University training - Our people your future

University Study

If you are considering studying a health or social care course at university, it’s essential to begin by exploring the diverse range of career paths available in the healthcare field.

The health and social care sector encompasses various roles, from clinical positions like nursing and physiotherapy to support roles such as social work and community care management. Each career path offers unique opportunities to make a meaningful impact on people’s care journey.

The Our People Your Future explore careers page serves as a valuable resource, providing insights into job prospects, required qualifications, and the skills needed for success in these professions.

You can also use the NHS’s Health Careers website to research your options.

Take time to research the different careers available so you can better understand which roles fit with your passions and aspirations, guiding you in making informed decisions about your educational journey.

Choosing your subject

For individuals aspiring to embark on clinical careers in fields such as nursing, medicine, and the allied health professions, gaining entry typically requires the completion of a degree programme accredited by regulatory bodies like the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), or the General Medical Council (GMC). These regulatory organisations ensure that educational programmes meet rigorous standards, providing students with the essential knowledge and practical skills necessary to deliver high-quality patient care.

Pursuing a career within the NHS or Social Care can be a rewarding yet challenging journey, especially if you’re uncertain about your specific aspirations. Fortunately, many roles offer the flexibility of transitioning from a different academic background into healthcare through approved postgraduate courses. This career change pathway allows individuals who have completed their first degree in subjects unrelated to health or medicine to upskill into clinical professions, such as nursing, occupational therapy, or physiotherapy. These alternative courses are designed to equip students with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in their new career, often incorporating practical experience alongside theoretical learning.

A good way of building your skills and knowledge of which career is right for you is through undertaking a period of work experience, volunteering or talking to current professionals about their role. The Health & Care Academy can support you with these opportunities and offer a wide range of insight days, events, case studies and virtual learning to help inform your decisions. For details of the upcoming events, see our events calendar.

Using UCAS

The Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS) in the UK website (UCAS | At the heart of connecting people to higher education) supports applications from students to universities across the UK.

The UCAS website contains lots of useful information to help you decide which programme to study and at which university and includes:

Considerations when choosing a course to study
Information about each university and details about any open days they are holding
Applying to university and the deadlines for applications

Applying to university

Applications for the majority of universities in England are made through the UCAS website using its secure “Apply” system.

When considering your application, you are able to choose up to five subjects and university courses. For medicine and dentistry, you are only able to make four choices but can use your fifth option to add another subject such as dentistry if you are applying for medicine or medicine if you are applying for dentistry.

The “Track” system on the UCAS site will allow you to follow your applications progress and will display any offers that are made to you along with the conditions on this offer such as grades required to accept. You are only able to accept two of the offers that are made to you – one must be a firm choice and one that is a back up option in case you do not achieve the entry requirements of your first choice.

The UCAS system is open to applications from mid-September until the end of January of the academic year before the course begin but if you are applying to study dentistry or medicine, or would like to attend Oxford or Cambridge universities, the deadline for application is 15^th October.

One of the stages of your UCAS application is the personal statement and you will have a limited area to provide detailed information about why you are applying for your choice of course, why you should be considered and are suitable for the programme and to outline your career aspirations. Your personal statement is an opportunity to promote yourself and your motivations, be sure to include any relevant paid or unpaid experiences you have undertaken and what you have learned from this.

For some courses, your chosen university may invite you for an interview. Think carefully beforehand about the questions you may be asked and prepare in advance how you might answer these to show you are motivated and committed to your choice.

If you are applying for medicine or dentistry, you will be required to attend an aptitude test to ensure your suitability for the programme. This could be the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or GAMSAT tests. Advice on how to prepare for these tests can be found on the respective website along with opportunities to practice some of the elements of the test.

If you are applying for a university course that will allow you to potentially work for the NHS in the future such as nursing, allied health professions or medicine, you will also be asked to consider how the NHS values link into these roles and how you could model these behaviours in your everyday work.

Choosing where to study

Once you have narrowed your search and chosen which subjects you are interested in, the next step is to consider where you might like to study.

When considering your options, find out if:

The course you are interested in is approved and will lead to appropriate registration with the regulatory body.
The facilities at the university will meet your needs. Is there a well-stocked research library, are there appropriate facilities for your course such as laboratories or simulation suites.
The university is well connected with local employers who are able to offer good quality industry placements if these are a requirement of the course.
The course is well structured and the modules cover subjects that are relevant and meet your interests.
The assessment process and teaching style suits your preferences.
There is support available for you as you progress through your qualification.
There are opportunities for living away from home in university accommodation, how much is this likely to cost and what is the cost of living like in the area you are considering.

Once you have chosen which universities you are interested in, you will be able to add them to your UCAS application (where appropriate) or make a direct application to the university.

University study in the East of England

There are a number of universities in the East of England who provide a variety of courses in health & social care related subjects. These include:

Clearing

If you are unsuccessful in securing an offer from your chosen university, you still have the opportunity to find a course that has places available through the Clearing process.

You are eligible to apply for a Clearing place if you do not already hold an offer from a university or college and their course still does not have a full cohort.

Clearing can be used:

If you are applying for university after 30^th June.
You did not receive any acceptable offers.
You do not meet the conditions of your offers.
You’ve declined a firm placement in your application.

The Clearing process is open until October however the process does operate on a first come, first served basis so the sooner you can make an application, the more choice you will have. Once courses have been filled, they will no longer be offered through the Clearing process and will close.

To find out more about the Clearing process visit the UCAS Clearing page: Looking for a course in Clearing? Learn how Clearing works & find a new place.