Masters Degrees (Art Therapy)

-The MA Art Therapy is approved by The Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) and is situated in the postgraduate area of The School of Creative Arts. The programme places a strong emphasis on developing the student’s artistic identity in tandem with their understanding of the skills and knowledge required for safe therapeutic practice
-Contemporary visual art practices that link to psychodynamic processes are taught across the curriculum. Students learn how research is a cross-discipline mode of enquiry while developing knowledge of how theory underpins and informs art therapy practice with a range of vulnerable people
-Students attend placements throughout the course and develop themselves professionally through supervision, reflection and by articulating their practice in writing, research and presentations
-The programme guides students toward achieving employment in health care, education and/or voluntary organisations. Focusing on the public sector these range from adult and child mental health, palliative care, learning disability, prisons, main stream and special schools etc.

Why choose this course?

MA Art Therapy places particular emphasis on the relationship art therapy has with other art forms such as fine art, ceramics, design, film and digital image making, on a theoretical and practical level. Experiential learning is regarded as a key experience with time and space given to the continuing development of the student's artistic identity.

The aim of the MA Art Therapy course is to train art therapists for employment in the public sector. This includes theoretical and practical knowledge, understanding and skills relevant to a range of client groups and settings. You are offered a broad theoretical foundation in the key principles of psychodynamic and humanistic psychotherapy in relation to current art therapy theory and research. The programme area also offers a range of pre and post qualification opportunities such an Arts Therapy Foundation programme, Introductory and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) short courses and research opportunities up to PhD.

The MA Art Therapy course has links with the Faculty for Health and Human Sciences and European universities and organisations e.g ECArTE. The University is within easy reach of London by rail, road and air.

The core staff team have an excellent reputation in terms of teaching quality and research in their fields. The programme also employs other professionals such as psychotherapists and arts therapies who continue to conduct clinical practice with a range of client groups.

You have access to a state of the art Learning Resources Centre which contains a wealth of material on related disciplines, maintained by specialist staff who provide support and advice when need. Personal Therapy for the duration of the training is a requirement of all students.

Careers

The qualification leads to an award that is recognised for professional registration purposes by the Health Professions Council (HPC) and The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT).

Career opportunities vary from work in the NHS, social services, the voluntary sector and increasingly in main stream education. Art Therapists frequently work on a sessional basis or part time in a range of settings. Students receive workshops on how to market themselves post-qualification.

Structure

Year 1
Core Modules
-Art Therapy Practice 1
-Creative Economies
-Experiential Training 1
-Experiential Training 2
-Research and Enquiry

Optional
-Creative Economies (Online)
-Research and Enquiry (Online)

Year 2
Core Modules
-Art Therapy Practice Part 2
-Discourse and Reflection: Art Therapy
-Experiential Training 3

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Why choose this course:

• This course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council reflecting its high quality.

• Successfully completing this course will mean that you are eligible to apply for professional registration as an art therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council. You will also be able to register as a full member of the British Association of Art Therapists, the UK's professional organisation for art therapists.

• This course reinforces the centrality of the image and the role of the imagination in the practice of art therapy.

• You will develop the professional skills you'll need to work in clinical environments.

• A major part of the course is the Independent Scholarship, which will help you to integrate your learning from all areas of the course and develop your clinical reasoning and professional identity.

About the course:

This course will give you experience of clinical art therapy practice and supervision, as well as closed group work and current theory. You'll also have the opportunity to improve your technical art skills through studio work and explore your potential for self expression and communication through image making.

You'll have a personal tutor, who will monitor your overall progress. As well as the taught components of the course, you'll take part in clinical placements and personal therapy as this is a requirement for professional registration. This is a private arrangement and the cost is not included in the fees, although individual or group therapy is acceptable.

You'll take part in a closed art therapy group led by a state registered art therapist and deepen your understanding and relationship with your art form through your work. You'll study the nature of human development and health and disability in art therapy as part of your development to relate theory and research to practice. While you're doing your clinical placements you'll be supervised by an appropriate therapist and also attend a reflective practice group, which will be led by a state registered art therapist.

You'll take part in personal therapy, for a minimum of one hour each week throughout the course, to meet the professional registration requirements. This can be either individual or group therapy.

Your assessments will be through written assignments, verbal presentations, production of artwork and reports based on your performance in the clinical settings.

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Taught at our Riverside Campus in Chester, the course aims to enable you to gain the highest level of knowledge, skills and behaviour that will establish you at the forefront of art therapy within a contemporary setting, and is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

The use of art therapy is widely recognised as a discipline that enables expression, beyond words, in a variety of settings, and promotes psychological and emotional well-being. Our course is suitable for those working in health, education, counselling, community and social care settings, as well as for promoting individual personal and professional development.

This Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) approved Art Therapy course will enable you, on completion, to practise as an Art Therapist/Art Psychotherapist. The course aims to enable you to gain the highest level of knowledge, skills and behaviour that will establish you at the forefront of art therapy within a contemporary setting.

Art Psychotherapists work with a range of patients and clinical settings. They work with children, adolescents, people with mental illness, people with learning difficulties, the elderly, and people who have experienced trauma – in forensic and community settings.

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Develop your confidence and expertise in providing art therapy for people with different emotional and mental health needs. Many art therapy clients are socially excluded, so you will learn to become a practitioner who contributes to future service provision by working alongside clients and making changes in their lives. You will develop your knowledge and experience by studying the theories behind art therapy and through practising in the field.

You will take part in a placement organised by course staff and lasting between 100 and 120 days. This will give you first-hand experience in providing art therapy for clients in a range of settings, helping you achieve a good standard of proficiency in line with the requirements for registration with the Health & Care Professions Council.

For more information on the MA Art Psychotherapy Practice, and to download an application form, please click on 'Apply Now' at the top right of the course page on our website - http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/artpractice_ma

Please note this course is delivered in Sheffield.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: 40% of our research in the Psychology unit was judged to be world leading or internationally excellent

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/artpractice_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

As an art therapist, you will be able to work in a range of settings including the NHS, social services, mainstream schools, special schools, and community settings. You'll gradually build a portfolio of relevant work and gain a qualification that is a legal requirement for practice in the UK.

- Art Therapist
- Drama Therapist
- Music Therapist

Careers advice:
The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You will take part in a placement organised by course staff consisting of 100-120 days. This offers you first-hand experience in providing art therapy for clients in a range of settings so you can achieve a good standard of proficiency in line with the requirements for registration with the Health & Care Professions Council.

Professor Ieuan Ellis

Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

"We have a long history of providing education across a wide range of professional and academic disciplines in health, applied global ethics, social sciences and related subject areas... The Faculty has a number of areas of research excellence."

Ieuan is responsible for the strategic leadership of the Faculty of Health and Social sciences. He is also a member of Academic Board, and an elected staff representative on the Board of Governors. He is also Chair of the UK Council of Deans of Health and Co-chair of the National Allied Health Professions Advisory Board. After practicing as a chartered physiotherapist in the NHS and private sector, Ieuan entered higher education working initially at Northumbria University prior to joining our University. Ieuan has held a number of leadership and management roles across health and social care education and was awarded a personal chair as Professor in Healthcare Education.

