Children's and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci
Subject and course type
- Nursing and midwifery
- Undergraduate
Join this four-year integrated masters course to gain dual field registration in children's and learning disabilities nursing.
Kingston University is rated No.1 in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026) and top in London for Children’s Nursing (The Guardian University Guide 2026).
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Make a positive difference to the lives of children and people with learning disabilities
Take the first steps towards your career as a both a Children’s and Learning Disabilities Nurse
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.
Throughout this 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 in all fields of nursing within clinical, community and practice health settings.
Our award-winning simulation suite (Student Nursing Times Awards 2019) offers a wide range of realistic environments to learn in. These include hospital wards and community settings, with service users who play patients or relatives.
By taking part in award-winning innovative simulations with role players and full body manikins, you will develop the knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed for safe and effective patient care.
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 Children’s and Learning Disabilities Nursing MSci integrated masters course will prepare you to apply to the NMC Register as a Registered Nurse with dual qualification in both the fields of children's and learning disabilities nursing.
Throughout the course, you'll learn to provide evidence-based care for children and young people (from birth to age 18), and people with learning disabilities across the lifespan. This will include working in partnership with individuals, their families and other health and social care professionals, in hospital and community settings.
You'll also study the factors that affect health inequalities in our society and how we can improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability.
The course is a blend of university-based learning activities and clinical placements. It will provide you with the skills and knowledge you will need to become a nurse. You'll spend 50% of your time on placement in hospitals, in the community and in our skills and award-winning simulation labs developing valuable, hands-on skills.
You'll be taught by a dynamic teaching team who are nationally and internationally recognised. Staff members have contributed to key text books and achieved awards for their excellence in learning and teaching.
You will apply your learning through placements in hospital and community settings. Placement settings include:
- medical and surgical care environments
- community and hospital-based learning disabilities services
- community nursing
- GP practice nursing
- integrated community teams
Placement opportunities are at London's leading NHS hospitals, including:
- Great Ormond Street
- St George's, Epsom and St Helier, Kingston, Royal Marsden, Chelsea and Westminster and Croydon Hospitals
- South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust
- Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust
- the Children's Trust
- the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability
All students have the opportunity to take a national or international elective at the end of Year 2. Previous graduates have travelled to India, Bulgaria, Tanzania, UAE and New Zealand. Nationally, students have also gained valuable experience in areas such as paramedic care, children's hospices, community service, exploring their specialist area of interest or building future networks for the next phase of their career.
Kingston University is top in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026).
Top University in London for Children’s 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
60 credits
This module introduces you to the context of nursing practice across a range of healthcare settings. You will learn about contemporary healthcare concepts and a range of common health conditions. You will be introduced to The Code (NMC, 2018) to gain knowledge and understanding of its importance in guiding the nurse to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care, which is essential when caring for service users in partnership with families and other healthcare professionals. You will also develop your clinical skills and knowledge during this module.
30 credits
This module will help you develop your knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and physiology across the lifespan in relation to nursing, which is an essential element of nursing proficiency.
Pathophysiology will be explored in relation to common conditions and you will also begin to develop your knowledge of pharmacological concepts in preparation for therapeutic interventions explored in Year 2.
The main features of the module are to enable you to apply scientific principles to nursing care. It will also support you to identify and understand current nursing practices underpinned by scientific theory.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
30 credits
This module is a core requirement for all students across all fields of the BSc/MSci Nursing programmes. As an introductory module, it will enable you to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of public health and health promotion. You will explore the global, social, political, economic and psycho-social forces on the population's health and well-being. In addition, you will explore the evolution of public health, the determinants of health and health inequalities.
Year 2
Core modules
30 credits
This module explores local, national and global perspectives on contemporary and future public health issues related to caring for children and young people in community and other health, social care and education settings. You will develop your knowledge, skills and attitudes required to promote health and prevent ill health for children and young people in partnership with families and wider socio-political networks.
30 credits
This module will give you the skills and knowledge to understand the principles of evidence-based healthcare. You will learn how to apply them effectively to your clinical practice. You will learn concepts and skills used to search for, review and critique evidence. You will also develop the clinical skills and proficiencies required for Part 2 of your programme, through skills and simulated practice learning activities. A key element of the module is developing an understanding of the digital technologies used for enhancing care, in line with contemporary healthcare policy.
