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M.Ost. Master of Osteopathic Medicine (Undergraduate Pre-registration Master's)

Understand what keeps a body healthy and what happens in states of disease, learning to diagnose and treat not only the site of pain, but the whole person with your expert skill as an Osteopath. This four-year integrated Master's degree is designed for undergraduate entry. It is a pre-registration Master's, enabling you to become a registered Osteopath with the General Osteopathic Council.

An Osteopath checks her patient's range of arm movements

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Full-time Part-time

Entry requirements

Three A-levels at grades BBC or above including Biology or a related subject

Or BTEC triple grades DMM or above (with at least 6 specialist units in Biology and Science or a combination of BTEC Level 3 grades)

Or Access 30-42 with minimum 18D

Or T level M

And GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4 or grade C or above

Applicants with other qualifications and/or experience will be considered on an individual basis

An interview is required.

UCAS points 112

UCAS code 24M4

UCAS institution code P63

Duration Four years full-time or six years part-time - all part-time students must go full-time in years five and six

Course Summary

Osteopathy is system of diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. Osteopaths focus on total body health and work with the structure and function of the body to affect the musculoskeletal framework. The principle is based on the well-being of an individual depending on the integrated function of all the body’s components.

Following your comprehensive training, you will have a deep understanding about the anatomy of the body from how muscles, joints and bones work, and a comprehensive understanding of physiology, neurology and pathology. This helps you understand what keeps a body healthy and what happens in states of disease, you will be qualified and able to assess, diagnose and treat not only the site of pain, but the whole person with your expert skill set.

All osteopaths in the UK are regulated by the General Osteopathic Council. Osteopathy is a statutorily regulated profession and only graduates that hold a qualification like our Osteopathic Medicine degree from an institute recognised by the General Osteopathic Council, like Marjon, are permitted by law to practise as an Osteopath.

Subject to a disclosure and barring check on completion of our four year integrated Master's Osteopathic Medicine you will qualify as a registered Osteopath. We are the only university in the South West to offer an Osteopathic Master's course which is fully accredited by the General Osteopathic Council.

During the Master's Osteopathic Medicine you will engage in over 1000 hours of clinical practice and observation this will take place in our state of the art sports centre that houses out Osteopathy Clinic. The majority of these hours will take place in years three and four when you will be treating patients under the supervision of our expert tutors who are there to help, support and educate you in the clinical environment. This is the time to put in to practice all the skills, technique, knowledge you have gained over the previous two years and develop yourself as an Osteopath.

What is osteopathy is something that people ask me quite frequently, and the best way to think about it or explain it is we are a holistic manual therapy. Okay? So we use our hands to treat people. We don't prescribe drugs or medicines or anything like that, but we look at the whole person and the whole body. So we really want to know information about their life, how they're doing, what they've been doing, what their problem is, and how we might be able to help and treat that. Majority of the work we do is within musculoskeletal medicine and in order to be an osteopath in the UK, you need to go to one of the nine institutes that are registered with the General Osteopathic Council. In order to be registered, these institutes Marjon is one of you have to fulfil the criteria that is in the OPS which is the osteopathic practise standards and the GOPRE, which is the guidance for pre-registered osteopathic education. Our programme is four years long, it's integrated masters which you will enter at undergraduate level so after your A-levels or equivalents and then you progress through the four years and when you leave you'll be a registered osteopath with the General Osteopathic Council, which means you can call yourself an osteopath and practise in the UK and many other countries as well. So at Marjon we fulfil all the criteria required from the General Osteopathic Council and we're also looking at how we can fulfil the criteria required from the Advanced Clinical Practitioner and the FCP, which is the first contact practitioner ships. These are NHS based initiatives which allow multidisciplinary practitioners to work within the NHS. At the moment we're looking at how we integrate these four pillars, which are clinical practise, leadership and management, research and education within the programme to allow that to be easy transferable skills between private practise and within the NHS.

I already work in allied health field and I've worked with Osteopath for many years and basically been wanting to learn to do this for a long time. I find the course really, really interesting. From Year one until now. I'm in the third year and obviously now that we're seeing patients, it's all bringing everything together. Practical experience is really beneficial.

