What you’ll learn
Degrees within the health professions allow you to develop expertise in a specific area of medicine. You could study ophthalmics, radiography, and the oral and aural sciences.
Ophthalmics students learn about the eye, its diseases and disruption to sight. Those hoping to specialise in the oral and aural sciences pick from courses including audiology, speech science or speech therapy.
Medical technology students, meanwhile, explore the cutting-edge equipment that is helping to improve and save lives, whether it’s the design and fabrication of dental prosthetics or how radiation can spot and treat illness.
Most radiography students will study the science behind the technology, and the human body’s anatomy, physiology and physics. This may be followed by further training in sociology, management and ethics, and the practice and science of imaging.
Those studying therapeutic radiography explore the field of oncology. Many courses require students to spend 50% of their time on placement.
Students on biomedical engineering courses will be mainly based at university. While they also study the complexities of human anatomy and physiology, this knowledge is combined with modules on mechanical and electrical engineering.
How you’ll learn
Degree programmes in the health professions are likely to be practical: expect lectures, tutorials, demonstrations, group work, laboratory work, tests and presentations.
Budding optometrists, radiographers and speech therapists can expect to spend some time on placement.
Entry requirements
Some courses require two A-levels (or equivalent) in either biology, chemistry, maths or physics. You may be required to sit numeracy and literacy tests at a selection day. You will need to show a commitment to NHS constitution values.
What job can you get?
Speech and language graduates and radiography graduates will be qualified to register with the Health and Care Professions Council and get work after graduating.
Ophthalmics graduates, however, must go on to pre-registration training for a year, before taking final assessments and being able to register with the General Optical Council.
There are many opportunities within the NHS and wider health sector, from midwifery to sports rehabilitation.