Overview
Occupational Therapy at Brunel is one of the largest, longest established and most highly regarded programmes in the world. In fact, we're the original ‘London School of Occupational Therapy’ which was founded in 1934. So if you’re positive, a motivator, good at coming up with solutions to problems and looking for a career that’s rewarding and really makes a difference to people’s lives then this could be the course for you
The Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) MSc provides a master’s level route for you to become an occupational therapist. The course integrates theory with practice. It will allow you to register with the HCPC in the UK following graduation.
It is one of the only programmes outside of the USA to be accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) Accreditation Council for OT Education (ACOTE). This means that if you graduate from our MSc Occupational Therapy Programme you will be eligible to sit the National Board for the Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam in the United States of America.
Our Mary Seacole Building is purpose-built for occupational therapy and physiotherapy. It has excellent facilities for occupational therapy including a therapeutic kitchen, gymnasium, 6 bedded hospital ward, a simulation suite and a room for exploring assistive devices. The rooms reflect the type of clinical environment that you will work in as an occupational therapist. You’ll learn your practical skills here so that you’ll be confident and experienced in time for your first placement.
Our lecturers are research and scholarship active. We are a team of educators from around the world and we have expertise in many areas of practice. We have close links with colleagues in the NHS, social services and voluntary organisations around London. This means that you’ll have the opportunity to do your 1,000 hours of practice placement at a variety of settings including some of the top hospitals in the world.
Our admissions and selection process embeds the NHS Values. These values are shaped by patients, the public and NHS staff who have helped develop the values that inspire passion in the NHS and that should underpin everything it does.
Individual organisations will develop and build upon these values, tailoring them to their local needs. The NHS values provide common ground for co-operation to achieve shared aspirations, at all levels of the NHS.
Our MSc Occupational Therapy Programme Specification
To download please click here
Our MSc Occupational Therapy Mission Statement:
To educate outstanding occupational therapists who are experts in occupation, person-centred, inclusive and evidence informed approaches with high standards of professionalism
Our MSc Occupational Therapy Programme Philosophy:
What we believe about occupation:
We believe that engagement in meaningful occupations is integral to health, well-being and quality of life across the lifespan. Participation in meaningful occupations is a key determinant of health for people, groups and populations. Each person’s occupational profile is unique and influenced by the dynamic interaction of performance patterns and skills, client factors and the context within which the occupation occurs.
What we believe about our students and how they learn:
Learners are considered partners within a democratic framework based on respect with an expectation that all engage and contribute. Student-centred learning is a foundation of the programme. This approach facilitates ownership of learning, making the process meaningful and thereby developing a commitment in each student to the educational process and to lifelong learning.
The value of the diversity and life experience that individuals, as adult learners, bring to the programme is recognized. Student centred learning facilitates the development of confident client-centred practitioners who are able to respond to and create change within practice.
As reflective practice will be central to the curriculum, it is expected that learners will use their study skills (informed by previous academic experience), personal skills and personal maturity to support these learning objectives.
The occupational therapy student will use their learning experiences to develop competence in professional skills and mastery of theoretical knowledge and the broader professional practice of the discipline.
Learners will be expected to take opportunities to reflect on their own experience of occupation. They will also be required to consider the ways in which occupational functioning can be disrupted (physically, socially, psychologically and environmentally) for/in the people with whom they come into contact during the programme and in their later professional life.
Learners will be grounded in evidence-informed practice which is fundamental to ensure service users receive the most up to date and effective care and that professional advances are incorporated as they emerge.
Learners will approach development of their professional reasoning in a considered way that draws on critical thinking and an evaluative academic approach throughout to apply knowledge, skills, expertise whilst considering service users’ values and goals to deliver optimal intervention.
They will learn to be effective consumers of research and develop a critical understanding of the research process together with how evidence both guides and augments contemporary practice.
Learners will learn about promoting public health and preventing ill health by delivering occupational therapy to groups and communities as well as individuals to bring benefit to society. This can be achieved through a tiered approach to delivering interventions at universal, targeted and specialist levels.
As newly qualified occupational therapists they will be equipped with knowledge, skills and professional behaviours and dispositions required to work and develop as competent practitioners within the changing health and social care environment.
Financial Support
Studying at University can be financially challenging so here at Brunel, we want to draw your attention to the UK Government support scheme – NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) aimed to reduce this cost burden.
This scheme is aimed primarily at British Nationals and British residents. There are some eligibility criteria to be met but basically UK students are eligible for a non-means tested grant of £5,000 for each academic year of study. More info can be found here.
