Masters Degrees (Therapy)

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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About the course

The MSc Cognitive Behaviour Therapy course is an exciting and innovative course, delivered by an enthusiastic team of Cognitive Behaviour Psychotherapists and lecturers. The course structure is designed to give you the option to study for:
- a postgraduate diploma (PgDip) in CBT
- a full Master’s degree (MSc) in CBT

The postgraduate diploma (PgDip) is suitable for health professionals who are aiming for accreditation as Cognitive Behaviour Therapists. To be a successful candidate you will already have experience working in mental health settings, providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy interventions. Typically our students bring significant experience in their own field of work as Mental Health Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists and Counsellors.

See the website http://www.herts.ac.uk/courses/cognitive-behavioural-therapy

Overview of the Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

The PgDip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is delivered over two academic years to facilitate the development of knowledge and application of CBT in stages.

- First year
The first year of the course is focused on giving you the clinical skills and academic understanding that you need in order to function as competent cognitive behavioural therapists. Typical modules include:
- Foundations in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,
- Common Mental Health problems 1
- Beginning with CBT supervision

- Second year
In the second year, you develop competence in more complex client presentations and you also develop greater competency in clinical skills. Typical modules include:
- CBT for common mental health problems 2
- Continuing with CBT supervision

The use of the CTS-R is prevalent throughout the PgDip Behaviour Therapy (CBT) course to measure and provide feedback for your development. For eligibility of the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists (BABCP) accreditation, you must satisfy the supervision requirements including completing a portfolio of practice.

The postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is accredited at Level two by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists. This means that the course fulfils all requirements so that you can gain provisional accreditation.

How you can gain a Master’s degree in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):
To gain a Master’s degree in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy you will need to study for a third year. In this final year, you will complete a 15 credit research module and a 45 credit dissertation module. This part of the course encompasses a total of 60 credits and on successful completion you will have an MSc in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

By successfully completing the third year, you will be able to interpret the knowledge and apply advanced skills in specialist areas. Throughout your study, you will be facilitated to develop intellectual and critical thinking in evaluating the evidence that underpins your knowledge and the practice of CBT interventions.

Why choose this course?

- The course gives you the option to study for a PgDip in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) in two years
- It is accredited at Level two by the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists (BACBP)
- It is delivered by an enthusiastic team of CBT lecturers with expertise in this area

Careers

When you graduate with a postgraduate diploma (PgDip) in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy you can progress to the MSc in Cognitive Behaviour by completing a research and a dissertation module.

You will be able to apply your newly gained CBT skills in a variety of settings and environments and able to practice as a competent cognitive behavioural therapist

Professional Accreditations

When you graduate from the PgDip in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy you will be eligible to gain accreditation from the British Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Psychotherapists (BABCP), provided that you satisfy the supervision requirements including completing a portfolio of practice.

Find out how to apply here http://www.herts.ac.uk/courses/cognitive-behavioural-therapy#how-to-apply

Find information on Scholarships here http://www.herts.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-funding/scholarships/postgraduate

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Summary

Become a qualified music therapist to facilitate people’s move towards well-being through specific therapeutic aims using a primarily non-verbal relationship in music. Music Therapy as practised in Great Britain is largely based on improvisation, the music being the shared, and the spontaneous creation of client and therapist.

The Music Therapy programme offers training for competent, practising musicians to become therapists, bringing together their skills, education and other life experiences. On completion of the training, graduates are eligible to apply to the HCPC for registration, with the ability and flexibility to practice within the NHS, Social Services, education or private sector.

Essential to music therapy is the relationship between client and therapist. At Roehampton we have chosen to base our Music Therapy training programme on the use of psychoanalytic ideas to inform our understanding of the therapy process and the ways the client works with the environment, the therapist and the music. Broader theories and ways of working are also studied in order to equip students to meet a range of clinical need. Other styles of music, including song writing, the use of technology and pre-composed music are also used as appropriate to the need of the individual.

The course emphasises your emotional development as a practitioner, together with clinical exploration through critical enquiry. In addition to this, students must be prepared to enter mandatory individual personal therapy for one year of the training.

