Top reasons to choose this course
- Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council, the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.
- Our innovative curriculum uses a problem-based learning approach, where you’lll examine real-life scenarios in small groups with a tutor.
- You’ll develop your knowledge and skills in a variety of placement settings, working alongside experienced occupational therapists.
- You will discover how occupational participation is key to promoting and maintaining health.
- Practice your skills in our daily living suite, simulation ward and specialist rooms which are equipped for the creative occupations.
- Non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year.
- UK top 20% for graduate earnings in sport and health sciences, three years after graduating – Longitudinal Educational Outcomes 2025.
Course structure
This part-time degree runs over four years. You will attend classes on campus two days per week, 32 weeks per year. Within those 32 weeks you will also complete seven or eight weeks of full-time practice placement in each year of the degree. You should also expect to spend 20 hours per week (on average) on degree-related independent study during term time.
The innovative curriculum uses a problem-based learning approach, where you will examine real-life scenarios in small groups with a tutor. This type of education has been found to deepen understanding and promote lifelong learning. You will practice a variety of creative skills, for example in arts and crafts, cooking, ceramics and horticulture.
As a student on this professional course you’ll be required to adhere to the and . You will be assessed to meet these standards through a combination of essays, presentations and group work. You will also be required to learn about research methodology.
You will study in a shared cohort with students on our Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship.
As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in – hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.
Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through .
Core skills
On completion of the occupational therapy degree, you will be equipped to:
- use occupation-based assessment techniques to identify health and social care needs
- uphold and promote the rights of individuals which influence the therapist’s roles
- use information provided by other professionals to plan strategies for meeting occupational health needs
- formulate specific and appropriate management plans and maintain records appropriately
- plan and carry our therapeutic activities skilfully and in accordance with evidence-based practice
- critically analyse changing structures and philosophies of care
- explore areas outside traditional working environments in which people with occupational needs may be found
- promote the principles of occupational science and the use of activity as a means for facilitating change
- develop, influence and respond to new models of service provision.
Problem-based learning
Our educational philosophy mirrors the philosophy of occupational therapy. We believe that an individual’s positive engagement in (learning) activity leads to advanced productivity, increased perception of self worth, improved quality of life and enjoyment (of the course).
Our occupational therapy degrees use problem-based learning (PBL), a technique recommended by authorities around the world. All subjects covered are integrated around problem-solving within a real-life situation. We find that learning in this way significantly increases student engagement with the subjects.
The pre-registration occupational therapy programmes incorporate the experience of doing and making in order to engage with, analyse and develop skill in therapeutic media. We have creativity studios for cooking, ceramics, crafts and performing arts, and we have developed gardens for horticultural activities.
Around the world, many academic courses in occupational therapy are losing this aspect of their education to give over more time to ‘theory’, but here at the 亚洲麻豆精品在线 we believe it is vital to retain these embodied learning experiences – which link theory and practice – as they are central to the understanding of the true essence and potential of occupation.
Recent research has revealed the connection between skilled hand use and the development of thinking. As one student, who could not imagine a course without these sessions, asked: “How can we learn about doing without doing?”
These classes are central to the philosophy of our occupational therapy education at 亚洲麻豆精品在线 and they have become one of its hallmarks.
About the profession
Occupational therapists work with individuals and their families to identify where change is needed. The individual might not be able to feed or dress themselves independently if they can only use one hand following a stroke, or they may be too depressed to get out of bed to go to work.
Occupational therapists try to discover what the impediments are and how the person might be able to resolve them practically. This often involves demonstrating new techniques that allow the individual to undertake everyday activities independently again.
Alternatively, occupational therapists might introduce new activities, such as cooking or pottery, so the individual may find enjoyment or improve their self-confidence.
Occupational therapists believe that humans are creative beings who thrive when engaged in a balanced range of enjoyable activities. They seek to understand peoples’ motivations and needs and try to match activities to a person’s existing skills.
Activity analysis finds that although the things people do may seem deceptively simple, human occupations are actually incredibly complicated.
Occupational therapy is the study of what people do, how they do things, the effect these activities have on human health and the reasons why people choose to do what they do (the meaning behind the doing).
The videos here show students Rhys Philips and Troy Croxton, in the role of Occupational Therapy Support Workers, explaining how occupational therapy helps people live meaningful lives and carry out activities of importance to them.
Two students explain how they mix practical experience with their degree in occupational therapy.
Fourth-year students Rhys and Troy talk about how they became interested in occupational therapy.
Placements
What are practice placements and why are they necessary?
You will undertake four placements of approximately eight weeks, working alongside an occupational therapist in a practice setting.
Placements make up approximately one-third of the course and meet the World Federation of Occupational Therapists requirement that all students complete a minimum of 1,000 hours supervised practice. This enables you to gain an understanding of the importance of occupation in human life and the possibility of transformation through occupation.
Placements provide opportunities for you to develop your professionalism, knowledge and skills under the guidance of an occupational therapist. Your skill development might be related to many areas of practice including group work, creative activities, mobility, communication and the use of technology.
What type of placement?
You will practice in many different settings including the NHS, social care organisations, schools, the voluntary sector, hospital in-patient settings, community settings and mental health services.
Where are the placements?
Placements take place across the south-east of England, including Kent, Sussex, Surrey and South London. It may be necessary for you to travel up to 90 minutes or to stay away from home. Placements are likely to include school holidays.
What support can students expect?
We provide preparation sessions in advance and a practice educator will support you on placement. We select your placements for you after gathering information from you about your commitments outside of university, your previous experiences and your interests.
If you have commitments outside of university, such as caring responsibilities, we ask you to make contingency plans as you may have to travel up to one and a half hours to your placement. A tutor will visit or call you and your practice educator halfway through the placement to discuss your progress.
Meet the team
, course leader
“As a registered occupational therapist, I am passionate about how occupations affect health and wellbeing. I am specifically interested in the transformational potential of occupations, including crafts, and in understanding what makes them ‘therapeutic’.
“My PhD focused on engaging in embroidering as an everyday occupation, and through my studies I discovered the variety of different activities involved in embroidering and how people engage in these to meet their health needs. In essence, we self-medicate using occupation. I also found that the tools and materials used in occupations are active participants in occupation, and engagement with them has a profound effect on the experience and potential therapeutic outcome.
“I find researching human engagement in occupation fascinating and I aim to ignite students’ curiosity in everyday occupation to promote health.
“As an educator, I have a long and sustained history in teaching occupational therapy at undergraduate, postgraduate and more recently PhD level. I feel very privileged to support students in their personal and professional development at the point of joining the profession and throughout their career.
“Another passion is our problem-based approach to learning where students work together on solving current and real-life professional practice issues. Through this philosophical foundation we support students to become robust, critical, collaborative and creative professionals ready for the future.”
- – placement lead
- – apprentice lead
