MSc - Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration)

How you will learn

The content of the programme is based on national and international standards for pre-registration education, including those developed by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (COT 2014; WFOT 2016). This ensures a global perspective and you will be supported to access international placements if this is your particular interest. Global perspectives of Occupational Therapy are embedded into the module content throughout the duration of the programme and you will develop your knowledge of population needs and priorities on an international level. The programme also has links with international Occupational Therapy programmes. Additionally, the departmental enrichment programme provides opportunities for you to learn about international perspectives and Occupational Therapy practice.

This programme incorporates blended learning strategies, which will develop mastery of pedagogy, as well as mastery of professional skills. As a graduate, you arrive with existing graduate skills and abilities which we will enhance on this master’s programme so that you display a mastery of occupational therapy knowledge by the end of the programme. Both flipped classroom and team-based learning approaches promote deep learning and are utilised in this programme to engage student learning. 

Experiential learning is a key part of the learning process. This is carried out on practice placements, as well as within the classroom, learning sets and independent learning activities. By sharing practice placement experiences, case studies, simulated work experiences and role-play scenarios, you will be able to practice professional skills, apply theory to practice and evidence-based practice, as well as develop critical thinking, reflection and problem-solving skills. These learning strategies are crucial for the development of professional socialisation and preparing you for the workplace. Professional values are an integral part of developing a professional identity and this is also embedded within the learning and teaching approach used.

Further opportunities to prepare you for practice are provided by inter-professional learning sessions, where you will be working with other health professional students to explore professional roles and settings. This will be done through joint enrichment sessions, shared research modules, practice placement preparation, designated block weeks and one-off days, to enhance your understanding and learning.

How you will be assessed

Summative and Formative Assessment

The assessments have been designed to provide a creative and balanced strategy across the programme. The aim is to assess not only academic level but to also include authentic assessments that demonstrate the professional skills required for practice. This provides a range of engaging and increasingly challenging opportunities, which not only test the validity of the programme learning outcomes but are also relevant to the needs of the workplace.

All written assessments will be marked anonymously, and feedback will be provided within 20 working days. This allows you time to consolidate your feedback, prior to beginning the next semester's modules, and enables your success. This also avoids the bunching of submission deadlines.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessments are developmental and aim to support learning and help prepare you for the summative assessment. In all cases, this will be an integral part of the assessment process and will provide feedback for you to build upon. Some examples are provided below:

• A review of a 500-word patch as part of a 3000-word portfolio with mentor and peers.
• Discussion of the outline plan for a 30-minute summative oral presentation of a business plan.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment aims to enable students to demonstrate their learning at the end of each module and must be passed to complete the programme. The summative assessments have been organised in such a way as to provide a practicable workload. The focus will be on two modules per semester, which will be developmental in nature. The first two modules in the first year will be introductory, the second two modules will develop the concepts further. In the second year, you will become increasingly independent and creative in your thinking and this is reflected in the assessment process.

Examples of 1st Year Assessments

• A 20-minute video, which will incorporate several of the module’s learning outcomes, and will provide a practical component. This will be produced as a group. There will also be an individual written critical evaluation.
• An individual viva about an aspect of clinical practice. This emulates practice situations where Occupational Therapists may need to answer questions, justify their decisions, and demonstrate professional communication skills. From an academic perspective, this encourages you to practice discussing work in a critical way, consideration of the evidence, which supports your clinical reasoning, as well as meeting level 7 requirements. This also develops the skills expected of graduates as outlined by the professional body (COT, 2016).

Examples of 2nd Year Assessments

• An oral presentation of a business plan for an emerging Occupational Therapy service. This will develop your critical thinking, ability to articulate the role of the Occupational Therapist, and ability to cost the service. It will also increase your awareness of leadership, change management and management skills. Research has suggested that business and management skills are crucial for the future development of the profession (Jackson, 2015; Rastrick 2017). This has also been emphasised by the professional body (COT, 2016). This type of assessment is therefore authentic and relevant to the needs of the workplace and allows you to practice essential skills for the future.
• You will be required to work in a group to design, plan, implement and evaluate an Occupational Therapy intervention for a defined client group. Different aspects of the intervention will be assessed, including the planning stage. There will also be an individual 1500-word portfolio to evaluate the group working process. This module encourages professional skills such as team working, communication, evidence based practice, decision-making, problem solving, reflection, developing a professional identity, leadership and management skills. It also requires critical discussion and critical thinking both collaboratively and independently, which helps to develop mastery of the learning process (QAA, 2010).

