Occupational Therapy BSc (Hons) at University of Northampton

The BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy degree prepares you to work as a registered occupational therapist in the UK and overseas. Occupational Therapy is a health and social care profession that enhances the physical and mental health and wellbeing of individuals to enable them to achieve their full potential. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages to help them to overcome the challenges of everyday life resulting from illness, trauma and aging.

We are one of the longest established Occupational therapy Schools in Britain and offer a wide range of exciting local, national and international practical placement opportunities.

We will support you to achieve your career and study ambitions, which is why if you complete our Employability Plus Gold programme or Changemaker Gold certificate alongside your studies and if you haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating* we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you, or support you into postgraduate study.

Course Details

Our Occupational Therapy undergraduate course equips you with the knowledge and skills that you will require for professional practice through combining the study of occupational and human sciences with hands-on learning in a practical setting. You will have an opportunity to engage in professional practice within a variety of health and social care settings across public, private, voluntary and independent sectors. The range of placements in traditional and non-traditional settings enables you to develop and advance your skills in assessment and intervention with clients. You will be encouraged to consider the evidence base for current practice throughout the course.

During your second year you will have the opportunity to take part in a short student exchange programme. You will develop skills in understanding and using research to inform practice that will lead to a research proposal for your Independent Study project in Stage three.

In the final year you will make more choices about what you study to enable you to develop the knowledge and skill set you want to achieve your aspirations as an emerging occupational therapist.  As you prepare for employment, you have a 12 week placement in which you will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your skills, understanding and theoretical knowledge of occupational therapy.

Student Opportunities

Studying the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy offer you many opportunities including:

• The OT Student Conference: We hold an annual student conference to celebrate the excellent work carried out by students throughout the year. You are invited to present your work within the conference as well as network with practitioners and fellow students across all awards (BSc, MSc and PhD).
• Short Overseas Exchange: during Stage two you will have the option to take part in a student exchange programme where you can spend one week studying on the Occupational Therapy programme at a university in Finland. This is an excellent cultural professional exchange experience. Please note that you will have to pay for flights and accommodation.
• Volunteering: is encouraged throughout the course and is timetabled within the Stage 2 Professional Skills for Practice module. You can access volunteering opportunities through our Changemaker Hub and also through staff led volunteering projects.
• Leicester University Medical School (LUMS): As part of the Functional Human Sciences module, you will have the option of attending the Dissection Room at Leicester University Medical School to consolidate your learning in human anatomy and physiology. The session is taught and facilitated by occupational therapy staff, who are able to correlate human anatomy with function. This provides you with a unique experience that is not available on all occupational therapy programmes.
• Vona du Toit Model of Creative Ability (VdT MoCA) MOOC: You will learn about this unique model of OT practice within the programme, but there is an additional opportunity to extend your knowledge and skill by taking the VdT MoCA Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) which is run by the university in conjunction with the Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust.
• You are encouraged to participate in extracurricular during your studies such as Naidex; an annual equipment exhibition or the many activities/courses on campus such as a British Sign Language course or social entrepreneurship activities. You will be invited to take part in Heath Roadshows to promote the profession and the university, Open days and Discovery Days to contribute to the recruitment and joining of successive student cohorts.

Methods of Learning

The course incorporates a range of learning and teaching methods to engage you in active learning. This includes technology enhanced learning through online workbooks, activities and interactive discussions: classroom based learning through seminars, skills workshops, tutorials and practice–based learning. You will be a collaborator in learning with your tutors, peers and practice educators.

Schedule

The BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy programme is delivered in two formats:

• Full-time route
• Full-time Extended route

We are currently exploring future apprenticeship options. All of our graduates gain an academic degree which will then allow you to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) to obtain a licence to practice and become a member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

You will be taught by qualified Occupational Therapists who also have additional teaching qualifications, Masters or PhD qualifications. Our teaching staff have a variety of clinical backgrounds and expertise from mental health, physical areas, paediatrics and learning disabilities.

The Full Time course is approximately 20 hours of direct contact plus 15 dedicated study hours per week across standard university terms. The Full Time extended course is approximately 14 hours of direct contact plus additional study hours per week, extended over 45 weeks of the year.

Assessments

A diverse range of assessments are included in the course to ensure academic and professional competence and to prepare you for the role of an Occupational Therapist. This includes written assignments, multiple choice question tests, poster presentations, group work, reflective essays, case studies and practice portfolios. You may work together in groups for some assignments. Support is provided by tutors for all module assignments in the form of assessment tutorials and marking criteria.

Scholarships

EU and International Scholarships

We’re committed to offering the opportunity to study in the UK to the best and brightest students from around the world.

Sir Thomas White Scholarship

The Sir Thomas White scholarship will support and acknowledge an academically gifted student, with the proviso that the selection panel is confident that there is…

TD Lewis Scholarship

The T D Lewis Scholarship provides both undergraduate and postgraduate students with financial awards of up to £1,000.  This scholarship is awarded on educational excellence…

The Chancellor's Fund

The Chancellor’s Fund is a bi-annual fund providing students with awards of between £100 and £1,000. You must be a current student to apply.  The…

Wilson Endowment Scholarship

The Wilson Endowment Scholarship provides a £1,500 scholarship to undergraduate students from the Northamptonshire area. The endowed scholarship was donated in memory of Mr Lynn Wilson,…