Course in brief

A highly flexible, rewarding and varied profession, podiatrists are specialist health professionals who care for all kinds of patients with foot and lower limb complaints and help them maintain their health and wellbeing through podiatric treatment, minor surgery, orthotics, exercise and education.

Podiatry offers the opportunity to work in a range of specialist disciplines, including diabetes care, musculoskeletal practice and rheumatology. 

You will study in excellent facilities including our own Leaf Hospital. The internal clinical placements at Leaf Hospital will allow you to see patients from the first year of your degree. During the course you will accumulate 1,000 hours of clinical practice, giving you essential experience of working with NHS patients and managing your own caseload before you qualify as a podiatrist. 

Our teaching team are all active members of the College of Podiatry (CoP), ensuring that both the team and the curriculum stay up to date with current podiatry policy and practice. The UK’s first podiatry degree was developed at the University of Brighton and we are proud of our outstanding track record in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research. As a graduate of the course you will be eligible for professional registration and be fully prepared to begin your career as a podiatrist.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne

UCAS code B985

Full-time 3 years

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Podiatry (COP)

We are a top 10 university for world-leading research impact in allied health professions, nursing and pharmacy (REF 2014)

Book your open day place

Meet our students, see our accommodation and find out more about your course.

Applying for 2017

Places are available on this course for UK, other EU and international students.


Apply now with UCAS

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2017. They should be used as a general guide.

We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that you could receive a lower conditional offer than the typical offer, informed by our assessment of your complementary non-academic achievements and experiences. For courses that require interview or portfolio review, this may also be considered in the level of any conditional offer that follows if your application is successful.

A-levels
BBC.

BTEC
DMM.

International Baccalaureate
28 points,

Access to HE Diploma
pass with 60 credits overall. Science or health studies. Must include level 3 units in biology. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or distinction.

GCSE (minimum grade C or grade 4)
minimum of five subjects including English language, maths and science.

Other
Mature students will be assessed on their previous work experience, recent and other significant academic study.

For non-native speakers of English
IELTS 7.0 overall, no element below 6.5.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country
 
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Knowledge and experience

All candidates must be able to demonstrate good knowledge of podiatry as a profession, from talking to and, if possible, shadowing qualified podiatrists, visiting departments and reading relevant material. This should provide an insight into how this experience has informed their decision to become a podiatrist. Experience of working in other caring environments or voluntary work is also beneficial. Essential reading can be found on www.feetforlife.org.

Course in detail

Course structure

You will study the core areas necessary for professional practice: the clinical sciences, health psychology, medicine, pharmacology, surgery, orthopaedics and research methods.

You will also share modules with students on physiotherapy, occupational therapy and pharmacy courses, allowing you to exchange knowledge and expertise with students from other disciplines.

Year 1

Year 1 will give you the chance to gain practical clinical experience from the outset. You will learn the academic background of podiatry and the fundamentals of professional practice.

Modules

  • Clinical Practice 1 and 2
  • Clinical Hours 1 and 2 (Additional)
  • Podiatrist as a Professional: Fundamentals of Practice
  • Musculoskeletal Podiatry 1 and 2
  • Skin and its Appendages
  • Introduction to Academic Skills for Healthcare Professionals
  • Neurology and Endocrine Physiology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Introduction to Health Psychology and Health-related Behaviour
Podiatry student

Year 2

Year 2 will build on the clinical experience you gained in your first year, keeping the same balance between theory and practice.

Modules

  • Clinical Practice 3 and 4
  • Clinical Hours 3 and 4
  • Musculoskeletal Podiatry 3
  • Local Anaesthesia and Surgery
  • Clinical Sciences 
  • Research Design and Ethics
  • Health Psychology and Communication
  • Podiatrist as a Professional: the Social Context 
Podiatry student

Final year

The final year will allow you to gain experience in multidisciplinary settings, including specialist hospital wards, outpatient clinics and orthopaedic operating sessions. The hours spent in clinical practice will increase as you make final preparations for the workplace.