Facilities

- Library
Our Library is one of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, our Library has you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Clinical Skills Suite
The £1 million suite has been designed to meet the learning needs of a range of health professionals, with specialist equipment in purpose-built rooms enabling a variety of sessions to be carried out in a suitable and safe environment.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

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About the course

Occupational Therapy (OT) at Brunel is one of the largest, longest established, and most highly regarded programmes in the world. In fact, we are the original ‘London School of Occupational Therapy.’

The MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) provides a Master's level route for graduates to become competent occupational therapists equipped for life-long, safe and effective practice within the global marketplace. This course is for those who are not already qualified as occupational therapists. It is a professional full-time programme, which will prepare you to become a competent occupational therapist in a variety of health and social care settings. It also allows students to be eligible to apply for:

Registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Membership of the British Association of Occupational Therapists/College of Occupational Therapists.

In December 2016 our programme was granted “Preaccreditation Status” by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), which confirms that Brunel has successfully completed steps one and two in the three-step accreditation process – see more at AOTA OT Master's-Level Programs - Developing and visit our Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) information page.

The programme will now proceed with step three – the on-site evaluation, scheduled for April 2017, followed by an accreditation decision by mid-2017.

Aims

This programme differs from other Master's programmes in that it is a professional programme at postgraduate level and is full-time. It is not for those who are already qualified occupational therapists. Nevertheless, this course aims to prepare you to become a competent occupational therapist equipped for lifelong, safe and effective practice in a variety of health and social care settings. We provide a high quality educational programme, which ensures that you are properly qualified, prepared and safe to practise.

Occupational therapy students typically choose this career for the following reasons:

variety of work
the challenge
personal and one-to-one contact
client/patient appreciation
its holistic approach
the desire to help disabled people
to work in health settings
job availability
the chance to be creative.

If you are considering studying Occupational Therapy at Brunel University London then you are committed to working jointly with the NHS to demonstrate the values and beliefs of the NHS Constitution.

NHS values
Patients, public and staff have helped develop this expression of values that inspire passion in the NHS and that should underpin everything it does. Individual organisations will develop and build upon these values, tailoring them to their local needs. The NHS values provide common ground for co-operation to achieve shared aspirations, at all levels of the NHS.

Course Content

Programme Structure

The MSc (pre-registration or pre-reg) occupational therapy programme benefits from being integrated with other programmes within the College of Health and Life Sciences. In their first year of study, MSc (pre-registration) occupational therapy students undertake components from a number of the current BSc modules/study blocks, as well as shared teaching with post-graduate students from the divisions of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, social work and community health and nursing studies. In their second year of study, students share modules with other post-graduate students within the division of occupational therapy. Where learning is shared with the undergraduates, the content has been integrated into master's level modules and is assessed at master's level.

The programme comprises two years full time study. Taught modules are within a three-term structure. To provide a balance between academic and practice placements and still meet the minimum of 1,000 hours of practice placements required by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the College of Occupational Therapists, three of the practice placement modules extend beyond the term boundaries over the summer.

Academic modules are based at Brunel University in Uxbridge and practice placement modules are provided in a range of health and social care setting and increasingly in voluntary and private organisations including non-traditional settings.

Year One: The Skilled Practitioner – the How, What and Why of Occupational Therapy
Year 1 of the programme introduces students to the "how, what and why" of occupational therapy and aims to give them the opportunity to develop, explore and critique the core occupational concepts and skills of the profession in depth. The arrangement of study blocks and the two practice placement modules (that occur prior to the commencement of academic study in year 2), allow for a reciprocal exchange of academic knowledge and professional skills that develop the student’s understanding and knowledge of the profession further. Applying and evaluating research in practice is essential for occupational therapists, who are required to adopt evidence-based practice. Therefore the students are made aware from the onset of the programme of how research impacts on practice through clinical reasoning and decision-making skills gained in study blocks and also an inter-professional module HH5609: Approaches to Research.

Year Two: Mastery of Occupational Therapy – Advancing Practice
Year 2 of the programme aims to provide students with a more advanced exploration of the occupational therapy profession. Students acquire mastery in critical knowledge and evaluation of key issues on professional practice as well as critical analysis, synthesis and evaluation of theoretical concepts central to occupational therapy. In addition, students study one optional module that enables an in-depth consideration of a specialist area of current practice. Students’ research skills are further enhanced in the second year and culminate in the students producing a research thesis, in the form of a detailed research dissertation. There are two practice placements in Year 2, one at the beginning of the year and one at the end.

Core Modules

Year 1

Introduction to Occupational Therapy Theory and Philosophy
Informing Sciences
Knowledge and Skills for Occupational Therapy 1
The Process of Occupational Therapy Practice
Preparing for the Work Place 1
Occupational Therapy Practice in Context
Knowledge and Skills for Occupational Therapy 2
Lifestyle Redesign Through Occupation
Preparation for Dissertation

Year 2

Preparing for the Work Place 2
Strategies and Visions for Professional Development
People and Communities
The Art and Science of Occupational Therapy

Optional Modules

Occupational Therapy for Children, Young People and their Families
Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
Occupational Therapy in Neurorehabilitation
Occupational Therapy for Active Ageing

Immunisation requirements for the course

Please be aware that the University does not pay for any of the vaccinations or blood tests required to undertake this course, this is the responsibility of each applicant. The University does not offer a service to provide these and therefore we recommend you go to your GP or local travel clinic and start as early as possible. Until the University has evidence that you have these immunisations we will not be able to allow you to enter the clinical environment on practice placement so it is vital that you meet these requirements, ideally before you commence study. You must obtain immunisation against the following and further information can be found on the NHS website.

Please be aware that as occupational therapy students you will be working in hospitals and therefore in contact with patients who have infections so these immunisations are required for students as outlined in the Green Book by the Department of Health.

Hepatitis B x 3 vaccinations over a 6 month period and a blood test is then taken 6-8 weeks after the third dose, to check that the vaccinations have worked. Please note that the Hep B vaccination programme from the initial first vaccination to blood test upon completion, takes 8 months.
Also required is Polio & Tetanusè Rubella, Measles or MMR x 2 è BCG è Varicella Zoster, and evidence of chicken pox or vaccination x 2, or blood test to confirm immunity.
Blood tests are required for Hepatitis B and also for Measles, Rubella and Chicken Pox if there is no evidence in the students medical records. Immunisations are compulsory and are required for clinical placements.

Teaching

The programme reflects educational developments and encourages reflection, self-reliance and deep learning in the programme - to prepare students for the challenges of employment within a changing health and social care system.

Teaching, learning and assessment are designed to ensure that successful students are able to:

Seek out, appraise critically and use appropriate sources of knowledge and expertise within their academic and practice-related studies.
Utilise intellectual, subject-specific and key transferable skills.
Reflect on their experiences and learn from these.

Students’ learning is also supported by web based resources on Blackboard Learn with all modules having lecture and tutorial material posted on this site. Other features of Blackboard Learn are also utilised, such as on-line tests, virtual blackboards, discussion groups and podcasts.

The teaching and learning approaches are founded on the belief that occupational therapy should be grounded in evidence. This is achieved through the integration of academic and practice education which encourages evidence-based activity.

