Health Studies BSc(Hons) top-up degree

Course in brief

This course is suitable for you if you are a qualified nurse or other professional, have completed a UK-credited diploma programme (or equivalent) and want to top up to an honours degree.

It is also suitable if you have studied a foundation degree in a health and social care related subject and wish to continue your studies to bachelor level.

The values of the NHS constitution are embedded in our curriculum; where patients come first in everything the NHS does, and include respect and dignity, compassion and working together for patients.

By the end of the course you will be able to critically analyse factors that affect health and wellbeing. You will also have gained an evidence-based understanding of health as a contested concept and gained academic skills to aid your development within your own specialist area. This top-up course also provides an excellent foundation for students to progress to masters-level study.

Within the course there is an opportunity to undertake a placement with a local voluntary agency to gain some work experience.

The course is delivered by expert teachers, practitioners and researchers from the School of Health Sciences.

If you wish to study full-time, your application is made through UCAS using the following codes:

Institution code: B72
Course code: L511
Institution code name: BRITN
Short form of course: BSc/HSTU

Part-time students can email the admissions team directly for an application form.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Falmer

UCAS code L511

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

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Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2017. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

A-levels
not suitable

International Baccalaureate
not suitable

Access to HE Diploma
not suitable

GCSE (minimum grade C)
not applicable

Other
This top up degree is suitable for qualified nurses who wish to gain graduate status or students with a foundation degree who want to achieve academic progression to a degree.

Applicants to the course are expected to:

1. Have a health and social care-related diploma of higher education, or foundation degree (minimum of 120 level 5 credits)

or:

hold a current registered qualification in health or social care with the Nursing and Midwifery Council, the Health and Social Care Professions Council or equivalent Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB).

2. Normally have successfully completed study within the last five years at Level 5 or 6

or:

successfully complete a Level 6 module prior to registering on the award.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.

Course in detail

Course structure

The course is offered on a full-time basis (two semesters in one year) or a part-time basis (four semesters over two years).

One academic year has two semesters. These run from September to February and from February to June.

If you are a full-time student will you will need to attend the university on three days in semester 1, and two days in semester 2. If you are a part-time student, you are expected to attend for two days in semester 1 and then one day in each semester thereafter.

A range of teaching and learning strategies are used within this course, including lectures, small group seminars, student presentations, online learning and specific professional based visits.

You will be assessed in a variety of ways which will include written essays and examinations. Assessments are fully supported and include early formative assessments in semester 1 to review your progress. You will also be allocated a supervisor to support your dissertation development in the final semester.

You will also have to opportunity to submit work for feedback that will not count towards your final grade.

Full-time

If you choose to study full-time, you will complete the course in one year, over two semesters.

At the beginning of the course you will work with a personal tutor to build your personal development plan which will guide you towards future career choices.

International students can benefit from an additional five-day orientation to nursing in the UK programme. This can involve hospital tours, developing practical skills in our state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite and Flexible Learning Environment (FLE), community health centre tours, learning about cultural and NHS policy and a visit to the Florence Nightingale museum in London. There will be an additional cost for this programme.

Semester 1

As a full-time student you will study three modules in your first semester. You will attend lectures three days per week.

Semester 1 requires the achievement of 60 credits gained through successful completion of the following modules:

Research in Health,
Health Law and Ethics
Either Organisation and Management in the Health Care Setting, or a community engagement module with volunteer experience in the local community.

Semester 2

If you study full-time, you will complete the course in your second semester, attending lectures for one and a half days each week. You will also complete your dissertation in this semester.

Semester 2 requires achievement of a further 60 credits gained through successful completion of the following modules:

Health Promotion
Dissertation

The dissertation module will allow you to explore in-depth a concept related to health through using an extended literature review methodology. This will be supported through action learning sets and offers you the opportunity to consolidate your studies into one project area and perhaps apply your interest to a future career pathway.

Part-time

Part-time students only

If you choose to study part time, you will study the same modules as full-time students but over two years rather than one.

In the first semester of year 1 you will attend lectures for two days per week. In your second semester, you will study one module and attend lectures for one day a week.

In your second year, you will study one module in the first semester and attend lectures for one day a week. Your second semester will mainly be spent writing your dissertation, with half a day of lectures each fortnight.

Modules

Research in Health
Health Law and Ethics
Either Organisation and Management in the Health Care Setting or a Community Engagement module with volunteer experience in the local community.
Health Promotion
Dissertation

Facilities

Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite

Our state-of-the-art Clinical Skills and Simulation Suite is among the best equipped in the country, and proves to be an invaluable tool for assessment and monitoring students' progress throughout the course.

You will benefit from practising a range of nursing skills in an environment that simulates real-life professional experiences. Provided by the NHS’ South East Coast Ambulance Service, you may have access to our Simbulance, enabling you to work alongside paramedic students in an interprofessional learning environment. On board is a high fidelity manikin with multiple uses, and a child-size manikin for paediatric scenarios.

Learning by simulation means you will be confident in your ability to apply your knowledge and skills in your day-to-day professional life.

Flexible Learning Environment

The Flexible Learning Environment offers students an adapted home environment in a residential location where they can practise their skills and learn from other students while taking part in a unique and realistic training experience.

Every room is fitted with cameras and microphones, so that students can be directed and monitored from the control room while the observation room provides the opportunity to review, playback and debrief.

Staff profile

Nita Muir

Nita Muir is an experienced nurse who moved from a leadership role in clinical practice into a senior lecturer role at the School of Nursing and Midwifery in 2002.

During her time at the school, Nita has imparted her significant educational expertise and successfully developed health and nursing curricula at Brighton.

She has an academic interest in trans-cultural and international nursing and has been involved in a range of international projects. She is currently also studying for a doctorate in education.