Music Therapists work within a wide range of clinical settings, individual and group work. They work with people of all ages; from infants and young children through to elderly adults. Music therapy can benefit people with a wide range of difficulties or challenges, including mental health problems, learning disabilities and autism, dementia and neurology, as well as people experiencing serious illness such as cancer or those who have experienced trauma.

Content

The programme aims to encourage a critical and evaluative approach to both theory and practice in music therapy. It is designed to prepare students for work with children and adults with a range of disabilities and illnesses, and placements usually include work with children and adults with learning disabilities, autism and Asperger’s syndrome and mental health problems.

After visits to a variety of workplaces which offer music therapy, you will undertake individual and group work in two contrasting settings over six months, January to June (first placement) and September to February/March (second placement).These clinical placements will provide you with music therapy work experience alongside qualified Music Therapists. You will also participate in an experiential group, which gives you an opportunity to develop your own self-awareness and examine personal and group dynamics through verbal and musical processes. In addition, it is a requirement for you to find and fund personal individual therapy outside the course.

Key areas of study include human development and growth and the clinical context for music therapy, clinical improvisation, observational studies, music therapy theory, clinical case work and supervision, introduction to research and your dissertation. Personal development and reflection on this is central throughout the programme.

We also offer introductory courses that provide a useful background to those working in related professions or anyone simply wishing to find out more about the work. No particular level of musical competence is required.

For detailed information about Roehampton's MA Music Therapy, please download and read the information pack by clicking on the 'specific entry requirements' link on the course page.

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Get professional training in music therapy on our internationally recognised Master’s course. When you graduate, you’ll be qualified to work as a music therapist in the UK and overseas, and eligible for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council in the UK.

Overview

If you’re an experienced musician and want to put your skills to use supporting children and adults with additional needs, our emphasis on clinical placements will prepare you for a rewarding career.

Through lectures, practical workshops, case discussions and theoretical studies, we’ll introduce you to the most recent, effective music therapy approaches. You’ll reflect on your own practice in our clinical supervision group discussions, supported by regular individual tutorials.

In the UK there are two central elements of music therapy: the use of improvised and pre-composed music; and the significance given to the relationship between client and therapist. These principles will underpin your training. Our experiential teaching includes: development of your improvisation skills; focused work on your first instrument; keyboard, single line instrument and voice; music therapy theory and links to practice; block clinical placements in at least two fields, including community settings, schools, hospitals and hospices; and experience in multidisciplinary teams.

Your training will take place in our new state-of-the-art Music Therapy Centre and Clinic, where you’ll often study with MA Dramatherapy students. All our students go on supervised clinical placements, preparing you for employment in many different settings.

Throughout the course you'll be supported by our team of qualified music therapists, who have a strong reputation for research. In 2013 we appointed Jörg Fachner as Professor of Music, Mind and the Brain, to further develop our research activities. One of our course tutors, Professor Amelia Oldfield, was recently awarded the first ever Clinical Impact Award by the World Federation of Music Therapists. And in 2014, our music, dramatherapy and performing arts research was acknowledged as 'world-leading' in the UK Government's Research Excellence Framework.

Teaching times: two days a week plus two days on a clinical placement (Year 1). One day a week on campus plus a placement of least one day a week (Year 2).

Careers

As a qualified music therapist you’ll be able to work in many different areas including the NHS, hospices, social services, the education sector and the voluntary sector. The NHS Agenda for Change has led to improved career paths for music therapists at levels similar to, or higher than, those of other allied health professions.

You may also choose to work privately, or on a freelance basis, with a client base including adults and children with learning difficulties, mental health problems, and other special needs.

Successful completion of this course will allow you to register with the Health and Care Professions Council, a legal requirement for music therapists in the UK. Your qualification should also be recognised around the world.

You’ll benefit from our links with the British Association for Music Therapy and other allied health professions; Professor Helen Odell-Miller, for example, advises at government level for the profession. You’ll also be able to forge links with practitioners such as psychotherapists, arts therapists and psychiatrists.