Modules

  • Clinical Practice 5 and 6
  • Clinical Hours 5 and 6
  • Podiatrist as a Professional: Preparation for Work
  • Medicine and Pharmacology as Applied to the At-risk Foot
  • Learning by Objectives (10 credits)
  • Conducting Research
  • Promotion of Health and Wellbeing
  • Critical Reflection: Readiness for Professional Practice 

Option*

  • Learning by Objectives (Enhanced) 20 credits

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability. 

podiatry student

Staff profiles

Dr Simon Otter

Simon qualified from the Wessex School of Podiatry in 1991 and worked in the NHS for nine years working in the areas of high-risk foot care, nail surgery, musculoskeletal medicine and latterly paediatrics before moving to the University of Brighton to take up a teaching post in 2000.  Having led the MSc Podiatry programme from 2006-12, Simon was Assistant head of School for 4 years.  Currently he is a principal lecturer and Academic lead for the Podiatry Division and continues teach into a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses for both allied health professionals and medical students across the University.

Simon was part of the team that provided podiatry care for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and is professional advisor for podiatry to Arthritis Care. Recently he completed a research sabbatical in Auckland, New Zealand, working on inflammatory arthritis.  Simon is an academic referee for a number of national and international journals and has a range of publications in peer-reviewed journals. His academic and research interest in the epidemiology of foot complaints in chronic disease (particularly rheumatology) and the impact these have on the individual.

Simon-Otter

Taryn Hodgskin

Taryn qualified from the University of Brighton in 1998, subsequently holding posts in the NHS and private sector as a lead podiatrist.  Her roles grounded her clinical experience within a variety of settings, her final NHS post responsibilities included; leadership responsibility to develop the nail surgery services, infection prevention and control lead for podiatry and contributing to the development of podiatric surgery services. 

In 2009 Taryn joined the University of Brighton staff team accepting the post of Clinical Manager of Leaf Hospital & Senior Lecturer.  In 2012 she moved into a full time Senior Lecturer role and in September 2016 became Course Leader for the BSc Hons Podiatry Programme.  

Taryn holds a PGCE in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She completed her MSc in Podiatry and Education in 2013 and presented her research findings at the International Federation of Podiatry in Rome that year.   In 2015 Taryn was awarded a Merit from the ‘Teaching Excellence Awards’

Her current research activities include both undergraduate and post graduate research supervision, work within the Pedagogic research hub within the School of Health Sciences and a funded projected related to foot health provision in diabetes.   Taryn’s research interest includes; clinical education, pedagogic approach to infection prevention and control and health education in diabetes and the wider healthcare team.

Taryn has recently been accepted as a Fellow of the Faculty of Podiatric Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow).
Taryn’s personal interests include travelling and sailing. 

Facilities

Leaf Hospital

You will have access to the Leaf Hospital in Eastbourne, our own fully-staffed clinical facility, which offers a podiatry service and a private practice physiotherapy service. This gives you a further opportunity to gain practical experience treating patients throughout your degree.

The Leaf Hospital has two main clinics and three further consulting rooms, allowing up to 28 patients to be seen at any one time. Clinical practice is supported by a complete range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, including gait analysis, imaging and more.

You will benefit from use of the orthotics department, where you will produce high quality orthotics and insoles for patients as part of the practical element of your course.

On the first floor there is a fully equipped operating theatre for minor surgical procedures and a human anatomy lab where you will study prosection and take part in lower limb dissection.

Podiatry clinic

Human Movement Laboratory

The Human Movement Laboratory is used widely by our physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry students, and is also used for commercial consultancy. 

In the lab you will use the latest technology to measure and assess all aspects of human movement, joints, muscles, soft tissue structure and nerves. The laboratory has equipment for conducting cardio-pulmonary investigations including Cosmed metabolic system and spirometry.

human movement lab

Practical Skills and Simulation Rooms

There are a range of practical skills rooms, equipped so that you can learn and practise practical skills including palpation, massage and manipulation with other students before you work with real patients and clients.

Podiatrist

Patient feedback

Read what Leaf Hospital patients have said about treatment from our students. All feedback is anonymised for patient confidentiality.

"Over a long period of time I have received 100% treatment for my feet and am most grateful to the wonderful students and tutors. I am very fortunate to have the facilities available at the Leaf Hospital, so I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone."

"I just want to say thank you very much for all the kindness and care I have had while having ongoing treatment for my verrucas. It has really encouraged me to study podiatry."

"I am pleased to say that your service is outstanding – the staff are all very friendly and efficient. Thank you very much, it gives us great pleasure having services like this."

