BSc (Hons) Osteopathy Degree

Osteopaths in the UK are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) and are recognised as an allied health profession by the NHS. Osteopathy uses manual therapy and a range of non-invasive techniques to provide pain relief. Osteopaths are trained to treat musculoskeletal issues, from back pain and neck problems to issues with the joints and muscles. It is a treatment that uses manual and physical therapy to reduce pain and improve the function of the body.

Osteopathy can help alleviate pain with a range of conditions and concerns including sporting injuries, postural problems, and hip or joint aches, to digestive problems, migraines and rheumatic pain. The focus of osteopathic treatment is to handle the root cause of the symptoms, to reduce pain and discomfort and improve your overall wellbeing. The benefits of osteopathy include improved mobility, a regular and more restful sleep pattern, increased energy levels, a reduction in stress and muscle tension, and a positive impact on your mood.

The four year BSc(Hons) Osteopathy is an undergraduate ‘modified attendance’ degree programme, blending face-to-face/live-streamed and recorded theory lectures with in-person practical classes and clinical experience.

The course is designed for those looking to become a registered osteopath who need to study flexibly around work/life commitments. It runs over two evenings a week (6-9pm) and one weekend day a month (9am-5.30pm). Additional hours are needed for the completion of essential clinical hours and for optional tutorials. This is an intense full-time degree programme, which requires commitment from the student to undertake additional self-directed study.

Successful students will graduate from BCOM with a BSc(Hons) Osteopathy, validated by the University of Plymouth. The university’s rigorous validation process is in place to ensure all educational standards are met.*

*The BSc (Hons) Osteopathy degree is validated by our partner university, University of Plymouth, and is fully accredited by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) with ‘recognised qualification’ status in accordance with the Osteopaths Act 1993.

For information about our full-time integrated Master of Osteopathy (M.Ost), available at BCOM, please click here.

On successful completion of this degree, graduates may apply for registration with the General Osteopathic Council, the UK regulator for the profession and the General Council and Register of Naturopaths and then start practising as an osteopath straight away.*

BCOM is an experienced and established osteopathic school with a reputation for high quality education. It currently delivers a course with ‘recognised qualification’ (RQ) status and is regulated by the Office for Students.

*The BSc (Hons) Osteopathy degree is validated by our partner university, University of Plymouth, and is fully accredited by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) with ‘recognised qualification’ status in accordance with the Osteopaths Act 1993.

The BSc (Hons) Osteopathy is delivered through live-streamed theory and in-person practical classes and clinical experience at the BCOM (London) site . Students have access to online and library resources to support their studies.

The curriculum involves problem-based learning, case-based scenarios and research in osteopathy over four years. The teaching clinic sits alongside practical skills classes, lectures, tutorials, online learning resources, which aims to develop clinical reasoning, student reflection and self-directed learning. Throughout the four years, students engage with evidence-based medicine and learn to evaluate and appraise evidence critically. Students need to complete a minimum of 1000 hours of clinical practice; students initially observe in clinic in Year 1, progressing to ‘hands-on’ experience in Years 3 and 4.

For more information about module content, assessment and delivery click here

The BSc(Hons) Osteopathy programme specification can be found here

Please note the BCNO Group is committed to ensuring that courses run as advertised; however, if a minimum number of students is not reached, courses may be changed, rescheduled, or cancelled. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. In most cases, the approval of courses usually lasts for five years, from the point of validation until the point of periodic review of the course. During this period, a course may be modified to enhance provision and ensure that it is compliant with accreditation bodies or partners to meet quality standards. As part of this process current students will be consulted on any proposed change and current and prospective students will be notified of any change.

This is a full-time, modified attendance course, combining face-to-face and streamed/online classes:-

• In Years 1 and 2, there will be two evening lectures per week (6-9pm) and lectures one Saturday a month (9am – 5.30pm)
• In Year 3, there will be lectures one evening per week and one Saturday per month. Clinical Practice will take place on 3 half-day sessions per week, including Saturday mornings.
• In Year 4, there will be one evening lecture per week. Clinical Practice will take place on two half days a week and there will be Clinical Practice every Saturday
• There will be a mixture of face-to-face and online lectures
• Over the four years you will need to spend 1000 hours in the Clinical setting in order to meet the requirements of the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC).  The majority of these hours will be in scheduled teaching slots, but you need to have the flexibility to manage additional hours depending on your needs
• As with all UK degree courses, students are expected to spend time in self-directed study.  This will vary from student to student and is not a fixed figure, but you need to plan to be able to spend around three hours in self-study for every one hour of contact time

The programme utilises a range of assessments. The assessments are designed to be stimulating and challenging, stretching the students’ knowledge and practical skills. Assessments include essays, presentations, group work, reflective accounts, ISCE and clinical assessments either as individual students or group work.

