Everything you need to know...
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What is the fee?
Home: See fees section below
International/EU: £18,655 per year -
How long will I study?
4 Years
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Where will I study?
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What are the entry requirements?
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What is the UCAS code?
BB15
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When do I start?
September 2025
Course summary
- Develop your understanding of the role of occupation for health and wellbeing.
- Explore how occupational engagement is shaped environmentally and personally.
- Deliver person-centred occupational therapy inclusively and collaboratively.
- Apply your learning in a range of stimulating practice-based placements.
- Employ creative adaptations of everyday activities to enhance health, wellbeing and quality of life.
Aligned with professional and ethical standards, this course trains you as an occupational therapist who meets the contemporary needs of diverse populations. You’ll support people to take part in what they want, need, and are expected to do – modifying occupation and environment to maximise health and wellbeing. You’ll connect with their lived experiences, collaborating to enhance occupational performance and recommend meaningful activities.
The Foundation Year course is designed for anyone who feels they would benefit from extra preparation before undertaking degree-level study or who does not meet the entry requirements for the BSc (Hons) course (due to lower predicted grades or lower performance at a selection event). The academic staff leading selection event processes are well placed to advice on the benefits of additional study or wider preparation in advance of joining a degree course.
How you learn
Our course is designed around a set of key principles, enabling you to engage with the world and collaborate with others. We’ll challenge you to think in new ways and provide you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.
Teaching and learning is enriched by research, meaning you’ll develop research and inquiry skills over the programme. You’ll be supported to develop academically and professionally throughout the course, building your learning, assessment and practice skills.
You’ll also have opportunities to learn with other health and social care students, understanding how to work collaboratively with other professions. We’ll provide you with the knowledge, skills and values to enhance your employability so you’ll be ready for future practice.
You learn through:
- Seminars, lectures and practical sessions
- Remote learning and digital learning packages
- Work-related learning
- Independent learning
- Applied learning
Key Themes
The curriculum is designed to scaffold and develop your knowledge, skills and confidence as you progress through the course.
In your first year you’ll build a strong knowledge base of occupational therapy. In your second year you’ll be able to apply your learning to practice-based learning experiences while embracing more complexity and criticality. Then in your final year you’ll advance into practice and prepare to work as a colleague.
Course Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through several key areas. These include:
- Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development
- Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
- Specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking/volunteering opportunities
Course leaders and tutors
Student View
Hear our BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy student Amelia discuss how she is making a difference to people's lives and why she chose to study for a career in occupational therapy.
Applied learning
Live Projects
You’ll apply the theory you study to practice-based learning experiences. These will help you to develop critical and ethical approaches to your practice, preparing you to become a life-long, competent professional. These experiences are compulsory to achieve the course’s practice-based learning outcomes. They’ll help you build your skills, confidence, creativity, resilience, integrity and curiosity.
You’ll have a range of experiences linked to the Royal College of Occupational Therapists’ pillars of practice: professional practice, facilitation of learning, leadership and evidence, research and development. These will prepare you to be a confident practitioner.
Work Placements
You’ll have mandatory placements at all levels of study. They’ll take place in various practice-based learning environments, reflecting the diverse ways occupational therapy services are currently delivered. This might include blended learning experiences, real-world experiences of services delivered face-to-face to service users, and be connected to the aforementioned pillars of practice.
We’ll ensure that the practice-based learning element of your course complies with the requirements of the Professional and Statutory Regulatory Body (PSRB) governing the occupational therapy profession. By the end of your course, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate that you meet the requirements to register as an occupational therapist.
Networking Opportunities
You’ll have the opportunity to get involved with SHOUT, Sheffield Hallam’s academic society for occupational therapy, plus other healthcare students and professionals who are interested in occupational therapy.
You’ll benefit from guest lecturers from a variety of healthcare backgrounds, as well as employer presentations. You’ll have opportunities to meet with clinicians who lecture within the modules, and we have excellent links with employers to promote job opportunities.
We also seek to enhance your learning with extra-curricular activities, which may include recruitment or professional development activities.
Future careers
Upon full completion of the course, you’ll have the opportunity to show your eligibility to apply for registration with Health and Care Professions Council, allowing you to practise as an occupational therapist.
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- The NHS
- Local authority social services
- Extended scope areas
- Schools
- Private practices
- Charities
- Other health and social care environments
- International roles
- Teaching
- Research
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
Delivery of teaching on campus is in a range of classroom and practical spaces which include:
- Modern teaching facilities with specialist rooms
- Practice rooms and simulated ward environments
- Home environments
- A range of innovative equipment, eg for anatomy teaching
- Using a range of specialist software to facilitate learning
We’ve invested over £100m in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Media Gallery
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Occupational therapist and patient -
Occupational therapist and patient -
Occupational therapists on ward -
Occupational therapy
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 24 (Grade D) from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:
- DDE at A Level.
- MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma
- Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core
- A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- Science at grade C or 4 or equivalents*
- Maths at grade D or 4 or equivalents**
- English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents***
*GCSE Science equivalents
- OCR Science level 2
- Science units gained on a level 3 BTEC or OCR National Diploma or Extended Diploma qualification
- Science credits gained on Access to Higher Education Diplomas (at least 12 credits at level 2 or 6 credits gained at level 3)
- Science equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
**GCSE Maths equivalents
- Level 2 Key Skills/ Application of Number/ Level 2 Maths credits from an Access course
- Maths equivalency test from www.equivalencytesting.co.uk
***GCSE English equivalents
- Level 2 Literacy
- Level 2 Key Skills
• Access - an Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course in a science based subject. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 7.0 or above, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each skill.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
Modules
Important notice: The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.
Year 1
Compulsory modules
Developing The Fundamentals Of A Healthcare Professional
Promotion Of Contemporary Issues In Healthcare
Year 2
Compulsory modules
Collaboration For Individual And Community Wellbeing
Foundations Of Occupational Therapy Practice
Introduction To Occupational Therapy Practice
Occupational Therapy Practice Based Learning 1
Personal And Professional Development
Year 3
Compulsory modules
Assessing And Addressing Complexity In Practice
Clinical Reasoning In Occupational Therapy Practice
Evidence And Enquiry For Practice
Expanding Occupational Therapy Practice
Occupational Therapy Practice Based Learning 2
Occupational Therapy Practice Based Learning 3
Final year
Compulsory modules
Complexity & Leadership In Professional Practice
Leading Occupational Therapy Practice
Occupational Therapy Practice Based Learning 4
The Advancing Professional
Transition To Occupational Therapy Practice
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fees for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2025/26 are regulated by the UK government and are yet to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/25 is £9,250 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £18,655, which includes an annual placement supplement of £1,500.
Health and social care funding
Home fee-paying students can access a non-repayable maintenance grant of at least £5,000 per year. You may also be eligible for additional financial support based on your circumstances.
Additional course costs
The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
General course additional costs
Additional costs for Health and Social Care (PDF, 165.7KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
