Nursing (Mental Health), MSc

During your MSc in Mental Health Nursing, you will learn through a clear balance of theory, simulation and hands‑on clinical practice. Over two years, you will complete 4,720 hours of learning, including 2,370 hours of university‑based theory and 2,350 hours of practice learning across a wide range of health and social care settings. This structure ensures you gain the knowledge, skills and confidence required for registration as an Mental Health Nurse.

Your theory learning includes lectures, tutorials, seminars, small‑group work and case‑based discussions, supported by guided learning tasks and digital resources. Many sessions are interactive, giving you the chance to explore complex scenarios, apply your learning and develop your clinical reasoning. You will also complete regular independent study to prepare for classroom sessions and consolidate key concepts.

Simulation plays an important role in helping you build clinical confidence in a safe environment. You will practise essential nursing procedures, work through realistic scenarios and take part in structured debriefs to reflect on your decisions and progress. These experiences help you feel ready for real clinical placements and prepare you to work safely and effectively with patients.

Your practice learning takes place in a variety of settings, such as hospitals, community teams and the independent and voluntary sectors. During your placements, you will be supported by practice supervisors, practice assessors and academic assessors who work together to guide your development and assess your progress against Nursing and Midwifery Council proficiencies.

You will study alongside students from a range of academic and professional backgrounds, creating a collaborative environment where you can share perspectives and learn from each other. Your teaching team brings a wide mix of clinical and academic experience, helping you make clear connections between what you learn in university and what you do in practice.

This course does not follow the usual University term times. The academic year starts in earl September and ends late the following August.

At least 40 credits per year

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study at least 40 credits of this course through the medium of Welsh. Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

• Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
• Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
• A Welsh-speaking Personal Tutor.
• One-to-one support through the medium of Welsh to improve your academic skills.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers, namely the WJEC and Coleg Cymraeg’s Welsh Language Certificate.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

Accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

Our degrees are taught by experts, who have a wealth of knowledge to pass on to you.

You can find out more on our Nursing staff pages.                       

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Each year, the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership commissions a number of fully funded places for this programme. To receive this funding, students will have to commit to working in Wales for 18month following the completion of their course. Should students be unable to make this commitment, standard tuition fees will apply.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

If you're a UK or EU student starting a master’s degree at Swansea University, you may be eligible to apply for Government funding to help towards the cost of your studies. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

If you are a UK student who can commit to working in Wales for 18 months after graduating, you may be eligible to have your tuition fees fully covered through the NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership.

Please see our Postgraduate NHS Funding webpage to check your eligibility for funding before.

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

The Careers and Employability Team will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

As a Swansea University graduate, you can access lifelong careers and employability support.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal tutor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Nursing at Swansea University wants to support the development of your competence in using digital media, to enhance your learning, engage in technologies in clinical practice and protect yourself and the profession when you are online. Find out more about how we embed digital literacy in the nursing curriculum. 

This MSc course is pre-registration only. It is not suitable for registered nurses.

Apply directly via the 'Apply' button on this page.

Visit our Application Guidelines for UK Students to find out more

Please view our Vaccination Policy  for applicants.

You should also familiarise themselves with the NHS Wales Values and Standards of Behaviour.

Eligible applicants will be invited to interview for this course. Check out our Interview Tips for more information on what to expect.

Please note, unfortunately this course is not open to international students at this time.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.