Mental Health Nursing BSc (Hons)
- Nursing and midwifery
- Undergraduate
Make a real difference by supporting people towards recovery. Studying Mental Health Nursing at Kingston University will give you the specialist knowledge and experience you need to become a registered mental health nurse with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
Help people live independent and fulfilling lives
Studying Mental Health Nursing at Kingston will give you a strong foundation for a rewarding career with life-enhancing impact.
Our graduates are highly sought after, with previous students gaining their first nursing jobs in everything from forensics and psychiatry to research and child mental health.
One in four people experience mental health problems every year, which means the skills you’ll develop on this course are more important than ever. You’ll learn from a team of expert nurses, lecturers and researchers, preparing to work in collaboration with service users, their relatives and carers towards happier, healthier lives.
50% of this course will be on placement or in our award-winning simulation suites. This offers the perfect blend of learning styles and settings to develop the practical and therapeutic skills you need.
During the course, you’ll study the core elements of all fields of nursing, as well as modules specific to mental health. You’ll learn first-hand from mental health service users and carers, benefitting from our partnerships with organisations like the Recovery College, the Sutton Carers Centre and the South West London Recovery College.
You’ll even receive a £5,000 per year, non-repayable NHS Training Grant to support your studies. Check out the NHS Business Service Authority website to find out more.
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
While you study, you’ll benefit from top quality teaching at Kingston University. Not only are we ranked Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, we’re also top in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026).
A portion of your learning will take place at our award-winning simulation suite, which creates realistic environments to help you develop skills in clinical, community and practice health settings.
You’ll take part in innovative simulations, where role players and full-body manikins will offer unique opportunities to build the knowledge and behaviours needed for safe and effective patient care.
Outside the University, you’ll spend time on placement. Our placement providers include South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust, South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Foundation Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and independent hospitals, including the Priory Group.
Some students choose to take a national or international elective at the end of Year 2. Previous graduates have worked at Broadmoor Hospital in the UK, while others have travelled to a range of countries across Europe, Africa, Asia and the USA.
You'll even have the opportunity to enrich your studies further by learning with and from people who have lived experience of mental health challenges at the Recovery College.
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
You will study both generic modules – alongside students from all fields of nursing – and modules that focus on mental health nursing.
Year 1
You will study both generic modules – alongside students from all fields of nursing – and modules that focus on mental health nursing.
Core modules
Year 2
You will develop your understanding of the application of person-centred care, assessment, clinical reasoning and decision-making. You will examine holistic care across the life span and focus on acute and long term care within this field of practice.
Core modules
Option module
Year 3
You will prepare for the transition to professional practice develop skills in management, leadership, team working and teaching and supporting learners. You will develop the critical thinking skills required to make informed decisions in clinical practice.
Core modules
Nursing Foundation Year
If you would like to study one of our Nursing degrees at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you can include an extra foundation year within your chosen field. Please see the Nursing Foundation Year course page for details of modules.
What career opportunities does this course offer?
Recent Kingston graduates have gone on to work as staff nurses in mental health, forensics and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Others have gained roles in research or psychiatric liaison.
Links with the healthcare sector
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. Please note, this is not available during the foundation year. 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 you will use as part of your course.
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).