Programme, study and module block descriptors delineate learning outcomes to ensure clarity and promote the active preparation of students. Placements require students to reflect on their personal strengths and weaknesses and set objectives for their learning.
Completion of student evaluation forms requires students to appraise their own learning experiences.

All study and module blocks are core to the curriculum apart from one optional module in the second year, which must be chosen from four options. All modules are compulsory. This policy was adopted to ensure the programme meets with the professional requirements of the Health and Care Professions Council and the College of Occupational Therapists.

Assessment

The assessment procedures within the programme reflect the learning outcomes of each study and module block. Assessments are carried out in assessment blocks. The University term structure allows the student to have assessments spread across the academic year to assist learning.

In order to promote independent learning, a variety of assessment modes are used such as case studies, essays, practical assessments, placement reports, presentations, written examinations, literature reviews and a research dissertation. These assessments are designed to not only reflect master’s level academic requirements, but also professional skills in preparation for practice.

At the beginning of each year the student is provided with the assessment schedule, including assessment and feedback dates. Each assessment is explained clearly to students, both verbally and in the programme handbook, giving notification of assignment block requirements early in the commencement of the relevant study or module blocks. This information is also provided via Blackboard Learn (BBL). Preparation for assessment blocks is co-ordinated by the relevant year leader and undertaken through identified sessions within study blocks.

Special Features

You will complete an integrated research dissertation as part of the Master’s.

You will have the opportunity to work and learn with international students.

You will have the opportunity to learn in a wide range of practice areas.

The programme is accredited by the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). It is recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy.

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Occupational therapy practice is concerned with enhancing the daily lives of individuals with a very broad range of physical, mental health or social needs. As an occupational therapist you will work with clients to improve function and enable them to fulfil the demands of their daily lives with greater satisfaction. You will work with people of all ages from all walks of life, in hospital, in the community, in their place of employment or in their home, and have the opportunity to work in a very wide variety of professional practice areas.

The fundamental aim of the MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) programme is to enable you to graduate with a master’s degree in occupational therapy and be eligible to apply for registration as an occupational therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) in the UK. The Degree does not provide eligibility to practice in any other country although the degree is WFOT recognised.

HCPC approved and COT/WFOT accredited

See the website http://www.brookes.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/occupational-therapy-pre-registration/

Why choose this course?

- Graduates from this programme will be fit for purpose, practice, and award in the UK. We enable you to develop a profound understanding of the potential for occupational therapy to promote the health and wellbeing of the population. Skills acquired will be evidenced based, innovative and give you the capacity to make a significant contribution to the profession, specifically contribute to excellence in client care and the professional knowledge base. On successful completion of the degree and 1000 hours of clinical practice education you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as a registered Occupational Therapist in the UK.

- Many of our graduates go on to further educational development at PhD/DPhil and professional doctorate level. We are mindful of the anticipated transformation of practice over the next 20 years as well as the changes to demographics and the political innovation resulting in the widening participation agenda. We therefore aim to attract graduate students, who are academically able, demonstrate appropriate values of self-determination, motivation and critical awareness of learning needs and show potential for leading leadership, innovation and research.

- Based in Oxford, the environment for learning is rich with diversity, culture, specialist health and social care resources, academic resources as well as close commuting links to London.

- Our programme is staffed by occupational therapists expert in diverse clinical specialities, and supported by occupational therapy practice educators from all areas of mainstream and specialist practice. Our lecturers are experienced in their specialist practice areas and have reputations for excellence with established links with colleagues, organisations and institutions at national and international level.

- This course benefits from shared and inter-professional education opportunities, in addition to profession specific ones, to develop the professional qualities and attributes for current and future health and social care practice.

- Our ongoing investment in a new technology infrastructure is enabling the teaching team to exploit successful technology-enriched learning throughout the programme. We have a large and dedicated building in Oxford (Marston Road) equipped with state-of-the-art classroom and clinical skills and communication suites and resources. We run a weekly Hand Therapy clinic and a monthly Community Occupational Therapy Assessment Clinic for the public. Students are invited to observe other qualified OT's working in these clinics.

- We have a strong research profile, with experienced researchers working in established areas of cancer care, children and families, drug and alcohol, physical rehabilitation and enablement, inter-professional education and collaborative practice.

- Established in 1938, we are the oldest School of Occupational Therapy in England, and have one of the best occupational therapy library collections in the country.

- We have an excellent track record of high levels of student satisfaction, low student attrition rates and high employability.

Teaching and learning

MSc in Occupational Therapy is taught alongside the well-established and highly-regarded BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy.

Pre-registration Masters students will be taught alongside the undergraduate students in all occupational therapy specific modules. These will be identified with different module numbers and names to those of the undergraduate programme. This dual level teaching in classroom will provide you with the opportunity to learn the core skills and specific attributes of occupational therapy alongside the BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy students.

However, the pre-registration Masters students are provided with an enhanced level 7 learning experience with module specific tutorials to explore a more critical and evidence based approach to the subject matter and thus develop professional competence in academic, research and digital literacy, critical thinking and personal self-awareness.

Our approach will require you to actively engage in these Masters level tutorials and become self-directed, innovative, creative and critical learners. Teaching will assist you to construct knowledge through the analysis, synthesis and conceptualisation of your learning experiences, thus developing a lifelong approach to learning. This supports employability in a marketplace that demands adaptability, continuous development and leadership.

You will have the opportunity for face-to-face and virtual learning activities. Our inter-professional module is taken alongside other health and social care pre-registration master's level students, enabling you to prepare for the interdisciplinary work you will encounter in the health and social care environment.

Working at master’s level, you will focus on developing your knowledge in occupational therapy, which is evidence-based and strongly underpinned by research.

This master's degree will:
- Enable you to be a reflective, proactive, innovative and adaptable occupational therapy practitioner, with the ability to critique research and evaluate the effectiveness of evidence in a wide variety of practice settings.

- Develop a critical understanding of the theory of occupation and teach you to challenge existing models and approaches used in occupational therapy from an informed perspective.

- Provide opportunities to develop your ability to work both independently and as part of a team in the context of social, technological, administrative and policy changes.

How this course helps you develop

This course is mapped against the University's postgraduate attributes so that all occupational therapy graduates are equipped with the skills of academic literacy, digital and information literacy, global citizenship, research literacy, critical self awareness and personal literacy. These attributes are in addition to the NHS core values of respect and dignity, commitment to quality of care, compassion, and aspiring to improve the lives of others where everyone counts and we work together for patients.

Careers

The majority of graduates from the occupational therapy degrees work as qualified and registered occupational therapists, but there are increasing opportunities to work in non-specified professional roles in mental health and community settings. There are also increasing numbers of employment roles that are not explicitly described or advertised as an ‘occupational therapist’ but match the skills specification of an occupational therapist. This is due to the changing nature of health and social care practice and the new and emerging roles and opportunities for occupational therapy.

Free language courses for students - the Open Module

Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.

Please note that the free language courses are not available if you are:
- studying at a Brookes partner college
- studying on any of our teacher education courses or postgraduate education courses.

