Primary and Community Care (District Nursing) (SPQ) MSc – 2023 entry
Key information
- Start date: September 2023
Full-time: 4 years
Part-time: 5 years
Why choose this course
- Study a hands-on, clinical curriculum to develop your knowledge and skills to care for adults with a range of long-term and acute conditions, and lead on innovation and change within modern health and social care
- Spend half of your programme in clinical placements to practice your skills in healthcare settings, under the supervision of qualified community practitioners
- Learn from an expert team of multidisciplinary lecturers and practitioners, who are all healthcare professionals with experience of working in the NHS or NHS funded care
- Meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council’s (NMC) standards for pursuing a career as a specialist practitioner in district nursing and record your qualification with the NMC.
What you will study
You’ll develop professional characteristics that are greatly valued by employers in modern healthcare, such as compassion, encouragement, good communication, a strong belief in the value of teamwork and, perhaps most importantly, respect for every patient’s privacy, individuality and dignity.
You'll learn high-level leadership skills and develop in-depth knowledge to meet the needs of primary and community nursing. You’ll study topics, including community nurse practitioner prescribing (V100), health assessment, leadership, mental health across the lifespan, primary and community care policy, and leading and managing long term conditions.
Sponsorship
To study on this course, you’ll need to be sponsored by a healthcare provider organisation. Your sponsor will provide you with your clinical placement and a community practice assessor and supervisor. They’ll simultaneously support and evaluate your practice abilities throughout the course. You’ll need to negotiate with your sponsoring organisation whether your clinical placements can be full-time or part-time.
Advertisements for sponsorship will be on NHS jobs. There is a joint selection process between the providers and the University.
Clinical placements
You’ll spend half of your programme in clinical placements, allowing you to develop your knowledge, skills and practice within healthcare settings, under the supervision of qualified community practitioners. You’ll complete 10 weeks of consolidated practice with your sponsoring organisation (please see the entry requirements section for further information about sponsorship).
Facilities
You’ll benefit from our multi-million-pound facilities, home to our Clinical Simulation Centre that includes two wards, a Critical Care Unit and a Community Flat. Our Immersive Learning Environment, lifelike manikins and actors will transport you to the centre of communities, so you can practise your skills and get a taste of scenarios you may face.
You’ll also get exclusive access to our Independent Clinical Learning Space, set up each week with the necessary equipment required to practise the techniques you’ll be learning.
Teaching staff
You’ll learn from lecturers who are qualified practitioners, including Dr Neesha Oozageer Gunowa (Community Pathway Lead) and Samantha Wakefiled (Teaching Fellow). You’ll also be taught by guest lecturers, including doctors, nurses, midwives and other healthcare workers.
Throughout your placements, you’ll be supported by a community practice assessor and practice supervisor.
Research groups
You’ll be invited to join one of our research groups, where you’ll participate in discussions about research topics, findings and publications, and you’ll benefit from our links with renowned research institutions across the world. We also have a host of external speakers that visit us and present their work, and a collection of seminars and workshops, allowing you to network with like-minded individuals.
Study and work abroad
You’ll have the opportunity to complete an alternative clinical practice week that you can go abroad for.
Professional recognition
MSc - Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).
Recognised by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as an approved programme for the recordable qualification of District Nurse.
Careers and graduate prospects
We offer careers information, advice and guidance to all students whilst studying with us, which is extended to our alumni for three years after leaving the University. Our graduates have lifetime access to Surrey Pathfinder, our online portal for appointment and events bookings, jobs, placements and interactive development tools.
This course is accredited by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), which means you’ll be eligible to record your qualification with the NMC on successful completion of your studies.
91 per cent of our health sciences postgraduate students go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes survey 2022, HESA). Our alumni typically take on district nursing roles within the NHS.
Visit the Queen’s Nursing Institute website for further information on community nursing and join the Community Nursing Practitioners Network.
School
Academic year structure
This course can be taken either full-time or part-time.
Modules
Modules listed are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that modules may be subject to teaching availability, student demand and/or class size caps.
The University operates a credit framework for all taught programmes based on a 15-credit tariff. Modules can be either 15, 30, 45, 75 and 120 credits, and additionally for some masters dissertations, 90 credits.
The structure of our programmes follows clear educational aims that are tailored to each programme. These are all outlined in the programme specifications which include further details such as the learning outcomes:
Optional modules for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must complete all core modules and take Specialist Practice Portfolio OR Specialist Practice Portfolio with V100.
Students must choose one optional module.
