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Sheffield Hallam University

UCAS Code: B990 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

Access to HE Diploma

M:15

Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in health studies, health science, nursing or another science- based course. Normally we require 15 credits at Level 2 and 45 at level 3 of which at least 15 credits should be graded at merit level.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSEs (single or double) in: Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents Maths at grade D or 4 or equivalents English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents Science equivalents: OCR Science level 2 Science units gained on a level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma qualification; Science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3); Science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk. Math equivalents: Level 2 Key Skills / Application of Number; Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course; Maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk. English equivalents: Level 2 Literacy; Level 2 Key Skills.

UCAS Tariff

112-120

With at least 64 points from two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. We do not accept AS levels or General Studies. For example: BBC-BBB at A Level DDM in BTEC Extended Diploma Merit overall from a Health or Science T level qualification. A combination of qualifications

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About this course

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2026

Subject

Operating department practice

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information**

**Course summary**
- Qualify with College of Operating Department Practitioners accreditation.

- Learn theory in operating theatres, maternity units, critical care and A&Es.

- Get hands-on practice in a simulated operating theatre, ward and anatomy labs,

- Gain real-world experience in a variety of placement settings.

- Be eligible to register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Operating department practitioners (ODPs) are the only undergraduate allied health professionals in the UK trained to work in operating theatres. You’ll learn to work effectively alongside anaesthetists, surgeons and others to prepare and assist during surgical and anaesthetic procedures. As an autonomous practitioner, you’ll be able to transform the experiences of care for patients.

Accredited by:
College of Operating Department Practitioners (CODP) Health and Care Professions Council, the (HCPC)
This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). You must be registered with the HCPC in order to practise as an operating department practitioner in the UK.

This course is endorsed/approved by the College of Operating Department Practitioners.

**How you learn**
This course is designed by practising ODPs registered with the HCPC. You’ll be taught by professionals who are active in their field of practice and research, having worked in many specialisms across health. This wealth of innovative professional knowledge and interprofessional practice experience provides you with an in-depth understanding of what it means to be an ODP in the real world.

You’ll experience a blended approach to learning and teaching – on campus, online and in practice placements within the critical care environment. While specialising as an ODP, you’ll also have opportunities to learn with, from and about practitioners from a range of health and social care professions. This will enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of person-centred care and patient pathways.

You learn through:
- Keynote lectures

- Seminars

- Scheduled learning experiences

- Simulated learning

- Workshops

- Tutorials

- Academic advising

- Practicals

**Key Themes**
You'll start by learning about safe perioperative practice and caring for the healthy elective patient. You'll then learn about co-morbidities in practice and how these may change the care ODPs provide to surgical patients from a holistic perspective. Finally you’ll learn how to overcome and deliver safe care in the emergency environment – being able to safely manage anything that may occur in the perioperative environment.

We’ll develop you from a novice at entry level, towards a skilled graduate who can register with the HCPC upon qualification. You’ll progress through minor procedures towards complex procedures at level 6.

From lectures and seminars to workshops and simulated learning, you’ll prepare to work alongside professionals in the clinical environment. You’ll apply theory to practice – learning by doing. Beyond the basics of operations, you’ll learn the anatomy and physiology alongside the procedure, further increasing your knowledge and understanding.

**Applied learning
Work Placements**
Throughout your time on the course, you’ll spend time in the clinical practice environment to develop your knowledge and skills – working alongside registered professionals caring for perioperative patients. Here you’ll gain a deep understanding and be able to practise under supervision as a Student ODP.

You’ll develop your skills and experience with placements designed to explore the four pillars of practice. Previous students have gained valuable experience in areas such as research, education or leadership, which has influenced their professional practice post-qualifying.

Modules

Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

Collaboration For Individual And Community Wellbeing
Odp Clinical Practice 1
Odp Introduction To Odp And University Life
Odp Principle Roles Of Odp
Personal And Professional Development

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Assessing And Addressing Complexity In Practice
Evidence And Enquiry For Practice
Odp - Clinical Practice 2
Odp Developing Intraoperative Practice
Odp Management And Care Of Acute And Critical Patients

**Final year **

**Compulsory modules**

Complexity & Leadership In Professional Practice
Odp Clinical Practice 3
Odp Developing The Practice Educator
Odp Enhanced Perioperative Practice
The Advancing Professional

Assessment methods

Coursework | Practical

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,535
per year
England
£9,535
per year
EU
£19,155
per year
International
£19,155
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,535
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,535
per year
Scotland
£9,535
per year
Wales
£9,535
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni

Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Health Wellbeing and Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

82%
Operating department practice

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Health sciences (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

75%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
72%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
89%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

78%
Library resources
94%
IT resources
88%
Course specific equipment and facilities
46%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

100%
UK students
0%
International students
26%
Male students
74%
Female students
72%
2:1 or above
15%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
B
C

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Health sciences (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£28,000
high
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education
88%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

66%
Therapy professionals
8%
Childcare and related personal services
5%
Welfare and housing associate professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Health sciences (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£26k

£26k

£28k

£28k

£30k

£30k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here