Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) - 2012 entry

Course content

The MSc in Occupational Therapy degree will be taught alongside the well-established and highly-regarded BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy. Our undergraduate degree in occupational therapy has a long and prestigious history of preparing occupational therapists who are well equipped to both deliver and develop excellent occupational therapy practice. This shared learning opportunity will provide you with greater scope for debate/discussion in classroom learning. As an MSc student you will have separate master's level tutorial groups with more advanced learning outcomes and assessments for each occupational therapy module taken. You will be taught by academic staff with many years of experience of teaching on occupational therapy programmes.

You will have the opportunity for face-to-face and virtual learning activities. Our interprofessional modules are all taken alongside other health and social care pre-registration master's level students, enabling you to prepare for the interdisciplinary work you will encounter in the health and social care environment.

The master's degree will:

• Enable you to be a reflective, proactive, innovative and adaptable occupational therapy practitioner, with the ability to critique research and evaluate the effectiveness of evidence in a wide variety of practice settings
• Develop a critical understanding of the theory of occupation and teach you to challenge existing models and approaches used in occupational therapy from an informed perspective
• Provide opportunities to develop your ability to work both independently and as part of a team in the context of social, technological, administrative and policy changes.

Course content

Working at master’s level, you will focus on developing your knowledge in occupational therapy, which is evidence-based and strongly underpinned by research. During Year 1, you will undertake modules related to the fundamental skills and concepts in occupational therapy in addition to bio-psychosocial sciences and research methods. You will also work in practice and complete a six week placement.

In the second year, you will build on your knowledge of occupational therapy from the first year practice placement and study more advanced topics in occupational therapy concepts and skills. You will complete a part-time, 10-week placement during the first semester. You can choose a management module (either leadership or operational management) and will also complete an occupational therapy-focused dissertation. The final module of the master's degree is a 12-week block practice placement over the summer of your final year.

Faculty

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Sport and Health Sciences

Course length

Full-time: 2 years

Teaching location

Headington Campus, Marston Road

Start date

September 2012

UKPASS code

P048452

Entry requirements

• BA or BSc (Hons) at 2:2 or above in a relevant subject to Occupational Therapy, for example Sociology, Psychology, Biological Sciences, Anthropology.
• Three A-level subjects at grade C or above.
• Five GCSE passes to include grade C in English, Maths and Science.
• All applicants must be screened for fitness to practise and a Criminal Records Bureau check will be made.

Other qualifications are also considered - please contact us for more details.

Scholarships and funding

For general sources of financial support, see:

• funding for students from the UK and EU
• funding for students from outside the EU

Why Oxford is a great place to study Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

As a student in Oxford you'll be at the heart of the UK's most successful economic region and in a centre for leading industries which provides you with a host of learning opportunities.

Because Oxford is one of the world's great academic cities, it is a key centre of debate, with conferences, seminars and forums taking place across education, science, the arts and many other subjects.

In addition to our own excellent libraries and resource centres, our postgraduate students have access to the world-renowned Bodleian Library, the Bodleian Law Library and the Radcliffe Science Library.

Support for students studying Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

We offer a very friendly and supportive environment in which to learn; we consistently receive very high satisfaction ratings for our student support and learning resources in student surveys. We have excellent teaching facilities including classrooms and a lecture theatre, dedicated clinical skills suites and simulation resources, an extensive range of anatomy models and fully networked computer rooms. 

We have excellent library resources, accessible both through the web and through a range of locally-based facilities on university and NHS sites.

All our courses adopt a student-centred approach to teaching and learning and are strongly focused on encouraging each individual to attain their full potential as lifelong learners. You will be supported throughout the course by academic skills sessions, an allocated academic advisor and module and dissertation support. The student support co-ordinators provide a drop in service for any queries you may have about any aspect of student life, covering both academic and personal welfare.

The university’s support services include Upgrade which provides advice on study skills such as planning and writing essays, assignments and dissertations, research, or preparing for an exam. They also give advice on statistics and maths. There is a dedicated Student Disability and Dyslexia Service, which provides support for students with disabilities including sensory and mobility impairments, dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties, mental health problems and medical conditions. They offer advice and support on a range of issues, including physical access, funding, alternative assessment arrangements and liaison with teaching staff to ensure that they are aware of your requirements.

Information technology plays an important role in health care courses and a very extensive range of learning resources can be accessed through ‘Brookes Virtual’, an online repository of lectures, handouts, information and learning exercises.

How Brookes supports postgraduate students

Supporting your learning

From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.

Personal support services

We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.

Research excellence

We have a number of both promising and experienced researchers working in established areas including cancer care, children and families, drugs and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, and interprofessional education and collaborative practice. Over the past few years, these researchers have won external research and consultancy contracts including grants, fellowships and studentships for NHS staff. Our research staff collaborate with researchers from across Oxford Brookes University and from the Institute of Health Sciences at Oxford University, and with research teams from many other UK and international centres.

Our academic staff have extensive experience of NHS and general management at both senior and director level. They also have a significant record of research and publications on the topics of management and leadership. The currency of the course is also assured by the lecturers' close involvement in the health and social care sector and their movement between that sector and education.

We are very pleased with the results received in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). 70% of our research in Allied Health Professions and Studies was rated as being of international significance, of which 10% was rated as world-leading. The university has been careful to nurture emerging research strengths, and the international standing achieved by subjects Allied to Health demonstrates significant progress since 2001.

For more details about our research portfolio, go to our website.