南澳大学

Registered occupational therapists assist people in managing constraints caused by injury or illness, as well as emotional, developmental, environmental, societal, age-related and psychological limitations. They help people of all ages achieve their goals, optimise their lifestyles and actively participate in society irrespective of limitations.

This degree is designed to ensure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to become an innovative and competent occupational therapist. With a strong focus on practical skills, you will complete more than 1,000 hours of field placements in settings such as health, rehabilitation, breadth of community agencies, children’s centres, kindergartens, schools, and aged care facilities, providing valuable hands-on experience that will enable a seamless transition from study to the workforce.

What you'll need

Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements. These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements. Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

All students enrolled in a program leading to professional registration must be registered with the relevant National Board. The student registration process is undertaken by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) with the University providing notification to AHPRA following enrolment in the program. On successful completion of the program, full AHPRA registration is undertaken.

What you'll learn

The first year of your degree will focus on core health subjects including anatomy, physiology, and an introduction to occupational therapy practice and evidence.

From second and third year, you will focus on the application of your skills in areas including mental health, occupation rehabilitation, chronic conditions, community focus, primary health care and participatory community practice.

Practical learning is a strong focus, particularly during these later years when you will practice your skills in a variety of settings during extensive field placements. You will attend workshops in industry settings such as Guide Dogs SA, Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre, and Independent Living Centres. You will also have the opportunity to visit regional settings on the yearly Country Road Trip.

Throughout your degree you will be exposed to many different hands-on activities such as splint making, dressing adaptation for individuals with self-care impairments, wheelchair measurement tutorials, home modification and assistive technology plans, delivery of groups with children and older adults, adult neurological rehabilitation techniques, and completing skill demonstrations which will allow you to become familiar with occupational therapy scenarios that would arise in real-life.