MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

Teaching & Learning

Independent study is a crucial part of learning at university and you will be required to undertake many hours of self-directed research and reading, and preparation and writing of assessments. Your course is delivered through several modules, which will help you to plan your time and establish a study routine. Outside of your lectures, workshops and tutorials, a range of support is available to assist with your independent study. Our subject-specific librarians will be on hand to direct you to specialist learning and study-skill resources. You’ll also be assigned an academic advisor to give you tailored feedback and support.

Year 1 modules

What you'll learn

Occupations Across the Lifespan

Using scenarios and case studies, you'll understand how occupations are defined and classified and how they influence identity across the lifespan. This module emphasizes the importance of occupation for health and well-being, drawing upon related subjects such as occupational science, human anatomy, sociology, and psychology.

Research Methods & Design

Extend your depth and breadth of knowledge of research and develop a research proposal within the scope of occupational therapy.

Achieving Occupational Potential

Develop skills to understand occupational narratives and dysfunction, enabling occupational potential, identity, and wellness. You'll study a variety of case studies considering occupational therapy with diverse populations and across the spectrum of health and social care settings.

Applied Research

Conduct an ethical, independent research project and disseminate your findings in the form of a journal article and a research poster. You'll defend your research process, findings, and application to occupational therapy practice through a viva voce.

Practice Placement 1

Observe and practice occupational therapy and reflect on your performance during this six-week practice placement module. You'll consider how theory is applied in practice, including engaging with service users, applying the occupational therapy process, and understanding the importance of clinical reasoning and multidisciplinary working.

Occupational Therapy as a Complex Intervention

Critically appraise and apply a range of evidence that informs the quality, safety, timing, effectiveness, and outcomes of occupational therapy practice. Using diverse real-life case studies, you'll understand the personal, socio-economic, cultural, environmental, and spiritual circumstances that influence human occupation.

Year 2 modules

What you'll learn

Applied Research (continued)

Conduct an ethical, independent research project and disseminate your findings in the form of a journal article and a research poster. You'll defend your research process, findings, and application to occupational therapy practice through a viva voce.

Promoting Occupational Justice

Critically understand the role of occupational therapy in enabling and campaigning for occupational justice. Analyze global and local contexts, including a synthesis of legislation and policy, which impact the health and occupational engagement of humans.

Potential for Occupational Therapy

Establish a critical understanding of theories of leadership, business, and enterprise in health and social care services. Identify emerging markets in occupational therapy and explain the potential for occupational therapy services, demonstrating skills in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Practice Placement 2

During this six-week practice placement, practice occupational therapy, including assessments and interventions. Develop clinical reasoning and decision-making skills regarding service users. Engage in self-reflection and integrate theory into practice.

Practice Placement 3

During this six-week practice placement, apply an occupational perspective to a setting and client group, including an assessment of health and occupational needs. Implement a sustainable project to address these needs.

Practice Placement 4

Engage in critical dialogue about professional reasoning in complex and novel situations to inform risk evaluation, prioritization, and delegation of workload and resources. Develop and maintain professional relationships that facilitate teamwork and service improvement for effective and optimal service user outcomes.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Interpret and analyse the occupational needs of service users, with a commitment to working in partnership to understand their lived experience.
2. Employ therapeutic use of self, cultural humility and effective communication to build collaborative relationships with service users.
3. Critically appraise and apply a range of current evidence to occupational therapy practice, and conduct research that contributes original knowledge to the profession.
4. Creatively employ and evaluate the principles of occupation-centred, based and focused occupational therapy in a variety of settings.
5. Promote occupational therapy and occupational justice across local, national and global contexts.
6. Work effectively in teams, including a critical awareness and reflection of own team roles and responsibilities.
7. Demonstrate leadership, management and research skills that promote efficient, effective, innovative and competitive occupational therapy services.
8. Work autonomously and be accountable for personal and professional practice.
9. Show a commitment to the profession and its future through ethical practice and lifelong learning.

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to apply to become a registered occupational therapist. The majority of occupational therapists work within the NHS in acute and community settings and social services. There are also growing opportunities to work in private healthcare, industry, the voluntary sector and local government. We have a high student employment rate, with graduates gaining occupational therapy roles in a variety of areas.

• Occupational Therapist