Occupational Therapy

This course will help you develop the mindset and practical skills needed to empower people of all ages to participate in occupations and activities that hold personal meaning and value for them.

Occupational therapists work with individuals, groups, communities, or populations to promote health and wellbeing through participation in activities of everyday life, or occupation. Of vital importance to this role is the ability to think critically and creatively, challenge where needed, advocate and empower others to live their best lives. In addition to developing practice skills, this course will support you in developing the mindset needed for this life-changing career.

• Successful completion offers eligibility to apply to the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) for registration to practise as an occupational therapist and to apply for membership of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT).

• Learn to empower and support others with challenges in key areas of occupation such as self-care (e.g. washing, dressing, or eating), productivity (e.g. managing finances, working, or studying) and leisure (e.g. hobbies, spending time with friends, or playing sports.).

• Professional placements and simulation provide practice-based learning opportunities in traditional, contemporary, and role-emerging settings (you’ll need to successfully complete a minimum of 1000 hours of supervised practice.)

• Strong focus on cultural humility and anti-discriminatory practice.

• Focus on one module at a time, with 5 weeks of learning followed by one week of assessment per module.

• You’ll be encouraged to think critically about the potential of digitally enabled occupational therapy (e.g. use of AI and wearable technology) and the future direction of the profession.

• All home students on this course can apply for a minimum payment from the Government of £5,000 per year, with additional payments for students incurring childcare costs.

Why you should study this course

Becoming an occupational therapist enables you to work in partnership with other people. Your values, skills and mindset will all be key in addressing barriers that prevent people from engaging in activities that provide meaning and purpose, shape identity and enhance health and wellbeing.

• Our approach supports you to develop a strong sense of professional identity as an Occupational Therapist from the outset. In addition, you’ll learn to thrive in dynamic health and care environments and multidisciplinary teams, developing your relationship and teamworking skills.

• We organise your placements for you in a wide range of settings. This could include charities, businesses, sports and leisure facilities, independent practice, the private sector and community facilities.

• Colleagues with lived experience as users of health and care services support teaching, learning and assessment.

• The diversity of our learner community is a key strength of the course, offering a space in which everyone can thrive.

• We offer opportunities to learn in a safe but realistic practice environment through simulation in our state-of-the-art facilities.

• Engagement with the global occupational therapy community to foster the delivery of sustainable and inclusive occupational therapy .

• Access to success coaches, placement supervisors and specialist support for mathematics and academic writing

Coventry University's School of Health and Care collaborates closely with NHS Trusts across the UK to develop the workforce of the future. Together, we’ll prepare you for a rewarding and exciting career with great prospects and the opportunity for lifelong learning.

For full course and professional body accreditation information please check the course page on the Coventry University website.

Year one

• Becoming a Professional Practitioner
• Evidence: Your Profession in a Global Context
• An occupational perspective on health and well-being
• Mind, body, and human occupation
• Theoretical foundations of occupational therapy
• Placement 1: Foundations of professional practice

Year two

• Occupational therapy: Enabling performance and participation
• Enabling occupation with communities and populations
• Placement 2: Developing professional identity
• Exploring the complexity of occupational therapy
• Exploring knowledge through curiosity

Final year

• Leading for the future as a health and care professional
• Placement 3: Becoming an autonomous occupational therapist
• Enhancing employability for occupational therapy practice
• Occupational therapy across care pathways and settings
• The evidence-based practitioner: professional project

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated. Before accepting any offers, please check the website for the most up to date course content.

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods may include:

• case study
• coursework
• practice placement
• portfolio
• professional project
• presentations

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.