MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

The MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) programme is full-time, delivered over 45 weeks each year for 37.5 hours per week. You will be on placement for a total of 30 weeks over the two years, with a total of 14 weeks in Year 1 and 16 weeks in Year 2.

You’ll learn the foundational knowledge of occupational therapy theory and underpinning sciences to support occupational therapy across the life course, developing critical understandings of the societal contexts occupational therapy is delivered in.

Your time on the course will be split between theory and practice-based learning. Practice based learning gives you the opportunity to work alongside occupational therapists in different practice settings and sectors. You will work with people who are experiencing a range of health conditions and occupational issues across the life course which impact on their physical, mental and social functioning. This could include developing or informing services to address occupational issues through research and leadership.

Your learning will be supported by our teaching team through a variety of methods, including interactive workshops, practical sessions, presentations, simulations and directed learning activities. You’ll learn particularly through collaborative and small group work, and problem-solving scenarios, ensuring that your education and training is person-centred and reflects clinical practice.

Our technical team is on hand to help you become experts using specialised equipment and technology. The core teaching and assessments on the degree will include digitally enhanced learning to enable you to develop skills essential to being an occupational therapist.

Our specialist facilities support interdisciplinary learning, for example, through the simulation of scenarios you’ll face as a practicing occupational therapist. You’ll develop a key understanding of how other allied health professions work and how you can collaborate effectively across disciplines in order to improve the lives of the people you work with.

You’ll be supported throughout the course by personal tutors both on campus and in placement settings.

On the successful completion of the postgraduate degree, you’ll be eligible to apply for registration with the HCPC and practice as an occupational therapist.

Applicants will have a minimum 2:1 UK undergraduate degree, or equivalent and evidence of academic study in the five years prior to application. Preferred subject areas include Health, Biological Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Education or Humanities.

Applicants must meet requirements for NHS values-based assessment at interview, Occupational Health Assessment and have a satisfactory enhanced DBS report.

Applicants whose first language is not English must be able to communicate in English to the standard equivalent to level 7 of the International English Language Testing system (IELTS), with no element below 6.5. This is a requirement of the Standards of Proficiency for Occupational Therapists (HCPC 2023).