Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (Mental Health) MSc
This apprenticeship is employer led: applications must be submitted by employers on behalf of their staff.
Start Dates
5 January 2026, 12 January 2026
Duration
2 years full-time
Eligibility Criteria
Permanent Employment in relevant field
Overview
Why choose Huddersfield for this course?
- Outstanding Quality - Huddersfield is an Ofsted Outstanding provider, delivering top-tier apprenticeship training.
- You’ll learn from experienced health professionals and service users whose real-world insights bring teaching to life.
- Gain confidence using our state-of-the-art skills labs and immersive simulation facilities on our National Health Innovation Campus.
Accreditation and Professional Links
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This two year apprenticeship course has been designed to provide the opportunity to study whilst being employed in mental healthcare services. During this apprenticeship you will get the opportunity to develop the vital skills, values and confidence you need to work with people suffering from various mental health conditions across the lifespan, to offer help and support in dealing with the condition. This could include anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, psychosis and obsessive compulsive disorders.
- The course is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and led by committed and passionate lecturers who are research active with experience across the mental health nursing spectrum.
- Alongside building your theoretical knowledge in lectures and seminars, you will be able to focus on your practical skills through simulation and group work. Teaching and learning will involve a combination of face to face on campus learning as well as online teaching and resources.
- You will practice and develop your skills through clinical placements in a range of statutory, private and voluntary services, in order to prepare you to pursue your career.
- You will have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from service users and carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.
- You will also learn how to respond to the physical, cognitive and mental health care needs of all patients and service users across their lifespan.
In line with the apprenticeship model, the course is designed to support a training in practice approach. Whilst undertaking the course you’ll remain employed by your host organisation. You will be a supernumerary student for the full duration of the course and as such will not work for your employer. Instead, your time will be split 50% in clinical practice and 50% in the University. The course is designed to be progressively demanding and once qualified you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and work as a Registered Nurse (Mental Health).
The University of Huddersfield has the highest Apprenticeship Qualification Achievement Rate (QAR) among Higher Education Institutions in England.*
Our 2023/24 QAR was 87.6% and coupled with our Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating displays the excellent learning experience for apprentices and their employers at the University of Huddersfield.
If you are thinking of studying an apprenticeship course or are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you willalso find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.
*Excludes providers with fewer than 100 apprentices.
Entry Requirements
You must:
- Be employed in healthcare and supported to undertake the course by your employer.
- Have an Honours degree (2:2 or above) or equivalent professional qualification, in a relevant subject.
In addition you must have GCSE English Language or Literature at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme.
You also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and Occupational Health Clearances prior to registration on the course. These will be provided by your employer and checked by our admissions team.
You may be eligible to gain accreditation for your prior learning towards this course. Please note that the course you are applying for is regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) which allows a maximum of 50% of credits for the award to be conferred through accreditation of prior learning.
If you have alternative qualifications you may wish to contact us for advice before applying. Please note places are limited and attainment of the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an interview or offer. You must include details of any previous study. Other suitable experience or qualifications may be considered.
If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.
Course Details
Teaching and Assessment
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Placements
Nothing can replicate working in the real-world, that is why the course comprises of 50% practice, which is essential in your development. Practice includes placements, reflection, simulation and spoke visits. During the course you will undertake a number of practice learning experiences in a range of health and social care settings. These will include statutory, private and voluntary both within inpatient and community services. They provide the opportunity for you to experience person-centred care, and work as part of a caring and committed multi-disciplinary team.
Placements may include caring for the adult within acute inpatient and forensic settings (low and medium secure services), and caring for the older person within inpatient and community setting. You may also experience rehabilitation services for the working age adult including inpatient and community services, as well as specialist services such as community child and adolescent services, substance misuse and prison services. You may also experience care of the severely mentally ill within forensic secure placements and also specialist services such as substance misuse, child and adolescent and challenging behaviour services.
To allow you the broadest professional experience possible, practice experiences are generally offered across West Yorkshire and beyond, covering 24-hour care including evening, weekend and occasional night shifts. You will be required to travel to and during your placements. For more information visit our placements page.
Fees and Finance
As an apprentice, there is no tuition fee to pay for the higher or degree apprenticeship. Tuition fees are covered by your employer and the government through the Levy. As you'll be a paid employee, you are not able to take out a student loan.
Are you an employer? You’ll find lots of information about how apprenticeships are funded via the levy on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.
If you require further information, please contact apprenticeships@hud.ac.uk
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If you have any questions about Fees and Finance, please email the Student Finance Team.
Gallery
Real-life scenarios with simulated mannequins.
Caring for patients in simulated home environment.
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Ofsted Outstanding courses
Huddersfield is one of only two universities in four years rated Ofsted Outstanding for apprenticeships, praised for research-informed teaching and strong employer links.
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Our researchers carry out world-leading work that makes a real difference to people’s lives. Staff within the Department of Nursing may teach you on this course.
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When you enrol as an apprentice learner of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and our disciplinary procedure. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you’ll be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You’ll find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you’ll also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.
Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:
Changes to a course you have applied for but not yet started
If we propose to make a major change to an apprenticeship course that you have applied for, then we will tell you and your employer as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.
Although we always try and run all the courses we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or delay your course start date if we consider this reasonably necessary, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you and your employer as soon as reasonably possible. In such instances, we will work with you and your employer to agree a deferred start date, or cancel your application and, if appropriate, provide information regarding other local apprenticeship providers.
Changes to your course after you enrol as an apprentice
We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that materially changes the services available to you, or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days, classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.
For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the requirements of an updated version of the apprenticeship standard relevant to your course; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.
In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered or claiming an interim award and exiting the University.
If a major change affects your course, we will notify you and your employer as soon as possible and will carry out suitable consultation with affected apprentices. If you and your employer reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment we will work with both of you to try to find an appropriate solution. Where one cannot be found we will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring your remaining apprenticeship learning to another training provider if you and your employer wish to do so.
Termination of employment
As your employer is funding your apprenticeship course, you must remain in relevant employment for the duration of the course until you have completed your end point assessment. Under the apprenticeship rules, if you are made redundant and you have completed 75% of the practical period or have less than 6 months left, then you may complete the course. Otherwise, unless you find alternative relevant employment within 12 weeks of the date you are made redundant, then you’ll be withdrawn from the course.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University. The ESFA is the principal regulator for your apprenticeship course.