If you are applying for this course from within the UK, click apply now.
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
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If you are applying for this course from within the UK, click apply now.
Course starts: 20 September 2021Apply now
Embrace the power of occupation to transform lives through a diverse and rewarding career in Occupational Therapy. 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.
Register your interestOccupational 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.
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 lectures, seminars, workshops, online tutorials and problem-based learning activities. A strong professional identity and confidence to learn and work with other professional groups is an essential part of the course. You will 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, critical reflection, presentations and practical and written examinations. You will be required to successfully complete all modules to progress through the course. Simulated practice is integrated into the course to provide opportunities to practise skills prior to placements and to help bridge the theory / practice gap.
Practice placements form a significant part of this course. You will successfully complete a minimum of 1000 hours practice placement. During placement, you will be supervised by a practice placement educator alongside support from academic staff. You will need to complete a Practice Assessment Document and will be assessed in terms of your competence. You may be required to work an altered shift pattern and seven day work patterns while on placement. Please note placements can take place anywhere within the North East region and some take place outside the normal University academic calendar.
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) DDM. Other BTEC National Diplomas may be considered with AS or A2 Biology / Human Biology / PE at grade B.
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.
Please note we are unable to accept applications from international students.
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.
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:
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.
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 at 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.
We select students based on their knowledge, motivation, experience, values and behaviours, not just academic ability. You need to demonstrate an ability to:
If English is not your first language, you need an overall IELTS score of 7, with at least 6.5 in each band.
The annual, full-time fee for this course is:
We are unable to accept international applicants.
In addition, you will be expected to buy your books, stationery, travel and accommodation. For practice placements you will be provided with a uniform by the University.
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 Your Finances section to find out about the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
A non-repayable grant of £5,000 and extra payments worth up to £3,000 is available to eligible home students for each year of study. Read more about the Training Grant on The NHS Business Services Authority website.
Use our scholarships calculator to see what you may be entitled to.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
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. The average starting salary for a registered occupational therapist working in the UK is in excess of £21,000. A more experienced occupational therapist can earn around £40,000, and a consultant occupational therapist can earn between £66,000 and £82,000.
As you may be expected to travel long distances, start your shift in the early hours, or finish your shift late at night, you could be entitled to Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses (TDAE) which allows you to make a retrospective claim for excess travel costs and/or expenses for temporary accommodation near to the location of your placement. Find out more about the NHS Learning Support Fund.
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.
On successful completion of the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy 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.
I love how Occupational Therapy is therapeutic! It has changed how I feel about the world.
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