Occupational Therapy Accelerated BSc (Hons)

This is a two-year version of our popular BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy course. Gain real-life experience through practice placements and apply your learning to real-life situations. Graduate with the knowledge and skills to enable people to facilitate their recovery and overcome any barriers preventing them from doing the activities (or occupations) that matter to them.

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Overview

Complete your degree in two years with our accelerated course.

Occupational Therapists work with people of all ages to enable participation in the occupations that they want and need to do. Underpinned by the professional belief that occupation and wellbeing are linked, Occupational Therapists use occupation as both the goal and main tool of intervention. During the lifespan, occupational participation may be disrupted by ability, a condition, an illness, an injury or a state of mind that can cause a mismatch between the person's ability, the demands of the occupation and/or the environment. Occupational therapists enable participation through modifying occupations, promoting new skills or approaches, adapting environments, or a combination of these.

You will have the opportunity to learn from people who are experts by their own lived experience who have used health and social care services and who are fully integrated into the learning and teaching across the course. This ensures that you develop your skills prior to practice placement and receive feedback in a safe and secure learning environment. Through this process you will be more confident and competent when engaging with people on placement which will support your learning in practice to flourish.

Why us?

This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)
Inter-professional learning facilities include four simulation acute hospital wards, a simulation mental health / learning disability ward, patient diagnostic suite, two immersive simulation suites and multiple practical assessment suites
Our Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy courses are 1st in the north-east for student satisfaction (Complete University Guide 2025)
Opportunities to collaborate with physiotherapy, nursing, pharmacy, paramedic science, medicine, sports science, social work and psychology

People who are experts by their own lived experience who have used health and social care services are integrated in the teaching and positively contribute to your learning and development through assessment and feedback
Our Senior Lecturers maintain their professional practice through honorary contracts with local providers ensuring that you learn from academics who continue to be immersed in relevant and contemporary practice

Course structure

You will be taught by a highly skilled and motivated team of lecturers, visiting practitioners and volunteers who are experts by their lived experience. Teaching methods include online lectures, seminars and workshops. There may also be off campus teaching sessions in public facilities such as swimming pools or the beach. A mixture of group work and problem-based learning methods are used in conjunction with resources on our virtual learning platform Canvas and via a unique learning environment Thinglink. You will be supported by a tutor, and you can arrange one-to-one or group tutorials with them. You will also have the opportunity to work and learn alongside students from other professions and to learn about the other professions through participation in inter-professional education. As this course leads to a professional qualification a minimum attendance level of 80% per semester is required.

You will be assessed through written assignments, presentations, demonstrations and observed, structured, practical assessments (OSPA). Every assessment is an individual assessment, there are no group assessments. During your practice placement you will be assessed by a Practice Placement Educator.

Practice placements form a significant part of this course. You will successfully complete a minimum of 1000 hours practice placement. During your practice placement you will benefit from supervision from a practice placement educator as well as support from academic staff. You may be required to work an altered shift pattern and may be required to work weekends. Placements can take place anywhere in the North East region and some placements (especially any re-sits) take place outside of the normal university calendar.

The course operates over the same number of academic weeks as a three-year course however, there are fewer holiday weeks which enables you to complete it over a shorter time. In addition, towards the end of the course, in order to help students transition from academic life to work life, some modules are taught during placement time, to imitate how staff in practice undertake their continuous professional development.

This format has been designed following feedback from students who have felt the long holidays interrupt their learning flow and have resulted in them finding it difficult to slip back into academic study after a holiday. We recognise that this may not suit applicants who like longer periods of time to reflect on their learning. If you would like to discuss your learning style before deciding which course to apply for, please contact the admissions tutor, who will be happy to provide advice.

Modules

Year 1:

Semester 1 - September to December (national level 4)

Research 1 (10 credits)
Personal Development 1 (10 credits)
Occupational Performance: Biological and Physical Factors (20 credits)
Occupational Performance: Psychological factors (20 credits)

Semester 2 - January to April (national level 4):

Foundations and Skills for Practice (40 credits)
Human Function and Life-span Development (20 credits)

Semester 3 - May to August (national level 5)

Strategies for Intervention and Professional Reasoning (20 credits)
Enhancing Skills for Practice (40 credits)

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Year 2:

Semester 4 - September to December (national level 5)

Research 2 (10 credits)
Professional Development 2 (10 credits)
Occupational Disruptions (40 credits)

Semester 5 - January to April (national level 6)

Dissertation for Occupational Therapy (40 credits)
Occupation for Promoting Health Inequalities (20 credits)

Semester 6 - May to August (national level 6)

Professional Development 3 (20 credits)
Occupation in Complex Contexts (40 credits)

Facilities

This course is based in The John Dawson Sciences Complex in our City Campus, which has benefited from a recent multimillion pound investment. Teaching takes place in multi-media classrooms with state-of-the-art resources for learning, including a simulation flat, creative activities room, telecare facilities and a therapeutic garden.

