Program Overview

University Diploma - Radiography Assistant Practitioner Bridging

This course is subject to validation.

Course Overview

This programme will provide an additional entry stream into the radiography profession. It will offer significant benefits by widening access to a large group of individuals who are not able to study radiography under the existing arrangements. In addition, it will allow employers to ‘grow their own’ workforce by progressing and upskilling Assistant Practitioners through a flexible educational system to progress to radiography level and meet the needs of current imaging departments. As a student progressing through the system you are more likely to stay and work with the employers who have invested in their education on completion of your studies. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have gained credits and practical experience to APEL onto Year Three of any Diagnostic Radiography programme. This in turn would allow you to be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC as a diagnostic radiographer upon completion.

On this course you will...

• Develop your education to achieve full practitioner status.
• Refresh and develop academic skills through continual support to a point where you are capable of undertaking Level 6 study.
• Achieve a comparable level of educational and clinical attainment to that of a radiography student at the end of their second year.
• Provide an enhanced level of patient centred care in a developing profession.

Key Details

• Recruiting to: UK / RoI / Settled in UK
• Course Location: Lancaster / Online
• Institute: Institute of Health
• Delivery Style: Blended Learning
• Course Duration: Part-time: 6 weeks
• Course Start Point: January / September
• Award: University Diploma

Minimum entry requirements

• Applicants should have an Assistant Practitioner foundation degree
• IELTS 6.5. You will need to be a IELTS 7 at the point of registration.
• GCSE Maths and English at Grade 4/C or above.
• You will be expected to produce a portfolio of evidence related to your skills.
• You must be a UK resident.
• DBS is required (if not employed).
• Employer must complete a Practice Placement Agreement if one is not already in place with UoC.

Tuition fees

• £4,625 - UK

Course Structure

What you will learn

You will build on the academic knowledge and clinical experience you acquired in studying your first assistant practitioner programme. This may include additional clinical experience in clinical areas such as CT or MRI to allow you to attain the equivalent learning outcomes achieved by a student radiographer at the end of their second year of a radiography BSc programme. As a student at the University of Cumbria, you are part of an inclusive learning community that recognises diversity. You will have opportunities to learn by interacting with others in a collegiate, facilitative and dynamic learning environment. Teaching, assessment and student support will allow equal and equitable opportunities for you to optimise your potential and develop autonomy.

Teaching & Assessment

How you will learn

The programme team will provide a flexible learning environment in which you may use a mixture of online resources, formal teaching sessions, self-directed learning and work-based learning to achieve your individual learning plan. A significant element of the programme will be delivered by work-based learning which will enable you to develop the equivalent depth and breadth of knowledge, skills and behaviours as would be exhibited by a student who has competed Level 5 of a BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography programme. You will also be able to mould your work-based experience to suit the needs of the employer to become a ‘role ready’ practitioner for the given employer context whilst also achieving national benchmark standards for the discipline.

How you will be assessed

The programme consists of one 60-credit module which will employ different assessment methods thus ensuring a balance of assessment across the programme. The use of a clinical portfolio which contains both summative and formative assessments is key to ensuring a valid assessment of the clinical skills and professional behaviours expected for your stage of training. Applied subject knowledge will be assessed via two relatively short formative examinations, which will be self-marked against model answers with tutor and peer support. You will be given immediate feedback which can be used to enhance performance in the two x 1 hour examinations at the end of the programme. A short written formative assignment will initially be used to assess academic skills which you will be able to use to inform your learning and access support as appropriate. Other formative written work will enable you to develop as independent autonomous thinkers who utilise an appropriate evidence base to enhance your practice.

Career Outcomes

This programme will prepare you for Level 6 (Year 3) of the radiography degree which will allow you to progress to a top-up programme or APEL into the third year of an existing Radiography programme. Students graduating as a radiographer will be able to register with the Health Care and Professions Council (HCPC) as a Diagnostic Radiographer and you will have excellent career paths with a range of opportunities for progression through a variety of specialities.