Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) (Taught)

The MSc Occupational Therapy degree is ideal for graduates who want to gain a professional academic qualification and start a career in a highly rewarding field where you will help and support people of all ages to overcome challenges they may experience in completing activities that are necessary and meaningful to them.

This accelerated two-year course will utilise evidence-based practice and principles, focusing on active learning and practical application.

You will focus on how to work with the person to plan, practice, and set realistic and personal goals to help them achieve and succeed.

Your future role as an Occupational Therapist could involve working with children or people with mental health or physical needs to enable their ability to engage in activities or occupations that they need or want to do.

Occupational Therapists are in great demand, with job opportunities in the NHS, schools, charities, private practice and custodial environments.

Interprofessional learning with other student health care professionals will be key for your learning throughout the course.

• Accreditation

This course is due to be accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

When you graduate from this course, you will be eligible to apply for registration as an Occupational Therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

What you will study

The University of Chichester prides itself on its supportive community. Our smaller class sizes ensure you are well-known and supported. This also means we can endeavour to match elements of the programme to your own areas of interest, such as your final placement (availability allowing), aspects of your assignments, and your research topic.

Throughout the course, you will explore:

Integrated Health Sciences, including anatomy, physiology, psychology, sociology, and occupational science.
How to assess and manage occupational needs of individuals, groups and communities.
Person-centred practice and communication skills.
Different health conditions, environmental factors and life events, including how these impact a person’s sense of self, their relationships, and the activities they want to do.

You will also undertake 1000 hours of assessed practice placement in a variety of settings, such as Mental Health, Forensic settings, Schools and Education establishments, NHS settings, Charity settings, and Care Homes.

You will work with HCPC registered Occupational Therapists in these environments. These individuals will support you in developing your skills and achieving your learning goals.
Learning environment

This programme will utilise a novel approach of blended learning.

You will only be on campus two days per week. For the rest of the week, you will receive tuition via our virtual learning environment, with facilitated learning, engagement with interactive digital resources and peer learning. This will enable a level of flexibility as you will know your timetable in advance, and be able to manage your time to suit personal circumstances (where feasible).

The programme is two years in length (90 weeks), and on completion, you will be eligible to apply for HCPC registration to practice as an Occupational Therapist. The programme will also be validated by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.