• Skip to content
  • Skip to footer
  • Accessibility options
University of Brighton
  • About us
  • Business and
    employers
  • Alumni and
    supporters
  • For
    students
  • For
    staff
  • Accessibility
    options
Open menu
Home
Home
  • Close
  • Study
    • Courses and subjects
    • Find a course
    • A-Z course list
    • Explore our subjects
    • Academic departments
    • Visiting the university
    • Explore: get to know us
    • Upcoming events
    • Virtual tours
    • Chat to our students and staff
    • Open days
    • Applicant days
    • Order a prospectus
    • Ask a question
    • Studying here
    • Accommodation and locations
    • Applying
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Transferring from another university
    • The Student Contract
    • Clearing
    • International students
    • Fees and finance
    • Advice and help
    • Advice for students
    • Advice for parents and carers
    • Advice for schools and teachers
    • Managing your application
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Apprenticeships
  • Research
    • Research and knowledge exchange
    • Research and knowledge exchange organisation
    • The Global Challenges
    • Centres of Research Excellence (COREs)
    • Research Excellence Groups (REGs)
    • Our research database
    • Information for business
    • Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP)
    • Postgraduate research degrees
    • PhD research disciplines and programmes
    • PhD funding opportunities and studentships
    • How to apply for your PhD
    • Research environment
    • Investing in research careers
    • Strategic plan
    • Research concordat
    • News, events, publications and films
    • Research and knowledge exchange news
    • Inaugural lectures
    • Research and knowledge exchange publications and films
    • Academic staff search
  • About us
  • Business and employers
  • Alumni, supporters and giving
  • Current students
  • Staff
  • Accessibility
Search our site
Photo of students relaxing in a pottery class.

Occupational Therapy BSc(Hons)

  • Intro
  • Course
    content
  • Careers
  • Entry
    criteria
  • Fees
  • Location
  • Stay in
    touch
  • Related

Intro

Occupational therapists help people to maintain or rebuild their lives physically and psychologically, and to use activity to retain their independence.

As an occupational therapist, you will work with people who are unable to lead full lives for various reasons. These might be essential everyday skills such as dressing, eating and cooking, or the aspects of life that define us, such as our jobs, leisure interests and relationships.

This accredited part-time course gives you everything you need to qualify and practise as an occupational therapist. A practical approach to learning means that you will apply your knowledge to solve real-world case scenarios in clinical settings.

You will develop practical skills in our Daily Living Suite and specialist rooms that are equipped for creative arts and crafts such as pottery.

A focus on interdisciplinary learning enriches your experience while preparing you for the reality of professional practice. Many students on the course are already working in health and social care, but we also welcome applicants with transferable experience from other backgrounds.

This course is also available as a degree apprenticeship for students who are employed in a healthcare setting.

Key facts

Location Eastbourne

UCAS code Apply direct to the university

Part-time 4–6 years

Approved by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

Book your place: Eastbourne campus open day

See all of our upcoming events

Closed for 2022

This course is closed for applications for 2022 entry. UCAS opens for 2023 applications in May 2022.

10th in the UK for health professions courses

Guardian University Guide 2022

Course content

Course structure

This part-time programme runs over 4–6 years. You will attend classes on campus two days per week, 32 weeks per year. Within those 32 weeks you will also complete seven or eight weeks of full-time practice placement in each year of the course. You should also expect to spend 20 hours per week (on average) on course-related independent study during term time. 

The innovative curriculum uses a problem-based learning approach, where you will examine real-life scenarios in small groups with a tutor. This type of education has been found to deepen understanding and promote lifelong learning. You will practice a variety of creative skills, for example in arts and crafts, cooking, ceramics, and horticulture.

You will study in a shared cohort with students on our Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship.

Making sure that what you learn with us is relevant, up to date and what employers are looking for is our priority, so courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis. When you have applied to us, you’ll be told about any new developments through Student View.

