Advanced Nursing MSc Level: Postgraduate taught Subject: Nursing Year of entry: 2026 Study options Mode of study On campus Full-time MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2026 Part-time MSc | 2 years | Start date: September 2026 Key facts School School of Health in Social Science College College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Programme website Advanced Nursing Study location Central Area Accreditation Not available Apply now 19 to 21 November 2025: Postgraduate Virtual Open Days Join us live to explore postgraduate taught and research study at Edinburgh and gain key insights before you apply. Register now Overview About the degree programme This innovative programme offers advanced study for nurses working within a global context to enhance practice at the local level.You can either choose a specific pathway (leadership or education) or follow a flexible generic programme with the opportunity to study a range of relevant courses from across the School of Health in Social Science and the wider University.Nursing, health and social care research underpins the whole programme.Who is this programme for?The programme is suitable if you are a nurse registered in any branch of the profession to practice in your own country, and you want to critically examine the ways that evidence-based research, theory and knowledge can advance nursing in the global context. Study options You will begin the MSc at the same entry point as all other students, but depending on the pathway you would like to follow, you have the opportunity to exit with a range of different degree titles:MSc Advanced NursingMSc Advanced Nursing (leadership)MSc Advanced Nursing (education) Fees, costs and funding Tuition fees Tuition fees by award and duration Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year. Full-time MSc Advanced Nursing (1 year) tuition fees Part-time MSc Advanced Nursing (2 years) tuition fees Graduate discount If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.Find out how to receive your graduate discount Deposit You do not have to pay a deposit to secure your place on this programme. Costs Accommodation and living costs You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.Living costs include:foodutility billstravel, clothes, books and stationeryrecreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)Living costsAccommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.University postgraduate accommodation options and costs Funding opportunities Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:borrowing moneytaking out a loanfamily supportpersonal savingsincome from workemployer sponsorshipscholarshipsExplore sources of funding for postgraduate study Search for other funding opportunities You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.Postgraduate funding opportunities Entry requirements These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026. Qualifications A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, and a nursing qualification.We may also consider your application if you have other qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply. International qualifications To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list. Where you studied - Select a country or region -AfghanistanAlbaniaAngolaArgentinaArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBrazilBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCôte d'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDemocratic Republic of CongoDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEritreaEstoniaEswatiniEthiopiaFinlandFranceGabonThe GambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGreeceGuatemalaGuineaHaitiHondurasHong Kong-SAR ChinaHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKorea, Republic ofKuwaitLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLithuaniaLuxembourgMacau-SAR ChinaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMauritiusMexicoMoldovaMongoliaMontenegroMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNepalNetherlands, TheNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorth MacedoniaNorwayOmanPacific IslandsPakistanPalestinian TerritoriesPanamaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth SudanSpainSri LankaSudanSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTajikistanTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTogoTrinidad and TobagoTurkeyTurkmenistanUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited States of AmericaUruguayUzbekistanVenezuelaVietnamWest Indies and CaribbeanZambiaZimbabweMy country or region is not listed English language requirements You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:an English language testa degree that was taught and assessed in Englishcertain professional qualifications English language tests we accept We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher: IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements. TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements. C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 169 in each component. Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components. Oxford ELLT: total 7 with at least 6 in each component. Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 145 with at least 135 in each component. How old your English language tests can be Tests no more than two years oldThe following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:IELTS AcademicTOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)Trinity ISEOxford ELLTOxford Test of English AdvancedTests no more than three and a half years oldAll other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality. Degrees taught and assessed in English We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.UKVI list of majority English speaking countriesWe also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).Approved universities in non-MESCHow old your degree can beIf you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country. Find out more about our English language requirements Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.English language requirements Programme details What you will study Full-time studentsAs a full-time MSc student, you will take four core courses and one option course each semester.Depending on the exit pathway you choose, your dissertation choices are:empiricalresearch proposalThe dissertation is to be completed after Semester 2.You can follow one of three different pathways depending on your career aspirations and areas of interestleadershipeducationa generic pathwayPart-time studentsWe expect part-time students to take sixty credits each academic year (for example, three 20-credit courses) and you will have a choice of dissertation in the final year.You can also follow the two specific pathways or take the generic pathway. Compulsory courses Semester 1 Designing Research in Nursing, Health and Social CareContemporary