I'm a sports massage therapist and I've run a business since I was 20 and I decided I wanted to progress and osteopathy seemed like the right kind of thing. I like and wanted to get been more into exercise and, and rehab and, and further with my manual therapy and osteopathy had a wide whole body of purchase. What I'm looking for and I really liked, which is why I chose that over physio and chiropractor. I'd like to stay in England for at least for a year and hopefully work in the clinic. I'm working at the moment and then I'm hoping to progress and to move to some places in Europe and maybe work some sports teams and then progress with pain clinics and stuff as it goes from there. So that's my plan because you get so much more one to one really, and group sizes are small. It's lovely being in like a small classroom setting. I like it a lot

and I've always had an interest in health care. I've worked in the NHS and been a personal trainer for 20 years and I looked into other courses like chiropractic physio, and this one just stood out for me because of one the location two the level of knowledge and the way that the osteopathic course itself was presented in terms of the way that it looks at the body as a whole. It's something I've always believed in my career, hence why I'm here. I actually like the fact that it's a slightly smaller, more tight knit community because you get a level of care that you potentially wouldn't at big a university is you don't just become another number and a face lost in the crowd. I love the the attention that you actually get from staff in all areas. I think it's fantastic. The heavy, practical element was really, really good, especially from myself. I'm quite practical learner. I can't sit in lectures I'm not that great at them. And so much like anything, you know, it doesn't matter what you know, it's how well you apply it and that practical element really, really helps with that. I already know where I'm going. I've got a vacancy in a clinic in Exeter, near to where I live, so I'm going to spend most of my time then potentially set up my own online business at the same time.

Why this course at Marjon?

Accredited by the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC)

Incredible multidisciplinary teaching team including osteopaths, physiotherapists, psychologists, physiologists, and bio-scientists

Conduct your Master's project in our state-of-the-art biomechanics, physiology or strength and conditioning labs with expert support from the teaching team

Full university experience at a fantastic campus with on-site accommodation

Innovative small business management module readies you for the non-clinical side of private practice

The only university in the South West offering Osteopathy

Modules for this course

Course Snapshot

“ In first year we start to learn the knowledge that will be our foundation going forwards, like our anatomy, but we also start to develop our osteopathic skill through palpation. The second year really builds on that and teaches us to look at the factors that affect our treatment. This goes from underlying conditions to the importance of good nutrition so that we have a well-rounded understanding of health and wellbeing, all before starting our clinical placement. Our third year is when we start to treat members of the public in the Marjon Osteopathy Clinic and is the time when we get to put all of the information that we've learnt up so far into practice, while still learning about becoming an osteopath. The fourth year is when we spend the most of our time in the Marjon Osteopathy Clinic, developing as practitioners that can begin to manage clinical uncertainties before we enter the wider world of osteopathic practice.”
Lydia - 4th year, MOst Osteopathic Medicine

1st Year

Engaging with learning: personal and professional development
This module aims to develop students’ engagement with their own personal and academic development in order to support them as they make the step up to degree-level study within the university environment.
Human physiology and functional anatomy
Learn core knowledge of anatomy and physiology and how to practically apply this knowledge to your practice.
Osteopathic skills I
Learn core skills including observation assessment and diagnosis of the musculoskeletal system from the cervical spine to the foot.
Biochemistry & biophysics
Introduces basic biochemistry and biophysics skills including neurology, muscle physiology, diagnostic ultrasound imaging.
Personal and professional development I
Learn core theories and skills of osteopathy including subjective and objective examinations palpation, and orthopaedic testing along side the ethical consideration of treatment.
Musculoskeletal biomechanics
Develop the core knowledge of normal and pathological biomechanics of the musculoskeletal system.

