Public Health Foundation: a route to Nursing or Operating Department Practice

Nursing

Studying our foundation year in Public Health may give you the option of applying to interview for one of our registered professional degrees in nursing (Adult, Child or Mental Health) or Operating Department Practice.

Our foundation year course provides the knowledge, values and skills you’ll need to pursue a career in public health, or the academic qualification needed to apply for a professional registration course.

In this type of profession, it isn’t just about what you learn: it’s also about who you are. You‘ll need qualities such as patience, honesty, sensitivity, tolerance, persistence, integrity, sound judgement as well as excellent communication skills.

You’ll study across a broad base of transferable knowledge and skills areas, becoming skilled in critical analysis and problem-solving, supporting you to understand how to manage, support and drive forward health care services, organisations and communities.

You’ll also be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including thinking critically, researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate numeracy and ICT skills.

Pathway progression

Successful completion of this degree will lead to the award of the following from ARU:
Public Health – BSc (Hons) – Chelmsford campus.

If you are a UK student (or have EU settled status), upon successful completion of the foundation year and attainment of Level 2 Maths and English (or equivalent), you may wish to apply for one of the following courses, for which you’ll need to be successful at interview. Please note, we can accept a pass (at 40% or above) in the Core Maths ARUC module to meet the Level 2 Maths requirement for Nursing.

Your application for a course that is regulated by a professional body such as the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) or the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), will be dependent on your successful and timely completion of the University’s selection process for that specific programme, which will include an interview, satisfactory DBS check and occupational health assessment.  Find out more about the interview processes for these courses.

If you are unsuccessful at interview, but have successful passed the year, you can remain on the Public Health degree.

International students who are interested in progressing on to one of the above courses are recommended to apply for the standalone International Foundation in Healthcare.

How to apply

We recommend that students on Public Health with Foundation Year who wish to apply for a professional degree (nursing or ODP) apply before 31 January of the year they wish to study. This ensures you have an equal opportunity to be considered for the course.

Apply using the Internal Transfer Form, with the name of the course and campus you wish to apply for.

You'll be offered a choice of interview dates. We interview based on values; find out more about the interview process.

If you are offered a place, you need to accept your place via e:Vision. It will be on the condition that you complete your foundation year and meet the conditions of your offer.