Issues in Leadership for Health and Social CareSemester 2Learning by Doing Research in Nursing, Health and Social Care - All PathwaysPerson Centred Care in Practice: Relationships and Emotion - Generic PathwayNursing and Global Health Policy: developing your political leadership - Leadership PathwayMoray House course or equivalent education course - Education Pathway Option courses You can choose optional courses from those on offer within the School of Health in Social Science, or across the wider University. They are dependent on the pathway that you choose.Optional courses vary across years depending on the specific courses on offer. They may include, for example:Homelessness and Inclusion HealthGlobal Public Health: a critical approach to health improvementComplex Interventions: an engaged approach to development and evaluationAcquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Stroke RehabilitationCommunity NursingPerson-Centred Care in Practice: Relationships and Emotion Find courses for this programme Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed. The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme. Full-time MSc Advanced Nursing (1 year) (2025-2026) We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative. Teaching and assessment Teaching Teaching is delivered in a range of engaging and interactive formats by academic and specialist staff working in the contemporary health care environment.Examples of teaching methods include:lecturesseminarsworkshopsstudent-led study circles Learning outcomes The programme will enable you to:Develop advanced specialist knowledge and skills to be able to interrogate nursing, health and social care research, scholarship and practice within the context of a globalising world.Develop extensive, detailed and critical knowledge and understanding in either leadership, education or clinical research.Enhance skills to be a professional and critically reflective practitioner able to provide evidence-based practice in both a local and international context.Develop advanced skills in critical analysis for working in an evolving landscape of nursing, health and social care. Support for your studies You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need. How we support you Careers and further study Career opportunities This programme will facilitate career progression for those working in any branch of nursing to develop advanced nursing knowledge, skills and understanding.In addition, if you are taking a specific pathway, you will develop specialist skills in leadership or education to progress your career in these areas. Further study As a student, you will develop research skills to enable you to apply for progression to doctoral level study upon successful completion of the programme. After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.Applying for research degreesMoving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service) Careers Service Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. With the Careers Service, you can: access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengthstry different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you developget help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobsattend careers events and practice interviewsget information and advice to help you make informed decisions Visit the Careers Service website Applying How to apply You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant. When to apply Programme start date Application deadline 14 September 2026 30 July 2026 We encourage you to apply as soon as possible so that we have enough time to process your application. This is particularly important if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.For an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts.If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete. Application fee There is no fee to apply to this programme. What you need to apply As part of your online application, you will need to provide: a personal statementdetails of relevant knowledge/training skillsYou will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:copies of your degree certificates and academic transcripts that confirm your current or final marksevidence you meet the English language requirementscertified translations if your original documents are not in EnglishWhen you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.ReferencesYou do not need to provide a reference when you submit your application for this programme.There may be certain circumstances when a reference will be required, for example if we need to verify work experience. If that is the case, we will contact you after we have reviewed your application to request a reference. Apply Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for. Select programme - Select a programme -MSc Advanced Nursing (1 year)MSc Advanced Nursing (2 years) After you apply Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.Checking the status of your applicationWe will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.Receiving our decisionWhat to do if you receive an offer:Receiving an offerAccepting an offerSubmitting supporting documents Life at Edinburgh Accommodation We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programmeaccept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 Julystudy at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in SeptemberUniversity accommodation websiteAccommodation guarantee criteriaWe also offer accommodation options for couples and families.Accommodation for couples and familiesIf you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place Societies and clubs Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.SocietiesSport Clubs The city of Edinburgh Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. Find out more about living in Edinburgh Exercise, leisure and support facilities Outside of your studies, we offer a range of facilities that you might find useful day-to-day, including:sport and exercise facilitiesUniversity cafes and cateringEdinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA) venues and shopsa multi-faith chaplaincy for all faiths and nonea University nursery (based at King’s Buildings campus) Health and wellbeing support You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.The support services we offer include: a student counselling service a health centre (doctor's surgery) support if you're living in University accommodation dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustmentsHealth and wellbeing support services Disability and Learning Support Contact General enquiries Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply. Contact us Phone:+44 (0)131 650 4086 Academic contact Dr Susanne Kean Programme Director School of Health in Social Science College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences University of Edinburgh Contact details Email: susanne.kean@ed.ac.uk
