Osteopathy

The Master of Osteopathy (MOst) at Health Sciences University is a four year, full time course designed to prepare you for a rewarding career as an osteopath.

Delivered by the UCO School of Osteopathy, you will learn in a specialist health sciences environment with a long-established reputation for osteopathic education, practical training and clinical preparation. You will develop the knowledge, practical skills, clinical experience and professional confidence needed to join an Allied Health Profession offering excellent career opportunities in private practice and the NHS.

Successful completion of the MOst will enable you to register with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and begin professional practice as an osteopath, subject to meeting the Council’s Fitness to Practice requirements.

What you will learn
Practice-based learning and clinical placements are central to the MOst and are designed to help you grow in confidence, capability and professional identity throughout the course. This will include opportunities to work with particular patient groups through our specialist and community clinics.

Clinical education starts from the first year with observation of osteopathic practice, and as your knowledge and skills develop you will have increasing responsibility for the decision making and treatment  before you manage your own patients in the final two years of the course. You will be supported by experienced clinical faculty members who are all practising osteopaths.

You will also have the opportunity to develop a variety of skills that will be needed as a fully-qualified osteopath working in primary health care, including the ability critically to assess research, journal papers, lectures and presentations to inform the best possible care for your patients.

Career opportunities
95% of our students progress to employment or further study and develop highly successful careers working in private practice, within the NHS, research, education, professional sports or as specialists working with specific patient groups. 40% of osteopaths currently practicing in the UK chose to train with us*.

Our graduates benefit from excellent earning potential during their professional careers. The average osteopath treats 31 patients a week over four days earning £44,566 (or £55,708 FTE). 4% of UK osteopaths earn in excess of £100K.**

Guidance for Applicants with a Disability or Health Condition

We are keen to support students who wish to share a disability or health condition and encourage you to discuss this with us if you have not done so already.

At this time, our building has certain areas that may pose challenges for students with mobility needs.

If you have specific accessibility requirements you would like to discuss, please contact studentservices@hsu.ac.uk..

*General Osteopathic Council July 2024

** Institute of Osteopathy Census 2024

Course structure

You will complete a number of units at each year of study focusing on five key areas: Professionalism, The Functioning Human, Patient Care, Research and Enquiry and Being an Osteopath.

The M.Ost programme is structured as a ‘spiral curriculum’, with students revisiting the same topics throughout the degree, with the subject matter increasing in complexity and reinforcing previous learning.

The course is divided into four phases:

• Level 4 – Novice, where you begin to develop a sound foundation for being an osteopath and primary care practitioner. You will acquire basic knowledge and skills; understand the patient in context and how they are able to adapt to challenges in their environment; grasp the conceptual basis of osteopathy; and appreciate the challenges associated with being an osteopath.

• Level 5 – Advanced Beginner, where your knowledge and skills are further developed, consolidated and integrated to provide a secure basis for your developing clinical work.

• Level 6 – Competent, where you focus on integrating a range of new and previously acquired knowledge and skills in order to understand how the person functions holistically.

• Level 7 (Masters Level) – Proficient, where you are given the opportunity to take your clinical skills to a much deeper level.

https://www.hsu.ac.uk/course/master-of-osteopathy

How you will be assessed

Assessment on the Master of Osteopathy course is designed to support your development, not simply test what you know. Across the course, you will build the skills, confidence and professional judgement needed to become a safe, reflective and practice ready chiropractor. You will be assessed through a range of methods including practical and clinical examinations, written assessments, presentations, case studies, research activites, online assessments and development of a learning portfolio.

These assessments reflect the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours used in real osteopathic practice, helping you show not only what you know, but how you apply your learning safely and effectively.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• General Osteopathic Council