Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: £9,535 per year
International/EU: £19,155 per year -
How long will I study?
4 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
BB16
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When do I start?
September 2025
Course summary
- Qualify with College of Operating Department Practitioners accreditation.
- Learn theory in operating theatres, maternity units, critical care and A&Es.
- Get hands-on practice in a simulated operating theatre, ward and anatomy labs,
- Gain real-world experience in a variety of placement settings.
- Be eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are the only undergraduate allied health professionals in the UK trained to work in operating theatres. You’ll learn to work effectively alongside anaesthetists, surgeons and others to prepare and assist during surgical and anaesthetic procedures. As an autonomous practitioner, you’ll be able to transform the experiences of care for patients.
The Foundation Year course is designed for anyone who feels they would benefit from extra preparation before undertaking degree-level study or who does not meet the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) course (due to lower predicted grades or lower performance at a selection event). The academic staff leading selection event processes are well placed to advice on the benefits of additional study or wider preparation in advance of joining a degree course.
Come to an open day
Visit us to learn more about our gold-rated teaching and why we were awarded the highest possible rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework.
How you learn
This course is designed by practising ODPs registered with the HCPC. You’ll be taught by professionals who are active in their field of practice and research, having worked in many specialisms across health. This wealth of innovative professional knowledge and interprofessional practice experience provides you with an in-depth understanding of what it means to be an ODP in the real world.
You’ll experience a blended approach to learning and teaching – on campus, online and in practice placements within the critical care environment. While specialising as an ODP, you’ll also have opportunities to learn with, from and about practitioners from a range of health and social care professions. This will enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of person-centred care and patient pathways.
You learn through:
- Keynote lectures
- Seminars
- Scheduled learning experiences
- Simulated learning
- Workshops
- Tutorials
- Academic advising
- Practicals
Key Themes
You'll start by learning about safe perioperative practice and caring for the healthy elective patient. You'll then learn about co-morbidities in practice and how these may change the care ODPs provide to surgical patients from a holistic perspective. Finally you’ll learn how to overcome and deliver safe care in the emergency environment – being able to safely manage anything that may occur in the perioperative environment.
We’ll develop you from a novice at entry level, towards a skilled graduate who can register with the HCPC upon qualification. You’ll progress through minor procedures towards complex procedures at level 6.
From lectures and seminars to workshops and simulated learning, you’ll prepare to work alongside professionals in the clinical environment. You’ll apply theory to practice – learning by doing. Beyond the basics of operations, you’ll learn the anatomy and physiology alongside the procedure, further increasing your knowledge and understanding.
Course Support
Our supportive staff will nurture your creativity, encouraging you to ask compelling questions and providing you with the tools to answer them. With our high ratio of staff to students, you’ll always be able to receive the support you need on your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment. This includes:
- Preparation for practice and skills rehearsal learning, including simulated practice and observation of practice
- Support and learning from a wide range of professionals and peer support
- Supervised delivery of care within the clinical environment
- Supervision and facilitation of learning through reflection on practice
- Support from the ODP academic team which includes advisers to look out for you
- A student support adviser to help if outside problems affect your studies
- An academic adviser to support your learning journey
- An employability adviser to help you choose and build the right career
Applied learning
Work Placements
Throughout your time on the course, you’ll spend time in the clinical practice environment to develop your knowledge and skills – working alongside registered professionals caring for perioperative patients. Here you’ll gain a deep understanding and be able to practise under supervision as a Student ODP.
You’ll develop your skills and experience with placements designed to explore the four pillars of practice. Previous students have gained valuable experience in areas such as research, education or leadership, which has influenced their professional practice post-qualifying.
In our state-of-the-art facilities we’ll prepare you for placement during our simulated placement weeks. Working with your peers you’ll explore case studies and practise the skills needed to care for these patients in a simulated environment.
Your placement experiences are developed throughout the programme to enable you to build personal experience and grow as a practitioner. We have a variety of settings – including the NHS and the private sector.
Field Trips
We strive to organise field trips that help you understand how your academic experience is used in professional settings.
Previous students have visited Swann-Morton to discover how they make surgical blades that are distributed globally, and how to use them safely. We also organise trips to Steris to tour the sterilisation process they offer to NHS trusts, learning what happens to the surgical instruments after they leave the perioperative environment.
Networking Opportunities
Throughout the course, there are numerous opportunities for you to engage with career planning and development, career fairs and workshops, employer presentations, field visits and professional career advisers.
These are all great opportunities to enhance your confidence, skills development and future employability.
Future careers
There are a variety of career pathways for ODP and from our recent graduates, including employment in:
- Healthcare trusts (NHS and private)
- Universities
- Healthcare company rep roles
- Private clinics
- Scrub specialisms i
- Anaesthetics specialisms
- Clinical specialisms such as paediatrics
- Physicians Associate in Anaesthesia (PAA) roles
- Surgical First Assistant (SFA) roles
- Advanced Clinical Practice roles
- Physicians Associate roles
- Education mentoring or teaching
- Research roles
- Leadership roles
- The armed forces
And all our graduates have the option of postgraduate study and continued professional development – within our Faculty of Health and Wellbeing and beyond.
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
Our on-campus teaching is delivered across a range of settings. This includes our simulated operating theatre, specialist equipment and clinical ward environments – where you can collaborate with your peers to develop and apply the theoretical knowledge gained in preparation for practice.
On the course, you’ll work with and have access to:
- A simulated operating theatre
- Anaesthetic machines
- Operating table and positioning equipment
- Clinical ward environments
- High-fidelity simulation equipment
- Specialist manikins
- An extensive specialist visiting lecturer pool
- A dedicated learning and teaching support librarian
- A specialist health and wellbeing learning resource centre
- An experienced student support officer network
Media Gallery
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Operating room -
Operating practice -
Laerdal airway management trainer -
Operating equipment
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 24 (Grade D) from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- DDE at A Level.
- MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade D or 4 or equivalents**
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents***
*GCSE Science equivalents
- OCR Science level 2
- Science units gained on a level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma qualification
- Science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3)
- Science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
**GCSE Maths equivalents
- Level 2 Key Skills/ Application of Number/ Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course
- Maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
***GCSE English equivalents
- Level 2 Literacy
- Level 2 Key Skills
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in a science based subject. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 or above, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each skill.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Developing The Fundamentals Of A Healthcare Professional
Promotion Of Contemporary Issues In Healthcare
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Collaboration For Individual And Community Wellbeing
Odp Clinical Practice 1
Odp Introduction To Odp And University Life
Odp Principle Roles Of Odp
Personal And Professional Development
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Assessing And Addressing Complexity In Practice
Evidence And Enquiry For Practice
Odp - Clinical Practice 2
Odp Developing Intraoperative Practice
Odp Management And Care Of Acute And Critical Patients
Final year
Compulsory modules
Complexity & Leadership In Professional Practice
Odp Clinical Practice 3
Odp Developing The Practice Educator
Odp Enhanced Perioperative Practice
The Advancing Professional
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year. These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.
We are currently reviewing our tuition fees for the foundation year stage of this course following the Government announcement of fee changes for some foundation year courses and will confirm fees as soon as possible.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £19,155, which includes an annual placement supplement of £2,000.
Health and social care funding
Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year. You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 165.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
