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BSc (Hons) Osteopathy 4 Year Modified Attendance Undergraduate Degree

BSc(Hons) Osteopathy *

*The BSc(Hons) Osteopathy degree is validated by our partner university, University of Plymouth, and is fully accredited by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) with ‘recognised qualification’ status in accordance with the Osteopaths Act 1993.

The BSc (Hons) Osteopathy is a four year full-time modified attendance degree combining online learning and face to face teaching for those students who want to combine studying osteopathy with working or family commitments.  This degree is aimed at those who want to change career and are attracted to a hands on, rewarding and flexible profession. This modified attendance course will run two evenings a week (6-9pm) and one Saturday a month (9am- 5.30pm), with additional hours needed for time in the teaching clinic,  tutorials and self-directed study. Upon successful completion of this University of Plymouth validated degree, graduates can register with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and obtain a Diploma in Naturopathy with the General Council and Register of Naturopaths (GCRN) and launch straight into a career as a practising osteopath.

The study programme

The curriculum involves problem-based learning, case-based scenarios and research over four years. Students will attend the teaching clinic located at BCOM, alongside practical skills classes, lectures and tutorials. Students spend 1000 hours in the teaching clinic, equipping them with the skills needed to be an excellent practitioner. Students will develop key business skills and research experience, enabling them to work in established clinics or to build their own practices after graduating. BCOM graduates have pursued successful careers working with athletes, corporate consultancy, university-level teaching, working with animals and medical research. For more detailed information on the content of the modules, their assessment and delivery click here.

How you will be assessed

The programme is assessed in a number of ways which include essays, presentations, group work, reflective accounts, ISCE and clinical assessments either as individual students or group work.

Professional accreditation

Successful completion of this BSc Osteopathy leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the GOsC allowing graduates to launch straight into a career as a practising osteopath.

 

The BSc(Hons) Osteopathy programme specification can be found here

  • Syllabus

    • The BSc(Hons) Osteopathy degree is validated by our partner university, University of Plymouth, and is fully accredited by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) with ‘recognised qualification’ status in accordance with the Osteopaths Act 1993.

      Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
      Technique Practice 1: Fundamentals & Bio-mechanics Nutrition, Health and Wellbeing Functional Nutrition Research Project
      Professionalism & Clinical Integration 1 Clinical Diagnosis, Pathology & Pharmacology Clinical Practice 1 Clinical Practice 2
      Anatomy 1 (includes neurology) Technique Practice 2: Functional Applications Paediatrics Advanced Skills in Practice
      Anatomy 2 (includes neurology) Clinical Methods Technique Practice 3: Applied Treatment Psychology
      Physiology Musculo-skeletal Diagnosis

      For more detailed information on the content of the modules, their assessment and delivery click here.

      The BSc(Hons) Osteopathy programme specification can be found here

       

       

  • Entry requirements

    •  

      Entry Requirements
      GCSE (or equivalent) All applicants must have mathematics and English at grade 4 or above or equivalent.
      Interviews All applicants will undergo an interview. All applicants need to complete a health declaration form so appropriate support can be put in place. Applicants who declare a disability are normally invited for an early meeting to discuss support. Subsequently applicants need to declare annually a health declaration and any change to their criminal record.
      A-level/AS-level Normal minimum entry requirements are BBC (112 UCAS points) at A-level to normally include a science subject, usually biology but will consider chemistry, physical education, sports science as science, psychology, mathematics. General studies are not accepted.

       
      BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma Grades: DDM – Must be Health, Science, or Sports related and include relevant science modules.
      Access to Higher Education at level 3 Applicants are interviewed before an offer is made. Applicants will need to achieve a minimum of 18 Level 3 credits at merit or above in a science or health-related Access course. Applicants who do not have Level 2 English and Maths above grade C will additionally need 12 credits at Level 2 in these subjects.
      Welsh Baccalaureate 112 UCAS points overall to include 2 A-levels grades BB in science subjects (as above)
      Scottish Qualifications Authority 112 UCAS points overall to include two science subjects (as above) grades BB at Higher Level
      Irish Leaving Certificate H33334 (post-2017) at Higher Level, to include b a science usually biology (but will include PE etc) plus Ordinary Level Grade C Maths and English
      International Baccalaureate Acceptable with a minimum overall score of 32 points to include 5 points in 2 science subjects. If overseas and not studying English within IB, must have IELTS 6.0 overall with 5.5 in all other elements.
      Other Other HE qualifications considered on individual merit' may include courses run by other osteopathic and non-osteopathic institutions that provide the applicant with skills suitable for the course.
      English Language If English is not the first language and the applicant is or will be applying for a UK Student Visa, they must have an acceptable Secure English Language Test (SELT) score of 6.5 total with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

      If the applicant is in the UK they can only take a SELT test with one of the following providers:

      • Trinity College London
      • IELTS SELT Consortium
      • LanguageCert
      • Pearson

      If the applicant is outside the UK they can only take a SELT test with one of the following providers:

      • PSI Services (UK) Ltd
      • IELTS SELT Consortium
      • LanguageCert
      • Pearson

      If English is not the applicant's first language and the applicant does not need a Student Visa an applicant must usually have an equivalent of a minimum 6.5 Academic IELTS with 5.5 minimum in all components: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

      For additional information or any updates on securing an English language test please click here 
      DBS All offers are subject to an enhanced DBS clearance. This is funded by the students who are informed at the interview, application stage, and prospectus and website.
      APL The College welcomes applications from students who have prior certificated learning which they would like to be considered so they can enter at either level 5 or level 6 or have exemption from some of the individual modules at level 4 or 5. The process is robust and transparent and compliant with the QAA Code of Practice (2018). The process is underpinned by set of principles which support the fact that the previous learning is relevant, sufficient, authentic and current.

