Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) MSc (PGCert PGDip)

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Course structure

This intensive degree runs over 45 weeks per year, for two years, balanced between campus-based study and clinical practice.

Learning is mainly through whole cohort fixed resource sessions with academics, visiting practitioners and occasionally service-users, and smaller problem-based learning groups usually with a tutor examining real-life scenarios.

There are also opportunities to participate in action learning sets where students explore their thoughts in small, largely self-directed groups. The problem-based learning approach of the course is considered crucial for attainment of knowledge, deep understanding and critical evaluation.

Understanding the relationship between occupation, health and wellbeing is also explored through participation in therapeutic occupations such as arts and crafts, creative writing, pottery, 'play', and a variety of nature-based and sporting activities.

Assessment throughout the course allows for regular feedback relating to professional skill development including critical thinking and writing, assessment and treatment planning, clinical reasoning, teamwork, and presentation skills.

As a student on this professional course you’ll be required to adhere to the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Occupational Therapists and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists Professional Standards and Ethics. You will be assessed to meet these standards through a combination of essays, presentations, group work, and practice placements. You will also be required to learn about, and critically consider, evidence to inform occupational therapy practice. 

As a student on this course you’ll also get to participate in Schwartz Rounds - hour-long sessions where students come together to listen to stories and share reflections in a supportive and confidential environment. The sessions offer the opportunity to reflect on the emotional aspects of clinical practice and are designed to support students and recent graduates working in complex settings.

Syllabus

Year 1 modules

• Assessment in Occupational Therapy
• Beginning Practice Placement
• Intermediate Practice Placement
• Occupation for Change
• Research Foundations for Occupation-centred Practice

Year 2 modules

• Achieving Best Practice
• Diverse Practice Placement
• Final Practice Placement
• Occupational Therapy in Diverse Settings
• Research Implementation for Occupation-centred Practice
• Teamworking

Facilities 

Problem-based learning 

Our educational philosophy mirrors the philosophy of occupational therapy. We believe that an individual's positive engagement in (learning) activity leads to advanced productivity, increased perception of self worth, improved quality of life and enjoyment (of the course).

Our occupational therapy degrees use problem-based learning (PBL), a technique recommended by authorities around the world. All subjects covered are integrated around problem-solving within a real life situation. We find that learning in this way significantly increases our students' engagement with the subjects.

The pre-registration occupational therapy degree incorporate the experience of doing and making, in order to engage with, analyse and develop skill in therapeutic media. We have creativity studios for cooking, ceramics, crafts, and performing arts, and we have developed gardens for the practice of horticulture.

Around the world, many academic courses in occupational therapy are losing this aspect of their education, to give over more time to ‘theory’, but here at the University of Brighton we believe that it is vital to retain these embodied learning experiences – which utterly link theory and practice – as they are indeed central to the understanding of the true essence and potential of occupation. Recent research has revealed the connection between skilled hand use and the development of thinking. As one student, who could not imagine a course without these sessions, said “how can we learn about doing without doing?” These classes are central to the philosophy of our occupational therapy education at Brighton and they have become one of its hallmarks.

About the profession 

Occupational therapists work with children, young people, adults and their families, to identify where change might be beneficial to improve health and wellbeing. Some individuals might experience difficulty with washing and dressing or making a meal, others may find structuring their day challenging, or need support to partake in occupations that are meaningful to them.

Skilled and compassionate occupational therapists work closely with people to analyse occupations and devise interventions in partnership with their clients to bring about improvement in such activities. This could involve demonstrating new techniques, or adapting participation, to support people to do what is important to them. Alternatively, occupational therapists might introduce new activities, such as cooking or pottery to enhance wellbeing and enjoyment or improve communication skills and self-confidence.

Occupational therapists believe that humans are creative, occupational beings who thrive when engaged in a balanced range of enjoyable activities. They seek to understand peoples' motivations and needs and try to match activities to a person's existing skills. Activity analysis exposes that although the things people do may seem simple, human occupations are incredibly complicated.

Occupational therapy is the study of what people do, how they do things, the effect these activities have on human health, and the reasons why people choose to do what they do (the meaning behind the doing).

The videos here show occupational therapy graduates, Rhys Philips and Troy Croxton, in the role of occupational therapy support workers explaining how occupational therapy helps people live meaningful lives and carry out activities of importance to them. 

Practice placements 

What are practice placements and why are they necessary?
You will undertake four placements of approximately eight weeks, working alongside an occupational therapist in a practice setting. Placements make up approximately one third of the course and meet the World Federation of Occupational Therapists requirement that all students complete a minimum of 1,000 hours supervised practice. The placements will therefore be full-time, which will be approximately 37 hours per week. 

Placements provide opportunities for you to develop your professionalism, knowledge and skills under the guidance of an occupational therapist. Your skill development might be related to many areas of practice including group work, creative activities, mobility, communication, and the use of technology.

What type of placement?
You will practice in many different settings including the National Health Service, social care organisations, schools, the voluntary sector, hospital in-patient settings, community settings and mental health services.

Diverse practice placement
One of the placements is eight weeks in a non-traditional/ diverse setting. This can include collaborative projects with community organisations including homelessness day centres, hostels, residential and nursing homes, physical disability charities and day centres, young people’s projects, sheltered housing facilities, and mainstream schools.

Placements have also taken place in traditional hospital in-patient physical settings, focusing on promoting the use of meaningful activity to enhance health and wellbeing, for example via breakfast clubs and supporting internet shopping. 

Where are the placements?
Placements take place across the south-east of England, including Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Medway, and South London. It may be necessary for you to travel up to 90 mins or to stay away from home.

What placement support can I expect?
We provide preparation sessions in advance and a practice educator will support you on placement. 

We will allocate you to all your placements (except the final placement), with the view that you will need to experience a variety of practice settings. Whilst we will take into consideration issues such as travelling time, and carer commitments, a placement close to home cannot be guaranteed and you will need to be aware of this and be flexible in relation to placement provision/allocation. 

You will arrange your own final placement in consultation with your personal tutor to ensure the placement will meet your needs. A tutor will meet with you and your practice educator online, halfway through the placement to discuss your progress.

What if I fail a placement?
The majority of students pass their placements. Should you fail, we treat this as a development opportunity and we will provide a second opportunity for you to undergo the placement in a similar, but different setting.

Should you fail the second attempt you can no longer proceed and will normally be required to leave the course. This is unusual but is possible - in this event we would endeavour to support you through this process and you may be able to leave with an academic award at a lower level than a degree depending on the modules completed.

Meet the team

Course fees

Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Find out more on the NHS website.

Funding information

This course is eligible for funding via the Student Loans Company under the same terms and conditions as undergraduate tuition fee and maintenance loans. Find out more.

Where your course includes a placement, travel costs which are over and above your daily journey to university and dual accommodation costs may be reimbursed by the NHS learning support fund. Additional financial support may available from the NHS. Find out more about the learning support fund.

Fee information for this course for 2025 entry will be updated here no later than December 2024.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2024–25.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

• Fees, bursaries, scholarships and government funding info for UK and international postgraduate students
• Student finance and budgeting while studying
• About the university’s fees by checking our student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

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