"I am amazed at the amount of time and care you have given me. I have lots of problem with my feet but you have made great improvements for me, thank you."

"I have the highest praise for the treatment I receive at the Leaf Hospital. I have difficult feet but I always come out feeling much better than when I went in."

"The service from students and tutors has been excellent – the provision of insoles to suit my needs has enabled me to want to walk without having to rest. Thank you very much."

"I was sent here by my GP as I was complaining of pain in my feet and hammer toes; I have been given exercises and encouragement and feel so much better. Thank you for your help."

"I appreciate the team of students as they do an excellent service. Without Leaf Hospital, so many patients would not be able to get out and about."

"I have been attending the Leaf Hospital for many years and have always received the best of care and consideration at all times."

Careers and employability

There is an increasing demand for podiatrists, which is in part due to an emphasis on health and fitness, an ageing population, and the role played by the profession in the care of people with chronic diseases such as diabetes. Our graduates enjoy excellent employment prospects, typically securing roles in advanced practice, clinical teaching, research, education and training, and a variety of positions in the NHS and private sector.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 13,920 GBP

Funding arrangements for students starting this course in September 2017

From 1 August 2017, new students from England starting this course will have access to the standard government student finance support package which consists of loans to meet the cost of tuition fees and a means-tested loan for living costs. In addition, supplementary funding that is means tested as appropriate includes: travel costs for practice and clinical placements, dual accommodation costs during practice and clinical placements, childcare allowances and exceptional hardship fund. You can find helpful and up-to-date information about these changes on the Funding Clinic website. 

 

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2017–18. Tuition fees are payable for each year that you study with us.

Where UK/EU students are subject to regulated fees, the annual fee increase cannot exceed the UK government’s maximum regulated tuition fee limit set for the relevant year. For all other students, ie those not subject to regulated fees, tuition fees are subject to a maximum annual increase of the higher of 5% or RPI.

You can find out more about our fees in the the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Eastbourne

Eastbourne is known for being sunny, friendly and relaxed, with natural attractions such as the beach and the beautiful hills of the South Downs. Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain, is just outside of town and a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Arts and culture: Eastbourne is home to the award-winning Towner Art Gallery, one of the finest contemporary art museums in the south-east. The town also has four Grade II listed theatres: the Congress Theatre, the Devonshire Park Theatre, the Winter Garden and the Royal Hippodrome Theatre.

Festivals: Set in the Winter Garden and the Birley Centre – a contemporary performing arts venue – the Eastbourne Music and Arts Festival promotes the study and practice of music, dance and drama. Eastbourne’s Annual Beer Festival meanwhile is the biggest beer festival in East Sussex, featuring 150 real cask ales, a cider bar, a wine bar and live music.

Nightlife: Eastbourne has a great selection of clubs for your night out. Top picks include Cameo – the town’s largest nightclub – and Atlantis on Eastbourne Pier. If you don't feel like dancing, take advantage of the student deals at Hudsons Bar.

Shopping: The town’s main shopping centre is the Eastbourne Arndale Centre. For a more boutique experience, head to Little Chelsea – an independent shopping and dining district specialising in contemporary art, interior design, antiques and jewellery.

Sports: Eastbourne hosts some major sporting events, from Eastbourne Extreme – one of the biggest extreme sports festivals in the UK – to Eastbourne International, an annual tennis tournament where some of the world’s finest players prepare for Wimbledon.

Eastbourne pier   Eastbourne Festival

Campus where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Located in one of the sunniest towns in the UK, our Eastbourne campus sits between the hills of the South Downs National Park and the south coast.

The campus has extensive sporting facilities, including a sports hall, fitness suite, climbing wall, swimming pool, three gyms, a dance studio and an artificial training pitch. For sport and exercise students, there are also exercise physiology labs, a human movement laboratory and an environmental chamber.

Podiatry students gain real-life experience in the Leaf Hospital clinic, with its comprehensive range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, while physiotherapy students are taught in specialist practical skills rooms. The Culinary Arts Studio allows hospitality students to engage in workplace simulations and consumer research.

Accommodation

Eastbourne

Our Eastbourne hall of residence, Welkin Halls, is in the residential Meads area, next to the Hillbrow and Welkin site and within walking distance of Darley Road. The train station is about 20 minutes away on foot.