2nd Year

Research methods & analysis in sport, physical activity and health sciences
Develop an understanding of what a research proposal is and how to create one for your Master's project.
Pathophysiology of non-communicable diseases
Learn about different non-communicable and chronic diseases that can be the result of a combination of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. Explore how this influences your treatment and management of patients.
Clinical differential diagnosis
Learn how to interpret your clinical findings and what this means when combined with the pathophysiology of other conditions. Be able to identify the most clinically significant causation of your patients conditions and understand how to prioritise findings and put effective management plans in to place.
Nutrition, health and disease
Explore the topics of nutrition and health supplements.
Personal and professional development II
Further your training by exploring the principals of Osteopathy and how to use and develop effecting treatment techniques and approaches utilizing the body’s self-healing mechanisms .
Osteopathic skills II
Build on core skills of osteopathy including diagnosis management and treatment of the body as a unit. Develop a critical skill and understanding of osteopathic techniques including high velocity thrusts, muscle energy techniques and joint mobilisation.

3rd Year

Clinical practice I
Learn how to manage and treat you own patients. You will be undertaking approximately 400 clinical hours in this module and during this time you will be responsible for the management and treatment of real patients this is where you start to put everything together under the careful clinical supervision of or experienced clinical tutors (all registered Osteopaths).
Osteopathic skills III
Introduction to the variety of applications of osteopathic treatment and management, including diagnostic, treatment and management approaches used in maternity, paediatrics, neurology and gerontology. Learn how to treat and create effective management plans.
Osteopathic evaluation and therapeutics
Explore more complicated disorders (e.g. psychosocial stress) and evidence-based practice, look at different treatment principals and advanced osteopathic techniques.
Entrepreneurship & small business management
This unique module will equip you for your private practice upon graduation.

4th Year

Managing clinical uncertainty
Learn to manage and identify more complicated clinical cases, understand that there is always uncertainty when making clinical decisions. Learn effective management and ownership of this uncertainty showing reflective practice.
Clinical practice II
This is a continuation of clinical practice I, you will continue to treat real patients in our on-site osteopathy clinic under clinical supervision by our team of clinic tutors ( all registered Osteopaths) for approximately 500 hours
Master's project
Conduct your chosen Master level research project.
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Current students say...

Georgia Slater

“I really enjoy the practical elements of the course which are giving me invaluable experience. The support from tutors is outstanding and help is always available. The on-site clinic has provided me with a safe but professional environment to learn and progress in.”

Rob Herd

“The practical application of osteopathic techniques in the third year has brought the whole course together. My knowledge has grown significantly on this course, alongside my confidence. Seeing positive patient outcomes in the clinic makes it all worthwhile.”

This course is perfect if you’re curious about

“ There are opportunities for students to access an extensive range of specialist industry standard resources and facilities, especially in the areas of sports and rehabilitative therapy... An extensive array of physiological and rehabilitative facilities exist within the faculty…[and] will allow Osteopathy students to experience a wide range of approaches to treatments in sports and health sciences.”
External review - The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher Education

Ask a student

What might you become?

On completion of M.Ost. Master of Osteopathic Medicine you'll be able to register as an Osteopath with the General Osteopathic Council. Osteopathy is a statutorily regulated profession in the United Kingdom.

Osteopathy is a rewarding patient centred career that focuses on the whole patient. The career pathway is primarily private practice with many Osteopaths running their own clinics there is an increasing provision of osteopathy with in the NHS including GP practices and community health centres.

Accreditation

GOsC logo with text

The General Osteopathic Council

GOsC regulates osteopaths in the UK. A degree is recognised by GOsC, which means that graduates are permitted by law to practise as an Osteopath.

How you’ll be taught and assessed?

How will you be taught?

Includes a mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions. You will be taught by a multidisciplinary teaching team, who pull strength and knowledge from varied backgrounds and professional roles.

How will you be assessed?

A wide range of assessments including essays, practical exams, written exams, competency exams with real patients and presentations.

John Evans

Course leader

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John is a qualified Osteopath and is a qualified Acupuncturist, Sonographer, Nutritionist, strength and conditioning coach and advanced rehabilitation specialist. Following severe damage to axillary nerves in his shoulders John developed Actively Intelligent Rehabilitation (AIR), a complete health care system that considers the patient's nutritional needs, physical rehabilitation needs, acute and chronic pain management and strength and reconditioning needs as part of their treatment plan.