Nita brings this raft of experience to the Health Studies top-up course.

Careers and employability

The Health Studies top-up BSc(Hons) will significantly enhance your employability in the sector and in other areas of work.

The degree can help open doors to positions in management and administration (with potential access to the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme), health education, health promotion, teaching, medical law, medical journalism, community development or health research.

Recent graduates of the course have developed their clinical careers in nursing and gone on to hold senior positions in acute and community health organisations, both in the UK and internationally.

If you are interested in entering the caring profession, the Health Studies BSc(Hons) offers the basis for future fast-track graduate conversion into professions such as nursing and social work.

You will gain skills including the ability to gather, understand, interpret, and present information in a clear, logical and engaging way, which can be applied to many areas of work and will also prepare you for masters-level study.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,000 GBP

International (full-time) 13,800 GBP

International students can benefit from an additional five-day orientation to nursing in the UK programme. There is an additional cost for this programme.

Students starting this course in September 2016

NHS funding is available for students from England but may vary according to individual circumstances. Please contact us directly for exact tuition fees and for information on the funding available for this course.

Changes to funding arrangements for students starting health courses in September 2017

From 1 August 2017, new students from England starting many health courses will no longer be funded by the NHS, but they will have access to the standard government student finance support package that consists of loans to meet the cost of tuition fees and living costs.

At present we are unable to advise how this course may be affected by these changes. The government consultation on these changes closes on 30 June 2016. We will provide further details of funding arrangements for 2017 when we have them. The Funding Clinic website provides up-to-date information about these changes.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, field trips or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Brighton has been called the happiest place in the UK, and it’s easy to see why. With five miles of pebble beach, more than 300 pubs and a packed festival calendar, Brighton is the ideal place to spend your student years.

Arts and culture: The Royal Pavilion is the most famous landmark in Brighton, opening its doors to around 400,000 tourists every year. Right next door is the Brighton Dome, the south coast’s premier multi-arts venue, and the Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, which holds a diverse collection of decorative arts, textiles and archaeological artefacts.

Festivals: The Brighton Festival is now the largest arts festival in England and a major milestone in the international cultural calendar. Meanwhile, The Great Escape has been established as the UK’s leading event for new music, with over 300 bands playing 30 venues across the city over three days.

Nightlife: Aside from the many nightclubs that line the city’s seafront, student favourites include The Haunt, Concorde 2 and Patterns, which attract leading bands and DJs from around the world. If you don’t feel like dancing, you can take your pick from the many hundreds of pubs and bars that dot the city centre.

Shopping: The quirky North Laine district houses Brighton’s finest collection of boutique shops and independent cafes, while the narrow, winding streets of the South Lanes house collections of jewellery and antiques. Churchill Square is the city’s main shopping centre and serves all of your high street needs.

Sports: Brighton’s seaside location offers the perfect opportunity to try paddle boarding, kayaking and windsurfing. Further into the city, The Level has a skate park for skateboarders and BMX riders to practise their skills.

Campus where this course is taught

Falmer campus

Surrounded by the South Downs National Park and just five miles from the centre of Brighton, our Falmer campus has benefited from over £60million of investment over the past 10 years. 7,000 students are based here, studying subjects including English, education, social science, nursing and medicine.

Recent developments include the Falmer Sports Centre – with its fitness suites and sports hall – and the innovative Checkland Building, which has natural ventilation systems and an insulating green roof.

Falmer has also recently installed more than 600 solar panels, which reduce the campus’s carbon emissions by more than 80 tonnes. The renovation has made us one of the top universities in the UK for on-site renewable energy production.

Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Our Grand Parade campus is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance. We have around 300 rooms available in Phoenix Brewery, which are all ensuite and self-catered.

Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus. All accommodation in Moulsecoomb Place is catered, offering breakfast and an evening meal during term time. There are more than 150 rooms available here, with six to eight rooms per flat.

Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence. The site is four miles from Brighton centre but within walking distance of Falmer train station. You can also catch a free bus service to Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb and Falmer campuses, which is operated by local bus service The Big Lemon.

Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field. Great Wilkins offers 150+ self-catered single rooms and one-bed couples flats, while Paddock Field offers 450+ catered and self-catered single rooms only. All rooms in Falmer are en-suite.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. The rent covers all utilities and includes £5,000 of contents insurance for your personal belongings.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

If you have any questions about accommodation in Brighton, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Falmer campus and Brighton and Sussex Medical School map

Find out more

School of Health Sciences
01273 644016
namcpeadmissions@brighton.ac.uk

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Student views

Grace Mutingwende

Nursing is a dynamic and fast-changing profession. There are constant challenges encountered, innovations in practice, policy developments and new standards for treatment. Having initially studied for a nursing diploma and with ten years' post-qualifying experience, I then enrolled for a Health Studies top-up BSc(Hons) at the University of Brighton. I found myself having to study hard to keep up with the dynamic profession. My dilemma as a working mum was trying to find flexible study arrangements that would fit in with work and family life.

The university provided this balance for me. Reflecting on my two years at the University of Brighton, I have benefitted tremendously. The experience has upgraded my critical thinking skills – an asset to my role as a registered general nurse. I have worked with supportive tutors alongside other students from varying backgrounds. I am leaving the University of Brighton as an independent and reflective learner, better able to provide evidence-based and current nursing care.

Becca Arnold

I have thoroughly enjoyed studying Health Studies (top up) BSc(Hons) at the University of Brighton.

After completing my Higher National Diploma in health and social care, I decided to come to Brighton to do the top-up to get my full degree. This has given me a great insight into different aspects of health and health organisations. Studying alongside nurses and other health care professionals has given me a chance to gain knowledge and understanding from their experiences as well as sharing my own.

Having moved from the North to Brighton I am now planning on staying and starting a career in the health sector.