Research highlights

The Centre for Rehabilitation within the Department of Sport and Health Sciences has strong leadership in the director, Professor Helen Dawes. The Centre brings together research, education and care. It is underpinned by a strong, well-published research group, the Movement Science Group, along with clinical expertise, rehabilitation, knowledge and care of adults and children with neurological conditions. Within the Centre, staff, students and alumni across the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences are engaged in a number of research projects.

Examples of ongoing research projects within the faculty:
- Driving rehabilitation - cognitive mechanisms of driving and performance implications for clinical populations

- Fatigue management – Central and peripheral fatigue and mechanisms in clinical populations

- Dual task control in Stroke - influence on community mobility

- Efficacy of Intensive motor learning programmes – Themed (Magic) camps for children with hemiplegia

- Arts in Health Research – collaboration with Breathe Arts Health Research with research opportunities across many arts related activities

- Virtual Reality (VR) technologies – development and implementation of VR technologies in rehabilitation

- Early identification of motor and sensory processing impairments in children

- Sensory processing disorders and impact on function and behaviour in children with autism

- Measurement and monitoring of rehabilitation participation- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Systematic Review of Vocational Rehabilitation for people with TBI

- Therapy for hand writing in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD)

- Monitoring movement in people with neurological conditions – mechanisms and impact e.g. head drop in Parkinson Disorder

- Physical activity impact on sleep, behaviour cognition, health and wellbeing in children with neurodisability

- Falls in people with learning disabilities – an understanding of the impact of anxiety

- A Functional Electrical Stimulation Plantar flexion System for Bone Health Maintenance in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

- Professional development Perspectives of Occupational Therapists working in the NHS and concepts of Occupational Balance, Cultural perspectives and attitude change in professional identity acquisition.

Research areas and clusters

Our staff are involved in research both independently and collaboratively.

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The Division of Language and Communication Science in City’s School of Health has an established reputation for teaching and research excellence. Join the MSc Speech and Language Therapy course and join a profession that makes a real difference to people’s lives.

Students starting PG Dip courses in September 2017 will receive a NHS Tuition Fee Bursary to cover the full tuition fees for the duration of their course.

Who is it for?

Our graduate-entry courses allow graduates with a first degree from disciplines other than healthcare to gain a pre-registration health qualification in two years as opposed to the usual three to four - providing a fast-track route into health.

The MSc in Speech and Language Therapy is designed for students who are committed to a career in speech and language therapy. You will need to have:
-Good listening and communication skills
-Good problem-solving skills
-Good organisational skills
-An ability to learn a range of academic subjects and to apply your learning to clinical practice
-An enthusiasm for working with children and adults and as part of a team.

Objectives

The MSc Speech and Language Therapy course leads to work in a challenging and varied field - you could be working with autistic children, people who stammer or adults who have lost their speech following a stroke.

City's MSc Speech and Language Therapy has an excellent reputation and is based within the largest, teaching, research and clinical division in the UK for language and communication science.

The programme is taught by expert staff who are leaders in the field of speech and language therapy. The innovative and research-informed curriculum is supported by a busy in-house speech and language therapy clinic led by specialist staff and is considered as one of the leading educational environments in the world.

At City we have close links with speech and language therapy services throughout London, with many practitioners from these services acting as clinical tutors on our courses.

Placements

The MSc Speech and Language Therapy course provides many opportunities for clinical practice, including attendance at health centres, schools, departmental clinics, special educational settings and hospitals throughout the London area.

Academic facilities

Speech and language therapy students have access to specialist labs and equipment such as ultrasound and laryngographs to help them understand speech production and audiological equipment when learning about hearing and deafness.

The Roberta Williams Speech and Language Therapy Centre, opened in January 2016, is our specialist speech and language therapy clinic. The Centre contains state-of-the-art equipment to enable staff within the Division of Language and Communication Science to deliver cutting edge research and services to patients.

Moodle is an enhanced Virtual Learning Environment which provides students with access to online course materials, resources, interactive activities, assessment and communication tools and is a key element of our blended learning approach, combining face-to-face teaching with online activity.

Teaching and learning

The MSc in Speech and Language Therapy is a very intensive programme which requires full time study by attending lectures, small-group problem-solving sessions, practical classes and tutorials. You will also have access to the most up-to-date equipment in the Speech Acoustics Laboratory and innovative online learning materials. On clinical placements you will benefit from the supervision of a qualified therapist.

Modules are assessed through a diverse range of assignments and examinations. Your clinical progress will also be monitored by supervising clinicians.

Modules

During the MSc Speech and Language Therapy course you will learn about the foundations of speech and language, about how children learn to talk and about disorders that affect communication. A number of subjects equip you for the analysis of speech, language and hearing difficulties, such as phonetics, linguistics and audiology. You will also develop research skills and the ability to apply evidence based practice. You will undertake weekly and block clinical placements in both years of the course.

Modules
-Articulatory Phonetics, Phonology and Speech Development
-Bio-medical Sciences
-Life Span Psychology and Research Methods
-Speech Disorders, Dysfluency and Augmentative and Alternative
-Dysphagia, Voice, Motor Speech Disorders, Dementia
-Language Sciences: Linguistics and Language Development
-Professional Studies A
-Evidence Based Practice and Data Analysis
-Acoustic Phonetics, Audiology and Deafness
-Acquired and Developmental Language Disorders
-Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disability, Child Mental Health, Cerebral Palsy, Cleft Palate
-Professional Studies B
-Research Project

When you have successfully completed 13 modules totalling 240 credits you will qualify for an MSc Speech and Language Therapy.

Career prospects

On successfully completing the MSc Speech and Language Therapy you are eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), and practise as a speech and language therapist in the NHS and other settings.

A career in speech and language therapy offers opportunities to work with clients of all ages in settings such as:
-Health centres
-Hospitals
-Schools
-Charities
-Universities
-You can also work abroad and in the private sector.

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This course (previously known as Health Through Occupation) gives you license to register and practice as an occupational therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

It is ideal for graduates of any subject who wish to gain both a professional and academic qualification and start a career in this challenging and highly rewarding field.

You will explore occupational health through our innovative problem-based learning approach, with an emphasis on practical application of skills and knowledge. Through this balance of theory and practice experience you will graduate a capable and confident occupational therapist.

Our high quality teaching and research are renowned, and have an applied focus. We have established strong links with specialist practice educators to ensure the provision of support and guidance both within the university and in practice.

Successful completion of the professional elements of the programme leads to the award of a postgraduate diploma in Occupational Therapy.

Course structure

This intensive programme runs over 45 weeks per year, for two years. Your time on the course will be balanced between campus-based study and clinical practice.

Sessions are held in small groups, they are interactive, integrated, self-directed, and focus on problem-solving, to examine real-life situations. The use of problem-based learning is considered crucial to students' fast attainment of masters-level standards, and for critical evaluation.

Other learning experiences are arranged according to the need of the problem; these may be lectures, practical sessions, skills classes, debates or seminars. Most importantly, all subjects are integrated around the problems.

Our postgraduate programmes are taught by a wide variety of methods – small active learning groups, seminars, action learning sets, PBL, lectures, self-directed literature searches.

Understanding the relationship between occupation and human health and wellbeing is also explored through student participation in a variety of activities such as cooking, craft, horticulture, performing arts and pottery.

