Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a health and social care profession concerned with enabling people to participate in the activities that are meaningful and necessary to them, despite the challenges posed by physical illness, injury, mental health conditions, developmental differences, or the effects of ageing. Occupational therapists take a holistic view of the people they work with, recognising that wellbeing depends on the ability to engage in everyday occupations, from personal care and work to leisure, social relationships, and creative pursuits. The profession is built on the belief that meaningful activity is central to health, and that removing barriers to participation improves outcomes in ways that clinical treatment alone cannot achieve.

At the University of Northampton, this three-year full-time degree leads to registration with the Health and Care Professions Council and membership of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists. The programme combines academic study of the theoretical, scientific, and ethical foundations of occupational therapy with substantial supervised fieldwork practice in a range of real clinical and community settings. You will study human anatomy and physiology, psychology, sociology, the science of occupation, assessment and intervention approaches, and the policy and organisational contexts in which occupational therapists practise.

Clinical placements are a central part of the programme, developing your practical skills and professional identity through direct experience of working with people across the lifespan and across different diagnostic groups.

Qualified occupational therapists work in the NHS, social services, community health teams, schools, mental health services, housing, prisons, and voluntary organisations. The profession offers a broad and varied career, with opportunities to work with children, adults with physical or mental health conditions, older people, and many other groups. Many occupational therapists go on to specialist practice, management, education, or research roles, and postgraduate study in occupational therapy and related health sciences provides routes into advanced and academic careers.