Modules

Year one:
• Music Therapy Practical and Clinical Skills
• Music Therapy and Dramatherapy Multi-Disciplinary Theoretical Studies
• Clinical Placements and Experiential Development (1)

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 clinical improvisation and composition. You’ll also undertake some self-analysis and reflection with your personal tutor.

Half-way through the course, your progress and process towards becoming a music therapist will be assessed by an examiner. Your final piece of written work will be a Major Project, which involves clinical evaluation. Meanwhile, in your 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 touches on dramatherapy and covers content from our MA Dramatherapy, as well as the Music Therapy course. Where techniques and approaches are specific to each profession you’ll be taught separately but on more generic subjects, such as psychoanalytic studies, psychiatry and psychology, you’ll benefit from working together.

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. We have a large range of musical instruments, specifically chosen for clinical work, and high-quality recording and videoing equipment in the therapy rooms.

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.

Our Cambridge campus also houses the Mumford Theatre, a full-size venue for professional touring companies.

Research

Our music therapy staff members are internationally renowned researchers and consultants and our research is recognised as world-leading. We hold regular international conferences and support a vigorous community of research students.

***This course has now reached full capacity for September 2016 but we are now accepting applications for September 2017***

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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.

Further entry requirements:

Recognition 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 provide evidence of English language  competence at no less than IELTS 7.0 and no individual component score below 6.0.

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. Students will gain a thorough understanding of the fundamental inter-relatedness of the child’s physical, social and emotional world, and will develop the skills to work effectively and therapeutically to enhance emotional wellbeing and 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, and 100% attendance is expected at all elements of the MSc Play Therapy.

Links with industry/professional bodies

This course is accredited by the British Association of Play Therapists.

Modules

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

Careers

Play therapists practice in many environments, including: NHS, social services, primary, secondary, further and special education, charities, private practice. They also work with people of all ages (not just children) living with a wide range of emotional or physical conditions. As of 2015 the overall majority of play therapists in the UK work in health and the voluntary sector; a significant number of them work in schools and nurseries. For further information http://www.bapt.info.

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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This unique three-year part-time Master's course can lead to registration as a music therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). It also provides a popular route for international students looking to develop their qualifications.

It is open to capable musicians - from recent graduates to experienced professionals, or to music therapists with a postgraduate diploma looking to add to their skills and knowledge who can access a progression route. Even if you don't have a first degree in music, we still encourage you to apply provided you can demonstrate a capacity to write and think at Master's level. All candidates will need an intuitive and communicative musical presence on at least one instrument or voice, plus the ability to provide harmonic support using, for example, piano, keyboard or guitar.

Key benefits

This course is accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Course detail

There is an underlying humanistic and music-centred philosophy to the course, with a strong emphasis on experiential learning. We take a 'lifespan' approach, focusing on children and adolescents in the first year, and adults in the second year. In the third year, we focus on more complex areas of work, with both children and adults, such as work in palliative care or the prison and probation services.

The course equips you with the clinical, theoretical and practical skills required to enter the music therapy profession. Successful graduates will be able to work in the NHS, education, social services, for the voluntary sector, charities, within prisons, or set up their own practice.

The part-time, flexible nature of the course means you can fit Master's level studies around paid employment, and build or enhance your career in the process.

Course tutors, and teaching and research staff from across the department have excellent links with healthcare, community and education providers, and we regularly welcome visiting lecturers from these areas.

Personal development

Personal development runs throughout the course, and you must be prepared to undertake what may sometimes be challenging and rigorous explorations of your professional and personal issues and influences - excellent preparation for a music therapist. During the course, we ask you to be in confidential personal therapy with a suitably qualified therapist, for example, a creative arts therapist, a counsellor or psychotherapist. The number of hours is not specified, but the Health Professions Council requires you to have had substantive and sustained experience of personal therapy during the three years of the course (40 to 60 hours is recommended). Please note, this cost is not included in the programme fee.

There is also a counselling component within the professional practice modules. You will experience a music therapy training group facilitated by external music therapists. You will need to set aside regular time, beyond personal therapy and attending taught sessions, for reflection and study.