Assessments allow for individual feedback in essential professional skills including written critique, report writing, team working, presentation skills, and verbal/written presentation of intervention.

Areas of study

You will examine topics such as:

• theories of occupation and occupational science (causes of occupational problems)
• occupation related to population health
• clinical reasoning
• occupational therapy process (assessment, treatment, and evaluation)
• occupational therapy skills (creative, productive, leisure and daily living)
• research methods and professional issues.

Syllabus

Year 1 modules:

Human Occupation (including two-week beginner practitioner placement)
Assessing Occupational Capacities
Novice Practitioner (practice placement)
Maximising Occupational Capacities
Intermediate Practitioner (practice placement)
Evaluating Occupational Therapy

Year 2 modules:

Occupational Therapy: Teams
Diverse Practice (practice placement)
Occupational Therapy: Settings
Competent Student Practitioner (practice placement)
Occupational Therapy: Consumers
Achieving Best Practice
Research project

Facilities

There are a range of skills rooms which are equipped so that students can learn and practise practical skills with each other prior to working with patients and clients.

Human Movement Laboratory:

The high-tech Human Movement Laboratory is used widely in teaching and research for students in the school of health professions studying physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry, and is also used for commercial consultancy.

In the lab you will use the latest technology to measure and assess all aspects of human movement, joints, muscles, soft tissue structure and nerves. The laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment for conducting cardio-pulmonary investigations including Cosmed metabolic system and spirometry.

Exchange

The student exchange programme is for occupational therapy students registered on the Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) MSc at the University of Brighton, Occupational Therapy MSc students at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse (UWC) and Occupational Therapy BSc students at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (RGU).

There are two options:

• Host option (year one)
• Travel option (year two)

First year students host visiting students during their Maximising Occupational Capacities module which runs from February to April each year. During the second year students have the option of visiting either UWC or RGU during their spring break.

Please see the website for more information
https://www.brighton.ac.uk/courses/study/occupational-therapy-pre-reg-msc-pgcert-pgdip.aspx

Our philosophy

The pre-registration occupational therapy programmes incorporate the experience of doing and making, in order to engage analyse and develop skill in therapeutic media. We have creativity studios for cooking, ceramics, crafts, and performing arts, and we have developed gardens for the practice of horticulture.

Around the world, many academic courses in occupational therapy are losing this aspect of their education, to give over more time to ‘theory’, but here at Brighton we believe that it is vital to retain these embodied learning experiences – which utterly link theory and practice - as they are indeed central to the understanding of the true essence and potential of occupation.

Recent research has revealed the connection between skilled hand use and the development of thinking. As one student, who could not imagine a course without these sessions, said “how can we learn about doing without doing?” These classes are central to the philosophy of our occupational therapy education at Brighton and they have become one of its hallmarks.

Careers and Employability

After professional registration with the HCPC graduates are eligible to take up opportunities in health and social care, in the NHS, social services, and the private sector. There are now many new and exciting possibilities for occupational therapists nationally and worldwide.

Occupational therapists work in an ever-widening range of mental health and physical disability settings including acute hospitals, long-term rehabilitation, social care, local communities, schools, factories, residential homes, institutions for older or more profoundly disabled people, voluntary organisations and prisons.

Completion of the Occupational Health (Pre-Registration) MSc will also prepare you for further study at MPhil and PhD level if you wish to continue pursuing an academic path.

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About the course

We are very fortunate to be able to provide this high quality programme as Brunel University London has one of the largest and most highly qualified occupational therapy staff groups in the world; the expertise is there to teach and supervise at Master’s and Doctoral levels.

Every module assignment can be focused on a topic you or your manager wants to investigate. The assignments are practically useful – write an evidence-based protocol or care pathway for your clients, plan how to improve the effectiveness of your service, evaluate and debate research in order to decide if the evidence is worth incorporating into practice, reflect on how central occupational engagement is for enhancing the health of your clients, or take a topic of interest to you.

The course does not further clinical skills, nor does it lead to registration from the UK professional governing bodies, but rather focuses on developing the occupational therapist’s ability to evaluate and enhance professional practice. Up to 60 credits of academic taught module exemptions can be offered for students holding a postgraduate certificate in Occupational Therapy, relevant postgraduate modules from other universities, or substantial relevant post professional periods of study – for example, AMPS or Sensory Integration.

Aims

Master's level study is essential if you want to gain the skills to evaluate your interventions, build professional confidence and seek out and develop existing theories, which inform your practice.

This course is aimed at occupational therapists wanting to continue their professional development and develop evidence-based practice – and will broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of the value of occupational therapy in today's changing world.

Each module’s content is embedded in practice and overall the programme aims to develop your skills in analysing evidence, implementing and evaluating occupational therapy research.

Course Content

Key Features:

Encourages a theoretical underpinning of occupation, occupational therapy and research.
Nationally recognised for excellence in teaching and research.
Meets the needs of occupational therapists who wish to enhance their current practice in their workplace.
Provides academic learning experiences in a supportive environment.
A modular programme that can be studied full-time, part-time or as an associate student. (Associate enrolment: studying a one off-module – this is very appropriate for continuing professional development.)
Facilitates reflective practice.
Develops research competencies for using and developing evidence-based practice.

This course will broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of the value of occupational therapy in today's changing world. Each module’s content is embedded in practice and overall the programme aims to develop your skills in analysing evidence, implementing and evaluating occupational therapy research.

Compulsory modules:

Occupational Science
Evidence-Based Occupational Therapy
The Art of Professional Practice
Research Design
Approaches to Research
Dissertation

Optional modules (choose two):

Occupational Therapy for Children, Young People and Families
Occupational Therapy for Mental Health
Functional Neuroscience for Rehabilitation
Occupational Therapy for Active Ageing
Specialist Practice in Occupational Therapy
Cognitive and Behavioural Issues in Neurorehabilitation

Assessment

A variety of assessments allow students to become proficient in evaluating and questioning their chosen area of practice. Active and adult learning principles are used throughout the course.

Special Features

This Brunel Master's is one of the few in the UK specialising in occupational therapy, and it has been especially designed to meet your needs as a practising therapist, helping you to gain greater mastery in your chosen area of occupational therapy.

The programme has been praised by the University validating committees as a model Master's degree for professional practitioners, for it brings theory to the workplace.

Based on a sound approach to adult education, the course invites students to bring issues from practice to analyse in class.

The programme was rated top out of all postgraduate programmes at Brunel University with regard to its capacity to promote personal development.

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In a world dominated by visual imagery, artists need the appropriate skills, reflexive approaches and attitudes of critical enquiry to work as effective professionals within their field. In this personalised course of study you can either explore your own specialism of fine art practice, or develop your practice across a broader range of interdisciplinary activity. In a supportive and challenging environment, you will be encouraged to be independent and enterprising in the promotion of yourself and your art.

The course is available to study either full-time over 1 calendar year or part-time over 2 calendar years. As a part time student it is possible to undertake the course from a distance and alongside existing employment.

You will develop new ways of looking at your own practice. You will explore distinct areas of contemporary fine art while reviewing your own and fellow students’ work-in-progress. Through negotiation, you will develop a proposal for new work that will form the framework for further development.

