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Undergraduate courses 2024/25

Operating Department Practitioner, BSc Hons (Degree Apprenticeship)

If you are passionate about delivering high-quality care to surgical patients within the operating room and associated care settings, our Operating Department Practitioner apprenticeship is for you.

This BSc Hons Operating Department Practitioner Apprenticeship will prepare you to provide high standards of care to patients undergoing surgery. You’ll learn to work with a team of highly skilled surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses in an Operating Department in NHS Trust Hospitals and the Independent sector.

The course combines both academic and clinical practice. This allows you to put your learning into practice and develop the skills required to care for patients, primarily in the operating department. Some learners will have the opportunity to complete a Surgical First Assistant Skills endorsement and develop specialist skills to assist surgeons during surgery.

From the start of your apprenticeship, you will need to be employed full-time (30 hours or more per week) in an appropriate healthcare setting where you can train as a registered ODP. Graduates of this course will be well-equipped to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a registered Operating Department Practitioner.

Applicants should agree in advance with their employer Education/Apprenticeship Lead which course they will be applying for.

Degree apprenticeship

Applications are made through the apprenticeships programme.

Duration

3-5 years part-time

Start month

September

Fees information

For fee information related to this course, please see fees section below.

What you should know about this course

  • This course combines academic study with clinical placements where a range of health professionals will assist in your Operating Department Training.
  • Some of your learning will take place in our brand-new simulation suite where you will be able to practice your acquired skills in a supported simulated environment.
  • You will be able to earn while you learn.
  • You will need to apply through your employer as they will be funding your apprenticeship.

Operating Department Practitioner - information pack


Get a promotional pack from Skills for Health containing everything you need to know about the Operating Department Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship.

What you will study

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Course information is currently unavailable for this programme. Please contact course-info@gre.ac.uk for more information.

About the course team

You will be taught by an experienced team of experts, which includes senior academics, technical officers, and practitioners with industry experience. Trained postgraduate researchers may also contribute to seminar teaching with the module leader. Teaching is informed by our research and consultancy work, and 97 per cent of our lecturers hold a teaching qualification.

Come and meet us

We are offering virtual events so that you can still experience how Greenwich could be the right university for you.

Next Open Days

Got a question?

To find out more about our Open Days and Campus Tours or if you need any assistance, please email opendays@gre.ac.uk.

Entry requirements

From the start of your apprenticeship, you will need to be employed full-time (30 hours or more per week) in an appropriate healthcare setting.

If you are not already employed in a health or social care setting, you should contact NHS Trusts and other healthcare organisations in your area to check if they are recruiting apprentices.

Applicants will need:

  • Mathematics and English GCSE grade A-C/9-4 or recognised equivalents
  • Transferable skills and readiness to study at the undergraduate level
  • Two years of employment in a relevant health or social care setting

Consideration will be given to applicants with substantive and relevant work experience.

Occupational health and DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks are carried out by the employer. Completion of the Care Certificate is desirable prior to commencing the programme as completion of the Care Certificate within 3 months of commencing the programme is a requirement of the Apprenticeship Standard - ST0582 (2018).

For enquiries, please contact apprenticeships@greenwich.ac.uk

For more information, use our contact form or call us on 020 8331 9000.

You can also read our admissions policy.

Available to overseas students?

No

Can I use Prior Learning?

Yes. We will consider applicants with prior academic learning and substantive and relevant work experience. We will guide you on how to claim for your prior learning to be accredited.

Enhanced disclosure

Applicants for this course are required to complete a suitability declaration, an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check, and an occupational health check.

About these requirements

How you will learn

The following data is based on the compulsory modules for this programme.*

* Compiled from modules taught on 2023-2024 courses.

Teaching

In a typical week learning takes place through a combination of:

Learning takes place through a combination of timetabled learning and independent study.

You can view more information about how each module is taught within our 'What you will study' section.

Seminars and workshops enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups. You will also be able to meet your personal tutor. Timetabled learning may fall between 9am and 9pm depending on your courses and tutorials.

Class sizes

Class sizes vary by module. Lectures are normally attended by larger groups, and seminars/tutorials by smaller groups. This can vary more widely for modules that are shared between degrees. All students will have opportunities for 1-to-1 time with their tutors.

Independent learning

Outside of timetabled sessions, you are also expected to dedicate around 30 hours a week to self-study. This may involve further reading and research, preparing coursework and presentations, and preparing for tests and exams. Our facilities are designed to support you in these activities.

We encourage you to join societies and participate in sporting and other activities to engage in the wider life of the university community.

Overall workload

If you are studying full-time, you should expect the workload to be similar to a full-time job. For part-time students, this will reduce in proportion with the number of courses you are studying.

Each module you study towards this degree is worth 15 or 30 credits. These represent around 150 or 300 study hours respectively. If you receive 100 contact hours for a 30-credit module, you should expect to commit 200 hours to independent study to complete it successfully.

Assessment

Students are assessed through a combination of assessment methods depending on the modules chosen.

You can view how each module is assessed within our 'What you will study' section.

Each course has formal assessments which count towards your grade. Some courses may also include 'practice' assignments, which help you monitor progress and do not count towards your final grade.

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback on assignments and to release examination results within 15 working days.

Dates and timetables

Full teaching timetables are not usually available until term has started. For any queries, please call 020 8331 9000.

Official statistics on Discover Uni

Part time

Fees and funding

The course fees are shared between government and employers. Visit our degree apprenticeships pages to find out how the cost of your course is met.

Other costs

Apprenticeships are paid for by employers, not apprentices.

Employers with a payroll of more than £3 million can use their apprenticeship levy contributions to pay for places on apprenticeship programmes.

Any business with a payroll below £3 million is eligible for government funding that will cover at least 95% of the cost of an apprenticeship programme.

Additional incentives are also available to employers who take on young apprentices.

Learn more information about the Apprenticeship Levy.

Mode of study

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Apply now

This course is not available through Clearing, but we may have similar or alternative options that you can apply for.

If you want to apply for a later intake, visit the how to apply page.