Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci
- Nursing and midwifery
- Undergraduate
Take the first steps toward your career as a Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nurse with Kingston University, rated No.1 in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026).
Develop the skills you need to make a difference
Deliver high-quality care to patients within clinical, community and practice health settings.
Throughout our Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci course, you will be taught by our Simulated Learning and Clinical Skills Team. You will learn clinical skills fundamental to deliver high-quality care to patients at all life stages.
By taking part in award-winning innovative simulations with role players and full body manikins, you will develop the knowledge, skills and values needed for safe and effective patient care.
As well as developing practical and therapeutic skills, you'll have the opportunity to learn from people with lived experience of mental health challenges at the Recovery College.
In 2023, we won two awards at the Student Nursing Times Awards, including Teaching Innovation of the Year for our simulated public health elective. This was part of our annual student nursing electives programme, which was also nominated for the Best Student Experience award, where students are supported to organise their own national or international placement of their choosing.
Nursing at Kingston University
Change lives for the better with a degree in nursing. Discover where our award-winning teaching and facilities could take you in your career.
Why choose this course
Our Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci integrated masters course will prepare you to apply to the NMC register as a Registered Nurse in Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing.
Mental health nursing and learning disability nursing are both highly-rewarding careers where you can make a real difference. One in four people experience mental health problems in any given year, and this course prepares you to work in collaboration with service users, their relatives and carers towards recovery.
You'll explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan, from children to older people and those with dementia or other mental or physical health needs. You'll study the factors that affect health inequalities in our society and how we can improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic spectrum conditions (ASC).
Your studies include core elements for all fields of nursing and modules specific to mental health and learning disabilities. You'll learn first-hand from mental health service users and carers, through our strong partnerships with service users and carer-led organisations. These include the Recovery College, the Sutton Carers Centre and the South West London Recovery College.
You'll also have the opportunity to apply your learning through placements in hospital and community settings. Plus, you'll have the chance to take a national or international elective at the end of your second year. In the UK, mental health students have worked at a wide range of settings, including Broadmoor Hospital. Others have travelled to places such as Ireland, India, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Gibraltar, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Kingston University is top in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026).
Top University in London and Top 2 in the UK for Mental Health Nursing, The Guardian University Guide 2026.
Accreditation
This degree confers both an academic award and a professional qualification in nursing. On completion of the programme, students are recommended to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for professional registration.
Course content
Year 1
Core Modules
Year 2
Core Modules
Optional Modules
Year 3
Core Modules
Year 4
Core Modules
What career opportunities does this course offer?
This degree confers both an academic award and a professional qualification in nursing. On completion of the programme, students are recommended to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for professional registration.
Kingston University students are highly sought after, with students gaining first posts in acute hospitals and the community across Surrey and London in leading NHS and independent organisations.
Types of jobs include:
- Staff mental health nurse
- Forensic staff nurse
- Staff nurse child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)
- Research nurse
- Psychiatric liaison nurse
Links with the healthcare sector
We have practice partners for mental health nursing from the NHS and private sector including:
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
- Central and North West London Foundation NHS Trust
- Huntercombe Hospital
- The Priory Group
- Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Hexagon Housing Association
- Royal Hospital for Neurodisability (Putney)
- Cygnet Healthcare Woking
- Hestia
- Prison Placements (Oxleas / West London NHS Trusts)
- Holybourne Hospital
- Woodleigh Community
Future Skills
Our Future Skills programme is embedded within all our undergraduate courses and throughout the whole Kingston experience. These skills will help you to become a future-proof graduate by equipping you with the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency and adaptability.
As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills. You’ll also understand how to demonstrate and articulate to employers how these future skills give you the edge.
Teaching and assessment
Scheduled learning and teaching on this course includes timetabled activities including lectures, seminars and small group tutorials.
It may also include placements, project work, practical sessions, workshops, conferences and field trips.
Fees and funding
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
NHS Training Grant
Nursing students on pre-registration courses will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year which doesn’t need to be paid back, subject to eligibility criteria. For more information, please visit the NHS Business Service Authority.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying this course at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support.
What are the facilities like?
When you join Kingston University, you will have access to a wide range of facilities and resources designed to support your studies. Use the virtual tour below to explore some of the facilities and learning environments that students within this subject area may experience during their studies.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
Key information
The scrolling banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).