The course is structured to enable you to fully realise your ambitions for your practice. A lecture programme and regular contact with teaching staff, along with seminars from prominent practitioners, will assist you towards the production of a significant body of new work along with a key research folio within which you reflectively evaluate your practice. Students have in the past exhibited their final work at public galleries such as Chapter Arts Centre, Elysium Gallery, West Wharf Gallery and Arcade Cardiff.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/934-ma-arts-practice-fine-art

What you will study

The MA Arts Practice runs over two calendar years part-time or one calendar year full time:

- Part One:
Artist Practitioner 1 Critique 40 credits

Choice of one, 20 credit module from the three MA common modules, which you will study alongside Postgraduate students from other courses across the Faculty of Creative Industries:
- Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship
- Research and Practice in the Creative and Cultural Industries
- Research Paradigms

- MA Common Modules:
You will receive a strong grounding in research knowledge and skills, enterprise and innovation as part of the core MA Arts Practice course, but because everyone has different requirements of their postgraduate experience, you can choose to study one of the following three, 20 credit common modules. Each of these has a different focus, enabling you to select the module that will be most beneficial to you.

- Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship:
This module aims to develop your knowledge of the methods to identify, develop and manage enterprise and innovation in the creative sector. It will then help you apply this to your own entrepreneurial project.

- Research and Practice in the Creative and Cultural Industries:
The focus of this module is on the development of research knowledge and skills, while also encouraging critical engagement with approaches to creative practice. You will also explore ideas, debates and issues in the creative and cultural industries.

- Research Paradigms:
This module focuses on research paradigms and their theoretical underpinnings. It also looks at key conceptual tools drawn from a wide range of subject areas relevant to postgraduate research in the creative industries.

Part Two
- Artist Practitioner 2 Context (40 credits)
- Professional Practice in the Arts (20 Credits)
- Artist Practitioner 3 Major Project (60 Credits) or Research Project –Learning Through Employment (60 Credits)

Learning and teaching methods

The MA Arts Practice course is delivered using specialist facilities in our post-graduate studios which are available seven days a week. The programme makes use of lectures, guest speakers, workshops, demonstrations and tutorials, field trips and visits. The contact time you receive will include weekly workshops or seminars and regular group and individual tutorials. In addition, you will be expected to develop your area of practice independently.

Modules are taught via a combination of group seminars and lectures, with individual one-to-one tutorials taking place regularly to support your progress.

We encourage students to discuss and provide feedback on each other’s work, and to approach assignments in groups where appropriate to develop essential skills in teamwork and project management.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

The course acknowledges the value of experience and partnerships to enable employability. A key element of the course involves establishing partnerships, internships, residencies and placements with arts organisations and galleries, NHS Trusts, social services, charitable trusts, schools, colleges, care homes and commercial companies to develop these. The course also develops your professional skills and positions your practice within critical and contextual frameworks.

- Work/study placements:
In addition to developing your personal area of art practice, you will benefit from the chance to gain practical exhibiting and curatorial experience and to explore other avenues of professional practice.

- Career options:
Graduates of MA Arts Practice (Fine Art), can progress to careers in academia, a Fine Artist, Teacher, Artist in residence, Public Artist, Community Artist, Ceramicist, Exhibitions Organiser, Socially Engaged Practitioner, Prop maker, Technician, Technical Demonstrator, Craft Designer, Gallery Owner, Art Dealer, Art Conservator, Curator, Art Gallery Technician, Art Transporter, Arts Journalist, Critical Commentator, Web Designer, Arts Administrator, Set Designer, Model Maker, Illustrator, Mural Designer, Creative Director, Art Director, Arts Business Manager or Arts Publicist.

Assessment methods

Modules are largely assessed via practical outcomes, project proposals and research folios. Some modules make use of presentations and discussion of working methods and final outcomes.

We will give you regular verbal feedback to help you develop your understanding during each module.

Facilities

Studying art at the University of South Wales means you can work in dedicated studio spaces and base rooms at our Treforest campus. Within your specialism, you will be able to accomplish a high standard of work in our extensive specialist facilities: 3D workshop, print room, and ceramic studios all equipped with traditional and state of the art facilities, including digital suites and a fully equipped lighting studio for photography. Opportunities are available to extend your technical skills through tailored undergraduate modules.

Facilities at our nearby Cardiff campus range from photographic darkrooms and professional-level printers, to video and audio production studios. While facilities are available in the first instance to students studying related courses, they are available more widely to students wishing to explore cross-disciplinary and multi-media techniques. You will be able to borrow a full range of equipment including cameras, microphones and lighting.

Our specialist library offers a comprehensive range of textbooks, research journals and other physical and online resources, as well as an interlibrary loan service.

Teaching

Our MA Arts Practice staff are actively engaged in research, they embody a high level of knowledge, expertise and professional experience across a range of arts practices. Students on this course will benefit from interdisciplinary teaching delivered by a teaching team with extensive experience in exhibiting; project management; project realisation and practice within the public realm, NHS and community contexts.

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Get professional training in dramatherapy: our emphasis on clinical placements and a range of dramatherapy approaches will prepare you for work in the arts therapies. When you graduate, you’ll be qualified to work as a dramatherapist in the UK and overseas, and eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK.

Overview

Through lectures, practical workshops, case discussions and theoretical studies, our course will introduce you to a range of approaches to dramatherapy. You’ll reflect on your own practice in group discussions, and be supported by an extensive programme of tutorials and supervisions.

Your studies will focus on intercultural practice, attachment/mother-infant observation and the understanding of how past relationships manifest in current client difficulties – and how they can be worked with through the dramatherapeutic relationship. You’ll also work with music therapists in lectures and performance work, such as Playback Theatre.

Our experiential teaching will focus on your own dramatic autobiographical process, dramatherapy theory, links between theory and practice, and bi-weekly experiential dramatherapy groups. In these, you’ll reflect upon your clinical experiences and the process of becoming a dramatherapist.

You’ll take part in clinical placements in two to three fields, under the supervision of qualified dramatherapists. Your placements could be in community settings, schools, hospitals or hospices, giving you valuable experience of working in a multidisciplinary team and great preparation for employment.

Supported by our team of practising and research-active music therapists, you’ll have access to the latest and most effective dramatherapy approaches with both adults and children, as well as to the best advice for your future career.

Careers

As a qualified dramatherapist you’ll be able to work in many different areas, such as the NHS, social services, education, or community projects. You may also choose to work privately or on a freelance basis, with a client base from prisoners to children with learning difficulties.

Successful completion of this course will allow you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council – a legal requirement for practising dramatherapists in the UK.

You’ll also benefit from our links with the British Association of Dramatherapists and other allied health professions and practitioners, such as psychotherapists, arts therapists and psychiatrists.

Modules

Core modules:
Year one:
Clinical Placements and Experiential Development 1
Music Therapy and Dramatherapy Multidisciplinary Theoretical Studies
Dramatherapy Practice and Clinical Skills

Year two:
Clinical Placements and Experiential Development 2
MA Therapies Major Project

Assessment

You’ll demonstrate your learning in a number of ways, including essays, live presentations and practical tasks such as improvisation and performance. You’ll also be asked to undertake some self-analysis and reflection in discussion with your personal tutor.