Year 1

• Music Therapy Professional Practice with Children and Young People
• Music Therapy Theory and Child Development

Year 2

• Music Therapy Professional Practice and Skills with Adults
• Music Therapy Theory and Practice in Adult Settings
• Qualitative and Quantitative Methods

Year 3

• Music Therapy Advanced Professional Practice
• Dissertation in Psychology

Format

Teaching is based on lectures and seminars, small group practical sessions and individual tutorials. There is a strong experiential basis to the course, which is led by a team of experienced music therapists and complemented by visiting specialists from a range of related professions.

The course is highly flexible and attracts a diverse demographic, with musicians from many backgrounds - this allows for valuable peer-learning opportunities.

Assessment

We assess your work and progress through written essays, practice portfolios and viva presentations each year, and also one research exam, a microanalysis, a music practical and a research portfolio.

Careers / Further study

Completing the MA Music Therapy allows you to register with the HCPC, and start practising as a fully qualified music therapist.

Opportunities for Master's-qualified music therapists are diverse. Previous students have gone on to practice as HCPC-registered music therapists sometimes alongside other musical work such as performing and teaching and also apply their knowledge and expertise to positions in healthcare and education. Our links with music therapy experts and practitioners give excellent insights into future careers, and part of the course is geared towards helping you find placements, attract employers or set up your own practice.

You will need to submit all written work electronically and have access to the internet. You will also need your own recording equipment for use on placement.

How to apply

Information on applications can be found at the following link: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/study/applyingtouwebristol/postgraduateapplications.aspx

Funding

- New Postgraduate Master's loans for 2016/17 academic year –

The government are introducing a master’s loan scheme, whereby master’s students under 60 can access a loan of up to £10,000 as a contribution towards the cost of their study. This is part of the government’s long-term commitment to enhance support for postgraduate study.

Scholarships and other sources of funding are also available.

More information can be found here: http://www1.uwe.ac.uk/students/feesandfunding/fundingandscholarships/postgraduatefunding.aspx

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Overview

The first programme of its kind in the UK, combining biological and medical science with business, law and bioethics. Designed to develop expertise in the biological, commercial and regulatory aspects of cellular therapy, along with its application in biomedicine. Equips students to pursue a business-based career in cellular therapy or related disciplines.

Key Benefits

- Work alongside leaders in the field at King’s Centre for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine – a focal point in the UK for cutting edge research in this field.
- Produce credible business plans for the application of cellular therapy in clinical settings, taking into consideration science, patient benefits, ethical code, regulations and market laws.
- Learn to conduct investigations, analyse the results using various qualitative and quantitative methods and draw valid conclusions for commercialisation of cellular therapy.
- Mentoring sessions by King’s academics and external guests
- Outstanding networking opportunities with leaders in the field (scientists, biotechnology/pharma, financial services, stem cell manufacturing, regulatory and public sectors)

Visit the website: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught-courses/cellular-therapy-from-bench-to-market-msc.aspx

Course detail

- Description

The programme is designed to develop expertise in the biological, commercial and regulatory aspects of cellular therapy, along with its application in the various fields of biomedicine. Students will be equipped to pursue a business-based career in cellular therapy or related discipline.

Cellular therapies have attracted much interest in recent years in virtually all disciplines of medicine with over 2,700 clinical trials enrolled between 2000 and 2010. As of today, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov has over 27,800 registered cellular therapy clinical trials. The complexity of issues relating to cell manufacturing, the underlying regulatory framework, reimbursement and viable business models, each represent challenges that profoundly undermine the timing and the delivery of a viable healthcare model.Our programme will provide tools that aid the understanding of these complex issues within an integrated and commercial context.

- Course purpose -

- To equip students to pursue a business-based career in cellular therapy or a related discipline, especially in areas involving medical applications.

- To educate the students to understand the biological, regulatory and business aspects of cellular therapy, along with their application in the various fields of biomedicine.

- To develop ability to conduct investigations, analyse the results using various qualitative and quantitative methods and draw valid conclusions for the commercialisation of cellular therapy.