Occupational therapy students

Syllabus


Year 1

Modules

  • Human Occupation

    This module will introduce you to professional standards of practice, the study of occupational science, the theories and practice of occupational therapy, and will also help you to develop skills inactivity analysis, study skills, and computer skills.

  • Beginning Practice

    This module will provide you with the opportunity to observe an occupational therapy service that you're not already familiar with. You will observe the occupational therapists at work, including the therapeutic process, and team meetings. You may also have opportunities to assist in the occupational therapy process if appropriate, and interview service users to find out more about the experience of occupational loss in this setting.

  • Assessing Occupational Capacities 1

    The in-depth study of the occupational therapy process begins. Although the whole procedure will be considered, focus will be on the theory and strategies of the first phase - the assessment of occupational risk factors -and on some causes of occupational loss. You will develop your communication skills, and demonstrate how you can use these to develop a rapport with a client, carry out an interview, and reflect on the interview and your interview skills.

  • Assessing Occupational Capacities 2

    In this module study of the occupational therapy process continues with in-depth focus on the theory and strategies of assessment of occupational risk factors and occupational performance. Valid and reliable assessment measures now play a larger and more formal part in evaluating practice and in research. You will consider the clinical reasoning that facilitates this initial collaborative phase between service-user and therapist.

  • Novice Practice

    This six-week placement occurs at the end of year one and will enable you to develop confidence in working with service users and reinforce your assessment skills. With assistance, you will develop the ability to assess and identify occupational issues, on which to base principles of intervention.

Year 2

  • Maximising Occupational Participation 1
  • Maximising Occupational Participation 2
  • Occupational Therapy in Teams
  • Intermediate Practice

Year 3

  • Evaluating Therapeutic Occupations 1
  • Occupational Therapy in Diverse Settings
  • Diverse Practice
  • Evaluating Therapeutic Occupations 2

Year 4

  • Competent Practice
  • Person-centred Occupational Therapy
  • Achieving Best Practice 1
  • Achieving Best Practice 2
Occupational therapy students in a skills class

Facilities

Practical skills rooms and Daily Living Suite

Practical skills rooms are equipped so that students can learn and practise practical skills with each other before working with patients and clients. 

As an occupational therapy student, you will make full use of our Daily Living Suite. This room is furnished like a flat with kitchen, bedroom and bathroom facilities, allowing you to practice activities of daily living in a realistic environment. In addition the kitchen area is used for cookery skills and other specialist rooms are equipped for the creative arts and crafts taught as part of the occupational therapy curriculum with its focus on health through occupation.

Other newly developed resources include our new simulated ward learning environment.

Occupational health daily living suite Click image to view a virtual tour of our OT facilities.

Problem-based learning

Our educational philosophy mirrors the philosophy of occupational therapy. We believe that an individual's positive engagement in (learning) activity leads to advanced productivity, increased perception of self worth, improved quality of life and enjoyment (of the course).

Our occupational therapy courses use problem-based learning (PBL), a technique recommended by authorities around the world. All subjects covered are integrated around problem-solving within a real life situation. We find that learning in this way significantly increases our students' engagement with the subjects.

The pre-registration occupational therapy programmes incorporate the experience of doing and making, in order to engage with, analyse and develop skill in therapeutic media. We have creativity studios for cooking, ceramics, crafts, and performing arts, and we have developed gardens for the practice of horticulture.

Around the world, many academic courses in occupational therapy are losing this aspect of their education, to give over more time to ‘theory’, but here at the University of Brighton we believe that it is vital to retain these embodied learning experiences – which utterly link theory and practice – as they are central to the understanding of the true essence and potential of occupation. Recent research has revealed the connection between skilled hand use and the development of thinking. As one student, who could not imagine a course without these sessions, said “how can we learn about doing without doing?” These classes are central to the philosophy of our occupational therapy education at Brighton and they have become one of its hallmarks.

Occupational therapy students

About the profession

Occupational therapists work with individuals and their families to identify where change is needed. The individual might not be able to feed or dress himself independently if he can only use one hand following a stroke, or they may be too depressed to get out of bed to go to work.