15 credits
This module will provide you with the foundational pharmacological and medicines management knowledge to enable you to safely develop your skills and knowledge in the administration of medicines to clients, patients and service users. You will develop your understanding of the regulatory, legal, and ethical frameworks that influence medicines management and the underlying pharmacological science. Issues such as concordance will be explored, and the skills required to access resources to support medicines management practice. Embedded within the module is simulated practice learning that will support the development of your clinical skills related to medicines management.
30 credits
This module will enable you to develop the knowledge, skills, and approaches of planning and delivering care with people with a learning disability within their support systems.
You will further enhance your knowledge, skills, and approaches to facilitate reasonable adjustments made to improve access to healthcare for people with a learning disability. You will develop your understanding of working in partnership with a range of health and care professionals, and people with a learning disability to achieve optimum individual health and wellbeing within a multi- or inter-disciplinary context.
You will develop, evaluate, and reflect on both packages of care and resource/resources designed to improve the health and wellbeing of people with a learning disability.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Option module
15 credits
In Year 2 of the course, you will have the opportunity to undertake an option module. Examples of modules available include: Global Health, Wound Management, Child and Adolescent Mental Health. You will be provided with details of all modules available at the beginning of Year 2 so you can make your decision.
Year 3
Core modules
30 credits
This module enables you to assess, plan, implement and evaluate quality nursing care for children and young people with acute illness. The nursing care will be holistic in nature therefore covering physical aspects and addressing psychological, social and cultural needs of the child and family. You will explore how care can be delivered in partnership with children, young people and their families and the interdisciplinary team. The care discussed will be based on best evidence and tailored to the individualised needs of the child and family.
30 credits
This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for your role in coordinating and managing the care of people with a complex learning disability. You will explore the support provided in a range of organisations and settings, including working with families and other health and care professionals.
The module explores the complex role of the learning disability nurse, working as a specialist, to enrich the quality of life of people with learning disabilities across a diverse range of communities and organisations. Experts from lived experience will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting you through a range of complex case studies whilst taking into consideration current socio economical and workforce challenges. You will also develop the clinical skills and proficiencies required for Part 3 of your programme through skills and simulated practice learning activities. You will build on your knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
30 credits
Navigating the transition from student to a professional practitioner who is skilled at leading teams is critically important to the delivery of safe, effective and high quality health care. This module is designed to prepare you for professional nursing practice by expanding your knowledge and skills to enable you to be an accountable and compassionate leader within the health and social care system.
The module focuses on leadership, team working, and performance management and enables nursing students to reflect on their transition to registered practice and build the evidence base for a career development portfolio. Some sessions will be shared across fields as they are core for all fields.
30 credits
This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for their future leadership role in coordinating and managing the complex needs of people with a learning disability across a range of organisations and settings. The module explores the complex role of the learning disability nurse, working as a specialist, to enrich the quality of life of people with learning disabilities. Experts from lived experience will be involved in the learning and teaching, supporting students through a range of complex case studies and current socio economical and workforce challenges. You will build on their knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
Year 4
Core modules
30 credits
This module aims to explore the key areas that will enable you to transition and fulfil the role of a registered nurse. The module is designed to prepare you for professional nursing practice by further developing your knowledge and skills to enable you to be an accountable and compassionate registrant within the health and social care system. It focuses on the mechanisms that underpin care organisation and delivery, how nurses are integral to and can influence this and aims to develop your critical understanding of the factors influencing the environment in which you will be working. The role of politics in health and social care policy is critically explored and the module will provide you with the opportunities to explore these issues through a social justice lens.
30 credits
This module will provide you with the underpinning knowledge and skills required for your future leadership role in coordinating and managing the complex and palliative care needs of children in partnership with the family across a range of organisations and settings. You will consider the wishes of children, young people and their families, their culture and the services available within the political landscape. You will build on your knowledge of partnership and collaborative working and examine the cultural, political, psychosocial and technological influences on nursing care, resource management and finances.
30 credits
This module provides you with an opportunity to critically explore and evaluate an area o healthcare practice that you are interested in. It will enable you to extend the knowledge you have gained about evidence-based healthcare and undertake a small, focused literature review. This will facilitate the further development of your EBH skills and allow you to explore an area of interest in more depth. The module will be facilitated by individual supervision provided by your personal tutor.
