BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice (Degree Apprenticeship)

• An applicant must possess GCSEs in English and Mathematics at grade 4-9 (or grade C or above) or hold an equivalent such as Functional Skills Level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. If an applicant has yet to achieve these qualifications, then with their employer's support, they can complete suitable equivalents locally or with assistance from the University. Please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for a list of acceptable GCSE equivalents, further information and support.
• An applicant should also hold a relevant level 3 qualification for proof of further study. A science subject is preferred but not mandated. Please contact us for further guidance on acceptable qualifications. If an applicant does not hold a level 3 qualification but has extensive clinical experience and preparation for higher-level study, it may be determined at the interview to accept the candidate onto the programme.
• Applicants don't need to have prior experience working in healthcare, but they must have a passion for caring for others and demonstrate key transferable skills during the recruitment process.
• Applicants will need to provide evidence of recent study, professional development or work experience, and demonstrate an understanding of healthcare professional standards, the Operating Department Practitioner profession and patient care delivery within the perioperative setting.
• Qualifications gained outside England and Wales will be assessed on an individual basis according to the guidance set out by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• The recruitment process for apprenticeship provision is jointly led and conducted between the employer and University. If an applicant is successfully shortlisted, they will be required to attend an interview. The interview process will involve a face-to-face interview with practice and academic staff and include a numeracy and literacy assessment.
• If applicants are successful at the interview stage, they will be required to undergo occupational health screening and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) screening (if they do not hold a current or valid certificate). Charges are payable to cover the cost of the DBS Enhanced Disclosure application and annual registration with the online update service.
• Applicants will need to demonstrate that they are of good health and character before enrolment and on an ongoing basis throughout their studies and career.
• Admission to this programme is only available to applicants who meet ESFA eligibility criteria, including the following: 1) They are employed for a minimum of 30 hours per week in a role relevant to the apprenticeship. 2) They have valid residency status and the right to work in England and can provide a valid BRP card (valid beyond the end date of the programme including End-Point Assessment (EPA)), and a ‘Right to Work’ share code for validation. 3) Their employer is willing to sponsor them to spend a minimum of six hours per week of their time in off-the-job training, including attending the University (times and dates to be determined) for the duration of their course. Please note that an apprentice cannot be self-employed. ESFA eligibility criteria may change so please contact apprentices@bolton.ac.uk for up-to-date information.
• If English isn’t the applicant's first language, they will also need IELTS 7.0 with no less than 6.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
• The University of Bolton recognises prior learning, whether gained through academic credit and qualifications or through professional and employment experience. Previous learning may be used towards meeting the entry requirements for this programme or for exemption from part of this programme. It is the applicant’s responsibility to make a claim for recognition of prior learning, and each claim will be considered in accordance with the University’s policy and regulations for the recognition of prior learning.
• To be eligible for tuition fee funding through the Apprenticeship Levy, applicants should not have already completed a qualification at the same level as the proposed apprenticeship (Degree Level 6) unless that qualification was gained in a completely unrelated discipline.
• Please note that this course is subject to the University of Bolton's Fitness to Practise procedure.

Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.

Operating department practice is an exciting, fast-changing field with opportunities to work across different surgical and anaesthesia specialities. The BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice (Degree Apprenticeship) programme is designed to meet the Operating Department Practitioner (Integrated Degree) Level 6 Apprenticeship Standard (ST0582). This highly practical degree apprenticeship aims to develop clinical knowledge, skills and behaviours for working in operating theatres and wider perioperative settings.

After graduation, and once your apprentice has registered as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), they will be able to take responsibility for a patient's welfare and personalise their care. They will be qualified to work as part of a multidisciplinary team in any of the three phases of perioperative care – anaesthesia, surgery or recovery – or in a role that combines all these areas.

What can I do with this qualification?

The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

On successful completion of the programme, your apprentices may apply to the HCPC to join the register for Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs).

Whilst studying this course, apprentices are not currently required to register as a member with the HCPC. However, they must follow the HCPC's standards of proficiency and standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Apprentices will be required to sign a declaration of ongoing fitness to practise at regular intervals during their studies.

