UON graduates keep on keeping us healthy

The wellbeing of people in the town and beyond continues to be in healing hands with graduates from University of Northampton (UON).

The University runs Therapies programmes – such as Physiotherapy – and degrees in Public and Professional Healthcare, including Occupational Therapy and Podiatry, ‘making’ graduates who take their knowledge and skills to enhance and promote the health of communities.

Health Professions courses (Occupational Therapy, Paramedic Science, Health Studies and Podiatry) are ranked 5th for Student Satisfaction in the Best UK University Guardian League table for 2025.

The University was also ranked 9th in Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy in the National Student Survey 2024.

The good health advice and interventions from UON graduates will ramp up over the coming years, with new courses set to start (pending validation) and enhancements to existing programmes…

Physiotherapy

Last month, the University’s undergraduate course in Physiotherapy and forthcoming degree apprenticeship* route received the official ‘stamp of approval’ from the national regulator the Health and Care Professions Council. Now, prospective students of the BSc degree can start applying on the University’s website.

This news follows three years of continuing successes for the popular MSc (pre-reg) in Physiotherapy. The first group of students graduated in 2023, meaning 44 new physiotherapists are using their skills to support the health of communities in the county and beyond.

Many MSc graduates work locally (in the NHS, at private companies and charities) and ‘pay it back’ when they support current UON students on practice placement experiences within those organisations.

Physiotherapy MSc graduate Jordi Condon knew he’d made the right decision to uproot from his native Ireland and come to Northampton. He says: “There were many places I could have chosen, but the Open Day experience left me with a strong, positive gut reaction about UON.

“What set this course apart from others was the support from the lecturers. No matter what the problem was, whether academic, personal, or logistical, they were always there to guide me.”

Occupational Therapy

The University’s undergraduate Occupational Therapy degree regularly welcomes around 75 eager ‘OTs’ each year on the apprenticeship, BSc, and full-time/extended programmes. Since 2023, 128 new occupational therapists have graduated.

According to those undergraduate routes students who completed the most recent Graduate Outcomes Survey, 88.5% went onto work as occupational therapists or continue with their education.

To ensure the curriculum remains exciting and forward-thinking, last year the team rewrote and revalidated their courses. They have enhanced the content, learning, teaching and assessment strategies and have developed clinical simulation across all three years of the programme.

One of those clinical simulation initiatives is the use of masks – created by UON’s Hair, Make-up and Prosthetics for the Stage and Screen team – to deliver a more life-like, immersive and inclusive learning experience.

Podiatry

Located within the grounds of Northampton General Hospital Foundation Trust and established for more than 30 years, the University’s Podiatry Clinic team is always busy helping patients who can self-refer for treatment.

Since 2023, the team has educated 58 podiatrists supporting people’s better lower limb health after graduating from the University’s much praised Podiatry degree. The most recent Graduate Outcomes Survey reported that 100% of the cohort who completed it were employed or continuing their education.

This number looks set to increase over the coming years with the news last Friday that the University’s planned Podiatry Degree Apprenticeship has been validated. The first apprentices don their uniforms in September this year.

Martyn Wyres is the Subject Lead for Social, Therapies and Communities at the University. He says: “As Jordi, one of the fantastic, first ‘crop’ of UON physiotherapists, can attest, we are strides ahead with educating the next generations of allied health professionals for our town and the wider region.

“Our Physiotherapy programme is still relatively new, but the teaching team, our excellent facilities and links with local placement providers and other stakeholders are already developing a wealth of allied health talent in addition to established courses such as Occupational Therapy.

“Even more so in health professions, where your degree as a Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, Paramedic, Nurse or Podiatrist starts your NHS career at £29,970 as a newly qualified professional while also putting you at the centre of a service that saves and improves lives.”

Find out more about Public and Professional Health programmes at University of Northampton.

*Email apprenticeships@northampton.ac.uk for enquiries.