Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Nursing

Reasons to choose Kingston University

• This integrated masters course will prepare you to apply to the NMC Register as a Registered Nurse in the fields of mental health and learning disabilities nursing.

• Kingston University is Top University in London and Top 2 in the UK for Mental Health Nursing (The Guardian University Guide 2026), and also top in London for Nursing and Midwifery (The Complete University Guide 2026).

• We won two awards at the 2023 Student Nursing Times Awards, including Teaching Innovation of the Year for our simulated public health elective. This was part of our annual student nursing electives programme, which was also nominated for the Best Student Experience award, where students are supported to organise their own national or international placement of their choosing.

• 50% of the course will be on placement or in our award-winning simulation suites (Student Nursing Times Awards 2019), developing practical and therapeutic skills. You'll have the opportunity to learn with and from people with lived experience of mental health challenges at the Recovery College.

About this course
This integrated masters course will prepare you to apply to the NMC Register as a Registered Nurse in the fields of mental health and learning disabilities nursing.

Mental health nursing and learning disability nursing are both highly rewarding careers where you can make a real difference. One in four people experience mental health problems in any given year, and this course prepares you to work in collaboration with service users, their relatives and carers towards recovery.

You'll explore the management of complex conditions across the lifespan, from children to the older person and those with dementia or other mental or physical health needs. You'll study the factors that affect people's health inequalities in our society and how we can improve health outcomes for people with a learning disability and autistic spectrum conditions (ASC).

Your studies include core elements for all fields of nursing and modules specific to mental health and learning disabilities. You'll learn first-hand from mental health service users and carers, through our strong partnerships with service user and carer-led organisations including the Recovery College, the Sutton Carers Centre and the South West London Recovery College,

You'll have the opportunity to apply your learning in a wide range of placements. Our placement providers include South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust, Surrey and Borders Partnership Trust, South London and Maudsley (SLAM) NHS Foundation Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and independent hospitals, including the Priory Group, the Children's Trust and the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, as well as in community settings.

At the end of your second year you'll have the opportunity to take an optional elective placement, nationally or internationally.