Occupational Therapy

Ranked 1st in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2019, our Occupational Therapy programme aims to prepare you for your chosen career as an occupational therapist. Once you have successfully completed the programme you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as well as professional membership of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT).

With over 50 years of experience in delivering occupational therapy education, our three-year, full-time BSc (Hons) is a stimulating programme that provides the opportunity to engage in both academic study and practice-based placement learning. Our programme is approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), which means that your qualification will be recognised in around 60 countries worldwide, enhancing your opportunities for international employment.

As a qualified occupational therapist, you will work in partnership with and empower a broad spectrum of people who, for reasons of ill-health, disability, trauma or adverse social circumstances, face barriers and challenges which prevent them from undertaking the activities (or occupations) that matter to them. . You will receive close academic support from experienced personal tutors and be taught and supported by experienced staff whilst sharing ideas within a close-knit student group. An emphasis on academic study also ensures that you enter the profession as a research-capable practitioner informing current and future occupational therapy practice.

We have close working relationships with a range of service providers across Wales and you will benefit from practice placements facilitated by experienced occupational therapy educators who will help support you in becoming the best occupational therapist you can be.

A varied profile of placement experience undertaken across the three years of the programme will allow you to integrate academic theory with actual occupational therapy practice and gain insight as to the wide-ranging employment opportunities available to you upon qualification (e.g. within NHS, Local Authority, private and third sector settings). That’s why 95% of our occupational therapy graduates are in professional employment or further study six months after completing the programme (UNISTATS 2018).

Distinctive Features

The Complete University Guide (2018 & 2019) ranked Occupational Therapy at Cardiff University first in the UK, based on student satisfaction, entry standards, student-staff ratios and graduate prospects. Here are some of the key features which underpin our reputation as a provider of high-quality occupational therapy;

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Currently, a full NHS bursary, including tuition fees and a non-repayable bursary for living costs, is available for this programme providing you agree to work in Wales for two years after qualifying. (*please check updates for 2020 entry)

You will be taught by highly experienced, inter-professional staff group with extensive knowledge and expertise in the fields of occupational therapy education, management and practice.

You will have the opportunity for international mobility with partners in Sweden, Malta, Ireland and Belgium, Cardiff University has the largest number of Erasmus exchange places for occupational therapy students in the United Kingdom.

You will get to learn and practice your skills in bespoke occupational therapy facilities in the form of an activities of daily living suite which provides a realistic environment in which to develop and practise a range of practical therapeutic skills. The suite is also home to the Occupational Therapy Clinic which provides specialist assessment, treatment and advice for children with developmental disorders and offers opportunities for student involvement.