Operating Department Practice with Foundation Year

CCCU is 2nd in the UK for graduate employment
Among 111 UK higher education institutions with 3,000+ graduates (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2026).

100% of our Operating Department Practice students were in employment or further study 15 months after finishing their course
(Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025)

Get ready with a foundation year and learn the foundational skills and knowledge to complete a full Honours degree. You'll be able to embark on this qualification without meeting the level 3 entry requirements, giving you the opportunity to study at degree level through this four year course.

Play an essential role in the perioperative team as an operating department practitioner as you care for patients before, during, and after surgery. Accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), you’ll be able to apply for registration as an operating department practitioner upon completion of the course.

An Operating Department Practice (ODP) degree with foundation year will kickstart your career in the operating theatre. With CCCU, you’ll be a part of a long-established team; we are the first university in the UK to develop a BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice approved by the HCPC.

Undertaking an ODP university course will enable you to become a competent, confident, and capable operating department practitioner with this hands-on ODP course, where you will learn how to take responsibility for managing all aspects of patient care within the operating department.

You’ll collaboratively work alongside students from other courses so you can gain a deeper awareness of the health needs of people and the role that other healthcare professionals play as part of the wider team.

Professional accreditation

The course meets the requirements of the College of Operating Department Practitioners curriculum and is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.

On completion of the course and in preparation for registration, the Course Director must be satisfied that you meet the relevant statutory regulatory body fitness to practise criteria. You will be required to sign an annual declaration of ongoing fitness to practise at regular intervals during the course.

Specialist facilities

As a healthcare student, you will have access to our specialist, industry-relevant, simulation facilities at our Medway Campus. You will develop your practical skills in our state-of-the-art simulation suites, which come fully equipped with a simulated operating theatre and scrub room.

University isn't just an education, it's the start of your career. At Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), you'll get to explore a number of exciting career paths, whatever you study.

CCCU is ranked top 5 UK university for employability (Uni Compare Rankings 2026), highlighting its excellent student careers and employability support. The university is home to career-relevant courses and industry-standard facilities. For example, film students can showcase their creativity in the fully equipped film/TV studio, forensics students can test their observational abilities in mock crime scenes, and nursing students can practice their skills in simulated hospital wards.

With a campus in a World Heritage Site, Canterbury is also less than an hour on the train from London and is buzzing with student life. You've got beautiful coast and countryside right on your doorstep, and plenty of opportunities to make friends. With CCCU's range of clubs and societies, including Tennis, Musical Theatre and Dodgeball, you're bound to meet your friends for life.

Click register interest now to secure your place at CCCU this September.