Overview
Occupational therapists empower individuals, groups and communities to participate in the everyday occupations that are central to their health and well-being, to their sense of who they are, and to the life they want to lead.
They work in partnership with people across the lifespan in a range of circumstances to address the barriers that prevent them from engaging in the everyday activities that they want and need to do.
This course aims to provide you with the knowledge, skills and experience required to practise as an occupational therapist, through academic study and professional practice placements You will learn about the power of occupation to transform people’s lives; you will be supported to develop a professional approach that is compassionate and respectful; to think in creative ways to develop sustainable solutions to complex problems and you will have the opportunity to develop effective leadership and communication skills.
Successful completion of our BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy will provide you with an academic qualification, and eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council to practise as an occupational therapist (membership and registration fees may apply). Our course is accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and successful completion therefore confers eligibility to apply for membership of the RCOT and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (membership and registration fees may also apply) which can assist you to make the most of national and global professional opportunities
A distinctive feature of our course is our approach to teaching & learning: State-of-the-art simulation facilities will enable you to practise occupational therapy skills in realistic settings. We are proud of our creative approach to assessment which aims to provide you with varied opportunities to demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas relevant to practice. Service user involvement in the teaching and learning process provides you with real-world experience and feedback. There are also opportunities for collaborative learning with students undertaking other professional healthcare courses at Coventry University.
A degree in occupational therapy opens the door to a wide range of rewarding career options. Our course is ranked in the Top 10 for occupational therapy in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2021 and our strong focus on employability means that career options for our graduates are excellent.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
To ensure an optimised and continual student experience, the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costAccreditation and Professional Recognition
This course is accredited and recognised by the following bodies:
Health and Care Professions Council
Successful completion of our BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy provides you with an academic qualification, and eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council to practise as an occupational therapist (membership and registration fees may apply).
Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Our course is also accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and successful completion therefore confers eligibility to apply for membership of the RCOT and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (membership and registration fees may also apply) which can assist you to make the most of national and global professional opportunities.
When enrolled on the course, you are eligible to become a student member of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.
If the accreditation of this course changes, we will notify applicants and students as soon as possible.
Our Facilities
Hospital Wards
We have two fully-equipped mock hospital wards, each containing 4 beds. The wards are built to NHS standards and contain moveable beds, first aid equipment and patient monitoring tools.
Life Sciences Research
Our facilities include a real ambulance, which students can use as part of their studies, and a purpose-built Clinical Skills and Simulation Centre. This allows for improved training quality in patient care and patient safety.
SuperLab
The Alison Gingell building contains a state-of-the-art SuperLab, capable of holding up to 270 people at once. The lab's facilities include equipment for microscopy, DNA analysis and forensic testing.
What our students say...
I love the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors and lecturers and the friendship and support of my fellow students. I also really enjoy the practical aspects of the course.
Course information
Our course aims to develop you in to an occupational therapist who is capable of being flexible and adaptable in response to evolving healthcare provision, whilst upholding professional standards of practice.
Your learning experience through academic study and professional practice placements* will support you to adopt the professional values and behaviours expected of an occupational therapist such as empowering service users, collaborative working, ethical decision-making, and delivering and evaluating interventions based upon the best available evidence.
Throughout the course you will also be supported to take responsibility for your personal and professional development, for example through discussions with your Academic and Personal Tutor, opportunities for reflection, and supervision with your professional practice educators. The skills you develop are intended to lay the foundations for your continuing professional development throughout your future occupational therapy career.
10th
for Occupational Therapy in the
Complete University Guide 2021
Course Specification
Download PDF (408kb)
Modules
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.
In more detail...
Student voice: A strength of our course is the diversity of the student population, which provides opportunities for rich peer discussion and an array of perspectives on the course content. Our students work in partnership with the course team to monitor the quality of student experience and develop new initiatives. Our annual student conference is a highlight of the academic year, offering you invaluable experience of showcasing your work through oral and poster presentations, alongside staff and alumni.
Breadth of practice and research expertise in our teaching team: Our teaching team consists of more than 30 registered occupational therapists passionate about enabling you to achieve your goal of becoming an occupational therapist. Final year option modules reflect staff expertise in specialist areas of practice. You will also have a named Academic & Personal Tutor who will work with you throughout the duration of your studies to help support and reflect on your professional, academic and personal development.
