Healthcare Practice: Degree Link HNC
Course code D15L
What is special about this course?
Prepare to thrive within today’s health care services, on our HNC Healthcare Practice: Degree Link course.
This course is for those wishing to articulate into Year 2 of our BSc Adult or Mental Health Nursing degree at UHI.
Learn how to support individuals through all stages of the life cycle, including end-of-life and palliative care. Develop the skills, knowledge and the critical ability to provide person-centred care, as you learn how to work with individuals, families, and communities to promote health and wellbeing, prevent illness and enable people to maintain and improve their physical and mental health.
Special features
- Conditional offer on successful completion of application and interview
- Seamless progression into the second year of our BSc Adult or Mental Health Nursing degree
- Option for placements across the Highlands or Moray
Accommodation
We offer modern student accommodation at a number of our locations.
Entry requirements
- 2 Scottish Highers at grade C or above OR
- 1 A level at grade C or above
- The above should preferably be in English or a science-related subject
- If the above qualifications do not include English and Maths, you will also need to hold Nat 5 English and Maths at grade C or above
Alternatively:
- An appropriate Group Award at SCQF level 6 eg NC Health and Social Care, plus 1 Higher at grade C or HN Cluster
- Completion of Foundation Apprenticeship Social Services and Healthcare
- Prospective students without the standard entry requirements are encouraged to apply and will be considered on an individual basis
Occupational health
- You must meet the standards of character, conduct and competence required to undertake your placement as outlined in the NMC Codes of Conduct
- Occupational Health screening will be undertaken by UHI, to ascertain fitness to practice prior to placement allocation
- If you have a health issue that may require a risk assessment or reasonable adjustments, you should let us know through application and on occupational health screening paperwork, so that the Inclusive learning and Occupational health teams can meet with you to discuss risks and adjustments
Immunisations
- As you will be working in health care settings, it is strongly recommended that you should be up to date with immunisations, in order to protect patients, colleagues and yourself
- The current Department of Health guidance recommends the following:
- Tuberculosis (TB) – Evidence of Immunity
- Measles, Rubella and Chickenpox – Evidence of immunity
- Hepatitis B – Immunisation
- You should contact your local pharmacy prior to commencing the programme, as vaccinations are generally free to anyone who may be at risk (including healthcare workers), however there may be a cost involved that you would be responsible for
- This is a Category 1 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required to successfully achieve target qualification, where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in key elements of the course. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage
Access routes
SWAP Access courses
If you are eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP), please visit our SWAP access list for further information on grade profiles and available subjects.
Year 1 - HNC
You will study the following modules:
- Administration of medication
- Clinical skills for care practitioners
- Exploring mental health
- Healthcare practice: graded unit 1
- Health promotion in a changing society
- Professional standards for care practice
- Safe working practice for care
- Sociology and health in Scotland
- The human body in health and illness
- Therapeutic relationships: understanding behaviour
- Understanding personal and professional development
How will I study my course?
- Full-time
- You will mainly study in-person, on campus
- Any online study will be done via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors
- There is a large placement element to this course and you must be able to commit to shift work. You need to complete 600+ hours of placement practice to enable progression to year 2 of our BSc Adult or Mental Health Nursing degree course. This will include day shifts, night shifts, and weekends. Your placements will take place in a range of nursing areas such as adult, mental health, and community. The majority of placements are in the Moray area but, if required, placements can also be supported in Inverness and the Highlands
- You will undertake a mandatory 18 weeks of work placements (37.5 hours per week) during the course
- You will also take part in a mandatory in-person induction at UHI Moray in the August before your course starts
How long will my course last?
- Full-time: 1 year @ 24-37.5 hours per week
The number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes time spent on online material as well as individual study and research.
18 weeks of the course will be spent on mandatory work placements, working for a total of 37.5 hours per week, which includes any individual study and research.
Where can I study my course?
- Moray
Start date
- September
Fees
For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £1,285 | £1,285 |
Rest of UK students
For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland, including Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) and with a term time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £7,110 | £7,440 |
Fees are payable in advance each academic year unless otherwise agreed.
There are a number of funding options available to UK and EU students to help you pay for your studies and your cost of living while studying (see the Funding section opposite).
International students
For students who do not normally reside in the UK, including EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled or pre-settled status in the UK, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| Higher National Awards (HNC, HND) | 2024-25 | 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time per year | £8,775 | £8,925 |
Funding
External scholarships and financial support may be available. Contact the relevant UHI partner college for more information.
Additional costs
You will be required to cover the cost of a uniform for your placement (approx £80).
What can I do on completion of my course?
Once you have successfully completed this course, you might like to consider careers in:
- the NHS
- Private healthcare sector
Can I progress into further study?
You can progress from HNC Healthcare Practice: Degree Link to year 2 of our BSc Adult or Mental Health Nursing.
Is there more information available online?
You can use the above QR code to connect directly to the course details.
Apply for Healthcare Practice: Degree Link HNC
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.