A-level BBC including a science subject*

BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma DDM in health, science or sports related subject

Access to Higher Education 18 Level 3 credits at merit or above in science or health-related subject

Welsh Baccalaureate BBC including a science subject*

Scottish Qualifications Authority BBBBC including a science subject*

Irish Leaving Certificate H33334 including a science subject*

International Baccalaureate 32 points to include 5 points in 2 science subjects. If overseas and not studying English within the International Baccalaureate, you must have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 overall with a score of 5.5 in all other elements.

Applicants must also have GSCE in English and Maths at level 4 (or equivalent)

Other qualifications We accept a range of other UK, European and International qualifications that could be considered equivalent to the above list.  For further information or to check if your qualifications meet our entry requirements, please contact our friendly Admissions team here. 

*usually biology but will also consider chemistry, physical education, sports science, psychology, mathematics. General studies are not accepted.

English language If English is not your first language, you must have an acceptable IELTS score of 6.5 in total with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). 

For further information and a list of approved English test providers click here.

If you have completed a qualification in a majority speaking English country that is equivalent to a UK degree, it is possible this may exempt you from the above requirement.

As part of the conditions of entry, applicants will also be required to complete a health declaration and DBS/criminal records check if choosing to study with us.

For those students who need a refresher in biochemistry and human biology, we offer a free two week online course, ahead of starting the main degree course. This is useful for students who have not covered one of the subject areas or for those who have studied these subjects but some time ago. The course has proved invaluable to students and is a very useful introduction to the main degree course.

For information about this course click here. 

Applicants who have studied in a related field (such as Physiotherapy or Sports Science) may be eligible to join us in Year 2 via our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) process.

If you would like to be considered for APL, please see our handy PDF guide for more information.

UK applicants, studying at University level for the first time, can apply for a loan from the UK Government to cover the cost of tuition fees (subject to entry requirements and eligibility). Click here for more information.

2025 entry (for home students):

Year 1: £7,700
Year 2: £7,700
Year 3: £6,160
Year 4: £6,160

2025 entry (for EU/International students who do not require a VISA but are not eligible for home fees based on residence before enrolment):

Year 1: £9,200
Year 2: £9,200
Year 3: £7,360
Year 4: £7,360

Students are able to pay for fees termly (term 1: £2700, term 2: £2500, term 3: £2500 for home students). 

In addition to the annual course tuition fees, there are further requirements and costs for students on the BSc (Hons) Osteopathy course.

Additional Costs:

• Enhanced DBS check – £62.70
• Clinic coat – approx. £25
• Clinic equipment – approx. £200 for complete kit
• Massage oil  – approx. £10
• Flexible spine –  approx. £50
• First aid course - approx. £35 in Year 2
• Graduation ceremony – approx. £60. Guest tickets are £15 each

All costs above are indicative

The University of Plymouth is the awarding institution for the BSc (Hons) Osteopathy in partnership with the British College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Our Admissions team is happy to provide guidance and help with any questions you have about the application process. You can contact them directly here.

Step 1: Apply

Apply online through UCAS at www.ucas.com. The codes for the BSc(Hons) can be found below:-

BCOM Institution code: B81
BSc(Hons) Osteopathy Course Code at BCOM: B200

UCAS will electronically send your application to us for consideration. We will accept applications until 30th June (subject to availability). After that date, please contact our Admissions team at admissions.bcom@bcnogroup.ac.uk.

Step 2: Application Review

Applications are considered individually and with flexibility. When considering your application, we look at the content of your personal statement, as well as your academic profile and reference. Decisions are based on grades (achieved or predicted), personal statements and references. For UCAS guidance on your personal statement please follow this link, and for UCAS guidance on your references, please follow this link.

Successful applicants will be invited to attend an interview via Microsoft Teams (interview times are flexible and can be arranged to fit in with you).

