Start date
28 September 2020
Duration
4 ½ years part-time
3 years full-time
Places available (subject to change)
6
Phone contact: +44 (0)1484 472699
About the course
Podiatrists are allied healthcare professionals who assess and treat the lower limb and foot. On our Podiatry BSc(Hons) course you’ll have the opportunity to build the knowledge and hands-on skills you need whilst learning in specialist clinical facilities. We aim to give you the skills to improve the mobility and quality of life of your patients.
- You’ll have the opportunity to gain vital experience using our fully equipped on-site Podiatry Clinic, surgical theatre suite, biomechanics gait analysis equipment and orthotics laboratory.
- Clinical placements will be undertaken each year, where you can put what you’ve learnt to the test in the real world.
- The course helps to prepare you for working as part of a multidisciplinary team, as you’ll take part in interprofessional learning alongside physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nursing students.
- You’ll have the opportunity to hear the experiences and viewpoints from Service Users and Carers, who are part of the Public Partnership Group.
- You’ll have the opportunity to qualify with a certificate in local anaesthesia and prescription only medicines (POMs) annotation.
Qualified podiatrists work in a number of specialist areas with people of all ages including musculoskeletal podiatry, sports injuries, biomechanics and gait assessment, orthotics and nail surgery. Your work could include the management of foot health, routine care, specialist wound care and minor operative procedures. You could also contribute to the wellbeing of patients with diabetes, rheumatism, vascular or neurological disorders. Many podiatrists undertake further training to become a Podiatric Surgeon or Forensic Podiatrist. Whilst others set up their own consultancies.
“Podiatry BSc(Hons) offered at the University of Huddersfield is very well respected amongst NHS employers as it consistently produces podiatrists with a great combination of academic, practical and customer care skills. The University enjoys strong partnerships working with many local NHS trusts to ensure that the course remains fit for purpose and graduates have access to relevant postgraduate study.
“The University’s onsite podiatry clinic provides students with the opportunity to develop skills which they can then refine when they undertake placement. Collaborative working between the University and local NHS trusts is beneficial for students as it enables them to learn in a current real world context. I feel the University of Huddersfield is an excellent choice for future podiatry students.”
Jeremy Walker, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Placement provider
Course detail
Core modules:
Clinical Podiatry 1
This module aims to provide you with clinical experience of the fundamental techniques used in podiatric care and an understanding of the principles on which therapeutic interventions are based. Through supervised clinical sessions and a four week NHS placement you'll focus on the practical application of psychomotor skills including scalpel work, nail care and manufacture of clinical padding, strapping and insoles fabricated in the orthotic laboratory. You'll be required to complete and pass an online orthotics laboratory safety exam, produce written coursework in the form of a placement log, reflecting on your experiences and demonstrate your knowledge through a practical exam.
Lower Limb Structure and Function
This module introduces you to the anatomy of the lower limb and helps you to develop an understanding about different anatomical structures and their function in walking, including bones, joints, muscles and tendons. Your knowledge and recognition of anatomical structures and gait will also be explored through an exam.
Medicine 1
You'll have the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of homeostasis and the major organ systems of the human body. You'll also have the chance to gain the ability to demonstrate knowledge of core pathologies relevant to Podiatric practice, which will enable you to put the module theory into clinical practice. Teaching will be delivered through interactive lectures, spot tests and online tutorial support. You'll be assessed via two unseen exams and a practical.
Podiatric Theory 1
Through a combination of lectures and seminars you'll be introduced to a range of podiatric conditions which are commonly encountered in clinical practice. You'll demonstrate your knowledge of these in a multiple choice exam and a case study exam. Completion of this module in addition to Clinical Practice 1 and Medicine 1 currently fulfils the College of Podiatry requirements for qualification as a podiatry assistant.
Core modules:
Introduction to Musculoskeletal Podiatry
This module helps you to build on your knowledge of the fundamentals of the structure and function of the lower limb. You will explore various pathologies/injuries and different methods of assessing them to establish a cause and a reasonable management plan. This module provides the opportunity for you to develop your skills in musculoskeletal care which you will encounter throughout your podiatric careers. It will be assessed in an objective structured clinical exam. During the teaching program you will also have the opportunity to develop your practical skills by applying all areas of this module in a simulated clinical environment.
Professional Development and Research 1
This module involves a multidisciplinary team based learning approach, working with Nursing, Midwifery, Occupational Therapy, Operating Department Practice, Physiotherapy and Podiatry students. The professional development element of the module will encourage you to explore issues of lifelong learning and continuing professional development that underpin the essential skills needed in order to understand registration requirements for your field specific professional/statutory bodies. You will be assessed by four pieces of coursework.