This grant does not need to be paid back. Neither are you committed to working in the NHS on graduating and registering.
Please note that the application process and awarding of this grant is totally independent of the University. We are unable to advise or intervene on your behalf.
Further information including a short video can be found here.
It’s likely that all students going on clinical placements will incur some travel expenses in excess of their normal travel to and from the University. Very occasionally students may have a travel journey in excess of 2 hours each way to and from placement in which case they would be eligible to stay local to their placement during the working week which would naturally incur extra expenditure for accommodation too.
So, it’s great that UK students are eligible for reimbursement of excess travel or accommodation costs incurred due to undertaking practical training on a clinical placement. This money does not need to be paid back. Further information can be found here.
In addition to the basic Training Grant - UK students who have parental responsibility for a child may be eligible for an additional grant of £2000 for each academic year. This grant does not need to be paid back. Further information can be found here.
UK students may apply for an additional exceptional support grant of up to £3000 for each academic year. This grant does not need to be paid back. Further information can be found here.
To register for an NHS Training Grant you will need to set up a Learning Support Fund Account – which takes around 5 minutes. Click here to start the process.
And remember too that you can still apply for a re-payable student loan in addition to the NHS Training Grant.
The programme is accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the US Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)*. It is recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy.
Dean’s International Scholarship: This course is eligible for a £2,000 fee waiver, per academic year, subject to availability. This Scholarship is for full-time international students only. Find out more
We're proud that across a 3-year period (2021 - 2023), an average of 94% of our students (174/186) who started our Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) MSc have graduated;
2021: 58/62 (93%)
2022: 56/60 (93%)
2023: 60/64 (94%)
When you graduate from this programme you’ll be eligible to:
- Apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
- Sit for the US national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT**)
- Apply for membership of the British Association of Occupational Therapists/Royal College of Occupational Therapists
*This occupational therapy masters programme was re-accredited by ACOTE in April 2024 for a period of 10 years. ACOTE Address: 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. Telephone Number: (301) 652-6611.
** The results for the programme graduates who undertake the NBCOT certification examination by state (Middlesex) and program (OT Masters-Level Programmes) are available here. Please note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination or attain HCPC registration or state licensure.
You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.
Course content
Our curriculum has four threads that are build around our core focus of person centered care. Our four threads include:
- Professionalism and the evaluative occupational therapist
- Enabling occupation and advancing practice
- Evidence based practice & research
- Practice Placement
In the first year of study you’ll undertake modules from each of our four threads. You will learn about enabling occupation in older adults, working aged adults, groups & communities and in children.
We take a life-stage approach to our content on enablement. You will learn about professionalism and our professional values and spend time in our communities volunteering and learning about the nature of occupation. You will learn about research methods and approaches in order to prepare you to produce a primary research project in your second year.
To provide a balance between academic and practice placements and still meet the minimum of 1,000 hours of practice placements required by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, the curriculum particularly placement modules, extend beyond traditional term boundaries, for example over the summer periods.
You’ll develop, explore and critique the core concepts and skills of the profession. Your first year will involve a balanced mix of study with two external practice placements. You will also complete an introductory placement module will include on campus simulation to prepare you for your first external placement. You will gain feedback on your professionalism and communication before you apply these vital skills to a clinical situation.
In year two you’ll learn about leadership and explore specialties for practice. You will also learn about career development and be supported with thinking about the next steps. You will complete a primary research study which will give you experience in leading a postgraduate research project. You will complete your final placement in year two.
This course can be studied 2 years full-time, starting in September.
The below modules were approved and accredited by the RCOT in March 2023. The programme will undergo ACOTE re-accreditation in ACOTE in March 2024.
All level M modules are ‘core’, they must be taken and marks contribute to the final level of award, all placement modules are ‘compulsory’ they must be taken but do not contribute to the final level of the award. All modules must be passed
Compulsory
- OT5603 - Professionalism and the Evaluative Occupational Therapist 1: Professional knowledge, doing, being and becoming
This initial module helps post graduate students develop a critical understanding of the profession of occupational therapy and the theory that guides it, including occupational science. There is a focus on what being a professional means and analysis of why people engage in occupations to enrich their lives.
The module includes 35 hours of volunteering experience in the community, to inform evaluation and reflection about professional communication skills and evaluating the importance of engaging in occupations, alongside personal development
- OT5604 - Evidence Based Practice & Research 1
This module enables post graduate students to deepen their understanding of research methods that inform their practice and approach to academic study. It also considers critically analysis of other forms of professional evidence. Relevance to practice will be.