The Darwin Building includes a simulated living suite and multi-media workshop alongside two rehabilitation labs. It has shared spaces for Physiotherapy and Sport and Exercise Sciences which include a fully-equipped gym with a range of cardiovascular and resistance training equipment.

Entry requirements

We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.

BTEC Extended National Diploma (Sport and Exercise Science, Health Science, and Applied Science preferred) DMM. Other BTEC National Diplomas may be considered with AS or A2 Biology / Human Biology / PE at grade B.

Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.

Your completed application form will be reviewed by our Admissions Team to ensure that you have the required entry qualifications. If you meet these requirements, then your application and personal statement will be individually assessed by the Admissions Tutor and if successful, you will be shortlisted for interview.

Values-based interview

All shortlisted applicants must attend an individual and group interview as part of the selection process. Your values, behaviours, problem-solving and communication skills will also be assessed. The interview panel will include academic staff, Occupational Therapy practitioners, and experts by their lived experience.

Fitness to practise

Medical assessments of your mental and physical health and disclosure of criminal convictions apply to all occupational therapy courses and are based on current HCPC requirements. Occupational Therapists are registered health care professionals and the ability to practise safely, effectively, and professionally is essential, so all applicants are required to follow our fitness to practise procedures. This means you are required to complete the following:

A health declaration form. Here you must demonstrate that you are of good health, good character, and can satisfactorily pass occupational health screening. In addition, you will be required to attend an Occupational Health Assessment with an NHS Trust. The University will, taking into account current HCPC regulations, make any reasonable adjustments if required. Please refer to the HEOPS occupational therapy student fitness standards
A self-declaration form about your conduct
Obtain an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. The cost of the DBS check is covered by the University

Instructions on how you complete these checks will be sent to you once you hold a conditional firm offer with us. These forms are then reviewed alongside your application, and you must meet both the academic and fitness to practise requirements before you will be given an unconditional offer. If you are successful, you will also need to complete an annual declaration form to confirm you are fit and there are no changes to your DBS.

Second reference

You will be asked to provide a second written reference as part of the interview process. The reference can be from your current employer, character reference (e.g. former employer, colleague, teacher, advisor, etc.), or from a supervisor in a voluntary role. If you are currently employed, the reference should be from your employer. Please note this must not be the same reference you have submitted as part of your application.

Personal qualities

We select students based on their knowledge, motivation, experience, values, and behaviours, not just academic ability. You need to demonstrate the ability to:

Study academic subjects at the course level
Debate topics and issues
Draw on conclusions from written material
Study independently and as part of a group
Use computers and technology associated with teaching, learning and assessment
Interact with people in an appropriate manner demonstrating the values of the health and care professions
Demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to, the course

Applicants and enrolled students must be able to demonstrate that they meet the professional standards for practice, as well as the ethical and professional conduct expectations of the profession, throughout their time in training.

If English is not your first language, you need an overall IELTS score of 7, with at least 6.5 in each band.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

The annual fees for this course are:

£11,100 if you're from the UK
£24,000 if you're an international student

In addition, you will be expected to buy your books, stationery, travel, and accommodation. For practice placements, you will need to buy a suitable pair of shoes that meet health and safety requirements, and the University will provide you with a uniform.

Learn more about settled status, pre-settled status, special discounts, visa requirements and Common Travel Area (CTA) agreements for the Republic of Ireland applicants in our Help and Advice article.

Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Career ready

Occupational Therapists can work in a variety of settings including health organisations such as the NHS, social care, housing, education, voluntary organisations or as independent practitioners working with people of all ages. They can specialise in mental health, physical health and learning disabilities.

According to National Careers, the average starting salary for a registered occupational therapist working in the UK is around £28,000. A more experienced occupational therapist can earn up to £50,000.

Career prospects

Employment prospects for new occupational therapists are good though ensuring your application stands out from the crowd is increasingly important. This can be achieved by preparing a thoughtful application and demonstrating a commitment to the profession. Unlike graduates with qualifications that are not specifically career-orientated, new occupational therapy graduates have the advantage of a structured career path with good long-term prospects in this key worker profession.

Accreditation

On successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy (Accelerated) course, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Graduate Occupational Therapist and can apply for professional membership of the professional body the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Please note that completing an approved course does not guarantee you will become registered as an Occupational Therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council. It shows that you meet the minimum professional standards and are eligible to apply for registration. The Health and Care Professions Council will request additional information from you so that they can verify your eligibility. Please refer to the Health and Care Professions Council.

Meet the students

An experience that allows me to wake up every day and do what I love

Victoria Stewart

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing

Page last updated: 16 July 2024

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.