Nursing Associate Foundation Degree

The Nursing Associate Foundation Degree (FdSc) at Keele University prepares you to take the next step in your healthcare career. Designed for those already working in a caring role or with some prior experience, the programme focuses on the practical skills, knowledge, and professional behaviours needed to become a Nursing Associate. You'll study alongside apprentices on Keele’s established Nursing Associate Apprenticeship (FdSc), gaining hands-on experience and real-world insights. This programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Why choose this course?

• 2nd in England for Nursing (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2025)

• Top 10 UK universities for Nursing and Midwifery (Complete University Guide, 2026)

• Top 10 in England for Adult (General) Nursing (Guardian University Guide, 2025)

• This programme is approved by the Nursing and Midwifery Council

• 9th for Nursing and Midwifery (Daily Mail University Guide, 2026)

Our Nursing Associate Foundation Degree (FdSc) programme is fully aligned with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Standards, providing a solid foundation that connects across all fields of nursing: Adult, Children’s, Learning Disability, and Mental Health.

The combination of theory and practical modules will develop your knowledge, skills, and professional behaviours. You'll build progressively in academic level, professional responsibility, and technical skills, with key themes embedded throughout the programme. These include being an accountable nursing professional, promoting health and preventing ill health, providing and monitoring care, working in teams, improving safety and quality of care, and contributing to integrated care.

Your progress will be reviewed throughout the year with your Academic Mentor. These regular check-ins help keep you on track and ensure you get the right support at every stage, whether from academic mentors, clinical supervisors, or specialist wellbeing services.

You’ll spend at least two days per week in clinical practice, across eight placement blocks over two years, adding up to a minimum of 1,150 hours. Practice areas will include hospitals, primary care, mental health, learning disabilities, and community-based settings.

Successful completion of this programme means you are eligible to apply for registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) within five years of completion.

About Keele
Keele University was established in 1949 by the former Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University. Founded to meet the needs of a changing world, Keele has always had a pioneering vision to be a different kind of university.

We excel in both teaching and research, with some of the most satisfied students in England, and research that is changing lives for the better at a regional, national and global level.

Our beautiful 600-acre campus is one of the biggest in Britain – but all the most important services and facilities are on your doorstep, with accommodation, teaching spaces, facilities including a medical centre, sports centre and pharmacy, and a range of shops, eateries and entertainment venues – including the Students’ Union – clustered around the centre.