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Foundation Programme Health Professions

Entry year
2025/26
Course code
B900
Application
UCAS
Level
Undergraduate
School
School of Health and Social Wellbeing
Campus
City of Bristol College, Glenside Campus
Duration
One year; September intake
Delivery
Full-time
Programme leader
George Young

This course is open for applications

Introduction

Get the grounding to progress to the first year of degree courses in areas such as Health and Social Care Professions or Nursing and Midwifery.

Why study the health professions?

To progress in a career in health, you need formal qualifications. Completing a year's foundation enables you to build your knowledge of health topics, science and research so you can progress onto a degree and take your career forward.

Why UWE Bristol?

This full-time foundation course is year zero of selected degree courses in Health and Social Care Professions and Nursing and Midwifery at UWE Bristol.

Spend a year getting a solid grounding in the theory underpinning social science and healthcare-related topics on this springboard into higher education. Study areas of human biology, science, social science and research, and get the knowledge, skills and confidence you need to take the next step in your education.

Most of the teaching takes place at the Ashley Down Centre at City of Bristol College, although you'll also be taught at our Glenside Campus. Both sites have outstanding learning facilities, and you'll be taught by an inspirational, supportive team, who'll help you get ready for your degree course. 

The teaching staff understand what's required to succeed at the next level and the course is designed to get you academically and mentally ready. You'll also engage with students already studying healthcare degrees to get a better understanding of what's involved.

Where can it take me?

After passing this foundation year, you'll get a guaranteed place on one of the following UWE Bristol degrees. These are the pathways you need to choose from as part of your Foundation Year:   

Structure

Content

You'll study:

  • Foundation Human Biology
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • Communication and Study Skills
  • Managing Numerical Data
  • Social Sciences
  • Combined Sciences
  • Research Basics
  • Introduction to Evidence in Practice.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we'll inform you.

Learning and Teaching

Using lectures, demonstrations, laboratory work, tutorials, small group work and interactive online learning sessions, we'll ask you to actively participate, and take responsibility for your own learning, to get the most from the course.

Develop the key skills and knowledge, including the science foundation, you need to do an undergraduate degree, or progress to a professional course.

Learn about using research in evidence-based professional practice, and develop your investigative skills.

Learn effective study and self management approaches.

Develop self awareness, self direction and sensitivity to the needs of others.

Understand the values you need to work in health, such as respecting diversity.

Develop your interpersonal skills, so you can work and communicate well in a team.

You'll be supported by a personal tutor at the Ashley Down Centre. You'll have your own learning contract, which you and your personal tutor will jointly develop and agree.

See our full glossary of learning and teaching terms.

Assessment

You'll be assessed using a mixture of formal examinations, oral presentations, written tests, assignments, project, laboratory reports and your learning portfolio.

Support for your coursework will be provided by a UWE Bristol lecturer.

Learn more about assessments.

Features

Study facilities

Most of the teaching takes place at the City of Bristol College, Ashley Down Centre. You'll also be taught at UWE Bristol's Glenside Campus.

Benefit from a wide range of resources there, including seven Learning Resource Centres housing over 55,000 study materials. You can also use the InfoTrac service to access journals online.

The Glenside healthcare library is one of the best in the country, with a huge selection of books, audio-visual materials and specialist health and social care software packages.

The course has a practical focus and our advanced skills and simulation centre gives you excellent opportunities to demonstrate and practise your professional skills.

Take a personalised virtual tour of the Health Professions facilities and experience what a typical day could look like here for you.

Start your dream career at UWE Bristol

Life

Accommodation

An excellent range of options for all of the Bristol campuses and the city centre.

Bristol

A stunning city for student living with all the qualities to make you want to stay.

Sports, societies and activities

There is more to your experience here than study. Choose to make the most of it and try new things.

Health and Wellbeing

We provide support in the way you need it.

Campus and facilities

Discover our campuses and the wealth of facilities provided for our students.

Careers

Careers / Further study

Once you pass your foundation year, you'll get a guaranteed place on one of the health professions or nursing and midwifery degrees, subject to final UWE Bristol.  This opportunity opens up an exciting range of career options after graduation.

Get inspired

Our award-winning careers service will develop your employment potential through career coaching and help find you graduate jobs, placements and global opportunities.

We can also help find local volunteering and community opportunities, provide support for entrepreneurial activity and get you access to employer events.

Visit our employability pages to learn more about careers, employers and what our students are doing six months after graduating.

Learn more about NHS careers.

Fees*

Supplementary fee information

Additional costs

This refers to items you could need during your studies that aren't covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, textbooks, travel, clothing, software or printing.

Learn more about costs.

Entry

Typical offers

Selection process

Applicants who meet the academic requirements listed below will be shortlisted on the strength of their personal statement. Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview. For more details on the process, please visit our selection page.

Please note that Physiotherapy, Paramedic Science and Diagnostic Radiography pathways operate a gathered field approach to interviews.

Entry requirements

The Foundation course is aimed at individuals who may have few or no relevant formal qualifications but who can demonstrate a clear commitment to pursuing a career within their chosen profession. Personal, professional and educational experiences will be considered to determine motivation and ability to progress onto the degree course. It is important that you clearly state in your personal statement which pathway you would like to be considered for. 

UWE Bristol makes contextualised offers for our main degrees as well as Foundation courses, so please check which level of entry is right for you. 

Please note, this course is not available to International applicants. If you are interested in a Foundation programme to join our degrees in this subject area you can apply through our International College.

Additional requirements

All applicants are required to complete:

  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check*
  • Occupational Health Checks*

*All information will be treated in confidence and only taken into account when absolutely necessary.

About your Occupational Health Checks

Offers of places are subject to Occupational Health Clearance and students are expected to disclose pre-existing and historical health conditions. You must be in good health and up-to-date with all routine immunisations that are required for working in health and social care settings. 

If you're offered a place on this course, you'll be required to complete a questionnaire and must be prepared to undergo a medical examination. You'll also be required to confirm your status in respect of a number of infectious diseases (tuberculosis, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, varicella, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV antibodies) and be prepared to have all required vaccinations. 

Please note that the list of required vaccinations may change, in response to advice from the Department of Health. If your vaccinations are not up-to-date, this will affect your ability to continue on your course. If you have any concerns with regards to vaccinations please raise this at the point of application.

Deferred entry

We don't accept deferred entry applications for this course.

Read more about entry requirements.

How to apply

Your personal statement should clearly state which pathway through the Foundation course you'd like to study.  

Please note that pathways may close at different times.

It's recommended that you visit the relevant department in your local hospital for the profession you are interested in to gain some insight into your chosen course. In addition, it would be beneficial for you to obtain some work experience, paid or voluntary, in the workplace.

Read more about undergraduate applications.

For further information

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