experience. In addition, the portfolio will be assessed through the development of two written reflections based on related care experiences and prior graduate studies. This is in line with Part 1 of the NMC Future Nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses (NMC, 2023).
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