Entry Requirements

Full-Time Programme: 

The Healthcare Education Centre at Aberystwyth University promotes an inclusive admission criterion; however, applicants who are unsure of their admission qualifications are encouraged to discuss their academic achievements and experiences with the Undergraduate Admissions Office (admissions@aber.ac.uk). 

UCAS Tariff 104 – 96 

This includes Level 3 qualifications such as: 

• 3 A-Levels – BCC/CCC 
• The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A-Level (at the grades listed above) 
• BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM-MMM 
• BTEC Diploma – D*D-DD 
• Access to HE Diploma – Merit overall 
• International Baccalaureate – 26-28 
• European Baccalaureate – 26% overall 
• Or any other equivalent qualifications.

And

• GCSE (or recognised alternative) at a minimum grade C/4 in: English/Welsh Language and Mathematics 

For further details regarding the application process and short listing, please see visit our dedicated FAQ pages. 

Part-Time Programme 

The Healthcare Education Centre at Aberystwyth University promotes an inclusive admission criterion in line with the RPL/APEL process. Applicants are encouraged to contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (admissions@aber.ac.uk) and their own Line Manager for further information.

The part-time programme is open to applicants currently employed in caring/healthcare roles within the Healthcare Sector in Mid Wales. Applicants may hold level 3 academic qualifications (as listed for the full-time programme), but the entry requirements to the part time programme for everyone will include submission of the evidence outlined under either the RPL or APEL process. Admissions will be via Direct Application route.

Applications via Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL] process:

• Level 4 qualification – Certificate in Healthcare for Higher Education or another recognised/relevant healthcare alternative qualification at this level/credits (or above).

This programme/qualification must include:

• Confirmation that the Level 4 programme (or recognised alternative programme) content is mapped to Part 1 of Aberystwyth University’s BSc Nursing programme
• Completion of the All-Wales Practice Assessment Document (2018) – Part 1
• Confirmation of practice hours (800 hours over the last two years)
• Confirmation of Occupational Health screening conducted by the applicant’s employer, providing any relevant information to the Healthcare Education Team, which may require consideration for reasonable adjustment or Fitness to Practise panel
• Completion of Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Screening with results meeting professional requirements (see Fitness to Practice information)
• Mandatory training compliance as stipulated by the applicant’s employer which meets programme skills mapping for Part 1
• Application and approval for employer study leave, and Line Manager agreement
• GCSE (or recognised alternative) at a minimum grade C/4 in:
  • English/Welsh Language and Mathematics

 OR

Applications via Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning [APEL] process:

• APEL will be considered on an individual basis
• Mandatory training compliance as stipulated by the applicant’s employer which meets programme skills mapping for Part 1
• Application and approval for employer study leave, and Line Manager agreement
• Confirmation of Occupational Health screening conducted by the applicant’s employer, providing any relevant information with the Healthcare Education Team, which may require consideration for reasonable adjustment or Fitness to Practise panel.
• Completion of Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Screening with results meeting professional requirements (see Fitness to Practice information)
• GCSE (or recognised alternative) at a minimum grade C/4 in:
• English/Welsh Language and Mathematics

APeL applications normally incur a charge for academic support and assessment. This will be agreed in accordance with the number of credits to be APeL’d.

In addition to academic achievements, in order to comply with professional requirements, the admission criteria also include:  

• Good Health and Good Character assessment (see Fitness to Practise information below) 
  If you are offered a place with us, you will have to complete an Occupational Health Screening form 
• Enhanced DBS clearance (see Fitness to Practise information below) 
  If you are offered a place with us, you will have to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Screening 

Please see guidance-on-health-and-character-august-2020.pdf (nmc.org.uk) for more information. 

For international students, an International English Language Testing System [IELTS] with an overall score of at least 7 and at least 6.5 in the writing section and at least 7 in the reading, listening and speaking sections is accepted. An OET certificate minimum of C+ in writing alongside a minimum of B in reading, listening and speaking will also be accepted. 

Health and Character

Health and Character requirements as stipulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council [NMC] means that you, as a prospective applicant and a student nurse, are capable of safe and effective practice either with or without reasonable adjustments. It does not mean the absence of a health condition or disability. 

Whilst the NMC do not regulate student nurses, they do however regulate Higher Educational Institutions responsible for delivering pre-registration nurse education, and therefore expect prospective applicants and students to meet health and character requirements so they are able to deliver safe, competent and confident nursing practice in line with achieving the core proficiencies and perform core skills of the profession as outlined in Standards of Proficiency for Registered Nurses (NMC, 2018; updated 2024) Standards of proficiency for registered nurses - The Nursing and Midwifery Council.

In addition, the NMC stipulates that prospective applicants and nursing students’ health and character must be sufficient to enable safe and effective practice on entering and during a programme of study. 

Therefore, Aberystwyth University’s Healthcare Education Centre [HEC] requires their prospective and current nursing students to engage with Occupational Health Screening processes as part of their study offer conditions during the admission pathway and ongoing after commencing the programme.

More information about the NMC’s health and character requirements can be found here:

https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/guidance-on-health-and-character-2024/

Aberystwyth University’s HEC is also further guided by the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners [HEOPs] 2026 guidance – Nurse, Midwife and Nursing Associate Students – Standards of Medical Fitness to Train, to which the NMC has provided advisory input to support alignment with its standards.