They try to discover what the impediments are, and how the person might be able to resolve them practically.This often involves demonstrating new techniques that allow the individual to undertake everyday activities independently again.

Alternatively, occupational therapists might introduce new activities, such as cooking or pottery, for the individual to find enjoyment or improve their self-confidence.

Occupational therapists believe that humans are creative beings who thrive when engaged in a balanced range of enjoyable activities. They seek to understand peoples' motivations and needs and try to match activities to a person's existing skills.

Activity analysis exposes that although the things people do may seem deceptively simple, human occupations are actually incredibly complicated.

Occupational therapy is the study of what people do, how they do things, the effect these activities have on human health, and the reasons why people choose to do what they do (the meaning behind the doing).

The videos here show students Rhys Philips and Troy Croxton, in the role of Occupational Therapy Support Workers explaining how occupational therapy helps people live meaningful lives and carry out activities of importance to them. 

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.

Two students explain how they mix practical experience with their degree in occupational therapy.

Please enable targeting cookies in order to view this video content on our website, or you can watch the video on YouTube.

Rhys and Troy, fourth year students, talk about how they became interested in occupational therapy.

Practice placements

What are practice placements and why are they necessary?
You will undertake five placements of between two and eight weeks, working alongside an occupational therapist in a practice setting.

Placements make up approximately one third of the course and meet the World Federation of Occupational Therapists requirement that all students complete a minimum of 1000 hours supervised practice. This enables you to acquire an understanding of the centrality of occupation in human life and the possibility of transformation through occupation.

Placements provide opportunities for you to develop your professionalism, knowledge and skills under the guidance of an occupational therapist. Your skill development might be related to many areas of practice including group work, creative activities, mobility, communication, and the use of technology.

What type of placement?
You will practice in many different settings including the National Health Service, social care organisations, schools, the voluntary sector, hospital in-patient settings, community settings and mental health services.

Where are the placements?
Placements take place across the South-East of England, including Kent, Sussex, Surrey and South London. It may be necessary for you to travel up to 90 mins or to stay away from home.

What support can students expect?
We provide preparation sessions in advance and a practice educator will support you on placement. We select your first two-week placement, than you can provide your preferred options (not guaranteed). If you have commitments outside of university, such as childcare, we will try and accommodate (not guaranteed). A tutor will visit or call you and your practice educator half way through the placement to discuss your progress.

Meet the team

David Haines, course leader

David joined the School of Sport and Health Sciences as a senior lecturer in 2006 and teaches on our undergraduate and postgraduate occupational therapy courses. He is now Principal Lecturer and Course Leader of the Occupational Therapy BSc(Hons).

David trained as an occupational therapist at the University of Brighton (1998–2000) and then worked in community learning disability teams in Sussex, Surrey and south London and in the therapy department at St John's College, Brighton.

Read David's full academic profile.

David Haines

Channine Clarke, academic lead

"I am the Academic Lead for our Occupational Therapy courses. As a University of Brighton Occupational Therapy graduate myself I can say that doing my training was the best thing I ever did. Occupational therapy is such a diverse career and there really is an area of practice for everyone, whether your interest lies in physical, mental health, learning disabilities, paediatrics or diverse settings.

"Once qualified (in 1998) I started my career in a forensic mental health team, helping to set up and run a rehabilitation hostel. I spent 10 years in the service, developing my career to become a Head Occupational Therapist before coming to the university in 2007 as part of the teaching team and taking on the role of practice placement tutor. I have also worked at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists helping to develop occupational therapists’ knowledge, understanding and practice related to clinical audit and effectiveness. I completed my PhD here at Brighton in 2013 and my areas of interest are occupational therapy in diverse settings, problem-based learning, practice-based education and professional development of our students.

"I know that the occupation-focused and self-directed nature of my training enabled me to work passionately and autonomously from the start of my career and I use the knowledge, skills and attributes I learnt every day and am now able to share these with, and hopefully inspire, the next generation of therapists.

