Operating Department Practice BSc/DipHE
Course Code
UCAS Code: B990 - DipHEB991 - BSc
International Code: HLSU201
Location
Coventry University (Coventry)
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
3 years full-time
2 years full-time (DipHE)
Start date
September 2022
Course overview
Study level: Undergraduate
Operating Department Practice (ODP) is an exciting and rewarding career where you will support a variety of patients at their most vulnerable.
- Accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) enabling you to register as an operating department practitioner upon successful completion (additional requirements and costs may apply).
- Receive a payment of £5,000 a year through the NHS Learning Support Fund that does not need to be paid back, with additional bursaries for students incurring childcare costs.
- State-of-the-art teaching facilities including mock operating theatre and scrub room, ambulance, high-tech manikins, hospital wards, critical care settings and other real-life environments relevant to practice.

Global Ready
An international outlook, with global opportunities
Teaching excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their field
Employability
Career ready graduates, with the skills to succeedWhy you should study this course
Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) are a crucial part of the inter-professional team interacting and supporting a variety of patients throughout their perioperative journey. The role of the ODP is continually evolving beyond the borders of the operating department. ODPs are increasingly adapting their range of skills and abilities to develop their practice to work in non-traditional acute areas such as the emergency department, Interventional Radiology, cardiac catheterisation, MRI and CT scanning as well as endoscopy units.
- The skills you will learn and the knowledge you will gain whilst studying towards either the ODP DipHE or BSc (Hons) will be facilitated through simulated activities such as role play and clinical skills development. These will take place in facilities which replicate those found in modern hospitals, include a mock operating theatre and scrub room, mock ward setting, high dependency bays, and utilising high-tech manikins which respond to the treatment provided.
- Teaching and learning is supported by highly trained, clinically current and experienced staff, clinical partners, service users and peer-supported learning both from fellow ODP students and inter-professionally with students from a range of health courses across the school. Our learning through exploration approach provides a hands-on style of learning which provides context and is designed to prepare you for real-world situations.
- Successful completion of the course will allow you to contribute fully as part of the perioperative multidisciplinary team in all areas of operating department practice. In the mandatory practice placements throughout your programme (sourced for you by the university), you will apply theory to practice on a daily basis, providing you with a platform to grow in confidence, develop your clinical skills and abilities to enable you to become a safe, confident and competent practitioner. As the course leads to eligibility to apply for professional registration with HCPC, you are required to meet attendance requirements both at university and on placement.
- By studying two years full-time, you can complete the DipHE and in three years, you can complete the Operating Department Practice BSc (Hons). Both of these awards lead to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration as an ODP (subject to additional costs). With the DipHE you are eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC after two years and seek employment, so you can enter the workforce more quickly than degree students. The BSc can increase your employability opportunities following successful completion of the qualification. It can enable faster career progression by providing the foundational skills in leadership and management, the surgical first assist role, coaching and supporting learners in practice.
student satisfaction for the DipHE course
NSS 2018, 2019 and 2020
Accreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:

Health and Care Professions Council
This course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for the 2022/23 intake.

College of Operating Department Practioners
This course also has College of Operating Department Practioners (CODP) accreditation for the 2021/22 intake.
The Alison Gingell Building is home to the UK’s first stand-alone 5G network. Find out how we use this in teaching, including taking the students on a virtual journey through the body.
More than just a degree
If you come in with an open mind, a willingness to learn and a compassion for others, you will thrive.

What you'll study
Successful completion of the course will allow you to contribute fully as part of the perioperative multidisciplinary team in all areas of operating department practice. In the mandatory practice placements*, which are sourced for you by the university, throughout your programme you will apply theory to practice on a daily basis, providing you with a platform to grow in confidence, develop your clinical skills and abilities to enable you to become a safe, confident and competent practitioner.
As the course leads to eligibility to apply for professional registration with HCPC you are therefore required to meet attendance requirements both at university and on placement.
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
How you'll learn
We aim to provide you with a range of learning environments and styles of teaching and learning which will suit the varied subject matter within the different modules and support your needs at all levels of the course. Teaching and learning will take place in the context of lectures, seminars, workshop activities and practice area placements, each supported by a comprehensive course of tutorial support.
These range from formally taught sessions to case studies, group work, online discussions, online quizzes and practical hands-on sessions in our state-of-the-art facility with a mock operating theatre and scrub room which is equipped with a range of equipment you would expect to be exposed to, and use on a daily basis, in a real operating theatre.
You will normally have around 15 hours per week contact time, which consists of a mixture of lectures, workshops and practical skills sessions in our clinical simulation areas.
Assessment
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which could vary depending upon the module. We employ a variety of methods such as academic coursework, online examinations, Viva Voce (oral interviews/discussions), Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE), poster presentations (individual and group) and work-based practical observations.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.
Job ready
Our ‘learning through exploration’ approach is designed to prepare you for real-world situations, and using the mock operating theatre and scrub room will provide the opportunity to undertake realistic scenarios before you go onto your placements.
Your mandatory practice placements (sourced for you by the university) enable you to apply theory to practice on a daily basis, providing you with a platform to grow in confidence, develop your clinical skills and abilities to enable you to become a safe, confident and competent practitioner.
International experience opportunities
Students may have the opportunity to engage in international experiences whilst on the course such as internships, work experience, industry visits, field trips or study abroad opportunities*.
Entry requirements
Fees and funding
Student | Full time | Part time |
---|---|---|
UK | £9,250 per year | Not available |
International | £18,050 per year | Not available |
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.
We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.
Facilities
Our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building features a range of mock healthcare settings, including hospital wards, ambulance, therapy suites and community houses, giving you the opportunity to replicate real-life situations before you go on placement.

Mock operating theatre
Our operating theatre is set up to accommodate procedures that would take place during hospital surgery. It includes a scrub room and the machines, equipment and lighting you will need to use to be an effective operating department practitioner.

Alison Gingell Building
Our state-of-the-art Alison Gingell Building features a mock ambulance, high-tech manikins, hospital wards, critical care settings and therapy suites. This gives you the opportunity to learn in situations that mirror real life scenarios.

Mock hospital wards
We have two fully-equipped mock hospital wards, each containing 4 beds. The wards are built to NHS standards and contain moveable beds, first aid equipment and patient monitoring tools, so that you can study a complete patient pathway.
360° virtual tour
360° Virtual Tour of Coventry University's Mock operating theatre
Careers and opportunities
OPDs are sought after employees and we provide support for all Coventry University graduates to help them secure employment on completion of the course.
Where our graduates work
Past graduates have found work in the perioperative environment in both the NHS and private sector in anaesthetics, surgery and post-anaesthetic care environments.
How to apply
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UK Students
Full-time students applying to start in September should apply for this course through UCAS. Part-time students should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
For further support or more information about your course get in touch with us today.
Chat with our admissions team
Complete our contact form.
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International Students
Full-time students applying to start in September should apply directly to the university. Read our application pages to find out your next steps to apply.
How to applyFor further support for international applicants applying for an undergraduate degree view our International hub.
You can also download our International guide which contains lots of useful information about our courses, accommodation and tips for travel.
Get in touch with us today for further advice and guidance.
Chat with our admissions team.
Complete our contact form.
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Disclaimer
Student Contract
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2021/22 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
Tuition fees
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Accreditations
The majority of our courses have been formally recognised by professional bodies, which means the courses have been reviewed and tested to ensure they reach a set standard. In some instances, studying on an accredited course can give you additional benefits such as exemptions from professional exams (subject to availability, fees may apply). Accreditations, partnerships, exemptions and memberships shall be renewed in accordance with the relevant bodies’ standard review process and subject to the university maintaining the same high standards of course delivery.
Facilities
Facilities mentioned on this page may not be relevant for every course. Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to COVID-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Placements and study abroad opportunities
Please note that we are unable to guarantee any placement or study abroad opportunities and that all such opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, visas and accommodation etc.), competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Additional costs
This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to), equipment, materials, bench fees, studio or facilities hire, travel, accommodation and visas).