Healthcare Science (Physiological Sciences)

Entry Criteria: 2025 Entry

To be eligible for the Healthcare Science BSc programme, you must meet the requirements outlined under Entry Qualifications, Other Academic Requirements, and Non-academic Requirements below. Citizens of the UK, or those with indefinite leave to remain in the UK, can apply for this course.

Entry Qualifications

With the exception of GCSEs, all qualifications must have been completed within the previous five years, including the year of application.

Other Academic Requirements

Non-academic Requirements

The time on the programme is split approximately 50/50 between university based learning and clinical placements. You should be prepared to travel for your placements across Greater London and surrounding areas.

Year 1

In Year 1, you’ll be introduced to the scientific knowledge underpinning the field of physiological sciences. From the start, the programme is explicitly designed as a preparation for clinical practice, slanted towards medically relevant information and clinical context. You will undertake 10 weeks of clinical training, divided between different sites to give you a variety of experiences, working in both cardiology and respiratory/sleep departments before selecting your speciality preference at the end of the year. During placements, you will perform (under supervision) a range of routine cardiac and respiratory procedures, including electrocardiograms (ECG), blood pressure, spirometry and pulse oximetry.

Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, you will start to develop a range of essential patient skills, such as maintaining dignity and confidentiality, developing effective observational and communication skills, learning to appreciate cultural and ethical issues, as well as health and safety, such as infection control procedures. As part of the University’s Essentials for Allied Health Professionals programme, you will work with students on other health courses – physiotherapists, occupational therapists, therapeutic and diagnostic radiographers, for example – so you can begin to appreciate the concept of multidisciplinary healthcare teams.

Year 3

The final year focuses on the application of skills and final preparation for practice, so you graduate with the knowledge, experience, professionalism and clinical competencies required of a clinical practitioner.

You will spend 25 weeks on clinical placement, providing the hands-on experience needed to build real expertise, undertaking yet more advanced clinical procedures. In cardiac physiology, this includes diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterisation, Cardiac Rhythm Management (CRM), device implants and optimisation of these implanted devices. In respiratory/sleep physiology, it involves setting up, analysing and interpreting sleep studies and initiating life changing treatments, such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy in patients with sleep apnoea.

The Dissertation is an integral part of the year three programme, you will undertake data collection/analysis and write up your clinical audit/research project. Previous students have covered a fascinating array of subject matter: from the effect of BMI on lung function to manual versus automated analysis of sleep studies in the diagnosis of sleep apnoea; and from exercise testing for Grown Up Congenital Heart Disease (GUCH) to one student’s service evaluation of a renal transplant stress echo service, results of which she presented at the prestigious British Society of Echocardiography’s 2020 Conference.

Apprenticeship

The BSc (Hons) Physiological Sciences (Healthcare Science) degree is a three-year integrated apprenticeship degree programme.

Contextualised for workplace occupational competency, it combines academic and work-based learning through employment. The curriculum is a blend of employer-defined knowledge, skills, behaviours and values that are integral to and assessed as part of the degree.

Completion of the degree demonstrates that the apprentice meets the outcomes of the Healthcare Science (HCS) Practitioner Apprenticeship Standard, giving assurance that apprentices graduating from these programmes are fit to meet the future needs of employers and patients.

Apprentices without Level 2 English and Maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and Maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.

Teaching

We share our site with one of the UK’s largest teaching hospitals giving you the chance to learn in a busy healthcare environment. Most of our teaching staff hold clinical roles or have previously worked as a healthcare professional, so you will learn from academics with real on-the-job experience.

Studying at a smaller, more specialist university means we’ll get to know you and help you reach your potential. You’ll be part of interactive group sessions and our academics are always on hand if you need extra support.

How our experts teach depends on the course content but we recognise that our students have different learning styles. On this course, you can expect a diverse range of:

• Clinical placements
• Clinical skills sessions
• Computer-based sessions
• Guest lectures
• Group work
• Lab-based sessions
• Lectures
• Online learning
• Patient interaction
• Practical workshops
• Seminars
• Simulation
• Tutorials.

Assessment

The way we assess your learning will change depending on the module but we use a variety of assessment methods so every student has a chance to show their knowledge and strengths. You can expect a mixture of:

• A clinical portfolio
• Case reviews
• Clinical practice assessments
• Essays
• Exams
• Oral presentations
• Poster presentations
• Reports
• Research projects

To prepare you for the practical challenges you’ll face, we design assessments that reflect real-world scenarios, such as case reviews and research projects.

Your assessments will be formative and summative. This means some won’t count towards your final grade and you’ll have the chance to improve based on our feedback.

Find out more on our programme specifications

Expertise

You’ll be taught by staff with experience leading specialist cardiac, respiratory and sleep services.

