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Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship (Learning Disability) MSc

2025-26 (also available for 2024-25)

This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Start date

12 January 2026

Duration

2 years full-time

About the course

This two year apprenticeship course has been designed to provide the opportunity to study whilst being employed in learning disability healthcare services. During this apprenticeship you will get the opportunity to develop the vital skills, values and confidence you need to work with people who have a range of learning disabilities, providing hands on care in relation to their complex physical, social and psychological needs. You will also have the chance to develop a high level of personal and technical skills to help improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability and their ability to live as independently as possible.

  • You will be supported by a team who really understand what it’s like to be a learning disability nurse and will learn through lectures, seminars, group work, simulation and role play. Teaching and learning will involve a combination of face to face on campus learning as well as online teaching and resources.
  • You will practise and develop your skills through a variety of clinical placements in a range of statutory, private and voluntary services, in order to prepare you to pursue your career.
  • You will learn how to work in partnership with service users, their families, carers and other professionals to promote health and wellbeing.
  • 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 will 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 will be eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and work as a Registered Nurse for Learning Disabilities.

If you are an employer looking for an apprenticeship for your employees, you will also find useful information on our Degree Apprenticeship webpages.

Course detail

Becoming a professional - Learning Disability Nursing

This module involves exploring your development as a professional, examining your personal and professional attitudes and beliefs, as well as relating these to your future professional role as a learning disability nurse. You will gain an understanding about how you can develop as a learner and maintain your physical and mental health, so you are able to promote and support people with learning disabilities with their health. You will also learn how to manage the transition to university and explore ethical and professional codes underpinning learning disability nursing.

Developing critical knowledge and skills in Learning Disability Nursing

This module builds on knowledge and skills developed in stage one. You will expand your range of assessment skills and apply them to more complex learning disability care encounters. Using your knowledge you will recognise deterioration and begin to identify appropriate interventions to meet the care needs for people with a range of complex physical, mental health and cognitive care needs. You will plan care needs and begin to formulate care plans to meet the needs of individuals and groups of people in your care.

Developing research knowledge and evidence for Learning Disability Nursing practice

This module builds on the ‘Understanding knowledge and evidence for nursing’ module in year 1, by introducing you to designing research studies, including literature reviews and empirical studies. You will have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills of research methods and design preparing you to undertake a study relevant to learning disability nursing in year 2. You will learn about research ethics, data collection, analysis and research approaches including qualitative, qualitative and mixed method studies, literature reviews undertaken systematically, systematic reviews and audits.

Introduction to Learning Disability Nursing

This module provides the opportunity for you to develop the fundamental knowledge and skills required to have a critical understanding of theory and practice. This will assist you in providing effective person centred support to people with a range of physical, mental and cognitive needs, with a specific focus on people who have a learning disability. You will integrate knowledge of anatomy and physiology with psychology, sociology and other relevant disciplines to explore factors that impact on an individual’s health across the lifespan. You will also have the opportunity to develop skills comprising of systematic assessments to inform intervention, including medicines administration and pharmacology.

Understanding knowledge and evidence for nursing

This module introduces you to the nature of knowledge and how it supports evidenced-based practice. You will learn about how to search for and read evidence to identify its value and relevance to nursing practice. You will explore how to evaluate published research and will be introduced to the concept of ethics within healthcare research. You’ll also have the opportunity to develop and use a variety of transferable skills including literature searching, critical appraisal of evidence and application of evidence to your own and the nursing practice of others.

Nursing Practice 1

This module is the first practice module. You will be placed in clinical areas to undertake clinical practice and practice assessments. Providing further opportunity to develop the fundamental skills of nursing practice including personal hygiene, infection control, undertaking observations and holistic patient assessments and care. You will complete a practice learning experience, where you will put the theory you have learnt into practice.

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.

Ofsted Outstanding courses


The University’s apprenticeship provision was awarded an outstanding rating by Ofsted in a recent inspection.

Huddersfield is only the second university to be awarded Ofsted’s outstanding rating for its apprenticeship provision in the last four years.

It is also the only university in the Yorkshire and Humber region and the north-west of England to have both an outstanding Ofsted rating for apprenticeships and to be a TEF Gold-rated university.

The University was awarded outstanding in all five categories:

  • Quality of education
  • Behaviour and attitudes
  • Personal development
  • Leadership and management
  • Apprenticeships

The apprenticeship provision was praised by Ofsted for the positive experiences of the apprentices, the research-informed knowledge of teaching staff, and for the strong relationships between the University’s leaders and employers.

Placements


Nothing can really 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 diverse range of health and social care settings, reflecting the diversity of services accessed by people with a learning disability. This may include community teams, nursing and residential homes, supported living services, schools, short breaks services, day opportunities or hospitals and clinics. You may also have the opportunity to work within forensic services, prisons, palliative care and youth offending services.

Throughout the practical experience you will be supervised and assessed by a qualified nurse or other suitably qualified professional who will provide expert help and advice if required.

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.

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

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 will be asked to agree to them when you join us as an apprentice. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will 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 will 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.

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