BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy course at Bradford is part of a larger local Occupational Therapy education provision in West Yorkshire. The collaboration between 3 local Universities to establish the provision of Occupational Therapy education was developed in response to the growing need for qualified Occupational Therapists within the local area. This collaboration resulted in Occupational Therapy programmes  at Bradford, Leeds Metropolitan and Huddersfield Universities. The three Universities have many values in common, but different strengths, such as modes of teaching and educational philosophies in learning, teaching and assessment; these will facilitate the development of newly qualified Occupational Therapists who have subtly different strengths.

Our three-year courses aim to produce graduate occupational therapists who can practise using a research-based, evaluative and problem-solving approach to meet the needs of the changing health and social care systems. The School has well-established links with our clinical colleagues and service users who contribute to course delivery, evaluation and development. You will have access to extensive and modern learning facilities both within the School of Health Studies and in the University as a whole.

Applications for 2012 entry - International students can still apply. Applications for home and EU students are closed.

Special Features

• The Occupational Therapy course closely integrates theory with clinical practice
• The course leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health Professions Council, and to full membership of the College of Occupational Therapists

Course Information

The programme incorporates the philosophy of humans as occupational beings and will ensure students are coherent with the values of occupation in people's lives.

In year 1, students gain an understanding of how occupation impacts on health and experiences across the lifespan. Specific modules develop students' knowledge and understanding of Occupational Therapy, including values, beliefs and identify of the profession. Within academic modules students will be encouraged to undertake a variety of practical learning tasks to develop their understanding of a wide range of issues which can impact on an individual's ability to engage in everyday aspects. The inclusion within the teaching delivery of individuals who have experienced personal aspects of reduced levels of functioning/abilities is widely used throughout the 3 year programme. Students in year 1 also have their first placement opportunity, to enable them to connect theory with practical learning situations.

During year 2 there is an emphasis on the enhancement of individuals' occupational performance, as students beign to learn more specific Occupational Therapy skills for practice, thus, beginning to apply practical skills to the theory learnt in year 1.

This is further developed in year 3 when students will increasingly focus on the critical evaluation and analysis of Occupational Therapy practice, in line with the School of Health Studies mission statement on research and development. In years 2 and 3 there are increasing opportunities for placements; year 3 offering a 10 week placement.

The programme itself is delivered in modular format and includes placement opportunities in each year for students to put theory into practice. The academic and placement modules are assessed, and marks from all these areas of learning contribute towards your degree classification, thus the programme at Bradford acknowledges the theoretical knowledge and practical skills that are required to be a competent qualified Occupational Therapist.

Course Booklet

Course Booklet - BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy  

What are the entry requirements?

Standard Offer

A minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above to include

• English Language (Key Skills Level 2 Literacy is accepted)
• Maths (Key Skills Level 2 Numeracy is accepted)

AND

• 280 UCAS points from 3 full A Levels (or vocational awards of equal depth and volume).  It is preferable for applicants to achieve at least 80 points from a Science related A Level (eg Biology, Human Biology, Psychology, Sociology).  Double award A Level subjects are accepted but we do not accept A Level General Studies.

OR

• Distinction, Merit, Merit in an appropriate BTEC National Diploma

OR

• Distinction, Distinction in an appropriate BTEC National Certificate plus additional A Level qualifications to achieve 280 UCAS points

OR

• 280 UCAS points in a Higher Level Irish Leaving Certificate or from Scottish Advanced Highers or 280 points from a related International Baccalaureate Diploma or CErtificate (grade 25 in the IB classification)

OR

• 14-19 Diploma at Advanced Level to meet 280 UCAS points in a subject closely related to occupational therapy; points from the extended project are included within the 280 at Advanced Level.

Non-standard Offer

• An Access to Higher Education Diploma in Health Professions or Science.  Those studying on Access programmes will be aksed to obtain at least one Distinction in a subject closely related to the occupational therapy profession, and to pass the remainder of their modules at Merit Level

OR

• Attainment of 65% or above in the University of  Bradford Foundation Year, or appropriate Science Foundation Year, or 60 credits or more from Open University courses at undergraduate level or an NVQ level 3.

AND

A minimum of 2 GCSEs at Grade C or above to include:

• English Language (Key Skills Level 2 Literacy is acceptable)
• Maths (Key Skills Level 2 Numeracy is acceptable)

How will I be assessed?

Our modules are assessed using a range of assessment strategies which aim to develop not only knowledge, but also the necessary skills required by qualified Occupational Therapists such as presentation skills, group facilitation, appraisal of academic and professional evidence-based practice, professional reflection and portfolio development.

Placements

Professional guidelines used to structure the curriculum of Occupational Therapy education state that there should be a minimum of 1,000 hours of placement allocation within a three year degree programme; at Bradford we offer this and more providing 1,085 hours of placement opportunity.

Students are sent to various placement sites across the Yorkshire region. Wherever possible we take your personal circumstances into account when allocating to a particular placement area, but some placements may inevitably involve long-distance travel or residence on site during the placement. A member of the Division's teaching staff will visit you during each placement, as well as other support systems being in place, to enable you to feel supported whilst on placement.

What are the course fees?

Please visit our fees page for details of the current fees for this course.

How do I apply?

Applications for this course need to be made via UCAS between September and 15 January for consideration in the following September. If it is past the 15 January deadline please contact the Recruitment Office who will be able to advise if late applications are being accepted.

For further and more detailed information on application and admission, contact the Student Recruitment Team direct via email soh-recruitment@bradford.ac.uk or telephone on 01274 236367