We’ll also invite clinical physiology practitioners to share their experiences. Guest lectures have previously covered:

• Interpretation of sleep studies
• Paediatric lung function
• Hypoxic challenge testing
• Tilt testing for heart conditions
• Introduction to echocardiography
• Implantable cardioverter defibrillators

Our placement collaborators and alumni also present masterclasses and workshops. For example, the Royal National Institute of Blind People recently covered best practice when dealing with blind patients.

Placements

Over three years, you’ll spend 50 weeks on clinical placement. In year one this will be in different hospitals which specialise in cardiac, respiratory/sleep or both. After choosing your speciality, you’ll stay at the same site in year 2 and 3. While on placement, you’ll be supervised, mentored and assessed by practising physiologists. This practical experience will enhance your expertise and help you become confident evaluating patient conditions.

When you graduate, you’ll be eligible for professional registration with the AHCS and be ready to apply for NHS positions. This degree is also an entry qualification for the Scientist Training Programme (STP). You might even use your degree as a stepping stone to graduate entry medicine, a physician associate programme or another postgraduate programme.

Depending on your specialism, your role will involve different responsibilities:

• Cardiac physiology – you’ll perform diagnostic procedures, from ECGs to complex cardio-pulmonary exercise tests and electrophysiology testing. You’ll also help provide urgent and elective coronary intervention, monitor devices to manage heart rhythm disturbances and run clinics independently. What is it really like to work in Cardiac Physiology? Watch Day in the life of a Cardiac Physiologist (youtube.com) to get an insider's view of this dynamic profession. This video offers a glimpse into the daily experiences of a Cardiac Physiologist, helping you visualize your potential future in this rewarding field.

• Respiratory and sleep physiology – you’ll carry out routine and complex diagnostic procedures including spirometry, allergy testing and sleep studies. Patients will be referred to you for many reasons, from abnormal chest X-rays to suspected sleep disorders. You might set up ventilation devices for sleep apnoea or monitor home oxygen therapy.

As a healthcare scientist, you can progress to working as an advanced practitioner or consultant physiologist. Your training will help you support patients from newborn to old age, as well as anyone with an impairment or communication challenge.

Facilities

Everything you need for success in the health and life sciences profession is here – from opportunities to learn from professionals working on the clinical frontline to cutting-edge laboratory facilities and bio-imaging technology.

We’re the UK’s only university dedicated to medical and health sciences education, training and research. We share our site with a major London teaching hospital. This means you’ll become part of a unique clinical and academic research community, mixing with the many different healthcare professionals you will go on to work alongside throughout your career.

Anatomy Suite

The Anatomy Suite is where present and future healthcare professionals and scientists in the hospital and University learn or expand on their anatomy knowledge directly from the human body.

We give students access to high-quality anatomy resources including:

• Plastinated (preserved) specimens
• Osteological materials
• Anatomical models
• Digital/imaging resources (such as Anatomage tables and Complete Anatomy).

Pathology museum

Our on-site Museum of Human Diseases houses a collection of over 2,000 pathological specimens, including those donated by Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie in 1843. This space is used for small group tutorials exploring the mechanisms of disease.

Library and learning technology

Our library is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You’ll find silent, quiet and group learning spaces, as well as group discussion rooms.

We have a wide range of books, e-books, academic journals and other resources. You’ll also have access to online resources, such as the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment and our Hunter discovery service.

Need accessibility equipment? The library also loans noise-cancelling headphones, laptop stands, coloured overlays, desktop whiteboards, and more.

IT facilities

We have an extensive range of IT facilities, including:

• 260 workstations in five computer suites, three of which are open 24 hours a day
• 75 self-service laptops available
• Free Wi-Fi covering the whole campus, including our halls of residence accommodation.

You can use these resources to access your course materials, discussion boards and feedback through Canvas.

Looking for a free space? Simply use our handy real-time computer locator.

Art of Living Suite

The Art of Living Suite is designed to prepare occupational therapy students for placement. Here you’ll find an adapted kitchen and bathroom area, as well as other equipment and assistive devices. Technical officers are on hand to help you develop your practical skills in this space.

University of London

BLOOM @ Senate House

As St George’s is part of the University of London, you have access to BLOOM@Senate House, a unique space in the heart of Bloomsbury. Senate House offers a central London base which is particularly useful if you’re studying or living further out. The area has great transport links, making it easy to access from anywhere in London or further afield.

Senate House Library

Students can join the Senate House library free of charge. Your membership includes a 10-book borrowing allowance, access to all reading rooms and study areas, and on-site access to digital resources.

Apply for this course through UCAS (the University and College Admissions Service) by the UCAS January deadline in the year of entry. There are no upper age limits, so we welcome applications from mature students.