Occupational Therapy BSc students starting this September: Your Welcome Week starts on  20 September which includes a number of on-campus and online inductions which all students are expected to attend to ensure success on this course. We will send you a full itinerary of welcome week activities towards the end of August. It will also be published on the university website. It is important that you attend Welcome Week as we’ll be giving you more information about the programme as well as introducing you to our academic team, your personal tutor and your fellow Occupational Therapy students. Teaching begins 27 September on campus.

The human body is amazing but when things go wrong, either mentally or physically, people often aren’t able to do activities that matter to them. What are the barriers to activity? Are there ways to overcome these barriers? These are the questions you’ll be finding the answers to as an Occupational Therapist.

At Brunel you’ll be integrating theory with practice. You’ll learn to examine the physical, psychological and contextual aspects of a patient. This can be from the acute stage through to the general rehabilitation in the community. You’re encouraged to be creative in your approach and to develop ways to solve their problems. For instance you could be helping someone who has had an amputation to use a wheelchair and identifying ways to have their kitchen adapted. On the course you’ll be encouraged to use your own skills and hobbies to aid rehabilitation. This can be anything from art or music to hair braiding.

You’ll learn to use research and literature and to look at evidence to help your understanding of a patient’s condition. Eventually you’ll learn the skills to create your own research.

Brunel is ranked first in London for Occupational Therapy in The Complete University Guide 2019. 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 is the course for you.

The NHS Values are shaped by patients, public and staff have helped develop this expression of 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.

After graduating you are eligible to apply for registration with the UK Health and Care Professions Council in order to practise as an occupational therapist. 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 reablement 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. Some graduates go on to become case managers, expert witnesses, work with engineers to design equipment or start up their own business or private practice.

In your final year the Professional Practice module covers essential areas such as continuing professional development, preparing for interviews and developing a personal statement designed to help you make strong job applications.