Operating Department Practice (ODP)

Don your scrubs and head straight into the theatre with our highly practical BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice degree validated by the HCPC. If you’re fascinated by the surgical environment, our Operating Department Practice degree is for you.

From the word go, you’ll be spending time in a real theatre, out on placement and in true-to-life skill labs, building up all the knowledge and skills you need for a successful career as an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP).

As a graduate, you’ll find there are opportunities in a host of specialisms from anaesthesia to intensive care and beyond. And, thanks to our course meeting the standards set by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), you’ll be able to dive right into your career as an ODP.

We know that our Operating Department Practice students want to learn from the best, so many of your teaching sessions will be delivered by people who already work in the field. We’ll also look at how you can use research and reflection in your day-to-day work. This offers you the chance to benefit from their experiences, insights and expertise during your time at ARU.

Both our campuses have a mock operating theatre for you to hone your skills and knowledge in simulated environments.

You won’t be restricted to these simulated spaces, though. You’ll also have the opportunity to experience working in all the essential clinical specialities as you put your new-found skills into practice while out on placement.

Thanks to our three-year placement schedule, you get experience of working in all the essential clinical specialities. We offer placements in leading NHS and private hospitals:

Essex: Queens, Colchester, Basildon, Harlow, Southend, Broomfield (all theory will be taught at Chelmsford)
Cambridgeshire: Hinchingbrooke, Ipswich, Lister, Papworth, Peterborough, Kings Lynn (all theory will be taught at Cambridge)
London: Kings College, Whittington, North Middlesex University Hospital, Newham University Hospital, Royal Free Hospital (all theory will be taught at Chelmsford).

This highly practical course will develop your clinical skills in live settings. You’ll learn to take responsibility for a patient’s all-round welfare and to assess their journey through the surgical environment. You’ll also learn to work as part of a theatre team made up of professionals from a variety of clinical disciplines. We’ll explain how you can do all of this safely, and within current legal, ethical and professional boundaries.

At ARU, you’ll be supported from day one with wellbeing services, money advice and careers guidance to help you through university and beyond.

Their courses are built around the skills and experience employers value. ARU are proud to be in the top 20% of UK universities for teaching quality (TEF 2023), and ranked #1 in the East of England, and #8 in the UK, for UG graduates in senior roles 15 months after gradudation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025). You'll have access to fantastic facilities thanks to £95m of investment - think SuperLabs, TV studios, law courts, mock hospital wards, gaming studios and more.

Wherever you're heading, ARU will help you get there.