"Many of the staff team here are also Brighton graduates, which is a testament to what a great place it is to study and work. It is a very supportive team and a lovely campus where you get the opportunity to train alongside other health students with a variety of inter-professional learning events. We are all highly committed to working with you to ensure that you become the occupational therapist that you want to be.

Read Channine's full academic profile.

Channine Clarke

Sue Wheatley, admissions tutor

Paul Boyle

Dr Tara Sims

Annette Feakes

Luci Carnall-Moore

Other members of the teaching team:

Tania Wiseman

Heidi Von Kurthy

Audrey Yong

Dr Josh Cameron

Jamie Liddell

Adele Quinell 

 

How this course is delivered

How will my course be taught?
For the academic year that starts in September 2022 we’re planning for all students to be taught face-to-face on campus, enhanced by some online learning.

Students who started their course with us in 2021 are on campus for some face-to-face learning including tutorials, workshops, laboratory classes and studio sessions. They are also taking part in off-campus learning activities such as placements, field trips and study visits. And all of our campus facilities – libraries, learning spaces, restaurants, gyms and more are open.

Like all universities we are following government guidance and we are monitoring the pandemic very closely. Should Public Health advise it we have robust plans in place for additional safety measures to be introduced to enable everyone to continue learning on campus, and, as a last resort, for students to continue their learning remotely.

We will update you regularly on our teaching plans for the next academic year as you progress your application with us.

When does my course start?
The 2022 academic year begins on Monday 26 September 2022. Teaching for most courses starts the following week.

Many education courses, some health science courses including Medicine, and some postgraduate business courses have an earlier start date. Check your offer letter for the start date of your course.

Our latest news

Brighton research making a world-leading impact, major review finds

Brighton research making a world-leading impact, major review finds

The university has been recognised for research of “world-leading quality” which has “outstanding impact” on people’s lives by the UK’s HE funding bodies.

International Scholarships for students starting in September 2022

International Scholarships for students starting in September 2022

The University of Brighton International Scholarship fund is open to applications from undergraduate and postgraduate students who hold an offer to study on a full-time course with us starting in September 2022.

Reality cheque: University of Brighton students to benefit from £1.7m cyber learning boost

Reality cheque: University of Brighton students to benefit from £1.7m cyber learning boost

Our students will be able to develop real-world skills without leaving campus thanks to cutting edge new simulation technology.

Preparing for your career

Preparing for your career

As a Brighton student we’ll help you to get as much as you can out of your time with, so that you can go on to find – or to create – work that excites and rewards you.

Read more from our blog

Our health professions courses are joint 1st in the UK for career prospects

Guardian University Guide 2022

Careers

Our health professions courses are joint 1st in the UK for career prospects, Guardian University Guide 2021.

After professional registration with the HCPC graduates are eligible to take up opportunities in health and social care, in the NHS, social services, the private, and voluntary sector. There are now many new and exciting possibilities for occupational therapists nationally and worldwide.

Occupational therapists work in an ever-widening range of mental health and physical disability settings including acute hospitals, long-term rehabilitation, social care, local communities, schools, factories, residential homes, institutions for older or more profoundly disabled people, voluntary organisations and prisons.

Completion of the Occupational Therapy BSc will also prepare you for further study at MSc, MPhil and PhD level if you wish to continue pursuing an academic path.

Want to know more about being an allied health professional?

The Springpod virtual work experience programme offers the opportunity for anyone aged 14-25 to learn more about a career as an allied health professional. You’ll develop key skills for the profession, hear from NHS professionals about their day to day work, complete assignments and join live workshops. Find out more about the Springpod virtual work experience programme.

Occupational therapy students looking at patient notes in the Leaf Hospital

Royal College of Occupational Therapists logo

Entry criteria

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

Students on a field trip

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2022. They should be used as a general guide. 