Half-way through the course, your progress will be assessed by an examiner.

Your final piece of written work will be a Major Project which involves clinical evaluation. In the final oral assessment, you’ll present a piece of clinical work to two examiners, who will assess your overall clinical skills and readiness to practice.

One of our modules includes music therapy, and covers content from our Music Therapy MA course as well as this Dramatherapy MA. On more generic subjects, such as psychoanalytic studies, psychiatry and psychology, you'll work with our music therapy students; where techniques and approaches are specific to each profession you'll be taught separately.

Placements

You’ll spend much of your time on clinical placements in a range of settings.

Specialist facilities

You’ll work in our new purpose-built therapy centre, which includes state-of-the-art therapy rooms and a large hall. The centre is used for all of our teaching and for our professional therapy consultations. You’ll also have access to the extensive range of facilities offered by the Department of Music and Performing Arts, including a fully-equipped drama studio, two other large drama rehearsal spaces, a recital hall, a suite of computer music studios and music practice rooms and a full range of specialised dramatherapy props and equipment.

You’ll work in our new purpose-built therapy centre, which includes state-of-the-art therapy rooms and a large hall. The centre is used for all of our teaching and for our professional therapy consultations. You’ll also have access to the extensive range of facilities offered by the Department of Music and Performing Arts, including a fully-equipped drama studio, two other large drama rehearsal spaces, a recital hall, a suite of computer music studios and music practice rooms and a full range of specialised dramatherapy props and equipment. Our Cambridge campus also houses the Mumford Theatre, a full-size venue for professional touring companies.

Research

Our dramatherapy staff are internationally renowned researchers and consultants and our music, dramatherapy and performing arts research is recognised as ‘world-leading’ (Research Excellence Framework, 2014). We hold regular international conferences and support a vigorous community of research students.

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The MSc Play Therapy is a new collaboration between With Kids (a Scottish charity) and the MSc Art Psychotherapy (International) at Queen Margaret University.

The key purpose of the profession of play therapy is defined by British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT): "Play therapy is the dynamic process between child and play therapist in which the child explores at his or her own pace and with his or her own agenda those issues, past and current, conscious and unconscious, that are affecting the child’'s life in the present. The child'’s inner resources are enabled by the therapeutic alliance to bring about growth and change. Play therapy is child-centred, in which play is the primary medium and speech is the secondary medium."

The MSc Play Therapy aims to educate the next generation of play therapists to enable them to work safely and therapeutically with complex children and families.

Graduates will understand and work with the value of each individual child, the fundamental inter-relatedness of the child'’s physical, emotional and social needs and the power of love and care to transform life chances.

Applicants should possess qualities that enable them to undertake study in an appropriate manner and at the appropriate academic level. Thus the students recruited to this course will be committed, diligent, enthusiastic and possess the skills, curiosity and drive to enhance their knowledge base.

Teaching, learning and assessment

The teaching and learning approaches used encourage you to be an independent, participative learner. These approaches will engage you in lectures, problem-based learning, workshops, small group discussion, seminars, observation and skills practice. The course team aims to enable students to learn from and with others through supportive peer-assessment and feedback, guided by the tutor. There are three play therapy practice placement modules where you will work directly with children and families of increasing complexity. Two modules include clinical observation of a child/children from infanthood to adolescence. Assessment methods include case study analysis, collaborative presentation, observation analysis and play therapy practice placement portfolio.

While as a postgraduate student you will predominantly be working independently, there is a strong structure for academic support. Normally, there are fewer than 20 students in the class ensuring that individuals receive excellent support and benefit from interaction with other students.

Teaching hours and attendance

The course runs over three years part-time. Students attend the learning centre at With Kids in the east end of Glasgow one day a week over the first two years. Students will also undertake play therapy practice placement, observations and attend clinical supervision individually or in small groups. Students are expected to attend their own personal therapy for the duration of the course. 100% attendance is expected at all elements of the MSc Play Therapy.

Modules

Clinical Skils, Process and Practice 1,2 & 3 (10 credits each)/ Developmental, Clinical and Play Therapy Theory 1 & 2 (30 credits each)/ Research Methods (30 credits)/ Research Methods (30 credits)/ Clinical Project (60 credits).

The modules listed here are correct at the time of posting (July 16), but are subject to change. In the event that modules have to change, QMU will seek to use reasonable endeavours to ensure that there is no detrimental impact to students.

Careers

Play Therapists practice in many environments, including: NHS, social services, primary, secondary, further and special education, charities, private practice, etc.

They also work with people of all ages (not just children) living with a wide range of emotional or physical conditions. While in 2015 the overall majority of play therapists in the UK work in health and the voluntary sector, there is a sizeable number of them working in schools and nurseries. For further information http://www.bapt.info.

Other entry requirements information

Accreditation of prior learning: The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) encompasses the process whereby one can identify, explore and claim credit for previous certificated and/ or experiential learning. Applicants however will not be able to receive accreditation in lieu of any part of the practice placements throughout the course.

International: Where your honours degree has not been studied in English, you will be required to take an IELTS test receiving an overall score of 7.0 and no individual component score below 6.0.

Quick facts

- Rooted in the psychotherapeutic tradition of the Notre Dame Clinic which dates back to the 1930s.
- The only Play Therapy training validated by a Scottish university in collaboration with a Scottish charity.

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The MA Music Therapy course provides students with a unique opportunity to develop the skills necessary to become a Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) qualified Music Therapist.

This highly experiential postgraduate music therapy course provides students with training comprising of theoretical, clinical and musical experiences. At the University, you will work in groups of different sizes where you explore group processes and relate them to clinical practice.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1233-ma-music-therapy

What You Study

During the first year of the MA Music Therapy course, you will establish a strong theoretical basis built up from a range of disciplines, with an emphasis on psychodynamic music therapy. Your competence in clinical practice and your understanding of therapeutic relationships will then be developed in years two and three through supervised placements. These will be integrated with your university based learning.

Uniquely, you will benefit from training alongside colleagues who are trainee art psychotherapists, and you will acquire insight and a shared understanding of the other creative modality, as a basis for future professional practice in multi-disciplinary teams.

Infant observation is an exciting feature of the first year, offering an informative and in depth grounding in human development that will inform for the rest of your study. Creative music skills sessions enable you to further develop musically.

In addition, throughout the MA Music Therapy course, multi-disciplinary study groups and events will provide insight into the principles, practices and effectiveness of other art modalities.

Year 1/Part 1
• Theory and Practice of Music Therapy
• Infant Observation
• Clinical Improvisation (Music Skills)
• Placement Visits (6 weeks x 1 day per week)
• Study of Different Client Groups
• Modality Specific Experiential Groups

Year 2/Part 2
• Placement in a University Approved Clinical Setting (1 day per week)
• Small Group Clinical Supervision
• Further Theory and Practice of Music Therapy
• Creative Music Skills
• Modality Specific Experiential Groups

Year 3/Part 3
• Placement in a University Approved Clinical Setting (2 days)
• Small Group Clinical Supervision
• Modality Specific Experiential Group
• Research Methods and Dissertation

Please note it is a course requirement that you are in regular weekly therapy for the duration of the course.