You can find more details about the  relevant selection criteria and Admissions Policy here.

Step 3: Interview

The interview will last approximately 30 minutes and is fairly informal. Normally, there will be 2 people interviewing you. Interviews are also an opportunity for you to ask us questions.

At interview, we will want to know why you want to be an Osteopath and what skills you think you have that may be relevant. We may also ask about any work experience you have gained. We may ask you questions about the content of your personal statement.

We may ask you to provide documentary evidence of the qualifications you have listed on your UCAS form – either prior or following the interview.

Step 4: Decisions and Offers

Usually, interview outcomes are conveyed to you via UCAS within 5 working days of your interview.

Successful applicants will receive a formal offer letter by email following their interview, detailing either a conditional offer or an unconditional offer of acceptance. An unconditional offer means you do not have to do anything before you start the course. If you receive a conditional offer then the offer conditions have to be met before the end of August. Offer conditions are usually linked to qualification, so we may ask that you obtain specific grades in qualifications such as A-Levels, BTEC qualification or the Baccalaureate. You can either accept or decline the offer through UCAS and they will give you a date by which you have to make your decision.

Step 5: Offer accepted

Congratulations – you have just taken the first step towards your exciting career as an osteopath.

From around May you will be given further information about accommodation and starting the course.

Please note the BCNO Group is committed to ensuring that courses run as advertised; however, if a minimum number of students is not reached, courses may be changed, rescheduled, or cancelled. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. In most cases, the approval of courses usually lasts for five years, from the point of validation until the point of periodic review of the course. During this period, a course may be modified to enhance provision and ensure that it is compliant with accreditation bodies or partners to meet quality standards. As part of this process current students will be consulted on any proposed change and current and prospective students will be notified of any change.

"I’m a first-year student on the BSc(Hons) Osteopathy modified attendance course and I chose this course because it is quite unique. It is a full-time course but it’s mainly in the evenings and one Saturday a month, to begin with, which means it fits in with my lifestyle and I can still work and study and do all the other commitments that I’ve got.

It also means I get to be an Osteopath within 4 years, so at the end of 4 years, I can start working, whereas many of the other courses I have looked at would take 5 years to get to the same place.

I really like the course content as it is very holistic. We will have units on psychology, functional nutrition, as well as the classic anatomy and osteopathic techniques."

Rose Bundock, Year 1, BSc(Hons) Osteopathy

"Changing career and going back to college after many years was really scary but I very happy and settled here at BCOM, confident I' ve made the right choice. All the staff are really passionate about Osteopathy and there is a genuine ethos of collaboration and support. Many of the teachers have years of clinical experience that they are happy to share this with us as well as ensuring that we have a rigorous and very thorough education.

The learning materials and the online resources work really well and you can organize your study around your timetable which is invaluable when you have a young family to fit around.

The Library is also a great resource it’s a very calm place to work and the librarians take the time to find out what you need and lead you in the right direction. Infact its often the place to unload your worries and take a breather whilst being offered a biscuit and an encouraging chat.

The amazing thing about being at BCOM is that it really does have a strong community feeling, students really support each other and have a strong bond from early on and you can reach out to anyone and get help. I fee very supported by the College itself and I think this marks them out as a University - they have gone above and beyond to really make sure that the individual needs of students have been met and this means that there is always someone to turn to, whether that’s IT help, counselling, help with accommodation. They have gone the extra mile to make sure you are supported without you having to make a big deal about it and that is very unlike my experience of being in a larger University."

Charlotte Poulton, BSc (Hons) Osteopathy student

"I am currently a soft tissue and holistic therapist, but I decided that I wanted to further my career and knowledge to be able to help people with a wider range of health conditions. I also wanted to get into the medical world. I spent a few years researching the three main career paths; osteopathy, chiropractic, and physio and osteopathy stood out to me the most. I have always taken a more holistic approach with my own practice and so the principles that the body is a unit and a self-healing mechanism, really appealed to me as it's something I already agreed with. It's important for me to be able to combine a combination of ideas and techniques into my work and I feel osteopathy is the best place to do that. 

After speaking to osteopaths already in the industry, majority of them advised me that BCOM was the best place to study, and I loved their more naturopathic approach!" 

Gracie Jack, BSc (Hons) Osteopathy student