General Information

The following Practitioner Training Programmes (PTP) are available within the MAHSE partnership:

  • BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science – Life Sciences (including Blood Science, Infection Science, Cellular Science) [delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University]
  • BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science – Physiological Sciences (including Cardiac Physiology, Respiratory and Sleep Physiology, Neurophysiology and Audiology) [delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University with the exception of Audiology that is delivered by the University of Manchester]

On successful completion of one of the above programmes, and the accompanying workbased training, a graduate will be eligible to work as a Healthcare Science Practitioner.

Interested in applying for a place on the Practitioner Training Programme?
To apply for a place on the Practitioner Training Programme you will need to have GCSEs at grades A-C as well as 3 A Levels (one A Level must be in a science subject). You will need to apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and check the University’s specific entry requirements.

For further information about starting a career in healthcare science please visit the NHS Careers website.


Life Sciences


BSc(Hons) Healthcare Science (Life Sciences) Programme

This 3 year programme is delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University and is accredited by Health Education England (HEE), the Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and approved by the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). All students will be allocated a place at a hospital laboratory in order to undertake the workbased training element of the programme which amounts to 10 weeks in Year 1, 15 weeks in Year 2 and 25 weeks in Year 3. On satisfactory completion of the workbased training all graduates will receive a Certificate of Practice Achievement alongside their degree award.

A graduate of this programme will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration as a Biomedical Scientist and can apply for posts both as a Healthcare Science Practitioner and a Biomedical Scientist.

The programme is designed to give graduates an understanding of the scientific investigation of human health and disease. During the first two years of the programme, students will study the same units and will be able to follow a specialist route in their final year (Blood Science, Cellular Science or Inflection Science). The routes and corresponding units are outlined below:

Year 1 Year 2
  • Systems Physiology
  • Biomolecules, Cells and Micro-organisms
  • Biomedical Science
  • Skills for Healthcare Science
  • Infection and Immunity
  • Cellular Science
  • Blood Science
  • Techniques and Applications in Molecular Biology
Year 3
Blood Science Cellular Science Infection Science
  • Project
  • Immunology, Immuno-haematology and Transplantation
  • Biomedical Cell Biology
  • Professional and Evidence –based Practice
  • Project
  • Genetics, DNA and Human Disease
  • Biomedical Cell Biology
  • Professional and Evidence –based Practice
  • Project
  • Immunology, Immuno-haematology and Transplantation
  • Microbiology and Health
  • Professional and Evidence –based Practice

If you have any queries about the BSc(Hons) Healthcare Science (Life Sciences) programme please contact the School of Healthcare Science. Alternatively, further information is available on the Manchester Metropolitan University website.


Physiological Sciences


BSc(Hons) Healthcare Science (Physiological Sciences) Programme

This 3 year programme is delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University and is accredited by Health Education England (HEE) and the Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP). A graduate of this programme will be eligible to register as a Healthcare Science Practitioner with the Academy for Healthcare Science.

Students are required to choose a specialist route (Cardiac Physiology, Respiratory and Sleep Physiology, or Neurophysiology) and the programme aims to provide students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to undertake the role of a healthcare science practitioner within their chosen specialism. The routes and corresponding units are outlined below.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
  • Systems Physiology
  • Biomolecules, Cells and Micro-organisms
  • Professional Practice, Research Skills and Physiological Measurements
  • Scientific Basis of Physiological Sciences
  • Disease Processes
  • Specialist Studies 1
  • Specialist Studies 2
  • Professional Practice, Signal Processing and Instrumentation
  • Applying Specialist Studies to Practice 1
  • Applying Specialist Studies to Practice 2
  • Professional and Evidence-based Practice
  • Project

All students will be allocated a placement in order to undertake the work based training element of the programme (for 10 weeks in Year 1, 18 weeks in Year 2 and 22 weeks in Year 3). For the ‘Cardiac Physiology’ and ‘Respiratory and Sleep Physiology’ specialisms, the placement activity in the first year is 10 weeks of observational work experience in cardiac, vascular, respiratory and sleep physiology. In the second and third year the placement will be based within the student’s specialist area.

For the ‘Neurophysiology’ specialism there are also 10 weeks of placement in the first year. Although the majority will be within a neurophysiology department, there will also be short placements in audiology and vision science. In the second and third year the placement will be based in neurophysiology.

On satisfactory completion of the work based learning element all graduates will receive a Certificate of Practice Achievement alongside their degree award.

If you have any queries about the BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science (Physiological Sciences) programme please contact the School of Healthcare Science. Alternatively, further information is available on the Manchester Metropolitan University website.


Audiology

BSc(Hons) Healthcare Science (Audiology)

This 3 year programme is delivered by the University of Manchester and is accredited by Health Education England (HEE). A graduate of this programme will be eligible to register as a Healthcare Science Practitioner with the Academy for Healthcare Science. Audiology is grouped with Neurophysiology and Vision Sciences and elements of these areas will also form part of the first year of this course.

The course covers theoretical, practical and clinical aspects of audiology and related neurosensory topics. Academic components are studied throughout all three years. In years one and two, substantial practical skills training takes place in the well equipped laboratories and clinics. Supervised clinical education and practice takes place within NHS clinics during each of the three years.

As part of this course students will undertake a total of 50 weeks practical/clinical placement work. This is broken down into 10 weeks in year 1, 18 weeks in year 2 and 22 weeks in year 3. Placements are throughout the North-West region and are a mixture of day release (2 days a week) and block placements.

Further information about the programme is available on the University of Manchester website.