Check you are eligible to apply
Non-UK applicants must check whether or not they are eligible to apply to the STP. You must establish your right to work and study in the UK for all 3 years of the programme and this must be in place before you start. Click on the link to the UK Visas and Immigration Service below for further details.
If you require a Skilled or Health and Care Worker visa to work and train in the UK as a healthcare scientist visit the Home Office website for the latest guidance on visas. Should you be successful and receive an offer, you must meet the minimum of 70 points under the new Points Based system. Sponsorship should be arranged with the employing organisation.
You may also need to apply for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) certificate. You must be aware of this requirement and be prepared to make a fast track application so you are able to commence the STP in September.
externalCheck your international qualifications meet the entry requirements
If you hold an international qualification, you will need to provide a UK ENIC Statement of Comparability. This statement should be obtained as soon as possible and uploaded to your Oriel application. If the statement is not uploaded before the closing date, it must be emailed to us prior to shortlisting to ensure the application is fairly considered. If you receive the statement after applications close please email it to england.hcsapplicants@nhs.net.
For undergraduate qualifications to meet the entry requirements the UK ENIC Statement of Comparability must confirm that the comparable UK qualification is at least ‘Bachelor Science (Honours) degree’. If the statement details that the qualification(s) is comparable to a UK ‘Bachelor (Ordinary) degree’ or ‘Bachelor Degree’, then the qualification is not the level required.
You will also need to ensure that the equivalent grade is added to the Oriel application form.
Do you have the required level of English?
You must have the required level of communication skills to undertake the role effectively and deliver safe care to patients. You must also be able to demonstrate that you can achieve the standards set for clinical scientists by the Health and Care Professions Council.
The following will help demonstrate meeting these standards:
- Being a national of a majority English speaking country or having worked in an organisation/institution where English was the primary language.
- Part of university level education was pursued in the UK.
- Holds a degree or relevant educational qualification that was taught in English by a recognised institution abroad.
- Passed an English language competency test.
If you have obtained a Skilled Worker visa to apply to the programme, you will have already demonstrated English language skills as part of the visa application process. You can provide evidence of passing the test set by the Home Office to demonstrate your level of English competence.
If English is not your first language, you will also have to demonstrate to the Higher Education Institution (HEI) a necessary knowledge of English to meet the entry requirements and enrol on the MSc course.
Which English language tests do we accept?
We accept both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General tests. We accept UKVI and non-UKVI versions of the test. The test needs to be taken at an official test centre and not at home. We do not accept any TOEFL test score undertaken in the United Kingdom. Any test certificate submitted must be no more than two years old when we receive your application.
Non-UK applicants and the situational judgement test (SJT)
Pearson VUE, the SJT provider, is a US based company which is not allowed to do business in OFAC sanctioned countries. These include:
- Belarus
- Cuba
- Donetsk/Luhansk (Donbas) regions of Ukraine
- Iran
- North Korea
- Russia
- Sudan
- Syrian Arab Republic (Syria)
- The Sevastopol/Crimea region of Ukraine
Visit the US Department of Treasury website for a full list of sanctions, programmes and country information.
If your IP address is from a sanctioned country you will be unable to take the SJT. If you are currently residing in one of the sanctioned countries, please email england.hcsapplicants@nhs.net for further information.