You can choose between a standard room and a large room. In both cases, the rent covers bills and internet access, as well as breakfast and an evening meal during term time. There are more than 150 rooms available here, with six to eight rooms per flat, and all are ensuite.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. The rent covers internet and £5,000 of contents insurance but excludes gas, electricity and water.*

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our Eastbourne accommodation webpages, and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accomeastbourne@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 643810.

Welkin Halls

Welkin bedroom


  

Maps

house Accommodation
campus University building

Eastbourne campus map

 

Unistats

Unistats and key information sets

Unistats is an organisation that collects specific data about university courses in the UK which enables you to compare information that is important in your decision-making when choosing a university. All universities publish Unistats data on their online course pages.

Wherever we can we have provided extra information here to help put the data into context so that it is as useful as possible when you are making decisions.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the official university document for each course. They are updated each year, and give a very detailed breakdown of what your course might look like.

Programme specification

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Student views  

Georgia Liopetriti 

"I chose to study podiatry because it is a 'young' profession, full of potential, and very hard to find back in Cyprus.  

"There were a lot of marvellous details that made the University of Brighton’s podiatry course stand out – it is licensed to teach anatomy by using a real human cadaver, it has its own podiatry clinic, biomechanics lab and nail surgery facilities. One of the advantages is that you prepare for practice in the university’s own clinic and have contact with patients from day one. 

"I started my own private practice in Larnaca as soon as I graduated and I'm also a visiting podiatrist in a medical centre in Paphos. 

"I recently became the clinical director of Fit Feet in Cyprus as part of the Healthy Athlete program, which is running with the Special Olympics. I do volunteer work as much as I can, for example at the Volunteer Doctors Cyprus mission in a leprosy hospital in Nepal. I am also a member of the Administrative Board of the Cyprus’ Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists and a member of several NGOs in Cyprus.

"I believe the course played a very important role in my career success as it enabled me to have professional experience before graduation. The University of Brighton is the best choice."

Georgia Liopetriti

Hannah Yirrell 

"After graduating with a first-class honours degree in podiatry, I started working with the NHS, specialising in the assessment and management of high-risk foot complaints and musculoskeletal medicine.

"After three years’ employment in the NHS, I secured an advanced practitioner role with the Ministry of Defence at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre. I went on to set up a successful podiatry facility that delivers renowned levels of service and quality across the MoD, both in the UK and overseas.

"I am now a key member of a multi-disciplinary team that manages an enormously varied range of pathologies and trauma. The cases we see range from catastrophic deformities and limb loss caused by IED explosions, to chronic overuse pathologies. The clinic gives people the means to recover and resume their military career.

"Recently, I have worked alongside the directorate of the Defence Rehabilitation team on projects that have led to developing, changing and implementing podiatry provision tri-service wide. In addition, I am a private practitioner and work alongside sports medicine consultants."

Hannah Yirrell

Lara Doheny

"As an EU student I found it difficult at first to settle in to England, but I have met some fantastic people over the past three years. Studying the degree in podiatry has given me a new family and also a new profession.

"The course is very challenging: there is a large requirement for independent study which you must be self-motivated to do, and there is always a duty of care toward the patient.

"Over the past year I have been a student rep, which has given me a greater insight into a side of university life that students rarely take notice of: the work that goes on to improve the student experience."

Lara Doheny

Serena Naidoo 

"The course was thoroughly enjoyable, with a range of tutors delivering information in a variety of ways. The dissection in the anatomy lab was one of the most fascinating parts of the degree programme, and the Leaf Hospital was the perfect setting to initiate clinical experience from day one.

"I graduated with a first-class honours in podiatry in 2010 and was awarded the Arthritis Research UK-funded graduate internship for podiatrists that same year, before working as a specialist podiatrist in the NHS. I have presented at the annual European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) conference and was awarded the Recently Qualified Health Professional Prize at the British Society of Rheumatology Conference."

Serena Naidoo

Rashid Kakozza

"Being a first-year student has been an exciting time for me: the podiatry course has been broad and offered a lot of opportunities. I've found it easy to meet and talk with new people as well, because in podiatry you learn by communicating and exchanging ideas with fellow students.

"I've also found that it's getting easier to manage my athletics alongside my studying as all I have to do is organise my time well. I look forward to a future in sport and podiatry, and I'm hoping to take part in the 2016 Olympics."

Rashid Kakozza

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