Approach to Teaching & Learning: State-of-the-art simulation facilities will enable you to practise occupational therapy skills in realistic settings. We are proud of our creative approach to assessment which aims to provide all students with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge and skills in areas relevant to practice. Service user involvement in the teaching and learning process provides you with real-world experience and feedback. There are also opportunities for collaborative learning with students undertaking other professional healthcare courses at Coventry University.
Opportunity for practice experience in traditional and innovative settings, working in partnership with individuals, groups and communities. Professional practice placements* during each year of the course (each lasting 8, 10, and 10 weeks respectively) and which are sourced for you by the University, will allow you to understand how occupational therapy theory drives practice in diverse settings. Placement modules carry credits towards your degree.
Internationalisation: Coventry University is committed to producing graduates who are capable of considering their contribution to the wider global community. Internationalisation is embedded within the course, with many opportunities to study and interact with occupational therapy students from other countries, for example on field trips (which may be subject to additional costs, availability, application and meeting any applicable visa requirements).
Employability: The course has a strong focus on employability. 95% of our graduates are in work and/or study six months after finishing the course, with 91% of those in a professional job. (DLHE 2016/17 - latest figures available).
*Placement opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, etc.) Work experience and field trips may also be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
- Coventry University is ranked 10th for Occupational Therapy in the Complete University Guide 2021
- Excellent graduate employability with 95% of our graduates in work and/or study six months after completing the course (DLHE 2016/17 - latest figures available).
- Eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council to practise as an occupational therapist (membership and fees may apply).
- Eligibility to apply for membership of the RCOT and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and make the most of national and global professional opportunities (membership and fees may apply).
- State-of-the-art teaching facilities
- Professional practice placement modules carry credits towards your degree
- Choice of option module in final year to develop skills in a specialist area of practice
- Opportunities for international learning experiences
A huge variety of placement experiences and practice placement marks can contribute to your final degree classification.
- Foundational knowledge: Occupational science and theoretical underpinnings of occupational therapy.
- Delivering occupational therapy in practice: assessment, occupation-focused goal setting, intervention and evaluation, and clinical reasoning.
- Evidence-informed practice and research: Understanding and interpreting information from a range of evidence sources, to make safe and effective decisions with service users. Developing skills from being a consumer of evidence to carrying out your own independent research project in your final year.
- Inter-professional education: Learning to work across professional and organisational boundaries to genuinely put the service user at the heart of their health and care. Authentic and aligned inter-professional learning opportunities throughout the programme will enable you to develop values and capabilities essential to collaborative practice.
This course can be studied on a full-time basis over three years.
The teaching and learning approaches used within the course allow you to develop a wide range of practical and academic skills required to meet the expanding role and diverse career pathways of occupational therapists within the contemporary healthcare setting.
Alongside formal lectures, teaching approaches such as problem-based learning and flipped classrooms will encourage you to explore theory and research during self-directed study time, and facilitate your development as an independent lifelong learner. You will be fully supported in these ways of learning through the use of comprehensive study guides and resource lists. Theory will be applied and practical skills will be developed during simulation activity, seminars and practical workshops in groups of around 20 students.
There are three professional practice placements* totalling 28 weeks of full-time clinical practice, which are integrated throughout the course. These provide opportunities for you to develop professional competence and a professional identity in a range of health and social care settings.
You will also have an academic personal tutor assigned to you for academic and pastoral support throughout your course.
*Placement opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, etc.) Work experience and field trips may also be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
This course uses varied assessment methods, moving away from the traditional written exams, to assess you in an authentic way reflecting the challenges faced in the clinical context and allowing you to demonstrate your creativity and digital fluency. Assessment methods may include placement competencies, coursework, digital portfolios, practical assessments, reports, group work elements, and presentations/posters.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate an ability to utilise an occupation focus in a creative and collaborative manner in order to work within complex, dynamic and diverse communities of practice.
- Evaluate therapeutic reasoning and practice in relation to person-centred care and the unique contribution of occupational therapy knowledge, skills and behaviours to service delivery.
- Evaluate the dynamic relationship between the person, the environmental context (physical, social, institutional, political and cultural) and the participation / engagement in occupation.
