Entry requirements vary depending on the institution the student wishes to study at. In general, DipHE applicants will need a minimum of five GCSEs (General Certificate of Education) including English, math and science at grades A to C. Degree applicants usually must hold five GCSEs including Enlglish, math and science at grades A to C. They must also have three A-levels, preferably with at least one in a science. In place of A-levels a student can hold an NVQ3 (National Vocational Qualification) in a health care related subject. An interview with the leaders of the students chosen branch will also be held before an offer is made, and work history and experience will also be taken into consideration for both DipHE and degree applicants.
The Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE) is a three year qualification. When applying for the DipHE courses, a student must specify which branch of nursing they wish to study. The diploma is run in tandem with the degree course. Degree and diploma students are taught together. During the first year, students study a CFP (Common Foundation Program). The CFP year gives students an overview of all four branches of nursing. It also covers basic nursing skills and anatomy and physiology. The remaining two years are branch-specific. The diploma course is 50 percent academic study and 50 percent clinical practice. After seven weeks of study, students attend a seven week clinical placement, this pattern is continued throughout the course. Diploma students must produce three assignments of 3,000 words each as their final project.
The degree qualification is a bachelor of science (Bsc), and involves a three year period of study. Taught in conjunction with the DipHE, the degree course follows the same format as DipHE until year three. In year three, degree students must submit a dissertation of 8,000 to 10,000 words.
After year one, all students have the option to switch from their initial choice of branch to one of the other three. Any student wishing to change has to make a written request. Their performance from the previous year will be taken into consideration, and an interview will be required. Any change will be at the discretion of the head tutor. After year two, diploma students may request to upgrade to the degree course for their final year. If the tutor deems the student capable of achieving a degree qualification, based on previous work, both clinical and academic, then the student may switch courses, and submit a dissertation to achieve a degree. Degree students who find themselves struggling to achieve the necessary grades are allowed to downgrade to the diploma qualification after year two.