Diagnostic Radiography with Foundation Year

A career in Healthcare means you will be making a difference to the lives of other every day.

• A good application/performance will be taken into account if you do not meet the criteria/offer conditions
• Benefit from some of the best university facilities of their kind
• Engage with our enthusiastic teaching team who use innovative approaches to deliver an inspiring learning experience
• The Foundation Year programme leads on to the Diagnostic Radiography degree that is accredited by the College of Radiographers and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, which means you will be eligible to register as a diagnostic radiographer on graduating, as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements.

Please note that it is not possible to apply directly to the following course. For this foundation year course, it is only possible to attain a place if you do not get the grades expected having been provided with an offer for the BSc equivalent.

Beginning with a foundation year

Studying BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography with a Foundation Year is for you if you have the ability to study for a degree, but don’t have the necessary formal qualifications to enter directly on to the Honours degree programme.

It provides you with a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge you need and introduces you to the subject area, enabling you to achieve your full honours degree in four years.

Please see our BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography page for more information.

Foundation Year - helping you to achieve more

Including a foundation year as part of your four-year study programme will give you a head start in your academic and professional life. The foundation year offers the chance to strengthen your skills, knowledge and confidence – with extensive support from our expert staff – before you advance to stage one of your honours degree. It could also be beneficial if you are planning a career change and want to get to grips with aspects of subjects which are new to you.

Our degrees with a foundation year are continuous, meaning that you won’t need to apply again once you have successfully completed the first year.

Diagnostic Radiography - your questions answered!

In the below video, Head of Diagnostic Imaging, Emma Hyde, answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Diagnostic Radiography at the University of Derby. 

Please note that our modules are subject to change - we review the content of our courses regularly, making changes where necessary to improve your experience and graduate prospects.

From day one you’ll get all the benefits of being a University of Derby student, plus extra support to help you build your knowledge, skills and confidence.

Our teaching team includes qualified health professionals with experience of working in clinical or community settings. Many hold external roles with hospitals, the College of Radiographers, the Health and Care Professions Council, and other universities.

Our Programme Leader, Alex Partner, previously worked as a full-time clinical radiographer at Leicester Royal Infirmary, gaining experience in CT, theatre, fluoroscopy, paediatrics, plain film and accident and emergency radiography. 

She has a special interest in plain film trauma imaging and CT. Her research interests centre on radiography education. Alex is an external examiner for Portsmouth University, a peer reviewer for the Radiography journal and an ISAS assessor. She also sits on the HCPC ‘fitness to practise’ panels.

Graduates from the BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography degree are able to apply for registration with the UK Health and Care Professions Council as a diagnostic radiographer, as long as you meet the HCPC’s requirements, fully prepared to work in the rapidly expanding field of medical imaging.

Many graduates from the BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography degree go on to secure jobs at their placement hospitals and build on the skills they have gained on the course to become advanced practitioners.

Extensive careers guidance is integrated at every stage of the course, including CV writing and interview skills. There are annual recruitment days held at the University where you will have the chance to meet prospective employers.

Opportunities for further study

We offer an exciting range of postgraduate courses to help you take your qualifications, skills and experience to the next level or to pursue new directions within the profession. These include our innovative MSc Medical Ultrasound which features a flexible part-time pathway as well as a fast-track full-time pathway.

You could also consider various postgraduate qualifications specialising in areas such as osteoporosis and falls management, bone densitometry reporting, and radiographic image analysis of the appendicular skeleton.

2025 entry

These are the typical qualification requirements for September 2025 entry.

Contextual offers may apply to students who meet certain criteria.

Additional entry requirements

• Interview: Yes view interview details
• An Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service certificate cleared by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this once you have applied
• An Occupational Health Assessment and Clearance by the University is required for this course. We will contact you with information on how to complete this when required

2025/26

Further information about our fees and support you may be entitled to.

Additional costs and optional extras

Additional information about your studies

Teaching hours

Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.

Course updates

The information provided on this page is correct at the time of publication but course content, costs and other individual course details do change from time to time and are updated as often as possible, so please do check these pages again when making your final decision to apply for a course. Any updated course details will also be confirmed to you at application, enrolment and in your offer letter.

If you are thinking about transferring onto this course (into the second year for example), you should contact the programme leader for the relevant course information as modules may vary from those shown on this page.

Minimum numbers

Please note that this course is subject to minimum numbers in order to run.

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