- Understand the multi-faceted nature of health and well-being and the impact these factors have on occupational engagement for individuals, groups and communities nationally and internationally.
- Reflect on practice and adopt a life-long learning approach to practice and development using a range of innovative digital media.
Inter-professional Course Learning outcomes:
- Practise as a healthcare professional who can demonstrate intercultural competencies at a national and international level and be able to appraise your own intercultural development in order to enhance your lifelong learning.
- Demonstrate collaborative capabilities that promote integrated learning and working within public, private and third sector organisations, for the health and well-being of people in our community.
- Interpret, apply and contribute to research activities as evidence informed practitioners within the context of health and social care.
- Be an emotionally intelligent and resilient individual, who is able to manage your own personal health and well-being, and have insight and self-awareness of when and how to access support.
In a typical teaching week you will have around 15-20 contact hours of teaching. The majority of this will be either seminars or practical workshops, supplemented with some lectures and on-line teaching. In addition, you will be expected to undertake a further 15-20 hours minimum of self-directed study each week.
You are encouraged to consider your potential contribution to the wider global community, with opportunities to take part in international activities such as online international learning events, field-trips and international exchanges in Europe and further afield.
Fieldtrips for this course are optional. Some field trips may be fully or partially subsidised whilst the cost of other field trips shall be borne by the student. All fieldtrips are subject to availability, application and meeting any applicable visa requirements.
*Placement opportunities may be subject to additional costs (e.g. travel, etc.) Work experience and field trips may also be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and/or meeting any applicable visa requirements. To ensure that you fully understand the requirements in this regard, please contact the International Office for further details if you are an EU or International student.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we were able to provide a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
What our students say...
I love the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors and lecturers and the friendship and support of my fellow students. I also really enjoy the practical aspects of the course.
Entry Requirements
What our students say...
I love the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors and lecturers and the friendship and support of my fellow students. I also really enjoy the practical aspects of the course.
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
UK field trips
Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.Key material
This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.Laser prints
1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.Optional year
Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.This course may incur additional costs associated with any field trips, placements or work experience, study abroad opportunities or any other opportunity (whether required or optional), which could include (but is not limited to) travel, accommodation, activities and visas.
EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
What our students say...
I love the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors and lecturers and the friendship and support of my fellow students. I also really enjoy the practical aspects of the course.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
There is strong demand and excellent employment options for our newly qualified occupational therapists.
Our courses are developed collaboratively with key stakeholders including practice partners and service users to ensure that we produce graduates with the knowledge and practical skills desired by potential employers. This may explain why 95% of Coventry University occupational therapy graduates are employed and/or in further study within six months of completing the course, with more than 90% in a professional role (DLHE survey, 2016/17).
On graduation, you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council allowing you to work as an occupational therapist in the UK. The expanding role of the occupational therapist within both the public, charity and private sectors offers many career pathways within the NHS, social care, industry, community settings, and the private, independent and voluntary sectors. Our placement opportunities throughout the course reflect these diverse options. Your qualification may also allow you to apply for overseas accreditation to work abroad*. Our course provides international learning experiences to help prepare you for the global employment market as well as strengthen and develop your broader personal and professional skills.
The occupational therapy course team is committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. Throughout the course you will record your learning experiences in an e-portfolio which provides a foundation for a professional lifelong learning commitment, fulfilling the requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council, and enhances employability. The final year modules facilitate your preparation for entry into the occupational therapy profession. A dedicated module exploring employability will help to equip you with the skills to secure your first job and flourish professionally within public, private or third sector organisations. An annual occupational therapy Careers Fair allows you to explore the career opportunities and in some cases apply and be interviewed there and then. Your assigned academic personal tutor is also available to advice on your future career decisions.
*Acceptance of HCPC accreditation to practise overseas is determined by the individual countries, and may change over time.
5th
for student satisfaction
Complete University Guide 2019
Where our graduates work
Our previous occupational therapy graduates have gone on to work in a range of professional roles, in the NHS, social services, charities and private companies in the UK and around the world.
What our students say...
I love the enthusiasm and warmth of the tutors and lecturers and the friendship and support of my fellow students. I also really enjoy the practical aspects of the course.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
Admission to this course is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and a successful interview. Find out about the application process.
