FdSc Assistant Practitioner Foundation degree at West London
FdSc Assistant Practitioner at West London combines academic learning with practical application in healthcare settings, preparing you for roles within the medical and dental professions.
About this course
FdSc Assistant Practitioner is a Foundation degree (FdSc) at West London, based in Reading. It is studied part-time; duration varies by route.
For Subjects allied to medicine graduates from this provider, typical earnings around £35,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Medicine & Dentistry, see the sections below.
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Level 4 5 modules
- Learning Skills DevelopmentCompulsory
Module details
During this module, you will improve your study skills, including essay and report writing, gathering information, note-taking and summarising.
- Assistant Practitioner: Introduction to the RoleCompulsory
Module details
This module will introduce you to the role of assistant practitioner. You will explore how this role has developed to ensure quality and safety in healthcare.
- Anatomy and Physiology for HealthcareCompulsory
Module details
The module aims to provide you with an underpinning knowledge and understanding of the normal anatomy and physiology of the human body. You will be able to identify the relevant aspects of human anatomy and physiology related to practice as well as develop the knowledge, clinical and analytical skills related to caring for patients within the health and social care environment.
- Skills for PracticeCompulsory
Module details
This module will help you to develop the capability to care for a person effectively. Through simulation sessions and study you will cover a range of skills, including risk assessments, infection control and communication.
- Safe Practice in HealthcareCompulsory
Module details
As you undertake this module you will explore the healthcare environment and consider how the patient, relatives and staff can be protected from actual and potential risks.
Level 5 5 modules
- Introduction to ResearchCompulsory
Module details
You will learn what research and evidence-based practice is, and why it is important in healthcare.
- Pathophysiology for HealthcareCompulsory
Module details
You will learn what happens when the normal function of the body systems is disrupted due to illness or disease. You will consider the risk factors that can lead to disease, treatments, care delivery, and the impact this may have on a patient's life.
- Enhanced Skills for PracticeCompulsory
Module details
This module will help you to build on the skills you learnt at level 4. You will examine the care of a deteriorating patient and will learn about pharmacology and medication management. The principles of health promotion will also be studied, providing insight into how you can help people improve their health and wellbeing.
- Improving the Quality of CareCompulsory
Module details
This module explores how we can maintain a high quality of care and how we can improve the care a patient receives.
- Assistant Practitioner: Developing the RoleCompulsory
Module details
On this module you will prepare for the transition from your role as healthcare assistant to assistant practitioner.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This Foundation degree in Assistant Practitioner practice draws on a broad medical and dental curriculum. You'll usually begin with core biomedical sciences, anatomy, physiology and pathology studied by body system, alongside clinical and communication skills from the start, including history-taking and patient interaction. Early modules also cover population health and professional ethics. As the course progresses, you'll move through clinical rotations in hospital and general practice settings, then into specialty attachments such as surgery, general practice, psychiatry and paediatrics. Student-selected components allow you to pursue areas of particular interest, often with a research element. Throughout, learning is grounded in placements and practical experience.
Who it's for
This course suits those seeking to progress within healthcare whilst balancing other commitments, given its part-time structure. Most entrants held a previous degree, 72% of accepted students came in with prior qualifications. You'll need to meet the university's entry requirements; check the application pages for specific details on qualifications and experience expected.
University & format
This Foundation degree (FdSc) is delivered part-time at the University of West London, a university based in Reading. The course is taught in English. The University of West London is a recognised UK degree-awarding body whose degrees are nationally recognised. It holds a Silver award for teaching quality from the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Bursaries and scholarships are available, check the university's funding pages for details.
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 |
|---|---|
| a previous degree | 72% |
| another higher-education qualification | 28% |
| A-levels or equivalent | 1% |
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
Standard capped home fee at English providers (2026/27); Scotland, Wales & NI differ.
Check fees at West London →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
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 Medicine & Dentistry 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 | £35,000 | £29,000 – £42,000 | 785 |
| 3 years after | £33,000 | £19,500 – £39,000 | 20 |
| 5 years after | £25,000 | £14,000 – £43,000 | 15 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Stronger evidence. Published sample: 785. Cohort 2021-22.
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in medicine & dentistry · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Medicine & Dentistry nationally
National figures for Medicine & Dentistry 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.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Medicine & Dentistry courses at the same study level.
Compared with 804 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
Job market & outlook
How Medicine & Dentistry 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 information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Medicine & Dentistry 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
- The NHS
- Private practice
- Research & academia
- Public health
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Medicine & Dentistry graduates.
Medicine-Focused Veterinary Surgeon | Patient Care LeaderMedivet & PartnersMedicine Service Delivery Manager - Operations ImprovementNHSMedicine Occupational Therapist - StaffordshirePulse HealthcarePart-Time Palliative Medicine Consultant | 1-in-5 On-CallEvora Hospice (formerly Southern Area Hospice Services)Consultant Medicine - ElderlyPertemps Medical ProfessionalsSpecialty Doctor in Acute MedicineTriple West MedicalIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
Most graduates were in work or further study, with a median salary of £35,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of West London
Medicine and dentistry across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Reading
2,582 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Medicine & Dentistry right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to West London from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by West London; 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 West London’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 West London and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at West London
Common questions
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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