The learning helps post graduates translate their existing research skills to occupational therapy and ensure they are confident in finding, critiquing and applying a range of quality evidence to support their level 7 learning about occupational therapy.
- OT5606 - Enabling Occupation and Advancing Practice 1: Working with Older Adults
In this module postgraduate students start to explore and apply occupational therapy theory at M level to understanding the biological, social and psychological challenges of aging including common physical, mental health and social issues experienced by older people.
Study will support learners to develop a critical understanding of how occupational therapists work with older people and their carers, to help them maintain, build and learn new ways to engage in valued occupations both at home and in the community.
Students learn to apply a critical understanding of evidence based occupational therapy in this area and a range of practical skills that are valued by older people.
- OT5607 - Enabling Occupation and Advancing Practice 2: Working with Adults of Working Age
This is the second of three modules that aim to examine how occupational therapists work with people throughout the life cycle, here with adults of working age. It builds on, complements, and consolidates previous and concurrent learning in the programme.
The module takes an integrated approach to build appreciation of the needs of adults of working age, developing a range of further knowledge, understanding and practice skills required by effective occupational therapists and services in this area.
The module further develops understanding of the life cycle critically examining transitions within adulthood towards older age. It critically examines occupational therapy cases that highlight key aspects of adulthood and commonly seen biological, psychological and social issues that impact on occupational participation.
- OT5605 - Practice Placement 1A
This small module prepares learners for live placement settings with members of the public by ensuring they meet the necessary conduct, health and training requirements for placement.
There is a 40 hour simulated placement experience to rehearse some of the skills, examine fundamental knowledge for practice and explore the demands of working in an occupational therapy environment.
- OT5608 - Practice Placement 1B
This placement module is for learners who have succeeded in placement 1A. They will spend 4 weeks in a professional occupational therapy setting with a registered occupational therapist, who is their practice placement educator.
The placement allows learners opportunities to see and participate in occupational therapy in that setting, as well as engage with professional supervision and feedback.
- OT5609 - Practice Placement 2
Learners will spend 12 weeks in a professional occupational therapy setting with a registered occupational therapist, who is their practice placement educator.
The placement allows learners opportunities to be involved in offering occupational therapy services, apply the theory they have explored in university and work alongside people using the service, their carers and colleagues. They will engage with professional reflection, supervision and feedback.
- OT5610 - Enabling Occupation and Advancing Practice 3: Working with children and young people
This is the third of three modules that aim to examine how occupational therapists work with people throughout the life cycle, here with children and young people.
The module further develops critical understanding of the life cycle, alongside developmental transitions throughout childhood and towards adulthood. It critically examines occupational therapy cases that highlight key aspects of childhood / adolescence and commonly seen developmental, biological, psychological and social issues that impact on occupational participation.
The module aims to further develop exploration of a range of foundation sciences alongside relevant medical, psychological, sociological or developmental factors that influence and impact on occupational performance.
- OT5611 - Enabling Occupation and Advancing Practice 4: Working with groups, communities and global perspectives
This module aims to enable learners to understand the potential of human occupation to enhance wellness, public health and health promotion at a group and community level, especially at the margins of mainstream services.
The module will explore occupational science and occupational theory and apply this, along with the principles of co-production to meeting equality, diversity and inclusion goals when working at a group or community level through occupation.
Group dynamics and theories of interaction will be included to understand the complexities of engaging with multiple individuals as part of group and community working. Using a global, national, and local perspectives, learners will be encouraged to appraise how political, social, cultural and ethical drivers enable or challenge this style of working.
Compulsory
- OT5612 - Enabling Occupation and Advancing Practice 5: Specialties for Practice
In this module learners will select, analyse and critically appraise a practice specialty of interest within occupational therapy alongside opportunities for experiential work in a range of specialist skill areas.
The focus for each learner aims to reflect both their professional interests as a postgraduate learner, skill development and in depth investigation of a specialist career option available to experienced occupational therapists, as well areas of contemporary practice in national and global terms.
OT5613: Professionalism and the Evaluative Occupational Therapist (PEOT) 2: Advancing leadership and Entrepreneurial practice
In this Module learners will explore and critique leadership and innovation in health and social care from micro, meso and macro contexts. They will develop a critical understanding of the complexities of political and policy drivers that shape how health and social care is delivered, alongside the challenges of entry level practice.
The module aims to examine the complexities of working constructively alongside contemporary drivers. It will enable learners to critically evaluate their leadership and entrepreneurial potential as occupational therapists and part of a wider service delivery context as both grassroot practitioners and potential leaders of the future.
