Peninsula Medical School

BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography with Integrated Foundation Year

If you want to study Diagnostic Radiography but don't currently qualify for entry to year one of the undergraduate course, this course is designed for you. The foundation year builds confidence and develops practical, academic and study skills to provide a firm basis to progress and succeed on to either of the Diagnostic Radiography courses. Begin your journey towards a career in Radiography, a core diagnostic healthcare role, helping patients get the treatment they need.

Successful completion of the integrated foundation year entitles you to progress to year 1 of the BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography or BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography with Foundation Ultrasonography. You need to achieve a mean of 60% across the 120 credits in order to progress and pass the suitability screening at the experience days.

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Delivered by professional experts, our programmes are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today's most challenging healthcare issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning.

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Careers with this subject

Diagnostic Radiography is both a career and degree. Students usually work within imaging departments after graduation. There are numerous specialist, management, research or education based options available that can be pursued.

For more information visit https://radiographycareers.co.uk.

Key features

  • Offers an alternative entry route to Diagnostic Radiography for those whose academic potential has been adversely affected by educational and social factors.
  • The integrated foundation year is specifically designed to make the transition to a BSc as smooth as possible, with dedicated learning outcomes tailored to your profession. You will also have the opportunity to experience the assessment methods you will encounter in years one, two and three.
  • Prepare for patient-centered shared care by learning in an inter-disciplinary team alongside students from biomedical sciences, medicine and dental therapy and hygiene.
  • Delivers shared teaching with the BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with Foundation Year to raise academic standards in science and facilitate collaborative learning.
  • Direct enrolment onto Year 1 of the standard BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography course without further assessment, subject to successful completion of Year 0.
  • Your learning will be supported by dedicated study skills sessions and academic tutors, helping you get the most from your studies.

Course details

  • Year 0

  • Teaching will be delivered across a mixture of shared and bespoke core modules. Shared modules are delivered in collaboration with the School of Biomedical Sciences.  For information about the remaining three years of this course, please refer to:

    BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography
    BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography with Foundation Ultrasonography

    • Molecules to cells
    • Infection, Immunity and therapeutics
    • Introduction to human physiology
    • Interdisciplinary learning and team based learning
    • Learning skills for healthcare
    • Current developments in Human biology and biomedical sciences

    Placements in clinical areas do not start until you progress to Year 1 of either of our BSc (Hons) courses.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

32 - 48

GCSE
Mathematics and English at 4/C, plus one of the Level 3 qualifications outlined below which must include at least one of the following subjects: Biology/Human Biology; Chemistry; Computing; Design and Technology; Electronics; Environmental Studies; Geography; Geology; Maths/Pure Maths/Further Maths; Life and Health Sciences; Physical Education; Physics; Psychology; Science (applied); Statistics.

A level
A minimum of 2 A levels to include at least one pass in a Science subject.

International Baccalaureate
24 overall to include English, Mathematics and one Science subject.

National Diploma/Certificate in Dental Nursing
Pass grade in National Diploma/Certificate in Dental Nursing.

BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma
PPP from a Science related subject.

BTEC National Certificate/QCF Diploma
MP from a Science related subject.

Access
Pass an Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject, such as Science, Combined Studies, Natural Sciences or Nursing.

GNVQ and AGNVQ
Passes in Science subjects.

Applications from students with non-standard qualifications, including those without Science qualifications at Level 3, are welcomed and are assessed on an individual basis. This programme is also suitable for those returning to study who can offer work or other related experience in place of formal qualifications. Please note that the GCSE criteria outlined above, or equivalent qualifications, are essential.

Military veterans

Applications from military veterans are welcomed and each application is assessed on an individual basis, as we realise that some military courses are not externally validated.

Please note that the typical offers above are not necessarily the threshold for selection for interview, which may vary depending on the number of applications received by the Faculty of Health.


Extended entry requirements

  • English language requirements
  • We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary. Please note that from 2021 entry applicants from the EU will be considered international students for fee paying purposes and may be required to obtain a visa to allow study in the UK.

