Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession that focuses on helping people of all ages to engage in meaningful activities or occupations that are important or relevant to their everyday life. Occupational therapists help clients address physical, cognitive, emotional and developmental challenges that may hinder their ability to participate in these meaningful tasks, activities or roles.

Why study this degree?

• The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree allows you to make a positive impact on people’s lives, working within a multidisciplinary team. Focussing on practice across a range of contexts and life stages, you will develop evidence-based skills in assessment, management and evaluation of service delivery.
• The program of study includes foundational skills in body systems (anatomy and physiology/pathophysiology) and functions within the context of a holistic approach to healthcare that emphasises the cognitive, psychological and emotional aspects of healthcare requirements and delivery.
• Your on-campus study is geared toward allowing you to excel in the 1000 hours of professional work-integrated learning you will complete throughout the degree, a feature of the program that ensures you are work-ready immediately upon graduation.

Learning outcomes

• Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) graduates will be able to:
• Collaboratively apply effective, culturally safe verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills with clients, families, carers, and service providers
• Practice professional and ethical behaviour, demonstrating respect and sensitivity to clients with diverse social, cultural, and spiritual beliefs
• Reflects on limitations in knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to plan and implement lifelong learning strategies
• Apply an ethically informed, evidence-based approach to occupational therapy practice by accessing, critically appraising, and implementing best available evidence
• Demonstrate a broad range of knowledge and skills to practice safe, effective entry-level occupational therapy across a range of settings
• Autonomously conduct effective assessment and critically analyse findings to formulate and prioritise occupational therapy practice
• Develop and communicate occupational therapy-based health promotion and collaborative management strategies to empower clients to participate in healthcare decisions and behaviours
• Contribute to healthcare delivery through culturally safe, effective inter-professional communication, advocacy, and practice
• Apply coherent and advanced knowledge in an area developed through research and critical analysis of the relevant literature
• Develop advanced knowledge, critical thinking and technical skills to develop, conduct and report on project or research work independently and/or in collaboration with others.

Career opportunities

• Graduates of this program can follow diverse career paths in the private and public health sectors; career opportunities range from working in public and private health and rehabilitation facilities, disability service providers, aged care and occupational health and workplaces.