Fees and funding

Fees UK students: £9,250 per annum

Fees for International students: £12,500 per annum

This fee covers your tuition and access to course-specific equipment and facilities, as well associated services including access to the library, study skills support, IT support, student support and wellbeing services and membership of the Student Union. There may be additional costs by course.

Additional costs:

  • Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced check - around £50.
  • Clinic uniform (tunic) - around £30.
  • Clinic kit will be required which you can use in private practice when you graduate. The minimum recommended for your clinical kit is a sphygmomanometer , stethoscope and patella hammer; at a cost of approx £150.

Funding available for this course

Our Student Funding Advisors offer confidential and impartial advice about your funding options.

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Lecturers

Sherrie Choy

Lecturer in Physiotherapy, Placement Lead

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Sherrie is a Chartered Physiotherapist in both UK and Kong Kong and an accredited member of the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists. She has over twenty years extensive clinical experience in NHS and private sectors. She is passionate in clinical teaching and research support evidence-based practice in healthcare. She specialises in musculoskeletal physiotherapy and cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation. She is currently studying for a PhD sponsored by the University Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust about vision and balance changes in Cataract patients receiving lens replacement surgery. 

Stephanie Evans

Lecturer

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Stephanie is a qualified Osteopath who supports a varied patient base; her areas of expertise include technique, physiology, pharmacology of common drugs, a best practice approach to treating babies and woman’s health.

Kieron Kerr

Lecturer Practioner

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Kieron is a qualified Osteopath who has worked in established clinics across the country as well as running his own successful clinic; he has special interests in biomechanics and working with patients with chronic pain.

Dr Joseph Layden

Associate Professor

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Joe has 20 years experience within the area of health and exercise physiology and researches health care interventions, physiology and metabolism. He previously worked as an Occupational Physiologist and Researcher for the UK Ministry of Defence and the Netherlands National Research Office.

Dr Alister McCormick

Associate Professor

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Alister teaches psychology and its applications to sport, exercise, and health. His main research interest is how psychological interventions can be used to improve the performances of people who participate in endurance events, such as middle- and long-distance running, cycling, swimming, and triathlon events.

Professor Gary Shum

Professor

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Gary is an Honorary Associate Professor for the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust where he conducts research in back pain and nerve biomechanics. He is a practising chartered physiotherapist and brings a wealth of experience in musculoskeletal injury and diagnosis including diagnostic ultrasound imaging.

Frequently asked questions

Q1   On how many days a week do I attend lectures?

This course has high contact hours. In the first two years of the course you'll typically have lectures four days per week and in the final two years of the course you'll be expected to attend all day Monday to Friday for lectures and clinical sessions.

Q2   Where will my placement be?

Your placement will be in our Osteopathic Clinic which is located on our campus. The placement takes place in years 3 & 4 though you'll be observing in the clinic from year 1. The clinic is situated in our well equipped sports centre which also offers a biomechanics lab, giving you access to first class facilities to help treat and rehabilitate your patients.  

Q3   What equipment will I be learning to use?

Osteopathy is a hands on manual therapy so most of the treatments you do only require you however; the unique set up that Marjon offers is that you will be exposed to the biomechanics labs and equipment which means you can also learn to use the zero-gravity tread mill, isokinetic machine, 3d cameras, electro myographs and the diagnostic ultrasound units.

Q4   Will all of my lectures be on campus?

We have adopted a mixed mode of teaching a lecturing meaning that 50% of the lectures will be delivered virtually, with live lectures being streamed to students who can engage and interact in real time. There is also a large practical element with this course so the other 50% of lectures for Master's Osteopathic Medicine lectures will be face to face. Currently all students and lecturers are in full personal protection equipment (PPE) to keep everybody safe. All clinical hours are also on campus and in full PPE.

Q5   How much might I earn?

The average Osteopath in the south west charges between £40-50 per session and sessions last between 30-45 minutes.

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