- OT5614 Professionalism and the Evaluative Occupational Therapist (PEOT) 3: Preparation for career development and professional practice
This module will enable learners to consider key dimensions in their transition from pre-registration learner to registrant occupational therapist. It will consider how the demands of professional practice change as learners move into a registrant role, reflect on accumulated strengths and needs for this transition and consider the impact of this.
There will be opportunities to consider professional aspects and expectations of becoming an occupational therapist as a pre-registration masters graduate, securing a first post, using career development opportunities, and maintaining resilience as an upstanding professional in an ever-changing landscape of service provision.
- OT5600 - The Dissertation
The Dissertation will enable postgraduate learners to engage in the research process with the support of an academic supervisor in a topic relevant to occupational therapy. The module has a substantive submission that aims to document the learner’s engagement with the conceptual and theoretical issues of M level research through designing, conducting and writing up an original research project in the format of a journal paper.
To reflect the demands of practice, learners will be given the opportunity to discuss their experience of the research process and developing skill base with both their supervisor and peers. This final research module aims to show a masterly approach to using research skills and recording the process of research enquiry at a professional academic level.
- OT5615 - Practice Placement 3
The final Placement 3 module is scheduled in year 2 at a point where learners have made a substantive inroad with their academic learning and are looking towards completion of the programme. The key aim is for learners to experience a substantive placement of 12 weeks in a contrasting setting to previous placements, to further develop and consolidate their skills, knowledge and self-management towards graduation and professional practice as an occupational therapist.
The placement aims to enable learners to demonstrate their confidence as emerging occupational therapists in a sustained and consistent manner by managing a small caseload successfully (or delegated aspects of a caseload, depending on the setting). Learners will be enabled to demonstrate their knowledge of occupational therapy and professional skills, articulate their professional reasoning in working with occupational needs to a pre-qualification level.
The final placement aims to enable learners to engage positively to facilitate change with people using services and their carers / families as well as being a cohesive, effective, and professional colleague within the occupational therapy service, when working with other disciplines and with relevant agencies.
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This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
Careers and your future
Professional Registration
After successfully completing the course you are eligible to apply for registration with the UK Health and Care Professions Council in order to practice as an occupational therapist in the UK.
You’ll be able to work in areas such as physical rehabilitation, mental health settings, with children in schools or clinics and with people with learning disabilities, based at a hospital or as part of a community re-ablement team.
As well as opportunities to work in the health and social care sector there’s also demand for occupational therapists in the voluntary sector, private practice, schools and industry.
You will also be eligible to sit the NBCOT exam in the USA via our ACOTE accreditation.
Successful completion of the programme may also provide eligibility to apply for professional registration with regulatory bodies in other countries, for example: Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and many others. For current information on the specific requirements and registration process for each country we recommend that you consult the webpages of the relevant regulatory body.
Rights to Work in the UK for International Students
International students graduating from this programme may be eligible to apply for a Health and Care Worker Visa that provides the right to work within the UK healthcare sector.
This visa also provides the right for dependants to come to the UK and exemptions from UK health insurance surcharges. Further information about the current benefits of the Health and Care Worker Visa and rules for applying can be found at the UKVI website.
Information on further visa options is available on our Post Study Work Options webpage.
UK entry requirements
Academic and Work Experience Requirements
At the time of application, you must have either completed or be predicted a UK first or 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, (any subject) with strong applicants demonstrating a science profile (health and social care experience relevant to OT) and evidence of informed insight into the profession of occupational therapy. In addition, you should have relevant work experience at the time you apply across one year or more. This could be gained through employment, work shadowing or voluntary work. Relevant work experience should be gained in health or social care, rehabilitation, teaching, teaching assistant, working with people with disabilities or at risk populations, and should give you a good understanding of the work of an occupational therapist.
Applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree in a subject relevant to occupational therapy (for example Biology, Psychology, Human Sciences and Sociology) will also be considered. However, in addition, you should have 3 years relevant work experience. This should be gained through working in a health or social care setting relevant to occupational therapy.