Academic requirements
You will be expected to provide evidence of academic achievement at Level 3 or above, equivalent to at least one subject at A-level. This could be a BTEC National Extended Certificate, an Access to HE qualification or a Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate. Normally, this will have been awarded no earlier than the summer 10 years before the September start date.

T-level
Merit in the Health T-level. Other T-levels are not accepted.

GCSE
Grade C/4 or above from GCSE maths and English language. Level 2 Functional Skills will be accepted.

If you do not have the required GCSEs find out which equivalent qualifications we accept instead.

If you have a 2:2 honours degree or above in any subject (equivalent to 3.00 GPA) awarded within the last 10 years, you can apply for our accelerated Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) MSc course. It is ideal for graduates who wish to start a career in this challenging and highly rewarding field.

Non-academic requirements
A 500-word report which demonstrates the applicants understanding of the diversity of occupational therapy. Each applicant is responsible for gaining the knowledge required to write the report. Applicants who work in an occupational therapy setting may wish to draw on their experience, but it will be expected that a range of services will be referred to including physical, mental health, hospital or community settings. All applicants are encouraged to use resources such as books, journal articles, and web-based sources. The report will not be expected to cover all occupational therapy practice settings.

The report is in addition to the personal statement and should be uploaded as a separate document on the personal statement section of our admissions portal.

English language requirements
IELTS 7.0 overall, with no element below 6.5.

References
Two references. References should not be from personal acquaintances, and you should consider referees who can best support your suitability for an occupational therapy course at undergraduate level.

COVID-19 vaccine requirement

The COVID-19 vaccination requirement has been removed. Find out more about this decision.

Your application
We currently welcome applications and are planning online interviews from January to June to commence the course in September. There is no application deadline but we reserve the right to close the course if all places are filled. Places are limited and we recommend that you apply early to be considered. 

Apprentice applicants may be individually interviewed earlier if their employer has supported an earlier application. 

You can find more interview information and  dates in the Interview info and deadlines tab.

All offers are subject to a satisfactory occupational health check and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) enhanced disclosure check.

Deferred applications
We are not able to accept applications for deferred entry onto this course. If you wish to apply for a later year of entry, we recommend waiting until the admissions cycle for that year opens – this is usually in October of each year.

International students
We are unable to accept applications for this part-time course from international students who require a student visa.

Men are under-represented in many nursing and allied health professions in the UK. We are committed to helping address the balance and particularly welcome applications from male applicants.

Interview info and deadlines

Interviews will take place online from January to June. We have limited places on this course so we recommend that you apply early to be considered. There is no application deadline but we reserve the right to close the course if all places are filled. Places are limited and we recommend that you apply early to be considered.

Candidates are scored using a point system. Candidates with the highest scores are offered conditional places based on confirmation of DBS and occupational health clearance.

We are looking for students who have a very good understanding of the profession, are highly motivated, have excellent communication skills and are able to accurately evaluate their own performance.

All candidates must be able to demonstrate (in your application form and at interview) a sound knowledge of occupational therapy as a profession. This could come from, for example, experience of working in occupational therapy departments, talking to qualified occupational therapists, visits to departments, open days or other events, and reading relevant material.

Fees

Course fees

UK6,935 GBP


Additional funding support

UK students studying nursing, midwifery and some allied health professions subjects receive a non-repayable grant of at least £5,000 each academic year. Find out more on the NHS website.

Funding arrangements for part-time students

Students can apply for a loan if this is their second degree providing it is not in the same profession/subject. Find out more on the gov.uk website.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Sport and Health Sciences in the 2021–22 academic year are listed here.

