University course · real outcomes from HESA / Discover Uni · part of Careermash

University degree

Mental Health Nursing

Abertay University

Qualification

Degree

Length

3 yrs

UK fees / yr

£9,535

Study

full-time

Worth knowing: about 19% of students don't make it past first year here - ask the uni what support they offer.

Robin · your guide

Here's the honest picture on this course - what you'd study, whether you'd likely get in, what it pays, and where it leads. Everything's real data.

About this course

Mental health nursing is a clinical profession dedicated to supporting people who are experiencing mental health difficulties, from common conditions such as anxiety and depression to more complex challenges including psychosis, personality disorders, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Mental health nurses build therapeutic relationships with patients, assess their mental state and risk, administer and monitor medications, facilitate therapeutic interventions, and work with families and communities to support recovery. The profession requires a distinctive combination of scientific knowledge, clinical skill, emotional intelligence, and the ability to maintain professional boundaries while offering genuine human care.

At Abertay University you will study this three-year full-time degree, which leads to registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a mental health nurse. The programme integrates academic study with substantial clinical placements across a range of mental health settings, including inpatient wards, community mental health teams, crisis services, and specialist services for young people or people with substance misuse difficulties. Across the programme you will study mental health law, the biology and psychology of mental disorders, evidence-based nursing interventions, medication management, risk assessment and management, and the ethical frameworks that govern practice.

The typical entry tariff is 136 points, and the programme is designed to develop you from a nursing student to a competent, confident, and compassionate mental health professional.

Registered mental health nurses work across the NHS, independent healthcare, social care, the prison service, community settings, and the voluntary sector. Scotland has a significant mental health workforce and Abertay's connections to NHS Tayside and other local providers support strong employment pathways for graduates. Mental health nursing offers genuine career development through specialist qualifications, community nursing, research, and management.

Further study at postgraduate level is available for those seeking advanced clinical roles or academic careers.

Could you get in?

The grades students arrived with

<48 pts5%

80-95 pts5%

96-111 pts5%

112-127 pts15%

128-143 pts20%

144-159 pts5%

160-175 pts15%

176-191 pts5%

192-207 pts5%

How they qualified

25% got in with an Access course. The rest came in a mix of ways:

an Access course25%

another degree25%

other higher education20%

A-levels15%

no formal qualifications15%

Could I get in? Try your grades

120 UCAS pts

Pay & prospects

86%

In work or further study after

81%

Continue past first year

97%

Student satisfaction

What graduates earn over time

£30,000

After 15 months

£29,500

3 years on

£34,000

5 years on

What graduates actually go on to do % of leavers

Nursing ProfessionalsHighly skilled46%

Caring personal services15%

Natural and social science professionalsHighly skilled17%

Skilled trades occupations2%

Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsHighly skilled9%

Managers, directors and senior officialsHighly skilled2%

Other Health ProfessionalsHighly skilled2%

Finance ProfessionalsHighly skilled2%

What students say National Student Survey

97%

of students are satisfied with the course overall

Teaching98%

Assessment & feedback97%

Academic support98%

Well organised98%

Learning resources96%

Student community98%

In students' own words

★★★★★

Exceeded expectations

Honestly, one of the best decisions I've made. The best part: early clinical exposure gave me the confidence to approach patients. If I'm honest, accommodation allocation was stressful in the first year. On the city — good transport links m…

Third year · Full-time

★★★★★

Would do it again

The course has exceeded my expectations. The best part: OSCEs are tough but you leave competent. If I'm honest, would like to see more industry guest speakers in later years. On the city — local cost of living is manageable if you share a h…

Class of 2024 · Full-time

Similar courses that cost less same subject, lower fees

Holy Cross College

Early Childhood and Health and Social Care

£9,250

save £285/yr

More courses like this

The University of Essex

Applied Biomedical Science

The University of Manchester

Biomedical Sciences

City of Sunderland College