Core modules:
Clinical Podiatry 2
You'll have the opportunity to assess and manage a wide variety of podiatric conditions in the University’s podiatry clinic and during a four week practice placement. Whilst undertaking your placement you'll complete coursework involving a placement log, where you'll reflect on your experiences. Your ability to physically assess vascular and neurological status of the lower limb and your orthoses skills will be explored through an Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and your patient treatment and management skills will also be assessed through practical exam.
Medicine 2
The podiatric implications of general medical conditions and their pharmaceutical management will be studied in greater detail and you'll demonstrate your knowledge of these in an exam. You'll gain knowledge of prescription only medications for use in podiatric practice, which will be assessed via coursework. You'll also have the opportunity to develop your practical skills in administering local anaesthetic agents which you'll demonstrate through a practical exam.
Research 2
This module provides the opportunity to build on your knowledge of research from Year 1 and prepares you to undertake an area of research in Year 3. You’ll explore data collection and analysis in relation to methods which are currently used in research and evaluation of practice. This includes quantitative and qualitative research, systematic reviews and audits. You’ll be assessed in-class using multiple choice questions, as well as work in multi-professional groups to produce coursework involving a research proposal, which you will undertake in Year 3.
Core modules:
Clinical Podiatry 3
You'll have the opportunity to further develop your practical skills, preparing you to become a registered podiatrist with the Health and Care Professions Council. You'll diagnose and treat a wide variety of podiatric conditions in the University’s podiatry clinic and during a six week practice placement. Whilst undertaking your placement you'll complete coursework involving a placement log, where you will reflect on your experience. Your ability to diagnose patients appropriately will be explored through an exam and your treatment and management skills will also be assessed through a practical exam.
Podiatry and the High Risk Patient
Through a series of specialist-led lectures and seminars you have the opportunity to understand and appreciate the theoretical underpinning for clinical skills in advanced practice and apply them in a multi-disciplinary context. This is assessed by coursework and a placement log with supporting narrative. Through undertaking a placement, you will have the chance to develop a critical understanding of the factors that influence clinical practice in the management of the high-risk client in a range of healthcare settings. This is assessed by a reflective account to support a placement log of your critical learning experiences whilst in placement.
Principles of Contemporary Practice
Through a series of specialist-led lectures you will have the opportunity to gain an insight into the context in which contemporary practice is undertaken. In addition you will explore an area of personal interest within podiatry, which may be an area you wish to pursue in practice following graduation or within further formal qualifications. You will be assessed through coursework involving a presentation.
Research 3
This is a multi-disciplinary module which follows on from Research 2. You will undertake a small scale research project in a multi-professional group, which could consist of a combination of nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, operating department practice, or podiatry students. Based on this research project you will produce two pieces of coursework, a report written in a style suitable for publication and a group presentation at the Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference.
21.1% of the study time on this course is spent in lectures, seminars, tutorials etc. A wide range of teaching and learning approaches are provided including seminars, group work, practical experience, lectures, staff or student lead tutorials, case based tutorials, virtual learning, role play, clinical practice, reflection and placement. Within this in-house treatment of patients in the podiatry clinic and hands-on placements within a practice setting is incorporated. Where possible, patients with a history of podiatry conditions support your learning by sharing their experiences.
You'll be assessed through a range of methods throughout the course including coursework, practice-based assessment and exams.
Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.
Feedback (usually written) is normally provided on all coursework submissions within three term time weeks – unless the submission was made towards the end of the session in which case feedback would be available on request after the formal publication of results. Feedback on exam performance/final coursework is available on request after the publication of results.
Further information
Once you’ve submitted your application form to UCAS you may be invited to attend an interview.
The teaching year normally starts in September with breaks at Christmas and Easter, finishing with a main examination/assessment period around May/June. Timetables are normally available one month before registration.
Your course is made up of modules and each module is worth a number of credits. Each year you study core modules, adding up to 360 credits in total for a bachelor’s qualification.
If you achieve 120 credits for the current stage you are at, you may progress to the next stage of your course, subject to any professional, statutory or regulatory body guidelines.
