Returning to Education

Full information about entry requirements can be found on each of our course pages.

With the exception of a degree, any qualifications you have must be held within the last 5 years. We will consider older qualifications if you have at least 1 year’s full-time or 2 years’ part-time work experience in a related role, such as a care support worker. In this case, once you receive your offer, following your interview, we will send details about refresher modules in biology and numeracy that you will be required to take.

If your qualifications are more than 5 years old and you do not have a degree or relevant work experience, we suggest going to college to do a related Higher National Certificate or Access Course first. 

What is an Access Course?

Edinburgh Napier has partnership agreements with 4 local Colleges – Borders, Edinburgh, Fife and West Lothian, who run access courses for entry to Adult, Learning Disability, Child and Mental Health Nursing. Over 100 students study preparation to nursing and midwifery courses at our partner colleges each year.

All students attending our Access to Nursing course within our partnership colleges (excluding Edinburgh College) are required to pass the internally assessed graded units with overall profile grades BBC. For Edinburgh College, internally assessed units are not graded, so applicants would be required to pass all internally assessed units.

Students on Access to Nursing courses are not considered for the midwifery course. Please see the Entry Requirements section of our Midwifery course page for further information of what we do accept for entry onto this course.

We’re often asked if students who have already studied for a degree can still receive the Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (NMSB) for students normally domiciled in Scotland. If your previous degree was not related to nursing/midwifery you should still be eligible for this bursary. For further information please visit the SAAS website.

If you already have a degree in the field of Nursing and Midwifery, we also offer postgraduate courses that you may be eligible for. Browse a range of full-time, part-time and distance learning courses here. 

Our nursing and midwifery courses are all full time courses. 50% of your time is spent learning theory at university/online and 50% of your time will be spent on practice placements.

Placements can be challenging for students with children or other caring responsibilities. You will be expected to work the same core shifts as the team with which you’re working, and this can involve weekend work and night shifts. These placements are mandatory and we cannot make individual adjustments due to childcare. Depending on the field of nursing you choose, placements may not always be in the Lothian area, so some travelling should also be expected.

We offer as much support as possible through our student support services, and we have had many nursing and midwifery students in this position who successfully complete our courses. 

There is also extra funding to help with the costs of childcare. SAAS provide funding for students domiciled in Scotland. This includes Dependant’s Allowance, Single Parent’s Allowance and Childcare Allowance for Parents. Full information can be found on the SAAS website.

As a mature student returning to education you can learn more about funding for nursing or midwifery courses from our information page on nursing and midwifery bursaries and funding.

We offer a wide range of student support to help you fulfil your potential, keep healthy and make the most of your time with us. Our dedicated Student Support Teams are there to listen, offer guidance and point you in the right direction. We also have a dedicated page for advice and support on the current Cost of Living. 

When you begin your nursing or midwifery studies, you will be given a personal development tutor who will work with you for the duration of your course, for both personal and professional support.  

We also have a large and diverse cohort of nursing and midwifery students, so you’re likely to meet people in similar circumstances who you’ll get on with. We know peer support is also key for our students, throughout your studies and beyond.