Operating Department Practice - BSc (Hons) *

In addition to the A Level, BTEC and other level 3 requirements below, applicants for this course also need GCSE English Language or English Literature and GCSE Maths at grade C/4 or above. If you do not have these or are not undertaking them, we accept other level 2 equivalents, or we may ask you to pass BCU's GCSE equivalency tests.

If you're applying with an International Baccalaureate Diploma or international qualifications, please see further information below.

Applicants are required to undertake a face-to-face engagement, normally in the form of an interview. Interviews currently take place online.

Find out more about our interview process and how to prepare.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• Obtain a minimum of 28 points overall
• Required subjects: One of Biology, Chemistry or Physics at Higher level
• For students who do not already hold a GCSE in Mathematics at grade C/4 or above, grade 5 in Maths (Standard level) from the IB Diploma will be accepted.
• For students who do not already hold a GCSE in English Language at grade C/4 or above, English Language (Standard level) from the IB Diploma will be accepted. For English A, this must be grade 4 or above; for English B, this must be grade 5.

EU / International students

Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In addition to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in each band.

If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information on pre-sessional English courses.

• Applicants must provide evidence of having been in general education for a minimum of ten years.
• Applicants must demonstrate evidence of literacy, numeracy, and IT skills.
• Applicants must normally have evidence of formal study within the last five years. However, we are sometimes able to waive this requirement if a candidate has a significant amount of professional experience in a relevant field, for example healthcare, social care, or education.

I really want to become an Operating Department Practitioner but do not meet your entry requirements. What advice can you give me?

All applicants must meet our academic entry requirements to be considered for the course.

If you do not have sufficient Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, we advise you to consider undertaking a course which will give you the opportunity to gain the correct entry criteria. For example, an Access course in a health/science-related field at your local further education college. This course contains the right mix of level 3 and level 2 qualifications which allow you to access higher education.

Alternatively, you could undertake the Open University K101 course, if you have the appropriate GSCE qualifications (as defined in our entry criteria) with another level 3 qualification.

Portfolio route for those holding Level 3 Diploma in Perioperative Support (QCF)

You are required to have GCSE at grade C/4 or above in English Language and Mathematics (or Functional Skills English and Maths) and a science subject, or level 2 equivalent.

The recognition of prior learning and experience route recognises that your previous experience contributes towards entry to the BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice and, when combined with successful completion of your portfolio, may lead to you successfully gaining a place in the programme.

In order to demonstrate your previous experience, you are required to complete a portfolio which complements your certificated learning and demonstrates your ability to study in Higher Education.

The portfolio will require:

• A testimonial from your Diploma in Perioperative Support education provider which confirms your progress, identifies your level of engagement in the process and your academic skills
• A testimonial from your workplace manager; which confirms your commitment to high quality patient care delivery as part of the perioperative team, work ethic and integrity
• 1 x 1500 written paper, in a formal style which uses the ‘Harvard’ referencing convention. This paper should discuss an aspect of perioperative practice
• 1 x 1500 written reflection, using Gibbs Model of Reflection. This element requires you to consider a time when you had a positive impact on a patient’s experience

Applicants holding the Level 3 Diploma in Perioperative Support will be invited to interview and if successful will then be asked to create the portfolio. Once completed, you will need to send it electronically to the admissions tutor who will then evaluate the work and make a judgement about its suitability for entry onto the Operating Department Practice programme.