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By studying on the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy at Northumbria University, you will be taking your first steps towards a profession described as ‘the best kept secret in healthcare. Occupational therapy is a varied, creative, and engaging career, designed to make a meaningful difference to peoples everyday lives. As an occupational therapist you can have a real impact on health and social care outcomes and enjoy excellent prospects and opportunities.

Your learning journey.

You will learn about the value of occupation to health and wellbeing – understanding yourself as an ‘occupational being and understanding the underpinning theory and philosophy of the profession. You will explore the sciences that support our work and develop essential skills – things like communication and teamwork.

Through the years you build your understanding of the person, their environment, and their occupational performance, all the time developing skills to help meet their needs.

You will grow your academic skills and develop skills in finding and using research to support your practice. In your final year you will be supported to produce a systematic review of a topic of interest to you.

Education is delivered in a range of ways to create a varied, engaging course. There will be lectures, workshops, and real-life simulation which help develop your understanding of both theory and practice.

Occupational therapy focusses on helping people to live their best lives. We promote health and well-being through occupation by enabling people to participate in the everyday things that matter to them. The word occupation is often associated with work. However, occupational therapists use it much more widely to describe:

Imagine being unable to do something that really matters to you – dress yourself, read to your children, drive a car. If it is something that matters to you, it matters to occupational therapists. We work with people who face a wide range of issues that affect their ability to do the things they want, need or ought to do. These can include physical or mental illness, disability, and challenging life circumstances. We also work with people at every stage of the lifespan. We help in three main ways:

Helping people to develop the skills they need: for example, helping a child to develop handwriting skills, supporting their success in school.

Adapting an activity to make it more doable: such as adapting a game of football to ‘walking football or ‘frame football – making it available to different ages and abilities

Adapting the environment to make tasks possible: Working with employers and workers to ensure their workplace is accessible for everyone

How does this course prepare me for work?

Our courses are designed to prepare you for a career in occupational therapy - a global, client-centred, science-based, healthcare profession. Occupational therapy continues to grow in popularity and provide exciting career opportunities in the UK and overseas. Therapists are working in more sectors than ever.

What can I do after my BSc Occupational Therapy course?

Northumbria University boasts strong links with many local organisations and our calibre of graduates is respected throughout the profession, which can be beneficial to your future employment prospects.

There are currently many varied opportunities available within this sector and your registration with the HCPC will enable you to practice as a state registered occupational therapist. Completion of this course will enable to work the private or public sector, both in the United Kingdom or abroad.