Tuition Fees

2024 - 2025

• £9,250 - UK
• £16,400 - International

The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs.

Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible.

International Finance

At the University of Cumbria, we offer affordable tuition fees for international and EU students looking to study at one of our main four campuses. No matter your choice of course or career path, our International Team is here to support you.

Funding

You may also be eligible for additional funding through the NHS Learning Support Fund.

If you're eligible, you can get access to:

• A Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year
• Parental Support of £2,000, if you have at least one dependent child under 15 years, or under 17 years if registered with special educational needs
• Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses
• Exceptional Support Fund (Students experiencing financial hardship)

For more information on the Learning Support Fund please visit the Learning Support Fund Page.

For further funding information, please visit our .

Additional Costs

There will be some additional costs. For example all students will need to purchase stationery and may wish to purchase some text books. Extra costs may also be applicable to cover field trips, membership fees etc. although such features are usually options within the course.

Books are reviewed annually and are therefore subject to change, course welcome information will provide you with an indicative list for the year.

Books and Journals

Students need to spend approximately £100-£200 a year on textbooks and scripts although this cost can be reduced considerably by sourcing second-hand copies of books. Texts we will be using in Semester 1 include some of the following, but you do not need to purchase these prior to commencing the programme. Tutors will make recommendations about buying books within module sessions at the commencement of Semester 1. Boyd, D. & Bee, H.L. (2015) Lifespan development /. Seventh edition, Global edition. Boston, [Massachusetts] :, Pearson,. Christiansen, C. & Townsend, E.A. (2014) Introduction to occupation [electronic resource] : the art of science and living /. Second edition. Harlow :, Pearson Education,. Cole, M.B. (2012) Group dynamics in occupational therapy : the theoretical basis and practice application of group intervention /. 4th ed. Thorofare, N.J. :, Slack. College of Occupational Therapists (2015) Code of ethics and professional conduct. [Online].

Stationery

Students should budget for stationery and consumables for your own personal use. This should include notebooks, pens and pencils for taking notes in class and/or in the field. Students should also budget for the purchase of USB pen drives, as well as occasional printing and photocopying costs incurred in the preparation or submission of coursework. Whilst you will choose how much you need, expect to pay around £30 - £40 per year for these items.

Clothing and Equipment

The University provides 3 tunics/polo shirts, 2 pairs of trousers and 1 fleece. If you require additional pieces of uniform, you will need to purchase this yourself. Some placements require specific footwear such as black lace-up shoes and some require you to wear smart casual clothing and not uniforms. You will be required to take part in practical sessions at university and will need clothing suitable for these. They require loose clothing that you can move easily in but ensure that you remain covered including a Tracksuit or jogging bottoms, a plain polo shirt or t-shirt, trainers or shoes with non-slip soles.

Field Trips

You may wish to attend a conference (optional not part of the course) again the costs vary and depend on whether you go to a one day or several days events, the costs will vary depending on where the venues are and the cost of accommodation you choose. With conference fees, travel and accommodation you will need to budget from anywhere between £250 and £750.

Other

Practice Placements will incur costs and you need to plan for this in your annual budget. Typically, these costs are for travel and, if necessary, accommodation to access placement. Costs of several hundred pounds can be expected and on exception over £1000 per year. You may claim placement travel expenses, and costs towards any additional accommodation that may be required to access placements. Currently, the NHS provides some reimbursement of additional placement costs to eligible students through the learning support fund. More information about this can be found at: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/learning-support-fund/about-learning-support-fund If you are required to stay away from home overnight to access placements you will have to pay for this in advance although some accommodation expenses can be reclaimed. The cost will depend on the site of the placement and if on-site hospital accommodation is available.