  • Where health course includes a placement
    • UK students – travel costs which are over and above your daily journey to university and dual accommodation costs may be reimbursed by the NHS learning support fund.
    • Overseas students are not covered by the NHS scheme, this means that any additional travel or accommodation costs for this course will be your responsibility. Travel to placement may be up to 90 mins each way/ travel on public transport at peak time cost, and you may incur additional accommodation and living costs if staying away from your usual home base for the length of your placement.
  • An initial set of specialist clothing and uniforms, where required, are included in the course fees.
  • DBS checks and occupational health checks, where required, are included in the fees.
  • Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £100 if buying your own copies.
  • In sport courses, UK-based field trips are available in some option modules in the final year. You do not have to take these option modules to complete the degree programme. Where a field trip is present costs are covered but you are expected to make a contribution towards food. Typically this is £50.
  • For sports courses which require a placement, you’ll be expected to pay for your living costs and travel. Physical Education (QTS teacher training) students can claim travel costs to their school placement.
  • The school runs a number of day trips which students do not pay for. There may be some food and drink costs and you should budget around £30 per year.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2022–23.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Campus where this course is taught

Eastbourne campus

Our campus is within 15 minutes' walk of the beach, South Downs National Park and the Eastbourne's busy town centre.

Campus learning facilities include the Queenwood library, computer rooms, a media centre and a learning and technology suite. Welkin halls are also on campus.

Eastbourne Student Centre provides services including careers, volunteering, counselling and wellbeing, student advice, disability and dyslexia support and chaplaincy.

Queenwood Library at Eastbourne

Accommodation

Eastbourne

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students who apply by 30 June.

Welkin halls
Located in the Meads area of Eastbourne, right next to the Students' Union and Student Services, Welkin halls are a short walk or bike ride to other areas of the campus.

  • Ensuite halls with a choice of room and flat sizes.
  • All rooms are self-catered with access to shared, fully equipped kitchen facilities.
  • Rent includes all utilities, 24/7 security and support, contents insurance and cleaning of communal areas.

Private renting
Eastbourne offers good choice when it comes to student accommodation.

There’s a good supply of affordable, high quality private rented accommodation and plenty of support and advice from us if you choose this option. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.

Student accommodation in Eastbourne

Student accommodation in Eastbourne

Welkin bedroom

Student bedroom in Welkin halls

Modern kitchen in Welkin Halls

Modern kitchen in Welkin Halls

Local area

Easy-going Eastbourne

The South Downs National Park, the bustling town centre and the beach with the pier, prom and bandstand are all within a 15-minute walk of our Eastbourne campus. Officially the sunniest place in the UK, Eastbourne has loads on offer: a year-round calendar of sporting events, the independent shops and cafes of Little Chelsea, music and arts festivals, theatres, galleries, great restaurants and high street shopping.

Every June, leading tennis players descend on Eastbourne for one of the main warm-up tournaments for Wimbledon. One of the UK's biggest free extreme sports festivals, Beach Life, takes place on the seafront in July, bringing hi-octane action on land and sea. The international airshow Airbourne is another summer highlight.

Every autumn our students and staff participate in and support the Beachy Head Marathon, one of the UK's largest off-road marathons with challenging climbs and descents along the Seven Sisters.

The beach and the South Downs provide sports opportunities including horse riding, mountain biking, paragliding, sailing, canoeing, body boarding, kayaking, windsurfing and kite surfing.

The Towner Art Gallery has world-class exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and entry is free. Eastbourne also has four theatres, two cinemas and hosts a varied programme of arts and music events throughout the year.

It's only 90 minutes by train from Eastbourne to central London and less than 40 minutes to Brighton. There are also daily direct trains to Ashford International and Gatwick Airport.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Enjoying sport above Eastbourne

Maps

Eastbourne campus map

Loading maps...

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Cricket Academy

New for September 2023, our Cricket Academy offers aspiring players the opportunity to continue their cricket development alongside studying for a degree. The programme offers a world-class training environment with the highest quality coaching.

Find out more about the Cricket Academy.

Students playing frisbee

Student views  

Lucy Howell 

"I often saw university to be inaccessible due to many personal factors. I had not considered occupational therapy as a career but the more I looked in to the profession, the more knew this was the direction I wanted to head. 