Nurse-and-Midwife-Students-Standards-for-medical-fitness-to-train-4.pdf

This document has been written following wide consultation and meets the criteria in the Equality Act 2010, in that they ‘are a proportionate means of achieving the legitimate aim of protecting service user safety, and are targeted at functions which are intrinsic to the discipline[s]’ (HEOPS, 2026, p2).

This document specifically outlines:

• Immunity assessment and immunisation
• Assessment of functional capacity
  • Lower limb function, mobility
  • Upper limb function, dexterity
  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Speech
  • Skin function
  • Interruption of consciousness
  • Mental health and cognitive ability
• Communication including learning, language and numeracy skills
• Team working

In line with the HEOPs guidance, ‘applicants who have serious concerns that a medical condition may have implications for future ability to train as a nurse/midwife/nursing associate should, at an early stage and even before making a formal application, contact the course/programme provider and if appropriate be offered professional advice’ (2026, p2).

In accordance with any information identified within this process, any recommended reasonable adjustments will be explored jointly between HEC staff, the applicant/student nurse and where necessary Aberystwyth University’s Student Accessibility and Wellbeing Service colleagues.

Aberystwyth University’s HEC also requires enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service [DBS] screening (or equivalents) for all prospective applicants and students undertaking the programme.  This again is in relation to meeting the Health and Character requirements of the NMC and must be ensured on entering and during the programme of study. 

Whilst this is an NMC requirement, it is also a safeguarding process in order to protect the public, as a DBS screening with results meeting professional requirements is required for all students to complete, in order for them to be able to undertake clinical practice placements with stakeholder partners and care for patients, service users, clients and their families. 

This screening process will be facilitated by Aberystwyth University for applicants who hold a study offer, as it features as an admission condition.  Once commenced on the pre-registration nursing programme, students will be required to complete an annual declaration and be expected to report any convictions, cautions, pending charges or adverse determinations made by other regulators, professional bodies and educational establishments made/arising after they have presented the initial DBS and completed their annual screening.

Should any issues regarding your health and character be identified through our screening processes, depending on the severity and implications for safe and effective practice a Fitness to Practise Panel may be convened which would look at each individual situation and make a decision regarding your eligibility to be accepted onto the programme.

The Fitness to Practise Panel also consider students’ health and character throughout the programme as well, should any incidences and/or ill-health occur during their training which will impact on their learning and/or on clinical placements which focuses on their ability to deliver safe and effective nursing practise.

Students can access support and advice via Student Support Services (Student Support Services  : Study With Us , Aberystwyth University) at any time during the programme.

Should you have any concerns regarding the above information, please contact the admissions team at Aberystwyth University (ug-admissions@aber.ac.uk).

 

After receiving your application, the Healthcare Education Centre’s Admission Tutors will read through your documents in order to assess if you meet the continuation criteria of our admission process.  Please note that the places to study on this programme are extremely competitive, and if you fail to be invited to the next stage of the admission process at this attempt, we would strongly urge you to apply again in the future.   

Initial shortlisting will be based on information supplied in your application, including your personal statement and reference.  Applications submitted which are missing key information (e.g., details of qualifications achieved/pending, personal statements, references) will not be considered for shortlisting.  

If your application meets the next stage of the admission criteria, you will be invited to attend one of our Student Selection Events.  All applicants attending Student Selection Events will be assessed in line with All-Wales Student Recruitment and Selection principles.  Once all of these events are completed, we will identify and agree our prospective student cohort as soon as possible, and we will aim to provide provisional offers soon after.  

The University’s selection events will be supported by internal Healthcare Education staff, Practice Learning Partners, service users/carers/members of the public and students. Events will normally last for around half a day.   

Aberystwyth University’s selection event will consist of: 

• An introductory talk and overview of the programme 
• Tour of the Healthcare Education Centre 
• Group debate/discussion  
• Unseen teamwork activity 
• Individual scenario 
• 1:1 interview  
• An opportunity to meet staff and current students, and ask questions. 

Please note that our forthcoming Student Selection Events will be facilitated in line with current University/Welsh Government Covid-19 regulations and may therefore be different to what is outlined here. 

Aberystwyth University operates an inclusive admissions policy which recognises the individual nature of each application we receive.  We are committed to helping the widening participation agenda which supports progression to higher education. The Healthcare Education Centre support contextual admissions and applicants will be assessed on an individual merit.

For applicants applying for our undergraduate nursing courses, the University may explore contextual offers if any of the following criteria apply to applicants’ own personal circumstances:

• Have been in in care or looked after for three months or more
• Who are young carers (Young adult carers are young people aged 16–25 who care, unpaid, for a family member or friend with an illness or disability, mental health condition or an addiction)
• Who live in an area of high deprivation (lowest 20% WIMD)
• Whose parents are not educated to Higher Education (“HE”) level
• Who hold a protected characteristic and are underrepresented in higher education.

Please contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office (ug-admissions@aber.ac.uk) or one of the Healthcare Education Centre’s Admission Tutors for more information (nrsstaff@aber.ac.uk).