Occupational Therapy

What Is Occupational Therapy? Who Is It For? Course Structure Student Experience Ability Awareness For Children

Course Overview

Occupational Therapy is an interesting and rewarding career. Occupational Therapists aim to enable people to participate in the activities of everyday life. As an Occupational Therapist you will work in partnership with individuals, families and communities to enable them to participate more fully in their daily ‘occupations’. ‘Occupation’ is the term used to describe all the ways in which we occupy our time – the tasks and activities essential for daily life – washing, dressing, feeding and moving around, as well as the more complex areas of working, leisure, socialising and managing finances and home. Illness, trauma or social disadvantage can result in difficulties in these areas. Occupational Therapists design and deliver intervention programmes to address these difficulties. They also work with individuals and groups to adapt daily life activities to promote better health, prevent ill-health and maintain health and flourishing as much as possible.

As an Occupational Therapist, you could work in a large variety of settings and with many different individuals and groups. Occupational Therapists work in hospitals, primary care, community care, rehabilitation services, disability network teams, schools, industry, academia, healthcare management and administration, community/voluntary organisations and in private practice. They work across the lifespan from neo-natal services to older age and across all types of health and social concerns – from specialist neuro-rehabilitation to primary care, to mental health and to homelessness services. The BSc (Occupational Therapy) programme at the University of Galway will prepare you for wherever you wish your career in Occupational Therapy to take you.

In the programme, you will study modules relating to the structures and functioning of the human body and mind (such as Anatomy, Physiology and Psychology). You will have specialist Occupational Therapy modules in many different areas of practice (such as Physical Disability, Paediatrics, Older Adults, Neurology and Mental Health). You will learn how to provide a high-quality, evidence-based healthcare service through modules in Management, Evidence-Based Practice, Research and Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy.

Our WFOT accredited and CORU regulated programme includes over 1000 hours of Practice Education, where you will spend time in healthcare settings under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist. Your four placements will be in different healthcare areas across the country and you will get experience in all the key areas of practice.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Course Outline

This course explores how difficulties in relation to physical or mental health can affect occupation (i.e. daily activities) in all groups of people – children, adolescents, adults and older adults. The course also explores how the social and physical environment can hinder or support people to live full lives and how daily activities can be health-promoting. Throughout the four years of the programme, students will have the opportunity to take part in interdisciplinary learning with other healthcare students and learn from community partners and those with lived experience of health challenges.

Year 1

In the first year of the programme, students will gain a basic understanding of the human body and psychology and will be introduced to the theoretical background of Occupational Therapy. Students will have an opportunity to practice some key occupational therapy skills in the areas of mental health and physical disability in a classroom setting.

Year 2

In the second year of the programme, students will develop their understanding of the human body and mind further, with additional modules in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. They will be introduced to occupational therapy practice in the areas of paediatrics and intellectual disability. They also learn about structures and systems affecting how people can participate in daily life through modules in occupational science and social policy. Students will have their first long placement in Semester 2 of 2^nd year.

Year 3

In the 3^rd year of the programme, students will engage in different methods of learning, moving towards more group-based and self-directed project work. Students work on community-led projects and learn about specialist areas of practice such as cognitive neuropsychology and neuropsychological rehabilitation. They also learn about research methods, evidence-based practice and how to work with older adults and their families. Students will again have a placement in Semester 2.

Year 4

The final year of the programme moves students towards being occupational therapy practitioners. There are two placements in Semester 1, giving students excellent experience as they prepare for their career. Students work alongside a supervisor to plan, implement and report an individual research project and they learn important skills in management and professional development.  

In the first Year of the programme, students will gain a basic understanding of the human body, psychology and be introduced to the concepts of enabling occupation. These concepts will be developed further in the second year of the programme, with an additional focus on neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.

In years three and four of the programme, students will develop their research skills and evidence based practice. They will learn to analyse, report and present on case studies. In addition to this, year four of the programme prepares future graduates for active engagement in occupational therapy practice. Students will review current health care strategies and policies and learn about continuing their professional development once they graduate from the programme.

Further Education

Students may continue further study in the following programmes at the Discipline of Occupational Therapy in the University of Galway:

• Structured PhD Occupational Therapy - Full-time or part-time
• MPhil Health Sciences – Occupational Therapy - Full time or part-time

Students will be eligible to register with the Health and Social Care Professionals Regulator (CORU) as soon as they graduate.

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

Fees: Tuition

Fees: Student Contribution

Fees: Student levy

Fees: Non EU

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