Entry requirements
BBBat A Level including a Biological Science, Sports Studies or Physical Education, General Studies is excluded. The endorsement for practical work is an essential part of Science A-level study and is a requirement for entry to our degree courses. |
120 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications including a Grade B at A Level in Biological Science, Sports Studies or Physical Education, General Studies is excluded. The endorsement for practical work is an essential part of Science A-level study and is a requirement for entry to our degree courses. A Distinction in BTEC Subsidiary Diploma or National Extended Certificate in Sports Studies is also accepted. |
DDM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma to include modules in Biological Science. |
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In addition you must have GCSE English Language or Literature and Maths at grade 4 or above, or grade C or above if awarded under the previous GCSE grading scheme, or equivalent.
- You will normally have completed some level 3 study within the last 6 years.
- You need to demonstrate an understanding of the profession.
- Offers will be subject to an interview and references. Individual applicants may be required to undertake a biology test. Please note all the information provided in support of your application may be checked and must be verifiable as a true record.
- You also need satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and occupational health clearances prior to registration. We arrange these as part of the application process. You will be required to sign a self-declaration at the start of each year. All police contact during the course must be reported to the course leader as a matter of urgency and may lead to suspension or termination.
- Candidates for whom English is not the first language are required to have International English Language Testing System (IELTS) at a score of 6.5 with no lower than 6.0 in any single component.
- You may be eligible to gain accreditation for your prior learning towards this course.
- If you have alternative qualifications you may wish to contact us for advice before applying.
Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.
Please note places are limited and attainment of the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an interview or offer. You must include details of any previous study.
Placements
Placements are a compulsory element of the course and are currently undertaken in a range of different NHS settings. You'll undertake 120 hours on placement in both Years 1 and 3, and 195 hours on placement in Year 4. Each placement experience is currently attached to a module of learning and has prescribed learning outcomes.
Year 1
- Orientation to the NHS and introduction to podiatry in the NHS.
- Supervised work providing treatment of patients requiring footcare assistant level care.
Year 3
- A wider range of clinical practice experience to include an overview of the roles of other healthcare practitioners.
Year 4
- Supervised management of patients requiring complex interventions in a range of treatment locations, including those patients deemed to be at risk or those whose environment create additional risk.
There may also be opportunities for final year students to access placements in other parts of the world where we have contacts. Please note that you may be required to travel for/during your placements.
“Placements are one of the most beneficial learning experiences the course offers. On my final year placement, I worked with a Podiatry team where I was undertaking musculoskeletal and high risk/diabetes clinics, routine clinics and nail surgery.”
Laurence Nuttall, Graduated Podiatry BSc(Hons) in 2018, now working as a Podiatrist at Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust
Teaching excellence
- Huddersfield is a TEF gold-rated institution delivering consistently outstanding teaching and learning of the highest quality found in the UK (Teaching Excellence Framework, 2017).
- We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (HEA, 2017).
- Here at Huddersfield, you’ll be taught by some of the best lecturers in the country. We’ve been the English university with the highest proportion of professionally-qualified teaching staff for the past four years*.
- For the past ten years, we’ve been the UK’s leading university for National Teaching Fellowships too, which rate Britain’s best lecturers. It’s all part of our ongoing drive for teaching excellence, which helps our students to achieve great things too.
- We’re unique in the fact that all our permanent teaching staff** have, or are completing, doctorates. This expertise, together with our teaching credentials, means that students here learn from knowledgeable and well-qualified teachers and academics who are at the forefront of their subject area.
*HESA - First awarded in 2016, maintained in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
**Permanent staff, after probation: some recently appointed colleagues will only obtain recognition in the months after their arrival in Huddersfield, once they have started teaching; research degrees applies to those on contracts of more than half-time.
Facilities
Student support
At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.
A wide range of resources are also offered within the School of Human and Health Sciences, which provides you with support in a variety of areas. These include:
Student Hub: a one stop shop for students, studying within the School. Their services include offering advice on extenuating circumstances, extension requests, attendance and welfare support, organising appointments with academic staff, signposting to other support networks and loan of MP3 recorders.
Academic Skills Development Team: provides guidance about how students can develop their academic skills in order to improve their grades. The team provide support with general academic skills including essay writing, time management, presentations and group work skills; information technology and numeracy; research skills, as well as personal development for example confidence building and assertiveness.
Learning Technology Support Unit: helps students with any problems they experience with the University’s Unilearn System, including logging on or difficulties experienced when accessing modules.
Important information
We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.
Changes to a course you have applied for
If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.
Changes to your course after you enrol as a student
We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:
Changes to option modules
Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.
Major changes
We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.
For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.
Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.
Termination of course
In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.
When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to.
The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.