Nursing - General Nursing
This four-year full-time degree is offered in partnership with health service providers (HSPs) from both the public and private healthcare sectors. Each student is linked with one of these HSPs for the duration of the course.
On completion of the BSc (Hons) in General Nursing, you can apply to register as a General Nurse to the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the profession’s regulatory body. After graduation you will be ready to start work as a qualified General Nurse in a variety of clinical settings.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | National University of Ireland |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | National University of Ireland | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 Years full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Leaving Certificate Requirements
At Least six subjects must be presented. Minimum grade H5 in two subjects and minimum grade O6/H7 in four other subjects. English and Irish are requirements for all programmes unless the applicant is exempt from Irish.
Applicants will need to meet the following minimum entry requirements:
English O6/H7
Irish O6/H7
Maths O6/H7
A Lab Science O6/H7
The following are considered Lab Science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Physics with Chemistry and Agricultural Science.
Students are subject to Garda vetting.
Students are subject to Fitness to Practise Policy.
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme LCVP
Distinction 66 points
Merit 46 points
Pass 28 points
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Careers / Further progression
Skills and Careers Information
The course aims to provide you with sound clinical nursing skills (and the supporting knowledge base) necessary for starting your professional career as a General Nurse. These skills will be further developed through clinical experience and further study at postgraduate and in-service levels.
You will also develop skills in independent thinking, problem-solving, and analytical and clinical decision-making, as well as fundamental research utilisation and application skills.
On graduation, you may seek employment as a General Nurse. General Nurses work in a wide range of areas including hospitals, community/home nursing, schools and nursing homes. Traditionally, Irish nurses are highly regarded by other countries, enhancing work opportunities abroad, in particular in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US.
Further information
September 2026
Approximate Available Places 15
Find out about the mature entry requirements at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/undergrad/entryreqs/matureapplicants/
Approximate Available Places Overall 134
Entry 2026
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: €65 Closing Date: 1 May 2026 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2026 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2026. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2026, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2026 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €65 applies.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Our BSc General Nursing programme will provide you with excellent opportunities to develop knowledge and skills relevant to professional General Nursing practice, including independent and critical thinking, and problem-solving. It will enable you to deliver nursing care that is up-to-date and based on the best current evidence.
This four-year full-time degree is offered in partnership with health service providers (HSPs) from both the public and private healthcare sectors. Each student is linked with one of these HSPs for the duration of the course.
On completion of the BSc (Hons) in General Nursing, you can apply to register as a General Nurse to the Nursing & Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI), the profession’s regulatory body. After graduation you will be ready to start work as a qualified General Nurse in a variety of clinical settings.
The broad aim of the course is to promote your personal, intellectual and professional development to meet the role dimensions of a qualified practitioner of nursing. Each year, you will study modules in both theory and clinical practice. Clinical practice modules require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospital, community and other healthcare settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. Theory modules include both nursing and biological and social science modules, some of which are core (shared with students from other nursing/midwifery branches), while others are discipline-specific (taken by General Nursing students only).
Year 1 Modules
NU1026 Academic Writing, Information Technology and Evidence-Based Nursing Practice (5 credits)
NU1032 Fundamental Knowledge and Skills for Nursing Practice (10 credits)
NU1040 Infection Prevention and Control for Nursing and Midwifery Practice (5 credits)
NU1047 Therapeutic Interpersonal Skills for Nursing Practice and Psychology for Healthcare (10 credits)
NU1048 The Profession of Nursing: Professional Practice, Law and Ethics (5 credits)
NU1049 General Nursing Practice (10 credits)
NU1067 Disabilities and Inclusion (5 credits)
SC1015 Sociological Concepts for Nursing (5 credits)
SS1008 Social Inclusion and Health Policy (5 credits)
Year 2
Pharmacology and Medication Management for Nurses and Midwives; Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; General Nursing with Adults and their Families - Focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic Health Care Conditions; Health, Ageing and the Life-Cycle - Perspectives on General Nursing with Older People; Health, Life-Cycle - Perspectives on Maternity Care and Child Health Nursing; General Nursing Practice.
Year 3
Professional Issues, Development of Disciplinary Knowledge, Teaching and Learning; Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; Mental Health and its Determinants - Application to the Role of General Nurse in Promoting Therapeutic Interactions; Health Promotion and Primary Healthcare in a General Health Context; General Nursing with Adults and their Families - focusing on Common, Acute and Chronic conditions; General Nursing with Adults, Children, and their Families - focusing on Oncology; General Nursing with Adults, Children, and their Families - focusing on End of Life and Palliative care; General Nursing Practice.
Year 4
In Year 4, you will take a number of theory modules at UCC in semester one (before Christmas). In semester two (after Christmas), you will undertake a 36-week paid internship with your parent HSP. Modules include:
Research for Evidence-Based Nursing and Midwifery Care; The Profession and Discipline of Nursing: including Ethics, Legal Issues, Equality, and Professional Practice; Professional Development and Nurses as Team Members, Leaders and Managers of the Future; Nursing Management of Challenging Acute Nursing Events; Communication Skills and Personal Well-Being for Nursing Practice; General Nursing Practice.
Clinical Practice Modules
Clinical Practice modules require you to be in supervised clinical practice in hospitals, communities, and other healthcare settings for 35 hours per week for a number of weeks each year. In semester two (after Christmas) of Year 4, you will undertake a 36-week paid internship with your parent HSP.
School of Nursing & Midwifery
SONMUnderGrad@ucc.ie
+353 (0)21 490 2159
https://www.ucc.ie/en/nursingmidwifery/