Occupational Therapy with Foundation Year

At Worcester, you’ll learn from highly experienced healthcare professionals who have worked in a broad spectrum of roles. Once you’ve successfully completed the foundation year, you will be guaranteed to progress onto our three-year Occupational Therapy degree.

Your first year will build up your knowledge of the fundamentals of human anatomy and the core principles of care. With a focus on key study skills and techniques, the integrated foundation year will ease the transition of studying at degree-level, whether you’re joining us from school, college, or employment.

You’ll study with students preparing for a range of professional courses, including paramedicine, physiotherapy, nursing and diagnostic radiography. This prepares you to collaborate with and work alongside other health and social care professionals, just as you will once you graduate.

By successfully completing the foundation year, you’ll be guaranteed to progress on to our three-year Occupational Therapy degree.

Over the final three years of the course, you’ll be able to put all that you have learned into practice by taking part in a variety of work placements, collecting over 1,000 hours of professional experience.

When on campus, you’ll be taught through a mix of lectures, interactive seminars, and practical skills sessions. You’ll also have access to our specialist skills simulation facilities and Ability House – a converted house with adaptations made to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms where you can practice your skills and become confident working in home environments.

As an occupational therapist, you'll support people who have difficulties carrying out day-to-day occupations (activities). This may be due to physical or mental health difficulties, learning differences, age related changes, transitions in life, trauma, or an intersection of many different things. This could mean adapting the living environment of a person affected by a life-altering injury, supporting those living with dementia, or working with disabled children to participate in school and play.

Accreditation

The final three years of this course are accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and approved by the Health and Care Professions Council. This means that when you graduate, you can register with the HCPC to practice under the protected title of occupational therapist.

Placements

There are no placements during the foundation year.

During the final three years of this course, you’ll gain at least 1,000 hours of professional experience as an occupational therapist. Our dedicated placement team organise this for you, giving you a range of varied experiences throughout the course.

Why the University of Worcester?

The University of Worcester is a campus university, meaning everything you need is on site. We’re based in a vibrant cathedral city just 40 mins south of Birmingham and an hour north of Bristol, and our beautiful green campuses have plenty of parking and quality on-site accommodation.

At Worcester, small class sizes, supportive tutors, and professionally focused courses mean you’ll be prepared for your dream career. These are just some of the reasons why we’re first in the UK for both graduate employment and quality education.

• University of the Year finalist in the Times Higher Education Awards 2025.

• First in the UK for sustained employment, further study or both, from any multidisciplinary university – Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) 2017 to 2025.

• First in the UK for quality education – Joint 1st in the Times Higher Education’s University Impact Rankings 2025.

Join us at one of our regular Open Days to see if the University is a good fit for you: www.worcester.ac.uk/opendays

For a breakdown of the modules you'll study each year visit our course page. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of this page and selecting 'Visit our course page'.

For detailed information about assessment, feedback, teaching and contact time visit our course page. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of this page and selecting 'Visit our course page'.