UEA Becomes First UK University to Integrate CMI Leadership Diploma Into Nursing Degree

Nursing student at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Credit: UEA.

(IN BRIEF) The University of East Anglia will become the first UK university to offer nursing students the opportunity to graduate with both a BSc Nursing degree and a Chartered Management Institute Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership. The CMI qualification will be fully integrated into UEA’s nursing curriculum from September 2026, meaning students will not need to undertake extra study outside their degree programme. The revised programme has been shaped by feedback from students, healthcare providers and service stakeholders, and includes strengthened simulation-based learning, quality improvement training and more practice-focused assessment methods. UEA said the changes are designed to prepare future nurses for the evolving demands of the NHS, where leadership, service improvement and multidisciplinary teamwork are increasingly central to nursing practice.

(PRESS RELEASE) NORWICH, 10-Aug-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The University of East Anglia will become the first university in the UK to enable nursing students to graduate with both a nursing degree and a professional leadership and management qualification.

From September 2026, students enrolling on UEA’s BSc Nursing courses will work toward a Chartered Management Institute Level 5 Diploma in Management and Leadership alongside their degree.

The qualification has been fully embedded into the nursing curriculum, allowing students to gain the additional professional award without completing extra study outside their course.

UEA said the integrated qualification is designed to strengthen students’ professional credentials and improve their employability when they enter nursing careers.

The revised programme has received approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Council and reflects the increasingly complex role nurses play in modern healthcare.

The enhanced curriculum has been developed in response to feedback from students, healthcare providers and service stakeholders.

It aims to equip nursing graduates with leadership, management and quality improvement skills needed across a rapidly changing NHS.

The programme also aligns with the NHS Fit for the Future: 10 Year Health Plan for England, which highlights the need for a highly skilled and adaptable workforce able to lead improvements in patient care and service delivery.

Alongside the integrated CMI qualification, the revised nursing programme includes strengthened simulation-based learning and updated assessment methods.

It also features enhanced quality improvement training and a stronger focus on preparing students to lead multidisciplinary teams and support positive change in healthcare environments.

Professor Christopher Burton, Dean of the School of Health Sciences at UEA, said nursing today requires more than clinical expertise.

He said nurses are increasingly expected to lead teams, manage services and contribute to improvements across healthcare organisations.

Professor Burton said UEA is proud to be the first UK university to partner with the Chartered Management Institute in this way for nursing education.

He said embedding leadership and management development directly into nursing programmes will help graduates leave with the skills, confidence and professional credentials needed to make an immediate impact in the NHS and beyond.

He added that the enhancement has been shaped by feedback from students and healthcare partners, helping UEA create a programme aligned with modern nursing practice and future workforce needs.

The enhanced curriculum has been developed in collaboration with regional healthcare partners.

UEA said this collaboration helps ensure graduates gain the skills most needed across the NHS and local health services.

Student feedback also played an important role in reshaping the programme’s assessment strategy.

Students told the School of Health Sciences they wanted assessments that better reflected real nursing practice.

In response, the programme has reduced reliance on traditional written coursework and placed greater emphasis on applied learning.

The revised approach includes more clinical examinations, quality improvement projects and practice-focused assessment methods.

These changes are intended to help students demonstrate the clinical judgement, practical skills and leadership capabilities they will need as future registered nurses.

Matt Overy, Director of Admissions, Recruitment and Marketing for the School of Health Sciences, said the integrated qualification represents a clear benefit for students.

He said graduates will leave UEA with an internationally recognised nursing degree and a respected leadership qualification valued by employers, all as part of their existing programme of study.

Overy said the additional credential will give graduates an advantage as they begin their careers and support the NHS by developing nurses who are ready to deliver care, lead teams and improve services.

The revised programme will welcome its first intake in September 2026 and is expected to be available through Clearing.

Through the integration of a professional leadership diploma into its nursing degree, UEA is strengthening its nursing education offer and responding to the growing need for healthcare professionals who can combine clinical capability with leadership, management and service improvement skills.

Media Contact:

email: communications@uea.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of East Anglia