      Applicants are supported throughout the process which includes an informal academic interview, detailed mapping of previous learning against the programme module learning outcomes and consideration by an independent panel. Successful applicants are offered an individualised induction programme to join their new peer group.

       

  • How to Apply

    • Step 1:

      Apply through UCAS– an electronic online application system available at www.ucas.com.  The application fee is £22 for a single choice, or £26.50 for more than one choice. ​This will enable you to apply to up to 5 institutions simultaneously. If you apply only to the BCOM (i.e. a single application) the fee is reduced to £22.

      BCOM Institution code: B81

      BSc(Hons) Osteopathy course code: B200

      UCAS will electronically send your application to us for consideration.

      Step 2: Application Review

      All applications are considered individually and with flexibility. When considering your application, we look at the content of your personal statement, as well as your academic profile and reference. Decisions are based on grades, personal statements and references. For UCAS guidance on your personal statement please follow this link, and for UCAS guidance on your references, please follow this link.

      Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview via Microsoft Teams (interview times are flexible and can be arranged to fit in with you).

      For full details of our selection criteria read our Admissions Policy.

      Step 3: Interview

      The interview will last approximately 30 minutes and is fairly informal. Normally, there will be 2 people interviewing you. Interviews are also an opportunity for you to ask us questions.

      At interview, we will want to know why you want to be an osteopath and what skills you think you have that may be relevant. We may also ask about any work experience you have gained. We may ask you questions about the content of your personal statement.

      We may ask you to provide documentary evidence of the qualifications you have listed on your UCAS form – either prior or following the interview.

      Step 4: Decisions and Offers

      Usually, interview outcomes are conveyed to you via UCAS within 5 working days of your interview.

      Successful applicants will receive a formal offer letter by email following their interview from BCOM, detailing either a conditional offer or an unconditional offer of acceptance. An unconditional offer means you do not have to do anything before you start the course. If you receive a conditional offer then the offer conditions have to be met before the end of August. Offer conditions are usually linked to qualification, so we may ask that you obtain specific grades in qualifications such as A-Levels, BTEC qualification or the Baccalaureate. You can either accept or decline the BCOM offer. UCAS will give you a date by which you have to make your decision.

      Step 5: Offer accepted

      If you accept our offer – Welcome to BCOM! You have made a great decision! Congratulations – you have just taken the first step towards your exciting career as an osteopath.

      From around May you will be given further information about accommodation and starting the course.

      International Students

      International students coming to the UK with a Student visa must be able to support themselves for the entire length of their stay in the UK; this includes fees and living expenses. To check how to apply for a Student visa click here.

      If you are interested in studying the BSc (Hons) Osteopathy at BCOM and need a Student visa, you are strongly advised to read the information in the links below.

      All nationals from outside of Europe coming to live in the UK for longer than six months will be required to pay a health surcharge.

      If you have an UNCONDITIONAL place with us and you have decided to accept the offer, please email the Admissions Team with your full name and UCAS ID number to request your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). A CAS is a very important electronic document that you will need to request before you can apply for your student visa.  

      Please note the BCNO Group is committed to ensuring that courses run as advertised; however, if a minimum number of students is not reached, courses may be changed, rescheduled, or cancelled. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. In most cases, the approval of courses usually lasts for five years, from the point of validation until the point of periodic review of the course. During this period, a course may be modified to enhance provision and ensure that it is compliant with accreditation bodies or partners to meet quality standards. As part of this process current students will be consulted on any proposed change and current and prospective students will be notified of any change.

  • Course Fees

    • Year 1: £7,700

      Year 2: £7,700

      Year 3: £6,160

      Year 4: £6,160

  • Duration & Attendance

    • This is a full-time programme delivered as a modified attendance over a four year period:

      • In Years 1 and 2 there will be two evening lectures per week (6-9pm) and lectures one Saturday a month (9am - 5.30pm)
      • In Year 3, there will be lectures one evening per week and one Saturday per month. Clinical Practice will take place on two half days a week.
      • In Year 4 Clinical Practice will take place on an additional two half days a week, for example, a Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon, and there will only be one evening lecture per week. There will be Clinical Practice every Saturday in Year 4
      • There will be a mixture of face to face and online lectures
      • Over the four years you will need to spend 1000 hours in the Clinical setting in order to meet the requirements of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).  The majority of these hours will be in scheduled teaching slots, but you need to have the flexibility to manage additional hours depending on your needs
      • As with all UK degree courses, students are expected to spend time in self-directed study.  This will vary from student to student and is not a fixed figure, but you need to plan to be able to spend around three hours in self-study for every one hour of contact time

      Example timetable for Year 1 can be found here

      Example timetable for Year 3 can be found here

  • Student Funding

    • The BSc (Hons) Osteopathy is a flexible full-time modified attendance degree. You may be eligible for student funding and maintenance loans if this is your first degree. To find out more click here.

  • What our Students Say

    • To find out what our students say about studying the BSs (Hons) Osteopathy click here.

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