BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

UCAS code: B920

Start date: September

Course length: full time: three years

Campus: Kedleston Road site and Britannia Mill, Derby Campus

This course is available to international students

Occupational therapists help people to overcome barriers that are preventing them from reaching their full potential in areas such as their paid or unpaid work, self-care activities or sports and leisure. You'll go on three placements, which could be in the NHS, Social Services or private and voluntary sector  health and social care environments. You'll also have a personal tutor who will guide and support you to reach your full potential.

You'll specialists in areas of occupational therapy practice, service users, patients and carers will come in to the University to share their first hand experience with you. And by studying alongside other health and social care students, you'll develop a wide knowledge of the work of an occupational therapist in different settings. Through the practical skills based sessions, you will also develop valuable skills to take into your future practice.

We've got great teaching facilities, including a rehabilitation kitchen and bathroom, and replica hospital ward, which you'll use to develop your practical skills.

Stage one

You'll study these modules:

• Introduction to Occupational Therapy through Independent Learning
• Foundations for Occupational Therapy
• Changing Lives - Impact of illness
• Changing Lives - Occupational health and well-being
• Understanding Self as a Therapist
• Practice Placement 1

Stage two

You'll study these modules:

• Applied OT Models
• Applied OT Approaches
• Practice Placement 2
• Research and Governance in Occupational Therapy
• Occupation in Communities

Stage three

You'll study these modules:

• Practice Placement 3
• Addressing Occupational Injustice through Contempory and Future Practice
• Meeting the Needs of the Workplace
• Professional Reasoning

Students with life and work experience will need evidence of academic achievement (A levels, excluding General Studies, BTEC or Access in a Health related subject with at least 15 level three credits at distinction excluding study skills) in the last two years prior to entry. If you have completed a degree in the last five years, this will also be accepted.

You'll need to be familiar with at least two areas of occupational therapy, fluent in English and have a clear criminal record as you will be expected to successfully gain enhanced criminal record clearance, along with a health screening if you're offered a place on the course. This is now done through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), which was established when the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) merged in 2012, and will now provide the criminal records checking service for this course. We'll also want to see that you're enthusiastic and motivated to take this course and that you have the potential to benefit from coming to university. For overseas students the IELTS at level 7 or equivalent is also required.

Our entry requirements are usually 280 UCAS points, of which at least 240 will be from your core A2s (full A levels) or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers etc.

We'll accept up to 40 points towards the total from level 3 qualifications such as AS levels (where those AS levels are not taken on to A2 level), the Extended Project or Music qualifications.

We don't accept points from Key Skills Level 3. If you have any questions about what is or isn't accepted, please contact our Admissions team.

We also accept the Access to HE Diploma.

Your points at level 3 will be in addition to 5 GCSEs at grade C or equivalent level 2 qualifications.

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The UCAS tariff points are a guide - we'll also consider all the information that you've included in your application. We'll also want to see that you're enthusiastic and motivated to take this course and that you have the potential to benefit from coming to university.

General undergraduate entry requirements

UK/EU students

We have a significant number of places on our pre registration courses in Occupational Therapy which are NHS funded. This includes having tuition fees paid in full and a £1,000 grant each year. If you're offered and accept one of these NHS funded places, you'll also be eligible to apply for an additional means-tested bursary of up to £4,395 per year. Please visit NHS Student Bursaries for more information.

We also welcome enquiries from potential applicants who are interested in self funding a place on this course. Alternatively if your employer would be interested in supporting you financially rather than obtaining NHS funding please get in touch.

International students

We'll be announcing our International fees later this year.

How you'll learn

Our teaching team are registered occupational therapists who have worked in a variety of settings. They’ll teach you through a mixture of theory and practical work to prepare you for starting work when you graduate. Practitioners from specialist areas in occupational therapy, service users, patients and carers will also come into the University to share their experiences with you. You will be taught through lectures, seminars, tutorials, group activities, workshops, experiential learning and online learning.

How you're assessed

You will be assessed through assignments, presentations, practice placement assessments, one written and one practical exam, case study work and producing a promotional leaflet.

Work placements

There are three periods of practice placement, where you will work full time in practice for a set number of weeks. You'll work in three separate areas of practice ensuring you have the optimum range of skills for becoming a qualified practitioner.

Gary Scott, who is one of our Practice Placement Educators at Walton Hospital in Chesterfield comments about our students from this course:
''In my experience students from the University of Derby are well prepared for placement experiences. They have a good practical understanding of basic therapeutic processes. They understand the requirements of the assessment process and are able to prepare learning contracts independently.''

As a qualified Occupational Therapist you could work in many areas of the NHS such as acute medical care, orthopaedics, cardiac rehabilitation, paediatrics, mental health and secure environments.

Occupational therapists work in a variety of settings in both the private and voluntary sector, in areas such as industry, prisons, schools, hospitals, health centres, charities and universities. So you'll have a wide range of careers to choose from.

As this course is accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, you will also be eligible to apply for registration to work overseas.

One of our graduates Claire Richardson now works for the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary as a Band 6 Occupational Therapist working in Outpatient Rehabilitation. She helps a wide range of people, from sports injuries to orthopaedic conditions including knee and hip replacements. She also carries out a lot of vocational rehabilitation by helping people return to employment following an injury. Watch her video interview here.

Sarah Cross, current student
"The best part of the degree has to be placement as you are putting theory into practice and gaining so much experience." Read Sarah's full story.

Lucy Hodgeson, one of our recent graduates
"Derby is a great place to study and the course is brilliant with so many variations to it. The staff are also fantastic as they facilitate to all learning capabilities"

Nikki Kelk, one of our recent graduates
"Going on placement gives you the ability to recognise your strengths."

Joanne Airey, one of our recent graduates
"I'm enjoying the course because it's quite hands-on and you get to do a lot of theory and then apply the theory."

Sally Davies, one of our recent graduates
"Studying on the Occupational Therapy course has provided a variety of teaching methods all promoting individual learning and looking at yourself as an occupational therapist."

Susannah Ali, one of our recent graduates
Susannah has raised over £20,000 for the charity 'Help 4 Happies' that she set up in her first year of study. She spent a number of weeks in South Africa in a disabled school where she helped to make the layout more accommodating to the students. This experience made her determined to set up her charity in order to raise money for the school and to buy the children new wheelchairs.

"I wanted to use my knowledge and experience to do something that made a difference. I began by making recommendations for layout changes and adaptations to the school that would help the disabled children to move around and access the school better, and then we worked to make these changes."

To find out more about Susannah's story read here.