Bachelor of Occupational Therapy - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Help people overcome limitations caused by injury or illness, psychological or emotional difficulties, developmental delay or the effects of ageing.

Undertake courses in occupational therapy, biological and social sciences and public health. Advanced courses include human development, functional anatomy and enabling occupation. Gain clinical experience and meet requirements for professional accreditation with fieldwork placements available each year in rural and urban settings. Option to undertake an embedded honours pathway (dependent on GPA) provides research training experience.

Post-admission requirements

Before undertaking clinical placements, students must provide evidence of hepatitis B immunisation, first aid and CPR training, undergo a criminal history check (from second year), obtain a Suitability Card (Blue Card CCYPCG) and purchase an OT student uniform — refer to Program requirements. Students may be required to undertake some clinical placements outside the Sunshine Coast region in metropolitan and regional/rural centres. Expenses for these and other placement requirements are to be incurred by the student. Placements in third and fourth years are undertaken on a full-time basis.

Career opportunities

Hospitals, community health, disability / mental health services, private practice, vocational / occupational rehabilitation, child and adolescent services, aged care.

Membership

Occupational Therapy Australia Limited.

Registration

Occupational Therapists Board of Queensland. Registration is a requirement to work as an occupational therapist in Queensland.

Accreditation

This program is fully accredited with Occupational Therapy Australia Limited.

Enquiries

• Contact Student Administration for application and admission information
• Contact the Faculty of Science Health Education and Engineering for program advice

Program requirements

In order to graduate you must:

• Complete all courses as listed below.

In order to commence fieldwork placement you must:

• Hold a valid Suitability Card (Blue Card - Working with Children Check - QLD). This is required by Week 8 of Semester 1, first Year and is issued by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian (CCYPCG).
• Provide evidence of immunity to Hepatitis B (blood titre level after approved vaccination schedule).
• Hold current Senior First Aid and CPR certificates (currency of certification is to be maintained throughout the program).
• Purchase the required OT uniform.
• You may also be required to complete a Criminal History Check for particular placements, cost of which is to be borne by the student.

Program notes

• Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses).
• Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods including essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations. Not all courses will necessarily include all methods.
• As part of your USC program, you may apply to participate in the Global Opportunities (GO) Program to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider. It is advisable to contact your Program Advisor to discuss timing and course issues.
• Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa. Please refer to the English language requirements.
• When enrolling, please refer to the Study Plan.

Program structure

Core courses (1)

Select 1 course from:

COR109 Communication and Thought
COR110 Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship
COR111 Environment, Technology and Sustainability

Introductory courses (9)

LFS103 Introductory Bioscience
LFS112 Human Physiology
LFS122 Human Anatomy
OCC101 Concepts in Human Occupation
OCC102 Participation in Occupation
PUB112 Public Health Foundations
SCI110 Science Research Methods
PSY100 Introduction to Psychology A
PSY101 Introduction to Psychology B

Advanced courses (13)

OCC201 Occupational Therapy Theory
OCC202 Occupational Therapy Skills
OCC212 Evaluation of Occupational Performance
OCC222 Causes of Occupational Dysfunction
OCC232 Foundations of Practice: Identifying the Occupational Therapist Role in Practice
OCC301 Enabling Occupation: The Child and Adolescent
OCC311 Enabling Occupation: The Adult
OCC312 Enabling Occupation: The Older Person
OCC321 Psychosocial Aspects of Occupational Therapy
OCC322 Integrating Theory and Skills into Practice: Doing, Being, Becoming an OT I
OCC331 Foundations of Practice: Identifying Occupational Therapist Skills in Practice
PSY203 Introduction to Human Development
SPX201 Functional Anatomy

Plus one (1) of the following pathways:

Pass-Level Pathway (6) courses 

OCC302 Therapeutic Reasoning: Process, Means and Methods
OCC401 Integrating Theory and Skills into Practice: Doing, Being and Becoming an OT II and III
OCC402 Professional Issues in Occupational Therapy
OCC412 OT (Occupational Therapy) as a Complex Process
PUB112 Public Health Foundations
SCS286 Disability: Culture, Community and Change

Honours Pathway (5) courses 

OCC332 Occupational Therapy Research & Evaluation
OCC401 Integrating Theory and Skills into Practice: Doing, Being and Becoming an OT II and III
OCC402 Professional Issues in Occupational Therapy
OCC412 OT (Occupational Therapy) as a Complex Process
OCC422 Occupational Therapy Thesis

Back to top

• Pass-Level Pathway Study Plan
• Honours Pathway Study Plan

Note: The first 2 years of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy are identical in both the Pass-Level and Honours Pathways. All students will follow the Pass-Level Pathway intially and students who apply and are approved to undertake Honours will follow the Honours Pathway from Year 3 onwards.

How to apply for an undergraduate program

• Confirm that you meet the undergraduate admission requirements below.
• Once you have decided on your degree, check the semester of offer on the program summary
• Refer to the application dates for cut-off dates and deadlines, check your eligibility for credit, and complete the appropriate application forms, if required
• To submit your application, refer to how to apply

Where can I ask more questions?

If you have questions about applications and admissions:

• Online: find answers to commonly asked questions in the Student FAQs
• Email: information@usc.edu.au
• Phone: Student Administration on +61 7 5430 2890
• In person: Student Central, Building C

If you have questions about your program:

• Contact the Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering

Am I eligible for admission to an undergraduate program?

USC makes admission offers for undergraduate programs to applicants who are judged to have a reasonable expectation of success in the program to which they are made an offer, in accordance with the Admissions – Academic Policy.

International applicants must meet specific entry requirements and apply directly to USC International.

To be eligible for admission as a domestic student to an undergraduate program at the University of the Sunshine Coast, an applicant needs to:

• be eligible for an OP or Selection Rank equal to or above the cut-off level in the offer round, through completion of a recognised formal or non-formal qualification, including:
  • Secondary study
  • Tertiary and certificate study
  • Bridging / preparatory study
  • Alternative entry qualifications (eg professional qualifications, employment experience, Personal Competencies Assessment, Special Tertiary Admissions Test).
  Refer to Entry pathways for more information
• have satisfied any subject prerequisites as specified in the program summary. Refer to Satisfying subject prerequisites for more information. Recommended prior study is not a prerequisite subject, but a recommendation as to what knowledge students should possess in the subject area.
• have satisfied the English Language Proficiency requirements. If English is not your first language, you need to meet the minimum English language requirements for your chosen program.

Once a completed application is submitted, a student is eligible for admission when they receive an offer to an undergraduate program.

As a USC student, you will need to refer to your study plan to enrol in the appropriate courses each semester or session.

Find out more about how to enrol or follow these steps:

1. Check the open enrolment dates and the academic calendar for key dates
2. Refer to your Study Plan to plan your courses for the study period
3. Find your courses and decide on your classes in the class timetable 
4. Log on to USC Central and enrol in courses and classes
5. Register your major or minor with your faculty (if applicable)
6. Apply for credit transfer or cross-institutional study (if applicable)
7. Pay required study fees by the fee due date

Useful links

• Getting Started Guide
• USC Central guide
• Class timetables
• Academic calendar
• Faculty major and minor offerings
• Student-related policies, plans and procedures
• Contact Student Administration

Where can I ask more questions?

If you have more questions about how to enrol:

• Online: Refer to the USC Central guide 
• Email: information@usc.edu.au
• Phone: Student Administration on +61 7 5430 2890
• In person: Student Central, Building C

If you have questions about your program:

• Contact the Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering