Michelle Thomson

Paramedic Emergency Care

"It's hard work being a full time paramedic and doing a part time degree, but very rewarding. I was attracted to Brookes because of the flexibility around your working life. And the support from staff has been fantastic."

"The department has close links with the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, which means that we have some really interesting guest speakers from the hospital"

"I was attracted to Brookes because of the flexibility around your working life."

"Without a doubt, the degree has helped me in my practice. I've learnt to think more critically and analyse situations better. It's changed my life and made me think about my future – I would like to be the one delivering the teaching one day."

Health and Social Care

Do you want a challenge that stretches you and helps others?

Could you care for people recovering from surgery or an accident and help them back to independence? Could you support people with mental illness or those facing a challenging life crisis? Would you like to work as part of a team where everyone brings their unique skills to the situation?

As a health or social care professional you’ll face new challenges every day. Some will place demands on what you have learnt and some will test you personally. But whatever area you specialise in, health and social care will repay your commitment with one of the most rewarding careers you could choose.

Why choose Oxford Brookes?

The main reason that health or social care students choose Oxford Brookes is... Read more…

...that many of the clinical and community settings they will be learning in have national and international reputations, exposing them to up-to-the-minute practice in patient care and support.

Another reason for choosing Brookes is the quality of our teaching and student support: the government's Quality Assurance Agency awarded their highest classification to our School of Health and Social Care (now part of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences). We are also particularly proud of our social work course, as it was voted top in the Guardian University Guide 2008.

Whether you choose to study one of the four branches of nursing or one of our other health or social care specialist fields, you'll be taught by some of the country's leading academics and practitioners in the field.

You’ll also be learning in an environment with state-of-the-art facilities, which include fully equipped professional and clinical skills centres both in Oxford and at our campus in Swindon, Wiltshire. Our simulation suites, dedicated to different aspects of health and social care practice, include a ward environment, high dependency setting, movement laboratory and a communications suite. Swindon also has a fully functional operating theatre. These facilities also feature a family of computerised simulation manikins (including a Simbaby and birthing mother), as well as state of the art anatomy models.

You can access excellent library and IT resources via the web and through a range of locally-based facilities on University and NHS sites.

Inter- and multi-professional learning is a key element and you’ll be studying alongside many of the professions that you'll work with after you graduate. You will also be studying at a university that has research expertise in the key areas of cancer care, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and substance misuse.

If you already hold a nursing or health or social care qualification you can enrol on one of our continuing professional development specialist awards or our unique Student Designed Award.

How we teach and how you'll learn

Whatever your discipline, the central focus of your learning will be clinical practice. Read more…

This means you'll learn in hospitals and clinics, primary care settings and in the community, working alongside experienced professionals, gaining the skills and confidence to work with people effectively – both patients and other health and social care professionals.

To complement the clinical setting you'll also attend lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory sessions, group and individual tutorial sessions and work on case studies.

You’ll absorb a broad range of academic skills and also develop transferable skills such as presentation skills, IT expertise and the interpersonal and teamworking skills that will help you throughout your career.

Module choice is restricted in pre-qualification courses because you will need to meet the demands of the professional requirements for registration. But for qualified professionals there is excellent scope for flexibility in module choice on most continuing professional development courses.

We'll assess your clinical competency as part of your practice-based modules. Other assessments include essays and examinations but coursework plays a big part in most modules.

Your career prospects

There is a huge range of exciting careers and opportunities open to qualified health and social care professionals, no matter what your specialism. Read more…

As well as the National Health Service you can work in industry or the voluntary or private health-care sectors.

Many students who study to gain a second registration or new or enhanced skills are seconded from their employer and return to their posts or pursue new options with their new qualifications.

Many Brookes graduates also go on to further study or enter health management, education or research roles.

Which courses can I study to start in 2012?

Learn more about the courses you can study to start in September 2012. Read more…

Which courses can I study to start in 2013?

Learn more about the courses you can study to start in September 2013. Read more…