Occupational Therapy MOccTh

Queen Margaret University

Living, not existing – that’s a primary objective for the profession. As an occupational therapist, you will work with individuals, groups and communities to foster participation in the aspects of life that people need, want and have to do. This course is your first step towards a rewarding and diverse healthcare career with excellent employment prospects.

On this course you will explore how to provide practical support to empower people, facilitate health and wellbeing, and help identify and respond to barriers that prevent people from doing what really matters to them.

You will learn a wide range of transferable personal and professional skills – understanding why and how people engage in occupation and what might disrupt patterns of occupation; critically engaging with knowledge and evidence that informs the profession; collaborating with services to address needs of their communities. You will also develop an appreciation of how individual’s lives can be shaped by society including environments, history, or systems and how these factors can impact on health. You will learn through a variety of approaches including interactive lectures, workshops, group work and self-directed learning. Practical placements are a key element of the course, giving you the opportunity to translate your learning into practice and to work with a wide range of services and populations. There is a practice placement offered in each of the four years, and in total you will complete 31 weeks of full time practice-based education.

In Year One you will study a range of modules that provide you with the knowledge and concepts that are foundational to occupational therapy practice. You will be introduced to different perspectives on occupation and its centrality in everyday life, as well as its relationship with health and wellbeing. You will also develop skills in communication, information technology and academic study skills.

In Year Two you will focus on occupational therapy processes (assessment, goal setting, intervention, evaluation) with individuals and communities. You will explore disruption and deprivation of occupation (personal and contextual factors), across the life span. Aspects of public health and health promotion will be introduced and revisited in the later years.

During Year Three you will critically explore issues related to practice, theories and systems. You will also study the social construction and complexity of knowledge and practice. You will develop further understanding of leadership, practice development and innovation in thinking and action.

Year Four consolidates your master’s-level learning opportunities and builds upon your previous knowledge and practice experiences in diverse and changing contexts. This year will include community partnership working, project development and deepening leadership skills.

Interprofessional learning and working is an integral part of professional practice and will be incorporated throughout the course.