Contextual entry requirements

For the BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography with Integrated Foundation Year programme there are  additional contextual entry requirements. All applicants, in addition to meeting or exceeding the published academic criteria above will need to meet a minimum of three from the following seven contextual indicator options: 

  • POLAR4
    Living in a low participation neighbourhood as determined by your postcode (POLAR4 quintiles 1 and 2).
  • Indices of Mass Deprivation
    Living in an area categorised as being in Indices of Mass Deprivation (IMD) 1–4 or 20% most deprived as determined by your English postcode. Northern Ireland postcode, Scottish postcode, and Welsh postcode.
  • School type
    Attending or attended a state or scholarship funded school whilst completing your level 3 qualifications (scholarship to fee paying school only) – evidenced by school letter submitted by applicant at the point of application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

  • School performance
    Attending or attended a low performing school/college whilst completing your level 3 qualifications e.g. 16–18 performance in the ‘below’ or ‘well below average’ classifications. If you attend a secondary school or college in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, please contact meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

  • UCAT, EMA or 16–19 bursary
    In receipt of one or more of these bursaries. Bursary entitlement to be evidenced by an official award letter or a school letter submitted at the point of UCAS application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

  • Free school meals
    Being in receipt of free school meals – evidenced by school letter submitted by applicant at the point of application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

  • In care/care leaver
    Being in care or a care leaver – evidenced by school letter submitted by applicant at the point of application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
  • Returner to study after more than five years.
Subject to the quantity and quality of applications received, the faculty reserves the right to refer to additional contextual indicators in order to select suitable applicants for interview. These additional contextual indicators could include being a Carer, Refugee, belonging to a Romany/Gypsy/Traveller community, or being a local resident in the South West of England. Please note this additional list is not exhaustive and is for indication purposes only. The contextual markers are weighted and this data will be used in order to select suitable candidates for interview

Selection and admissions process

We have outlined our selection and admissions process, providing information from interviews to deferred entry.

Student Conduct and Fitness to Practise

Please view our Student Conduct and Fitness to Practise page.


Fees, costs and funding

The UK is no longer part of the European Union. EU applicants should refer to our Brexit information to understand the implications.

New Student 2020 2021
Home To be confirmed £9,250
International To be confirmed £14,200
Part time (Home) To be confirmed To be confirmed
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances. For more information about fees and funding please visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/money.

Additional costs

Placements: All students within the Peninsula Medical School will spend time in placements away from university. The South West is a largely rural region, which often requires students to travel longer and further distances than may be expected when universities are in largely urban areas. In many cases students will stay away from home for the period of that placement time. Most students are eligible for reimbursement of additional travel and accommodation costs over normal daily travel costs. This support is part of the Learning Support Fund administered through the NHS Business Services Authority.

Further information: More details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Health additional costs.

How to apply

All applications must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All applications for BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography must reach UCAS between the 1st September and the 15th January annually. Applicants may wish to consider our School of Biomedical Science courses for their other UCAS choices.

The UCAS code for the Faculty of Health is P60 PLYM.


For more information contact the Admissions Team:

Admissions Team
Faculty of Health
The John Bull Building
Plymouth Science Park
Plymouth
PL6 8BU


Key features

<p>diagnostic radiography</p>
Train using advanced medical imaging technology
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Benefit from close relationships and training with our hospital partners
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Develop empathic, technical and professional healthcare skills
<p>A hospital CT scanner.</p>
Train alongside students from other health professions

Health students to receive annual £5,000 payment

The Government is issuing health students on courses from 2020 a payment of at least £5,000 a year, which they will not have to pay back. A further £3,000 of funding a year is available for eligible students.

Find out about the national recruitment campaign for paramedics, radiographers, nurses and allied health professionals

*Whilst this payment is not applicable to the foundation year, it is relevant on progression to either of the BSC (Hons) courses.

As a trained diagnostic radiographer you’ll use x-ray and ultrasound machines, plus other forms of the latest imaging technology, to acquire images to help with the diagnosis of illnesses and injuries across a range of hospital departments.

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