Operating Department Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship | Operating Department Practice BSc (Hons)

Entry Requirements 2025/26

Standard Entry

Admission onto a higher or degree apprenticeship can only take place if applicants are currently employed and their employer has a training agreement in place with Northumbria University.

Applicants must be employed within an operating department, with the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts directly to their personal and professional work experience.

Potential apprentices will need:

112 UCAS Tariff points

From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-levels, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate.

We may also consider applicants who have successfully completed a related Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship, or those with non-standard qualifications, or a significant amount of relevant work-based or professional experience.

Find out how many points your qualifications are worth using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator

You may be eligible to apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and join the programme in year two. To meet the requirements for RPL, you must demonstrate from previous academic study and experiential learning that you have gained some of the knowledge and skills required of a student ODP. This is achieved through a recognition process, which consists of a combination of accreditation of previous academic learning and a minimum of 544 hours of Perioperative experience. This process is undertaken to establish the equivalence of learning which has already taken place with Northumbria’s provision and equates to 12 months of pre-registration ODP study and prior study at Level 4 of 120 credits. Successful candidates are granted advanced entry to year two of study, thereby completing their pre-registration programme in a shorter period.

Additional Requirements:

Applicants will be required to attend an interview. Admission is subject to a suitable DBS Enhanced Certificate and a satisfactory health check. Applicants must meet the Health and Care Professions Council's suitability for registration requirements.

English Language Requirements:

International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7.0 with 6.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).

*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications

GCSE Requirements:

Applicants will need Maths and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or Functional Skills English and Maths at level 2 and be able to provide evidence of these qualifications. It is recommended that applicants have this qualification prior to entry, however if applicants are working towards this qualification, it is a condition that it is completed in advance of End Point Assessment. The University will facilitate provision of Maths and English qualifications where this is needed.

We guide both employer and apprentice through the application and funding process and will be on hand to assist you during the apprenticeship journey.

To start the application process for either current employees or new recruits contact our Business and Enterprise team today by email or complete our online enquiry form. Alternatively, you can call 0191 215 6300.

All apprentices are required to be working full-time in a perioperative environment to study the Operating Department Practitioner Degree Apprenticeship. Students who have evidence of prior learning may be eligible to study our two year route, see our Entry Requirements for further details.

If you are interested in studying this apprenticeship and you are in current full-time employment complete our online enquiry form.

If you are not working within a perioperative environment but would like to study this apprenticeship programme, keep checking our vacancies page for information regarding job opportunities. Alternatively, you may be interested in our BSc in Operating Department Practice. 

Skills Assessment

Before entry onto the programme, all Apprenticeship applicants must complete an Initial Skills Assessment which maps their prior knowledge against the apprenticeship standard. This is part of the University’s regulatory funding obligations. The purpose of an apprenticeship is to provide new learning and the skills assessment will be used to establish whether we need to tailor your programme in any way to account for your previous qualifications or experience. It also provides a benchmark against which to map your progress on the programme.