Non-credit bearing credits
This module is the Practice Assessment Module which is designed to support you with the achievement of the NMC proficiencies and practice assessment requirements. The module focuses on practice preparation, reflection following practice experiences and the development of your numeracy skills.
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 nurse (Paediatrics)
- Staff nurse (Paediatric intensive care)
- School nurse
- Health visitor staff nurse
- A&E nurse (Paediatrics)
- Neonatal nurse
Types of organisations include:
- Croydon University Hospital
- Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals
- Guy's & St Thomas's NHS Foundation Trust
- Kingston Hospital
- St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Ormond Street Hospital
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Bupa Cromwell Hospital
- St Peters Hospital (Chertsey)
- Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust
- West Middlesex University Hospital
- University College London Hospital
- Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust
- Western Sussex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
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.
Outside the scheduled learning and teaching hours, you will learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, preparing for and completing your work for assessments. Some independent study work may need to be completed on-campus, as you may need to access campus-based facilities such as studios and labs.
Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, be a support throughout your time at Kingston and who will show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 120 credits across a year (typical for an undergraduate course) would equate to 1,200 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below for each year of study. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- Year 1: 57% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 2: 83% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 3: 75% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 4: 75% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will be a blended learning course which means you will spend some time on campus, some learning online and some time on clinical placement.
Types of assessment
- Year 1: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 2: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 3: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
- Year 4: Coursework 75%; exams 25%
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
We aim to provide feedback on assessments within 20 working days.
Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9am and 6pm. For undergraduate students Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | £10,050* |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2027/28): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 2 (2028/29): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 3 (2029/30): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 4 (2030/31): | £To be confirmed |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'Overseas' student.
*For full-time programmes lasting more than one academic year, a tuition fee is payable for each academic year of the course.
Your annual tuition fee covers your first attempt at all modules required for that academic year. Any re-study or repeat of modules will incur additional charges, calculated according to the number of credits taken.
Home students (UK): Tuition fees are subject to inflation-linked increases in line with government policy. Updated fees will be confirmed in line with the maximum fee cap set by the Government or the Office for Students (OfS) for each academic year. This means your fee may increase for each academic year of study, but only up to the maximum amount permitted for that year.
International students: Full-time taught international student fees are subject to an annual increase, which is published in advance for the full duration of your programme.
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | £9,790* |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2026/27): | £19,900 |
| Year 2 (2027/28): | £20,700 |
| Year 3 (2028/29): | £21,500 |
| Year 4 (2029/30): | £22,400 |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'Overseas' student.
*For full-time programmes lasting more than one academic year, a tuition fee is payable for each academic year of the course.
Your annual tuition fee covers your first attempt at all modules required for that academic year. Any re-study or repeat of modules will incur additional charges, calculated according to the number of credits taken.
Home students (UK): Tuition fees are subject to inflation-linked increases in line with government policy. Updated fees will be confirmed in line with the maximum fee cap set by the Government or the Office for Students (OfS) for each academic year. This means your fee may increase for each academic year of study, but only up to the maximum amount permitted for that year.
International students: Full-time taught international student fees are subject to an annual increase, which is published in advance for the full duration of your programme.
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | £9,535 |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2025/26): | £18,800 |
| Year 2 (2026/27): | £19,600 |
| Year 3 (2027/28): | £20,400 |
| Year 4 (2028/29): | £21,200 |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'Overseas' student. In 2025/26 the fees for this course are above.
* For full time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full time taught International fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.
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:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations - Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Placements
Placement expenses for travel and accommodation may be reimbursed by NHS Bursaries where, for example, the requirement exceeds that of attending university; or requires additional accommodation to that of the usual term time location. These expenses may need to be covered initially by the student before any applicable reimbursement is received. Please note: EU and international students may not be eligible for support for travel and accommodation.
The University will pay for your application to be processed, but you’ll need to subscribe to the Update Service for £16 per year. This allows universities and potential employers to view any changes to your DBS.
Professional body membership fees whilst on course are approximately £10. Nursing and Midwifery Council registration fees, once qualified, are currently £120 for the year.
Subject to eligibility and approval by the faculty, students are able to arrange their own elective clinical placements either in the UK or overseas. Students are required to make the necessary arrangements for any electives, including costs such as travel, accommodation, visas and additional vaccinations.
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.
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).