Optional modules for Year 1 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must complete all core modules and take Specialist Practice Portfolio OR Specialist Practice Portfolio with V100.
Students must choose one optional module.
Optional modules for Year 2 (part-time) - FHEQ Level 7
Students must complete all core modules and take Specialist Practice Portfolio OR Specialist Practice Portfolio with V100.
Students must choose one optional module.
Timetable
Course timetables are normally available one month before the start of the semester. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday – Friday). Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities. Part-time classes are normally scheduled on one or two days per week, details of which can be obtained from the Academic Hive. View our Code of practice for the scheduling of teaching and assessment (PDF).
Contact hours
Contact hours can vary across our modules. Full details of the contact hours for each module are available from the University of Surrey's module catalogue. See the modules section for more information.
Entry requirements
A minimum of a 2:2 in a relevant UK honours degree. You must be currently registered as a healthcare professional to apply.
International entry requirements by country
Do I meet the requirements for this course?
We require you to submit a full application so that we can formally assess whether you meet the criteria published. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an outcome based on an enquiry (via email, webform enquiry, phone or live chat).
English language requirements
IELTS Academic: 7.0 overall with 6.5 in each element.
View the other English language qualifications that we accept.
If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses, designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.
Selection process
Application link is provided to apply post internal trust interview with University of Surrey representative. Applicants should apply through NHS jobs initially.
Credit transfer
The University of Surrey recognises that many students enter their higher education course with valuable knowledge and skills developed through a range of professional, vocational and community contexts. If your experience exceeds the typical requirements for entry to the programme, a process called recognition of prior learning (RPL) may allow you to enter your course at a point appropriate to your previous learning and experience. If you can demonstrate that you have met the learning outcomes for specific modules through your previous learning, it may be possible to exempt you from those modules, and for you to be awarded credit based on your previous qualifications/experience. There are restrictions on RPL for some courses and fees may be payable for certain claims.
In some cases, prior knowledge and skills may allow applicants to join the start of a course without meeting the formal entry requirements.
Please see our code transfer and recognition of prior learning guide (PDF) and recognition of prior learning and prior credit web page for further information. Please email Admissions (admissions@surrey.ac.uk) with any queries.
Fees
Start date: September 2023
Full-time - 4 years
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- To be confirmed
Part-time - 5 years
- UK
- To be confirmed
- Overseas
- To be confirmed
Students will pay fees on a module-by-module basis, please see our modules for further information.
Please note:
- These fees apply to students commencing study in the academic year 2023-24 only. Fees for new starters are reviewed annually
- If you are on a two-year full-time MFA programme, or a two-year or three-year part-time masters programme (excluding modular/self-paced/distance learning), the annual fee is payable in Year 1 and Year 2 of the programme
- Annual fees will increase by 4% for each subsequent year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100, subject to any overriding applicable legislative requirements.
Scholarships and bursaries
We're committed to making sure that we offer support for students who might need it.
How to apply
Applications should initially be made via NHS jobs. Eligible applicants will be given further information on how to submit an application to the University following a successful interview with the Trust. If you have any questions please email admissions@surrey.ac.uk.
Admission information
Our postgraduate admissions policy* provides the basis for admissions practice across the University and gives a framework for how we encourage, consider applications and admit students. You can also read our postgraduate applicant guidance.
Terms and conditions
When you accept an offer of a place at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to comply with our Charter, Statutes, Ordinances, Policies, Regulations and our terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are provided in two stages: first when we make an offer and second when students who have accepted their offers register to study at the University. View our offer terms and conditions and our registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2022/2023 academic year as a guide as to what to expect.
Please note: the offer terms and conditions and registration terms and conditions which you will be asked to agree to may be different from those detailed in the examples. Our offer terms and conditions will generally be available in the September of the calendar year prior to the year in which you begin your studies. Our registration terms and conditions will be available at the start of each academic year and will vary to take into account specifics of your course and changes for the specific academic year.
Disclaimer
This online prospectus has been prepared and published in advance of the academic year to which it applies. The University of Surrey has used its reasonable efforts to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing but changes (for example, to course content or additional costs) may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer.
Course location and contact details
Campus location
Kate Granger BuildingOur Graduate Entry Medicine degree, health sciences, nursing and midwifery courses are taught at the Kate Granger Building (30 Priestley Road), on the Surrey Research Park.
Placement location
You’ll be expected to attend clinical placements with your NHS employer. Please see the placements and sponsorship sections for more details.
University of Surrey Admissions
- Phone: +44 (0)1483 682222
Address
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH