BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three or Four Years
- Start Date: September 2026
Do you want to play a key role in transforming patient care and making a real difference in people’s lives? Our BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice course prepares you to become an essential part of the surgical team, working alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, and other healthcare professionals in high-pressure, life-saving environments.
Learn from experienced Practitioners with a wealth of experience. Using cutting-edge simulation facilities, you’ll build the clinical knowledge, technical skills, and confidence needed to excel in the operating theatre. You'll also complete a series of placements across anaesthetics, surgery (scrub), and post-anaesthetic care, giving you invaluable real-world experience and a strong foundation for your career.
This degree is accredited by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), meaning upon successful graduation you can apply for registration as a qualified Operating Department Practitioner (ODP).
Operating Department Practitioners (ODP) are registered Allied Health Professionals (AHP) that are specifically trained to work within the operating department and associated areas. This includes a multi-disciplinary team (nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists & healthcare support workers) which provide high quality, individualised care for patients throughout their perioperative journey and beyond.
If you have an interest in healthcare and are looking for a fulfilling role with great purpose, a career in operating department practice may be a perfect fit for you.
We understand that strong support is essential to your growth as a confident and skilled Operating Department Practitioner. That’s why we provide dedicated guidance throughout your journey with us. During placements, you’ll have access to a BNU link lecturer, an NHS practice educator, a range of registered senior assessors, and additional registered supervisors to support you every step of the way. In the classroom, you’ll benefit from personalised one-on-one support from your tutors and the wider teaching team.
We have a strong reputation both locally and nationally for the quality of our teaching, the level of support we give to our placement trusts and more. Graduates from BNU leave us ready for the future, familiar with the skills they need and feeling positive they can gain the role of their dreams. The community feeling you gain in the classroom often stays with you, with many of our graduates go on to work in teams surround by other BNU alumni.
Once you graduate from this course, you'll be eligible to apply for registration as an ODP with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), which enables you to practice in the UK. We've been running our operating department practice course for many years and students benefit from an excellent standard of teaching provided by staff from the University.
We've invested in some of the best equipment for our students to practice their skills; we have an ultra-modern operating theatre for simulated practice, anaesthetic room, recovery area and related clinical environments with the latest high-fidelity simulation models. During this time, you will be immersed in a wide range of medical equipment that is identical to those seen within the clinical environment including: anaesthetic machines, surgical equipment, diathermy, cell salvage, laparoscopic simulator, operating table and fibreoptic scopes.
To support you in becoming an ODP, the UK Government are continuing to provide all ODP students with a payment of at least £5,000 a year which will not need to be paid back. To check your eligibility, view the NHS Learning Support Fund website.
The course prepared me extremely well for work as an Operating Department Practitioner. The lecturers are extremely passionate about the course and this even extends to regular visits when you are out in practice, which you have to do as part of the degree.Faye Kennett
BNU has been an incredible experience for me. The facilities are genuinely top-tier, especially the state-of-the-art simulation suite with its hyper-realistic operating theatre, it’s as close to the real thing as possible. This has massively boosted my confidence and skills by letting me train repeatedly in a completely pressure-free environment, rehearsing every kind of scenario until the correct responses are drilled deep into muscle memory.
The lecturers are outstanding; they go above and beyond, blending theoretical and practical teaching seamlessly with a variety of engaging styles that suit every learner. Thanks to this, I graduated feeling truly equipped with real, hands-on practical skills, perfectly prepared to kick off my career with confidence. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to train and would do it all over again in a heartbeat!
Mustaf Artan - Deputy Team Leader, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
What will I study?
This is a fast-paced, challenging role and at BNU we know how essential preparation is. That's why we designed our Operating Department Practice degree to equip you with all the skills you need to start out on this exciting career path.
Throughout this course you will be able to gain experience as well as knowledge of the research behind perioperative care delivery. Our degree will help you gain what's needed to develop into a qualified practitioner and clinical placements will be undertaken throughout the course.
- Learn to provide high quality, individualised care for patients throughout their perioperative journey and beyond
- Work alongside other professionals in multi-disciplinary teams such as nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and health care support workers
- Cover all three phases of the acute care environment
- Demonstrate high standards in relation to professionalism, advocacy and decision making
- Demonstrate a high level of knowledge & skill with equipment related to this specialist area
- Prioritise patient care and safety in your work
Our lecturers maintain close links with practice, ensuring that your course is always kept up-to-date and the skills you learn reflect the current standards of employers.
Alongside your studies, you will take part in a range of clinical placements with our NHS partner hospitals. We work with a range of hospitals across the region and our students are highly respected while out in practice. We consistently see a high rate of employability after completing the course. Many graduates are employed by the trust that they worked in while at university.
In addition to your degree, you are given the opportunity to achieve additional clinical qualifications. This includes the Immediate Life Support award, which is delivered at the University prior to completion of your studies.
The lecturers have been incredibly supportive and helpful and created an environment where it has been enjoyable to learn the foundations for, what can be, a challenging career. The best advice a lecturer has given me during the course is “You get out of it what you put in”.... this has never been more true.Jennifer Brown
How will I be taught and assessed?
Within the operating department practice programme, we use a variety of teaching and assessment methods to help you succeed. You’ll benefit from lectures, seminars and group activities to ensure readiness for professional registration and autonomous clinical practice.
You’ll also take part in simulated learning experiences and sessions throughout the course using our specialised facilities. This will enable you to recreate authentic work-based scenarios and practise your skills in a safe environment.
A huge part of your learning will take place on clinical placements covering anaesthetic, surgical and post-anaesthetic care. Whilst in practice, you will be supported by a clinical member of staff who will provide mentorship, supervise your experience and assess that you are meeting the requirements of the course.
Both your theoretical knowledge and application in practice will be assessed on this course and methods include:
- reflective course work
- case studies
- oral, written or visual presentations
- unseen examinations
- OSCEs
- critique of evidence-based articles
- dissertation
- construction of an ePortfolio
- practice competence demonstrated in practice*.
*80% minimum clinical placement attendance is required within the programme and is monitored within the Practice Placement Document
To ensure the programme remains current and responsive to the dynamic reformation of the NHS, we invite practitioners from our partner trusts to be involved in the delivery and on-going enhancement of the programme.
Being a mature student, I needed to be sure that I was making the right choice. BNU offer a very comprehensive syllabus and the knowledge and support from the lectures is exceptional, they are passionate about their subject and they want each of us to succeed and be the best of best!Jo Taylor
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 112 - 136 (Full-time) or 32 - 56 (Foundation Year)
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
The requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A level grades at BBC or above
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at DMM
- International Baccalaureate at 30 points
- FETAC / QQI 5 Distinctions in health care-related subjects
- Access to HE Diploma in Nursing qualification
You will also need 5 GCSE’s including Maths, English and Science at grade 4/C or above or equivalent.
An Access to Higher Education qualification which must be in a science-based subject is also acceptable.
Mature students without formal qualifications but who do possess working experience are welcome to apply. We advise you to contact us to discuss your application.
Those with no previous study, work experience, or who do not meet the specified entry requirements, including demonstrating the necessary knowledge and understanding, are welcome to apply for the 3-year BSc (Hons) degree, however may be offered the four-year programme which includes a Foundation Year.
Interviews
As well as meeting the stated academic requirements, shortlisted applicants will be required to attend either a face to face or online interview as part of the selection process to ensure that your values match those of the NHS Constitution. The specific dates for these recruitment events can be found here.
As part of this process, numeracy and literacy test will be undertaken online and completed 24 hours prior to interview
All offers are subject to Academic, satisfactory Occupational Health and enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
Those for whom English is not their first language must achieve a minimum score of 7.0 overall or equivalent for the International English Language Test Score (IELTS), with no on element below 6.5.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home Foundation Year, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £9,790 *
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Home, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £9,790 per year *
International
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Overseas/International Foundation Year, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £15,910 *
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £15,910 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit The Education Hub, on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
NHS Learning Support Fund
To support your studies, the UK Government are continuing to provide Operating Department Practice students with a payment of at least £5,000 a year which will not need to be paid back. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund and the eligibility criteria.
What are my career prospects?
Working alongside other professionals, such as nurses, surgeons, anaesthetists and health care support workers, care will be delivered to patients during all three phases of this acute care environment.
There are a wide range of opportunities for professional development and career progression once qualified. You may wish to advance clinically into roles such as Surgical First Assistant, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, Anaesthetic Associate, Physician Associate, Critical Care Practitioner, or Surgical Care Practitioner. There are also pathways into supervision, leadership, management, research, education, and teaching, either within your NHS Trust or in higher education institutions.
Although your primary role will be within the operating department, the transferable knowledge and unique skills you gain will allow you to contribute to a variety of other clinical areas. These may include:
- trauma teams
- accident and emergency departments
- resuscitation teams
- transplant teams
- intensive care units
- patient transfer services
- research, education, and training
- special care baby units
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising and skilled leaders and support you in your search to find employment after graduation. Have a look at our Careers and Employability pages to find out more.
You can also choose to stay on and study at Buckinghamshire New University choosing from our range of short courses to continue your professional development.
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