Applied Health Sciences BSc Hons Top-up Degree

This programme provides healthcare practitioners with relevant and varied CPD opportunities to enhance their career or to complete their degree studies.

The Continuing Professional Development framework offers modules at Levels 4, 5 and 6. Students can opt to study for modules relevant to their practice within the programme to develop their personal and professional development. The programme offers full or part-time courses to suit both career aspirations and to continue work-based study. There are step-off points in the programme with Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas if you do not complete the required modules for the degree.

Timetable
Nursing and Midwifery courses run over a 45 week period. This is split into two terms of study of 22.5 weeks. Over the nursing year, 7 weeks of annual leave are incorporated into the timetable, which includes bank holidays. Please contact the CPD Administrator via email to find out dates of when each module is running.: cpdinfo@worc.ac.uk

Partners
Within CPD we work with a range of partners relevant to the courses we provide, these currently include:

Local NHS trusts
Voluntary organisations
Independent sector hospitals/treatment centres
Local Authority social care providers

Help with Dyslexia
We welcome disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties to our courses. The Disability and Dyslexia Service co-ordinate support for disabled students and those with a specific learning difficulty. If you suspect that your disability will impact on your learning experience we urge you to contact the Service to discuss the nature and range of adjustments that may be necessary for you. You can do so before or after your application.

Please contact the Disability and Dyslexia Service on 01905 85 5531 email: disability@worc.ac.uk

We have included an advice booklet written by a student nurse for students with Dyslexia on clinical placements.

Useful downloads:
Academic Induction Day for New Students 2011/12 [PDF]

Factfile
Entry requirements
Course content
Student views
Modules

Accreditation of Prior Learning

The Institute of Health & Society has a robust system of Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).

APL can be used to access courses (eg top up degrees) or to be accredited with modules within a course or programme.

Please direct your enquiries to: Jane Perry, Course Leader for CPD Framework leading to BSc (Hons) Applied Health Sciences top up degree programme. Jane can be contacted on: 01905 542279 or jane.perry@worc.ac.uk and will advise whether or not APL is required. Where appropriate your enquiry will be referred to our APL Advisor.

Awards

APPS Degree
Generic BSc (Hons) Award: you must complete the 4 mandatory modules and a further 2 modules to be entitled to the award.

Named BSc (Hons) Awards: you must complete the 4 mandatory modules and 2 named award modules. The Named Awards available are:

Child Health
Contracepton and Sexual Health
Emergency Care Practitioner
Emergency Nurse Practitioner
Learning, Teaching and Mentorship
Long Term Conditions
End of Life Care
Sexual Health
Tissue Viability

The 4 mandatory modules are:

Knowledge and Practice
Research Methods
Independent Study (double module)

*Please note it is not always possible to run every module each year*

Study options

Pathways

Diploma
Generic University of Worcester Diploma in Applied Professional Studies: you must successfully complete 3 modules – 60 level 6 credits and is usually awarded to students undertaking modules from a CPD perspective.

Named University of Worcester Diploma Awards: you will normally be required to complete 3 modules from a named award selection if you are undertaking modules from a CPD perspective as opposed to pursuing the whole degree.

Certificate
Generic University of Worcester Certificate in Applied Professional Studies: you must successfully complete 2 modules – 40 level 6 credits and is normally awarded to students undertaking modules from a CPD perspective. Named University of Worcester Certificate Award: you will normally be required to complete 2 modules from the named award selection if you are undertaking modules from a CPD perspective.

CPD
You can also access just one module for CPD purposes. Please click on the modules icon to see a list of all the modules offered within the CPD framework.

Get in touch

CPD Administrator
cpdinfo@worc.ac.uk

Admissions
01905 85 5111
admissions@worc.ac.uk

For Level 6 entry a Diploma or 120 credits at Level 5 plus 120 credits at Level 4 is necessary. Some modules have specific entry requirements if they are associated with awards from a regulatory body.

There are opportunities for accreditation of prior learning for the purposes of entry and this information is available via Registry and the University web pages.

Modules

For a full list of available module please see the Modules tab.

All modules are 20 credits:

* At Level 4 – 40 credits awards a University Certificate
* At Level 5 – 40 credits awards a University Diploma
* At Level 6 – 40 credits awards an Advanced University Diploma

If you opt to study for the BSc (Hons) in Applied Health Sciences Top-up degree programme you may wish to undertake a generic or named award. The modules consider current healthcare issues and the programme reflects concerns relevant to practitioners in the field of healthcare today.

There are a number of exciting named awards that you can follow: Tissue Viability; Mental Health, Sexual Health; Offender Health; Emergency Nurse Practitioner; Learning Teaching and Mentorship; Palliative End of Life Care; Long Term Conditions and Dramatherapy.

To complete the degree you will be required to complete six 20 credit modules which will include four mandatory modules:

* APPS 3103 Knowledge and Practice – 20 credits
* APPS 3104 Research Methods in Health & Social Care – 20 credits
* APPS 3001/2 Independent Study – 40 credits.

You can then choose two optional modules from the range of Level 6 modules available in the programme to complete the degree.

Assessment

Learning and Teaching
The University of Worcester Learning and Teaching Strategy aims to provide a rich, high calibre learning environment through embracing it’s four key values namely: quality of learning; quality of teaching; access, equality and opportunity and reflection and evaluation.

A range of methods will be used to promote learning through student development, responsibility and autonomy to incorporate.

Direct contact:

Lectures and/or seminars

Indirect approaches:

Blackboard and e-learning

Student-led approaches:

Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE’s), problem-based learning, action-learning and self-directed learning.

Assessment

The assessment strategy has been designed, primarily, to provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate your achievement of the modular learning outcomes through the use of a multifaceted range of assessment items. A range of assessment techniques have been utilised to maximise the likelihood of your success including case studies, critical incident analysis, seminar presentations, independent and group projects and Objective Structured Clinical Examination.

Both formative and summative, assessment approaches are used with formative items recognised as developmental in providing you with feedback on your performance thus informing your summative work.

Linked to the educational philosophy of the CPD Framework, all assessment aims to develop the principles of respect for autonomy, professional relationships, application to practice and the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

To underpin these core principles, each module has been individually designed by module leaders with expert clinical knowledge within each subject area and these differing approaches to assessment reflects the individual nature of each subject area. The programme team agree this variation allows you to best represent the subject you are undertaking.

The CPD Framework adheres to the guidelines set out within the University of Worcester Assessment Policy.

Cathy Banks

Hometown: Worcester

"After spending 12 years at home and raising a family, I knew that I wanted to go back to work - but in a career that 'wouldn't stand still'. I studied my Diploma of Higher Education in Nursing at the University of Worcester and immediately knew that I wanted to go on and get my BSc through the APS course."

Academic department

Institute of Health & Society

“The University is a leading innovator in the fields of health and social care. Unique appointments such as the UK’s first professors of perinatal education and tissue viability demonstrate our commitment to research excellence.”
Louise Jones, Head of Institute

Employability

We place a great emphasis on continuing professional development. You will be well prepared for a career in the NHS or private sector, with the course meeting the requirements of the NHS Careers Knowledge and Skills Framework. It also provides further opportunities for study at postgraduate level.