Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession where practitioners use their skills to improve and manage a wide range of health conditions. Occupational therapists take a ‘whole-person approach’ to manage health and wellbeing, enabling individuals, groups and communities to achieve their full potential.
Students applying for this course may be eligible for the NHS Learning Support Fund, which provides a non-repayable training grant of £5,000 per academic year.
Occupational therapists work with adults and children of all ages with a wide range of conditions. These include mental health illness, physical illness or learning disabilities, empowering people to facilitate recovery and overcome barriers which prevent them from doing the activities or occupations that matter to them.
Occupational therapists can work in a variety of settings including the NHS, social services, housing, education, prisons, voluntary organisations or as independent practitioners. The unique skills of an occupational therapist also enables contemporary roles such as disaster management, foster care and emergency services.
An Occupational therapist can make a huge difference to an individual’s life by working alongside them to overcome the effects of disability caused by illness, ageing or accidents so that they can carry out everyday tasks or occupations.
All of the patient’s needs – physical, psychological, social and environmental are considered by occupational therapists. This support can make a real difference, giving people a renewed sense of purpose, opening up new horizons, and changing the way they feel about the future. As an Occupational Therapy student you will be making the start on your professional journey. You are therefore expected to demonstrate professional standards and behaviour throughout the course and beyond. HCPC Guidance on Conduct and Ethics for students can be found here
On this course you’ll study the core areas of occupational therapy and apply these to clinical situations in a hands-on programme. Your will study will include placements in a variety of NHS, social care, charitable and private / contemporary settings to give you a diverse experience to prepare for your future career as an occupational therapist. The course benefits from using state of the art facilities including rehabilitation spaces, a hospital ward, a skills laboratory, and a simulated ‘home’ environment.
There is a combination of online and face-to-face teaching. Students can expect 10 – 18 hours of contact teaching time per week and will have additional self-directed study to complete. This may be reading articles, watching video clips, planning assignments, but all contributes to the successful completion of the modules.
In level 4 students will learn about core theories which underpin occupational therapy practice, such as anatomy and physiology, psychology, occupational science and occupational therapy specific theory. In level 5, students start to think about occupational therapy in relation to groups and communities, the structure and sustainability of healthcare provision. The final year sees students further developing research and leadership skills and considering the future of occupational therapy practice.
Inter-professional learning is embedded throughout each year with students within the health and social care department and beyond. Assessments are varied to meet a range of learning styles, and students can expect to receive formative feedback on all modules to help prepare them for their final submission.
Methods of teaching and learning will include:
• Lectures and seminars
• Group work and discussions
• Tutorials
• Skills practice
• Clinical placements
• Reflective logs
• Self-directed study
Students’ academic year will be split into blocks of taught delivery interweaved with blocks of placement activity. Teaching and placement activity will run Monday to Friday throughout the academic year
Don’t worry about your results. We may be able to offer you a place on this course through UCAS Clearing even if you don’t meet the entry requirements below. Call us on 03330 432 414 to discuss your options.
120 UCAS tariff points, BBB at A level (excluding General Studies), DDM in a BTEC Extended Diploma in Science, Applied Science or a health related subject area, 2:2 or above in a previous degree, or a Merit in your T-Level in a related subject.
Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in a health or science based subject. We would require applicants meet the 120 tariff requirements (example of achieving this would be 24 distinctions and 21 merits or 27D, 15M and 3P).
It is recommended that applicants can demonstrate an understanding of the work undertaken by occupational therapists, for example by having visited or gained experience in NHS or social care sector. This could also be achieved by carrying out some research of the professional body RCOT, or even watching online videos of occupational therapists and the work they do.
Entry to this course is by interview. Check out our Interview Guide to learn what to expect and help you prepare.
You must have a minimum of five subjects at GCSE grade 4/C or above, to include English and Mathematics, or equivalent.
In order to study this course, offer holders will need to complete a satisfactory DBS and Health Clearance check.
We welcome applications from mature students (aged 21 and over) and do not necessarily require the same academic qualifications as school leaving applicants, although some entry requirements may still apply for Professionally Accredited Courses. We accept Access to Higher Education Diplomas and make offers on an individual basis.
Please read the entry requirements for your country – and contact our admissions team if you have questions.
If English is not your first language, you are required to provide a language test certificate as evidence of proficiency. This needs to be at Academic IELTS at 7.0 with no element below 6.5 in all sections of the test.
Here's an example of the types of modules you'll study (the contents and structure of the course are reviewed occasionally, but it is unlikely that there will be significant change).
Module information is not available for this programme.
You're viewing fees for the course option. Choose a different course option to see corresponding course fees.
| Start date | Location | UCAS code |
Fee (UK) Fee per year |
Fee (international) Fee per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2024 | Oxstalls, Gloucester | B930 | £9,250 | £16,600 |
| Sep 2025 | Oxstalls, Gloucester | B930 | £9,250 | TBC |
| Sep 2026 | Oxstalls, Gloucester | B930 | TBC | TBC |
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International students can benefit from a range of scholarships and bursaries across many undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. |
Find out more | |||
At UoG we create a climate for bravery and growth. We instil confidence in all our students, so you can graduate career-ready and meet your ambitions.
95% of our graduates are in work or further study*, but if you’re not in a job 6 months after graduating we’ll guarantee you 6 months of free support, followed by the offer of a paid internship to kickstart your career – plus we’ll commit to lifetime career coaching. Eligibility conditions apply.
*Graduate Outcomes Survey published 2024 and based on 2021/22 leavers
Discover our promisesGain the expertise to empower individuals across diverse settings, from healthcare facilities to community organisations. As an Occupational Therapist, you’ll play a pivotal role in enhancing people’s lives, aiding in their recovery from injury or illness, supporting mental health, and enabling greater independence.
The comprehensive structure of this course blends theoretical knowledge with practical experiences, ensuring you have the knowledge and skills to commence your occupational therapy career. Whether you choose to work in physical health, mental health, learning disabilities, acute settings or in the community, once you become an occupational therapist, you have so many amazing career options available to you. Join us to make a meaningful impact, shaping healthier and more inclusive communities.
We teach students to act with care and compassion and develop a culture of care. This produces staff who have the ability to facilitate service change required for a sustainable, future-proof NHS.
We’re a friendly university offering an educational experience with a familiar feel. Class sizes are small so we can ensure that your well-being is one of our top priorities.
Help to shape our culture of care and make a difference to people’s lives. We will support you in becoming healthcare professionals of the future.
You’ll have the opportunity to experience the diverse nature of the profession by undertaking regular placements spanning health and social care, charities, and contemporary emerging areas of practice – allowing you to work with service users, their families, carers and care providers. You will undertake placements in a variety of hospitals, clinics and healthcare settings, working with healthcare professionals. Placements will be full time blocks of 4, 6 or 11 weeks, depending on the level of study.
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