After qualifying as an ODP, your apprentices will need to be committed to learning and always keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date. To maintain their registration to practice with the HCPC, they will need to continue to meet the HCPC's standards of proficiency, and conduct, performance and ethics standards.

Apprentices will not be expected to pay tuition fees towards this programme. If your organisation has a wage bill of more than £3 million per annum, then it may be able to fund this apprenticeship through its Apprenticeship Levy contributions. If your organisation does not pay the levy, it will be eligible for government support to fund apprenticeships. This support, called co-investment, covers 95% of the apprenticeship's tuition fees, with your organisation funding the remaining 5% of the fees.

Home/EU Fees

Apprentices will need to be employed by your organisation for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Your organisation will also need to commit to sponsoring apprentices to complete this qualification.

For further information on how your organisation can access funds to support apprentices, please e-mail apprentices@bolton.ac.uk.

Whether you’re an employer, employee or school leaver, please visit our Apprenticeship web page for support and advice regarding apprenticeships.

International Fees

International applications are not possible for this course

As an international student you are not allowed to study this course because of the restrictions on your visa.

We offer a wide range of full-time courses in lots of different subjects, many of our courses start in September and January. If you would like to see what courses are available please visit our Course Search.

Bursaries

Click here for more information about the scholarships and bursaries available to University of Bolton students.

There are no bursaries associated with this programme.

Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2025-26 academic year: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.

The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.

Operating department practice is a multi-faceted discipline, so we use a wide range of teaching and learning methods, including online, where appropriate. These are designed to fully engage apprentices, helping them develop the skills, knowledge, self-awareness, and behaviours essential for success in this field. Learning focuses on your workplace environment – your apprentices will spend the majority of their normal working week in practice gaining on-the-job knowledge and experience. They will also be required to devote a minimum of six hours of their time per week to university learning and independent study (classified as off-the-job training).

As well as attending timetabled lectures, tutorials, discussions, demonstrations and computer-aided learning sessions, apprentices will also be expected to allocate significant time to independent and self-directed studies. For example, building a portfolio of evidence, background reading, revisiting practical work, preparing for seminars, working on assignments and revising for exams will support their timetabled learning and develop good habits for lifelong learning. Our friendly and supportive tutors will be here to guide them and will gladly help them devise an independent study regime focused on their individual development needs. Learning will also be supported by the University's virtual learning environment, Moodle.

Your organisation will need to provide each apprentice with a workplace supervisor to support their development. They will also benefit from regular visits from a university tutor. The workplace supervisor, university tutor and apprentice will work together to create an individual learning plan.

For the degree element of this programme, we assess each apprentice's performance through a strategic blend of assignments, practical assessments, projects, oral presentations (including viva voce) and formal examinations. Some assessments contribute to their final module marks, while others are designed to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses, and where they need to seek extra support from course tutors.

In addition to the assessments associated with the degree programme, apprentices will undertake the end point assessment (EPA), at the end of the apprenticeship period. Apprentices are also required to develop learning logs/professional development plans and build up a skills portfolio in preparation for the EPA.

Modules

The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.

• Foundations of Operating Department Practice
• Anatomy and Physiology in Operating Department Practice
• Fundamentals of Operating Department Practice
• Legal and Ethical Considerations in Operating Department Practice
• Infection Prevention and Control in Operating Department Practice
• Developing Anaesthetic and Surgical Practice
• Evidence and Enquiry for Practice
• Clinical Governance and Service Improvement
• Developing Post-Anaesthetic Care Practice
• Pharmacology in Operating Department Practice
• Applying Operating Department Practice
• Managing the Deteriorating Patient
• Advancing Skills in Critical Care
• Professional Leadership and Development

Assessment methods

Level	Assessment method
Level 1	Coursework 40% Practical exams 40% Written exams 20%
Level 2	Coursework 50% Practical exams 40% Written exams 10%
Level 3	Coursework 40% Practical exams 50% Written exams 10%

Learning Activities

Level	Activity
Level 1	Guided independent study 9% Placement/study abroad 71% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%
Level 2	Guided independent study 9% Placement/study abroad 71% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%
Level 3	Guided independent study 9% Placement/study abroad 71% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 20%

The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.