Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession concerned with enabling people to participate in the everyday activities that give their lives meaning and structure. The word occupation refers not to work in the narrow sense but to any purposeful activity, whether dressing, cooking, working, or engaging in a hobby. When illness, injury, disability, or social circumstance creates a barrier to participation, occupational therapists work with individuals to identify what matters to them and to find ways through or around those barriers, adapting environments, developing skills, and providing assistive technology and other support.

This three-year full-time programme at London South Bank University includes a foundation year, providing an additional year of preparation for students whose prior qualifications or experience would benefit from supported entry into a health sciences degree. You will study human anatomy and physiology, psychology, sociology, and occupational science alongside the core theory and practice of occupational therapy. Practice placements are a central and substantial part of the programme, placing you in clinical and community settings where you develop assessed professional skills under the supervision of registered occupational therapists.

These placements are essential preparation for practice and are required for professional qualification. With a typical entry tariff of 120 points for the programme as a whole, the foundation year route opens access to a professional healthcare career for students who meet the entry criteria.

Graduates from this programme are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as qualified occupational therapists. The NHS is the largest employer, with roles across hospitals, community health teams, mental health services, and paediatric settings. Local authority social care, housing, and adult services also employ significant numbers of occupational therapists.

Private practice, voluntary sector organisations, schools, and employers seeking occupational health support are further employment areas. The profession is consistently listed as facing workforce shortages, meaning that qualified graduates enter a strong job market. Postgraduate study and specialist practice development are available for those who want to develop expertise in particular areas of practice.