There are accelerated postgraduate courses for most areas in this sector. Check the qualification routes and funding situations.

Dietetics

• You will need a postgraduate qualification (up to 2 years, full-time only)
• You will need to have studied a life science degree with an acceptable level of human physiology and biochemistry
• Courses must be approved by, and lead to registration with, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more
• Practical placements will be part of the course

Occupational Therapy

• You will need a postgraduate qualification (generally 2 years, full-time)
• Courses must be approved by, and lead to registration with, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more
• A minimum of 1,000 hours, typically a third of the course, is spent on practice placements

Speech and Language Therapy

• You will need a postgraduate qualification (2 years, full-time only)
• Courses must be approved by, and lead to registration with, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more
• Practical elements of the course are very important. They may take place in schools, NHS hospitals or community health clinics

Radiography (Diagnostic and Therapeutic)

• If you have a relevant first degree, you can apply for an accelerated programme in diagnostic or therapeutic radiography. These courses are usually between 21 months and 2 years long
• Each institution sets its own entry requirements. It is a good idea to spend some time with a registered diagnostic/therapeutic radiographer to understand what the work is like
• Courses must be approved by, and lead to registration with, the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more
• Clinical placements will take place in blocks throughout the course

Orthoptics

• If you have a relevant first degree of 2:2 or above, you can apply for the accelerated programme in Orthoptics (pre-registration) MSc at UCL or Liverpool
• The course lasts 2 years
• Graduates will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more
• Placements will take place as part of the course.

Physician Associate

• Includes a two-year postgraduate course, with students studying 46-48 weeks each year
• Focuses on general adult medicine and general practice, rather than specialty care
• Financial arrangements differ between universities. Some support may come from the local Heath Education England office, a bursary may be available for some costs, or you may need a student loan. MSc courses could be eligible for a postgraduate masters loan
• BSMS MSc Physician Associate Studies offers a Heath Education England training grant of around £5,000, plus Sussex alumni may be able to apply for scholarships in Year 1

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Anaesthesia Associate

• Includes a two-year postgraduate course
• There are three accredited courses available, at Birmingham, UCL and Lancaster
• Courses are aimed at existing healthcare practitioners or biomedical/biological science graduates
• Applicants are required to be appointed by an NHS Trust to a Student Anaesthesia Associate post, prior to applying to this programme.
• Fees will be paid by the NHS trust you are working for and you should receive or bursary to support you

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• Two-year postgraduate courses are available for graduates
• The four fields of nursing are adult nursing, children's nursing, learning disability nursing and mental health nursing
• Some degree courses allow you to study in two of the fields. These are known as dual field courses
• Apply through UCAS for full-time courses, or direct to universities for part-time courses
• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers a package of financial support for eligible students. This will not have to be repaid. Find out more

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