DipHE Health Sciences Foundation degree at the Open University
DipHE Health Sciences at Open University. The Open University offers this Foundation degree in Health Sciences as a part-time qualification, recognised nationally as a UK degree-awarding body.
About this course
DipHE Health Sciences is a Foundation degree (DipHE) at the Open University. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Health sciences (non-specific) graduates from this provider, 70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 45% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Nursing & Health, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 70% (2021-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 50% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
A typical UK Nursing & Health degree builds from foundations to specialist options and a final project. An indicative structure:
| Stage | Module |
|---|---|
| Year 1 | Foundations of Nursing Practice Core clinical skills, communication and person-centred care. |
| Year 1 | Anatomy & Physiology for Health Body systems and what goes wrong in illness. |
| Year 1 | Placement 1 Supervised practice, placements run through every year (NMC standard ~50%). |
| Year 2 | Acute & Long-term Care Assessing and managing deteriorating and chronic conditions. |
| Year 2 | Medicines Management & Pharmacology Safe administration and the science behind prescriptions. |
| Year 2 | Placement 2 Broader settings, community, mental health or specialist units. |
| Year 3 | Complex Care & Leadership Coordinating care, delegation and quality improvement. |
| Year 3 | Evidence-based Practice Appraising research and applying it on the ward. |
| Year 3 | Placement 3 & transition to registration Consolidating competence for NMC registration. |
Typical structure for this subject (indicative). Modules vary by university. Check the provider's course page for the exact curriculum.
Specialisations & pathways
Tip: click a specialisation → current jobs in that area.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study the theory and practice of nursing and health care, progressing from clinical foundations through to specialist options and professional registration. A course like this typically begins with core nursing practice, communication and person-centred care, alongside anatomy and physiology. Year two moves into acute and long-term care, medicines management and the science of prescriptions. Year three focuses on complex care, leadership and evidence-based practice. Throughout, you'll undertake supervised placements in various settings, usually around 50% of your time, such as community care, mental health, children's services or specialist units. You'll work towards NMC registration as a qualified nurse.
Who it's for
About a third of accepted students enter with another higher-education qualification already in hand. This part-time course suits those balancing study with work or other commitments, offering flexibility to develop expertise in health and nursing fields.
Careers & job market
Across Nursing & Health courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of completing their degree. Of those working, 87% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National earnings data shows graduates in this field earn £27,000–£30,500 at the 15-month mark, rising to £23,800–£33,600 after three years and £27,200–£38,400 after five years. These figures reflect national Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not university-specific guarantees.
University & format
This DipHE Foundation degree is taught by The Open University, a public university founded in 1969. The course is studied part-time and taught in English. The university is a recognised UK degree-awarding body; its degrees are nationally recognised and it holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
Part-time application dates vary by provider. UCAS dates
Opened 2 July 2026; last choice 19 October 2026. Check vacancies now. A cached page never claims a place is still available.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| Other | 35% |
| another higher-education qualification | 33% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 22% |
| a previous degree | 5% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 3% |
| a Baccalaureate | 2% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course. One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by Apply directly to the provider
Part-time application dates vary by provider. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
The cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Open University →Check the finance route that applies to you
Support depends on ordinary residence, assessed fee status, course and provider nation. The provider nation is unresolved here, so no national cap or loan amount is being guessed.
Find your official student-finance route →Paying for it
- Tuition fee loan: applied for through the student-finance body for the UK nation you live in.
- Living-cost support: means-tested on household income, from your nation's student-finance body.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold set by your nation's student-finance system.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Each UK nation runs its own student-finance system; check gov.uk for the rates that apply to you.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- NHS Learning Support Fund: Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied-health students can receive a non-repayable training grant. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Nursing & Health graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £27,000 – £34,000 | 80 |
| 3 years after | £36,500 | £24,000 – £44,500 | 110 |
| 5 years after | £39,000 | £25,500 – £47,500 | 125 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Newly Qualified PractitionerPreceptorship / first post · 0–2 yrs
- 2Registered PractitionerAutonomous practice · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / SpecialistSpecialist or team lead · 5–10 yrs
- 4Advanced / Consultant PractitionerAdvanced practice or management · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Nursing & Health nationally
National figures for Nursing & Health graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2021-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 80; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2021-22. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Nursing & Health courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,506 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Caring personal servicesSOC 2020 613 · 25% of published destinations · ASHE median £23,668
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Teaching ProfessionalsSOC 2020 231 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £42,660
- Secretarial and related occupationsDiscover Uni category · 10% of published destinations
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 45; response rate: 55%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Nursing & Health graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine documentation and triage support
- Scheduling and records admin
- First-pass risk flags from data
- Standard reference look-ups
More human than ever
- Hands-on, compassionate care
- Clinical judgement and accountability
- Communicating with patients and families
- Ethics and safeguarding decisions
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Nursing & Health graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- NHS trusts
- Private healthcare
- Care providers
- Community & mental-health services
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Nursing & Health graduates.
Nursing Home ManagerJarrodean Healthcare RecruitmentSenior Charge Nurse Uist Community Nursing teamNHS National Services ScotlandCare Assistant - Nursing Home | Flexible Hours, Weekly PayMpa RecruitmentCare Assistant (Nursing) - Nightshift - RatheaneMacklin Care Homes LimitedSenior Support Worker: Meaningful Care & Flexible ShiftsPotens GroupDental NurseBupa Dental CareIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Home tuition is regulated and the cap depends on the UK nation the provider sits in; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Eligible students can apply for a tuition fee loan and living-cost support from the student-finance body for the UK nation they live in. Repayment thresholds differ by nation.
Where graduates go
70% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 7.0 out of 10: NSS 89.1% · in work or study 70% · continued 50%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The Open University
Subjects allied to medicine across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is Nursing & Health right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Open University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Open University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Open University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Open University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Open University
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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