Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

Entry requirements

A typical applicant will demonstrate evidence of:

• A degree at 2:2 or above with evidence of knowledge or experience in the research process and / or completion of an undergraduate dissertation or independent study
• GCSE English at grade C/4 or above. University of Worcester GCSE English equivalency tests will be accepted.
• Applicants whose first language is not English and who are required to provide a language test certificate as evidence of their proficiency must ensure that it is, or is comparable to, IELTS level 7.0 with no element below 6.5 (HCPC 2018)
• A strong interest and demonstrated understanding of the breadth of the role and the skills required to be a registered occupational therapist is necessary

Months of entry

September

Course content

Occupational therapists help people live fuller, more independent lives by enabling them to take part in everyday activities. They work with individuals affected by illness, disability, injury, or aging to overcome challenges and improve their wellbeing.

At Worcester, you'll learn from experienced, qualified occupational therapists and complete a minimum of 1,000 hours on professional placements. You'll prepare for real-world practice in our specialist skills simulation facilities and a specially adapted house, featuring modified kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms.

This course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council and accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists. This means that when you graduate, you can register with the HCPC to practice under the protected title of occupational therapist.

Overview

As an occupational therapist, you'll empower others, build confidence and help people reclaim their independence for the moments that matter most. These might be due to physical or mental health conditions, learning differences, age-related changes, life transitions (such as becoming a parent or retiring), trauma, or a combination of social and personal factors. Your role is to support people in doing the things that matter most to them, whether that’s returning to work, managing at home, or engaging in hobbies and relationships.

This might involve helping someone learn new ways to carry out daily activities, supporting them through recovery, or making changes to their environment to make everyday tasks more manageable. You’ll work with individuals, families, and communities, sometimes one-on-one and sometimes in groups. Occupational therapists work in a wide range of settings, including people’s homes, hospitals, schools, prisons, charities, and social care services.

Our course is designed for graduates from disciplines other than occupational therapy who wish to become qualified occupational therapists. Unlike the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy, which runs over three years with teaching between September and May, this MSc offers an accelerated, two-year route into the profession. Your time will be split between studying the theory in lectures, practising your skills in practical hands-on sessions, and putting what you've learned into practice on placement.

You'll have sessions in Ability House – a converted house with specialist adaptations made to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms. This allows you to practise your skills in a realistic and supportive setting. You’ll also work closely with service users and carers throughout the course, ensuring your learning is grounded in lived experience.

At Worcester, our assessments are designed to reflect the realities of professional practice, supporting your transition into a new career with confidence. As a postgraduate student, you’ll be encouraged to carry out your own research and write for publication, developing the critical thinking and communication skills expected at this level. You’ll study alongside students from other health and social care professions, such as physiotherapy, preparing you to work collaboratively with teams you’ll encounter in practice.

Placements

By the end of this course, you will have undertaken at least 1000 hours of assessed professional practice. Our dedicated therapy placement team organise this for you, giving you a range of different experiences throughout the course.

Recent placements have included occupational therapy roles in:

• NHS and private hospitals
• Adult social care
• Community mental health or learning disability teams
• Residential mental health facilities
• Postural case services
• Woodland therapy settings
• Community rehabilitation teams
• Schools, both mainstream and specialist
• Charities and businesses
• Specialist equipment suppliers and services
• Project and research-based placements

Careers

Our course is designed for graduates from a wide range of disciplines who are ready to become an Occupational Therapist. Through a blend of academic study, hands-on skills development, and real-world placements, you’ll gain the knowledge and experience needed to qualify.

As an Occupational Therapist, you can work across a wide range of environments, including:

• NHS and private healthcare facilities
• Educational settings such as schools
• Adult social care environments
• Mental health, learning disability, and postural care services
• Outdoor therapy centres
• Providers of specialist equipment and home modification services
• Individuals’ homes and within community-based services
• Charities and third sector organisations including working with people displaced by war and natural disasters

Occupational therapists focus on the unique needs of each person rather than categorising them by diagnosis or specialty. The majority of our graduates secure roles in their preferred area of practice. While many begin their careers in the NHS or social care, others pursue opportunities with charities or in private healthcare settings.

Our course is accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists, enabling you to explore career opportunities internationally as well.