Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) MSc

This 2 year accelerated course will prepare you for a career as an occupational therapist. Our use of problem-based learning will support you to become an autonomous learner, global in your outlook, socially responsible and self aware. Upon completion you can seek professional registration. Both the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) accredit this course.

As part of the course, you will:

• Undertake at least 1000 hours of varied clinical practice. These could include health, social care, education or third sector placements. A registered occupational therapist will supervise all clinical practice.
• Consider the complex relationships between occupation, health and wellbeing. You will learn to critique the application of occupational therapy practice models and occupational science.
• Develop the ability to carry out occupational therapy assessments and interventions. In doing so, you will enable people with a range of difficulties to fully engage in their everyday life.

How you will study

You must study this postgraduate course full time.

The course will take 2 years to complete.

In your first year you will study:

• 6 compulsory taught modules
• 2 clinical placements

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Year 2

In your first year you will study:

• 5 compulsory taught modules
• 2 clinical placements

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

Your contact time will usually be 12-18 hours per week, between 9:00am and 8:00pm, Monday to Friday. This course will be delivered using problem-based learning (PBL), a philosophy and overarching approach to learning and teaching.

There will usually be a new problem to solve every 2 weeks. At the start and end of this period, you will take part in PBL tutorials. Your days will be a combination of 2 of the following:

• Independent study
• PBL tutorials
• Options and skills sessions
• Fixed resource sessions

Problem based learning sessions enable teaching staff to give continuous feedback related to your performance, execution of tasks and quality of the work produced.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

You will undertake at least 1000 hours of clinical practice in a variety of areas. These could include health, social care, education or third sector. A registered occupational therapist will supervise all clinical practice.

Assessment types vary from module to module. Some of your assessments might include:

• Portfolios
• Presentations
• Oral exams
• Research or service evaluation proposals
• Research articles
• Service evaluation reports

There will also be other assessments that do not count towards your final grade but are an important part of developing your work. For each assessment you will have the chance to talk to a tutor about your work before submission. Each assessment will be marked and returned with feedback so you can improve your academic writing.

Qualifications

You would normally require a degree in a related subject of science, social sciences and/or healthcare and experience of undergraduate level research, including undertaking a project or dissertation. If you have an honours degree in a subject not covered above but related to occupational therapy, and are able to evidence significant academic or experience in health, social care and/or education, your application may still be considered.

If you have previously been enrolled in an Occupational Therapy Pre-registration degree or any other health professional education course you must submit a self declaration confirming that there are no previous fitness to practice concerns. This is a requirement of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

Additional requirements

Admission to the course is dependent upon the following selection processes and criteria:

• Personal statement
• Satisfactory DBS
• Medical report
• Declaration of any convictions, cautions or allegations
• Insight into the occupational therapy profession
• Evidence of study within the last 5 years

Interview

You will need to attend an interview for this course.

International students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 7.0 (with no skill below 6.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you can't meet these minimum requirements it may be possible to take into account evidence of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) as an alternative method of meeting the programme’s entry requirements. In such a case, appropriate references and records of employment might be presented to support the applicant’s case for admission.

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2024 - 2025 academic year is £9,250 for full time study.

This cost applies to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Funding your studies

If you live in England, you can use the same student loans system as undergraduate students to pay for this course.

When applying for funding, you will need to:

• Apply as an undergraduate student
• Find your course by searching MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg), SLC code 954411 when making your finance application.

If you live in Wales or Scotland, you will need to apply for a Postgraduate Master's Loan.

When applying for this type of funding you will need to:

• Apply as a postgraduate student
• Find your course by searching MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Reg), SLC code 954411 when making your finance application.

You can find out more about this loan and how to apply by following the link below to our funding opportunities page.

Funding opportunities

Tuition fees

NHS Learning Support Fund

If you apply for this course, you might be eligible for additional financial support from the NHS. Visit their website to find out more about eligibility criteria and what you can receive.

Learning Support Fund

International 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for this postgraduate course in the 2024 - 2025 academic year is £18,400 for full time study.

This price applies to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Occupational Therapy take you?

Successful graduates holding our Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) MSc qualification are entitled to apply for registration to practice and become practicing Occupational Therapists. This clinical skills developed on this course will give you an advantage in the health and social care industry. As a working professional, you may wish to further your development and become an advanced practitioner, specialising in a specific field of therapy.

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £6,500 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2022)

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.

Student and alumni achievements

Laura Johnson, graduated 2019
Received the Early Researcher Prize from the Royal College of Occupational Therapists

Laura was drawn to Occupational Therapy while working in the care sector alongside an amazing Occupational Therapist who empowered people to live well with disability, following illness, or in old age. While studying at York St John University, Laura focused her MSc research on the ‘the dark side of occupation’. Laura realised that not only was there misunderstanding around this topic, but it also posed complex ethical questions for the profession. She hopes her research can further shine a light on the importance of occupational therapists being supported to work with a diverse range of people and their equally diverse occupations.

Jo Johnson, graduated 2018
Jointly authored a paper published in Research in Education

Jo worked alongside staff on a Student as Researcher’s project while studying for her Occupational Therapy MSc. As a result of this she has been published as a joint author of the article:

Vincent, J., Rowe, H., and Johnson, J. (2021) Parity of Participation for Autistic Students: Mapping Provision Across UK Higher Education Institutions. Research in Education.