Those who have already completed a degree in Occupational Therapy overseas but wish to do this also in the UK, must first apply for accreditation with the Health Care and Professionals Council (HCPC) to practice as an Occupational Therapist in the UK before making an application for this course. If your application is denied we would encourage you to submit an application for this programme attaching evidence of your unsuccessful HCPC application. We will then refer your application to the tutor for consideration. If your application for accreditation is successful, unfortunately we will not be able to consider your application as we’re not able to accept qualified Occupational Therapists onto the course. If you are able to obtain HCPC registration for the UK but would like to apply to study an MSc post registration at Brunel, we would like to hear from you. Please see: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/advanced-clinical-practice-occupational-therapy-pgcert-pgdip-and-msc If you would like to study a PhD at Brunel please see: https://www.brunel.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/phd-occupational-therapy*
Sometimes graduates may have relevant academic or work experience that duplicates some of the learning requirements of the programme, and use this experience for the University’s Recognition of Prior Learning / Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning scheme. As this programme is subject to accreditation by the USA regulatory body ACOTE, this programme will not accept applications for Recognition of Prior Learning / Recognition of Prior Certificated Learning. This also means this programme will not accept mid-way transfers from another health-related or professional programmes.
Personal statement
Candidates must submit a personal statement that address each of these 3 questions. Each response to the questions should be up to, and no more than 300 words in total. Please submit all 3 statements on one word document and use the questions as subheadings in your statement.
- What is your understanding of the uniqueness of occupational therapy? i.e How is it different to other health care professions.
- Why do you want to enter the occupational therapy profession?
- At Brunel University London we value social justice, which is about fair access to opportunities, resources, privileges, and wealth. We recognise that as therapists, students, co-workers, and community members, we all have a responsibility to stand against social injustice. What is your understanding of social justice and how can you stand against social injustices as an occupational therapist?
Selection
Applicants will be invited to attend an online interview with an academic member of the OT team for September 2024 entry.
The deadline to apply for this programme is Friday 28th June 2024. Applications received after this date may not be considered.
Applicants can apply for the next entry point only. If you receive an offer and would like to defer your offer to the following entry point to the one you have applied for, you should put your request in writing to the Admission Office.
They will then liaise with the Admissions Tutors for the course and let you know the outcome. You should have a strong reason for wanting to defer and we regret that we are not able to guarantee that we can accommodate this request.
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) requirements
Please note: This course may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, also known as regulated activity. Where this is the case, students are required to complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) application (previously known as a CRB check). The application currently costs £46.17 for applicants in the UK and £57.17 for anyone outside of the UK, but this is subject to change. For the most up to date information please visit the Home office website.
A satisfactory health declaration is required.
EU and International entry requirements
If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.
English language requirements
- IELTS: 7 (min 6.5 in all areas)
- Pearson: 64 (59 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 68% (63% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 98 (min 23 in all areas)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2024/25 entry
International
£23,615 full-time
UK
£9,250 full-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
The course comprises practical sessions and seminars supported by lectures as well as preparation tasks that you'll need to complete before attending practical sessions / seminars.
Practical sessions and seminars will be on-campus to allow in-person demonstration of practical skills, equipment and assessment tools, as well as practising the taught content. On-campus work will also be necessary for you to enhance your group-working and interpersonal skills.
There will be a combination of online pre-recorded and live online or on-campus lectures. Online and pre-recorded lectures will allow the opportunity for external international or home speakers to deliver content and will also enable you to watch the lectures in your own time and at the frequency and pace that suits your learning needs. Live lectures will also be used when there is a need for simultaneous teaching and practising of the taught material.
You'll also complete online tasks and learning as self-guided study at your own time and pace. These activities will be part of the necessary preparation prior to seminars and lectures to facilitate the acquisition of deeper knowledge and understanding of the study block content.
As this programme is intended to prepare you to work as a healthcare professional, you are expected to attend 100% of the learning sessions, just as you would when at work.
Coursework will be submitted via Wiseflow. There is a range of assessments including written reports and essays, presentations and practical exams. Practical exams will be on-campus in-person invigilated exams.
Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.
We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.
You’ll be taught by lecturers who are still active in their field and have close links with colleagues in the NHS, social service and voluntary organisations around London. This means that you’ll have the opportunity to go to some of the top hospitals in the world such as the National Hospital for Neurology at Queens Square and Imperial Hospital. You’ll also benefit from their up-to-date practical expertise.
At Brunel we have an impressive record of research, innovation and many of our lecturers have produced publications in the field. You’ll benefit first hand from their leading-edge findings and this will form part of your course.
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.
Assessment and feedback
The University term structure allows the student to have assessments spread across the academic year to assist learning.
In order to promote independent learning, a variety of authentic assessment methods are used reflecting the skills and demands needed to be a qualified occupational therapist such as writing professional reports and reflections, presentations, academic posters, practical skills assessments, placement reports and a research dissertation. These assessments are designed to not only reflect master’s level academic requirements, but also professional skills in preparation for practice.
At the beginning of each you’ll be provided with the assessment schedule, including assessment and feedback dates. This will be provided verbally and in the programme handbook.
Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.