"The course at Brighton includes the problem based leaning approach to teaching which is combined with practical hands on sessions and placement learning. Not being a naturally academic student, this course allowed me a flexible approach to leaning, which suited me far better than traditional studies. I had to be creative and self directed to develop my knowledge and clinical reasoning skills, which I still use with my clients in a community mental health setting.

"Learning on the job with placement educators and group work opportunities gave me practical experience of the occupational therapist role and the benefit of working in multi-disciplinary teams, all of which enhances wellbeing for my clients today. 

"Discovering I had a learning disability half way through the course came as both a shock and relief. Staff were supportive in offering time and additional support when needed and the university has a network offering support and guidance for both personal and professional issues. The part-time course allowed me to retain a balanced life as a mum and grandma, continue with my self-employment and complete my academic studies.

"Over the 4 years, I have grown in ability and confidence and feel equipped and proud to be a member of the occupational therapy profession, where I encourage and support clients to build their own recovery journeys."

Lucy Howell, graduate, 2017. 

Lucy Howell

Iain Wilkes 

"My cohort was mixed with students from all sorts of backgrounds. This benefitted our learning and we all learnt a lot from each other as well as from our formal studies. The academic staff were excellent, had a variety of clinical backgrounds and each brought their own unique flavour to learning. I found them all to be very approachable and have maintained links with the university since graduation.

"Problem-based learning (PBL) was new to me and is a great way to build confidence and skills in presenting and group participation, and it develops self-reliance. There were also guest lectures from practising Occupational Therapists and a variety of fixed resource sessions. The clinical placements were always a highlight; they were a necessary part of the training and also widened my perceptions and have benefitted me in my current practice. 

"The Eastbourne campus was also a serene place to study. Situated at the foot of the South Downs it is green and peaceful and made for a relaxed learning environment.

"I now work as Specialist Neurological Occupational Therapist in a Community Neurological Rehabilitation Team. The course fostered a confidence and independence in my approach to learning and I have found it invaluable post-qualification. I have been fortunate to be invited back several times to participate in or facilitate some learning sessions with current pre-registration students and always extol the benefits of studying occupational therapy at Brighton."

Iain Wilkes, Occupational Therapy BSc graduate, 2013.

Iain Wilkes

Kate Guy

"For someone taking their first degree later in life than most, Occupational Therapy at the University of Brighton really was the perfect degree to maximise my skills as a student and my skills in life!"

Kate Guy

Carla Lauren 

"I graduated in 2014 and I am now working in a children's neurodevelopment assessment team for the NHS. I can honestly say there is not a week that goes by where I don't either quote from or draw directly from the teaching I had on the occupational therapy degree course, I am so thankful to the teaching team and will continue to fly the flag for Brighton (sometimes moving away makes you appreciate even more where you came from).

"Having worked with occupational therapists from different countries and universities I really think there is no other course like it."

Carla Lauren, Occupational Therapy BSc graduate 2014, now working in paediatrics.

Graduate Carla Lauren

Stay in touch

Book your place: Eastbourne campus open day

See all of our upcoming events

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Keep up to date at the School of Sport and Health Sciences blog. 

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

Related 1 course

  • Nutrition BSc(Hons)

    Nutrition BSc(Hons)

‹ ›

Find out more about this subject area

Search again

Find your course
Back to top
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn icon

Contact us

University of Brighton
Mithras House
Lewes Road
Brighton
BN2 4AT

Main switchboard 01273 600900

Course enquiries

Sign up for updates

University contacts

Report a problem with this page

Quick links Quick links

  • Courses
  • Open days
  • Order a prospectus
  • Academic departments
  • Academic staff
  • Professional services departments
  • Jobs
  • Privacy and cookie policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Libraries
  • Term dates
  • Maps
  • Graduation
  • Site information
  • Online shop
  • COVID-19

Information for Information for

  • Current students
  • International students
  • Media/press
  • Careers advisers/teachers
  • Parents/carers
  • Business/employers
  • Alumni/supporters
  • Suppliers
  • Local residents