Learning and teaching methods

Year 1: One day per week at university
Year 2: One day at university and one day at placement
Year 3: Two days at placement and up to one day on campus

During the training, you will develop your personal music skills through working with your peers. You’ll have the opportunity to perform at the opening of the art psychotherapy students end of year exhibition which will give you insight into the creative processes involved in responding to another artform using your own modality. You may also be involved in assisting course team members in their research projects.

Assessment methods

You will be assessed through a combination of essays, presentations, practicals, coursework, professional development, improvisations, performance, dissertation and viva voce assessment.

Facilities

Students have access to a full range of IT equipment, an extensive range of percussion sounds, and digital and acoustic pianos. Students are also able to practise in small scale rehearsal spaces.

Employment Prospects

*You are eligible to apply for professional UK registration and license to practice

*Private practice or employment, in settings including NHS psychiatric and other hospitals, social services departments, education including special education, the criminal justice system and the voluntary sector and community projects

*Further study towards a research degree

*Career routes in teaching and clinical supervision

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Please note that this course is only open to applications for September 2018 entry.

This graduate entry programme is designed to enable students to develop the required competences, skills and standards of proficiency to be eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as an Occupational Therapist with either the PgDip Occupational Therapy or the MSc Occupational Therapy. The award received depends on the modules passed.

The accelerated format allows the full-time professional training to be condensed into two years, rather than the traditional three-year route. Key features are the use of problem-based (PBL) and inquiry-based learning approaches. These educational approaches involve students working together in small groups and sharing responsibility for meeting module learning outcomes. The course therefore requires students to draw on a range of self-management skills and this experience acts as good preparation for entering the evolving world of health and social care as a qualified member of the workforce.

Occupational Therapy at LSBU has a dedicated team of tutors who utilise their wealth of knowledge, skills and clinical experiences of working in health and social care to inform the teaching programme. The team has a strong commitment to engaging with clinicians and service users in the teaching programme.

To support the teaching programme, the School of Health and Social Care has a dedicated suite of clinical skills labs, including two well-equipped Activities of Daily Living (ADL) suites plus large rooms for art, splinting and group skills sessions.

Modules

Year 1:

Introduction to occupational therapy and occupational science
Human function and occupational performance
Promoting health and wellbeing through occupation

Year 2:

Autonomy, accountability and development of professional identity
Person, environment and occupation
Contemporary Issues in occupational therapy

Students who successfully complete and pass 2 of the 3 first year modules at the first attempt have the option to transfer to the MSc pathway at the end of Year 1. One of these modules passed first time must be Module 3 - Promoting Health and Wellbeing Through Occupation.

School of Health and Social Care Dissertation (MSc pathway only)

All modules are assessed by a mix of written assignments, case studies, critical review, presentations, examinations, practice placements and a dissertation (MSc students only).

Timetable

Attendance is normally three to four days per week with the remaining time being used for self-directed study. There is often preparatory work for problem based learning groups as well as other teaching sessions. Whilst on placements students are full-time following the working hours of the setting.

Teaching and learning

The course uses a range of teaching and learning methods including lectures, small group sessions, practical skills sessions, online and self-directed learning activities.

Placements

During the course you are required to successfully complete and pass over 1000 practice placement hours within a broad variety of health and social care settings; meeting the College of Occupational Therapists (2008), the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT, 2002) and the Health and Social Care Professions standards and requirements.

At LSBU, we work closely with a number of healthcare organisations to provide a wide range of suitable practice placements. You will therefore gain experience of working with:

• People of different ages, diverse backgrounds and life situations
• Acute and long standing health needs (including physical, mental health and learning disability)
• Services in a range of settings (hospital and community, urban and rural).

Structure of placement learning:

Practice placements are in four blocks and are developmental in nature as you progress through the course. Placements are full time following the working hours of the setting. Student work under the guidance and supervision of a state registered occupational therapist (practice educator).

Placement settings:

Placements will predominantly be within the Greater London area in the NHS, local authority, voluntary, social enterprise, charities and private sectors. Placements can be in established or emerging services. Applicants should be aware that they may need to cover travel costs and placements could require them to commute across London and beyond if necessary.

Professional links

We maintain very strong links with occupational therapists working in health and social care settings across the NHS London area. These expert clinicians contribute to the course design, delivery of teaching sessions and provision of practice placements.

The course is approved by the Health and Care Professions Council; the regulator of Health, Psychological and Social professionals.

The course is accredited by the College of Occupational Therapists; the professional association for occupational therapists.

The course is recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists

Other professional links include the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapy. You will be able to join the OT student society, which has won several LSBU awards.

Employability

Students who successfully complete the 6 core modules will be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Therapy.

Students who successfully complete the 6 core modules and the additional School of Health and Social Care Dissertation module will be awarded an MSc in Occupational Therapy.

Graduates with either award are eligible to register as an Occupational Therapist with the HCPC. Registration allows you to practice as an Occupational Therapist within the NHS, community services and local authorities, as well as social enterprise and the private sector. Other settings include prisons, residential and nursing homes, schools and Social Services.

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The MA Art Psychotherapy course at the University of South Wales is essential if you are looking to gain the skills necessary to become a qualified Health and Care Professions’ Council (HCPC) Art Psychotherapist. You may be a graduate or already working in a related area looking to progress and to qualify professionally.

On the MA Art Psychotherapy course you will benefit from training alongside colleagues who are trainee Music Therapists in this cross-modality opportunity. You will acquire insight and shared understanding of other creative modalities, as a basis for future professional practice in multi-disciplinary teams and departments.

In your first year of study, you will participate in Infant Observation, providing you with a grounding in human development that will inform the rest of your studies.

You will benefit from the use of the facilities at the Caerleon campus to support your learning, including the art facilities to further develop your creative skills and artform. In addition, throughout the programme an experiential group, study groups and other University events will provide insight into the principles, practices and effectiveness of Art Psychotherapy.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1158-ma-art-psychotherapy

What you study

Year 1/Part 1
• Theory and Practice of Art Psychotherapy
• Infant Observation
• Art Modality and Studio Skills
• 6 week Shadowing Placement in a University Approved Clinical Setting
• Study of Different Client Groups
• Modality Specific Experiential Groups

Year 2/Part 2
• 1 day Placement in a University Approved Clinical Setting
• Modality Specific Group Clinical Supervision
• Further Theory and Practice of Art Psychotherapy
• Art Modality Skills and Techniques
• Modality Specific Experiential Groups
• Introduction to Research Methods

Year 3/Part 3
• 2 day Placement in a University Approved Clinical Setting
• Modality Specific Group Clinical Supervision
• Modality Specific Experiential Group
• Research Methods and Dissertation

Please note it is a course requirement that you are in weekly therapy for the duration of the course.

Learning and teaching methods

You will study through essays, presentations, clinical placement, professional development, exhibitions, dissertation and viva voce assessment.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

You are eligible to apply for professional UK HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council) registration on successful completion of the Masters course.

Students can go on to private practice after two years full-time/four years part-time supervised practice, or into employment in settings including NHS psychiatric and other hospitals, Social Services departments, education settings including special education, the criminal justice system, the voluntary sector and community projects.

Students could also choose further study towards a professional research degree, or career routes in higher education teaching and clinical supervision.

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