- To stimulate critical, analytical problem-solving abilities and evidence-based decision making in the commercial aspects of cellular therapy.

- Course format and assessment -

Students are mainly assessed by coursework, reports, class tests, poster, oral presentations and development of a credible business plan. There is a formal exam for one optional module

Career prospects

With a strong participation of professionals from both industry and business sectors, we will prepare students for careers in business development, and commercialisation of stem cells products and services. Students may also wish to pursue a career in research.

How to apply: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/taught-courses.aspx

About Postgraduate Study at King’s College London:

To study for a postgraduate degree at King’s College London is to study at the city’s most central university and at one of the top 20 universities worldwide (2015/16 QS World Rankings). Graduates will benefit from close connections with the UK’s professional, political, legal, commercial, scientific and cultural life, while the excellent reputation of our MA and MRes programmes ensures our postgraduate alumni are highly sought after by some of the world’s most prestigious employers. We provide graduates with skills that are highly valued in business, government, academia and the professions.

Scholarships & Funding:

All current PGT offer-holders and new PGT applicants are welcome to apply for the scholarships. For more information and to learn how to apply visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/pg/funding/sources

Free language tuition with the Modern Language Centre:

If you are studying for any postgraduate taught degree at King’s you can take a module from a choice of over 25 languages without any additional cost. Visit: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/mlc

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-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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Our MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) programme helps you to develop the knowledge, skills and attributes to enable you to work with clients of all ages who have physical, mental health or learning difficulties. If you already have a degree, and have carried out some relevant experience, then this programme could be your route into occupational therapy.

This pre-registration course is a two-year accelerated programme which enables you to take advantage of interprofessional learning (IPL), encouraging professionals to learn with and from each other – an understanding that helps to ensure you have the expertise to respond adequately and effectively to the complexity of your clients’ needs, and ensures that care is safe, seamless and of a high standard.

Central to the philosophy of our programme is the value attached to ‘occupation’ and ‘activity’ as a means to achieving the health and wellbeing of individuals, which enhances their quality of life, thus enabling them to achieve their desired goals.

Placement Opportunities

In order to prepare you for the work-place and enrich your learning, we organise the practice placement education for you with multi-professional health care teams in a wide range of settings. You will gain experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team with people who have physical and mental health care needs.

Over a thousand hours will be spent in the practice environment, where you will apply the theory and practice of occupational therapy.

Whilst on placement you will have an educator allocated to you, and contact with a member of the academic team.

Placements encompass a variety of multidisciplinary health and social care settings based within the NHS, the Private Sector, Social Services, Voluntary Organisations and Primary Health Care Services.

Professional accreditation

Completing our course enables you to become an occupational therapist, and makes you eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and professional membership of the College of Occupational Therapists (COT).

HCPC registration is required to work as an occupational therapist in the UK, and once you are registered you are able to practice in a wide variety of clinical settings.

We are committed to embedding the NHS Constitution Values (which are strongly reflected in our University values) into everything we do. They define the behaviours and expectations of all our staff and students underpinning the work we do in the university, clinical arena and other workplaces.

We understand that not all of our students and staff are employed within the NHS, but these values uphold the underlying principles of excellent care as a standard and as such we expect that anyone who has any aspect of their work which ultimately cares for others will aspire to uphold these values.

For us, involving not only our students but service users, experts by experience, carers and NHS/non NHS professionals in the creation and delivery of all programmes is vital.

Our expert staff

A unique feature of our School is that most of our staff work or have worked within clinical practice. This enhances our grasp of the contemporary links between academic research, the major issues of the day and real-life practice.

Occupational Therapy is taught by registered experienced staff with a variety of different backgrounds. The course is led by Dr Wendy Bryant, who is also the university’s subject lead for occupational therapy. Wendy practised as an occupational therapist in a range of health and social care settings from 1984 until becoming an academic in 2003. She was awarded the UKOTRF Institute of Social Psychiatry Scholarship for research into mental health service-user experiences of occupational therapy facilities in an acute mental health unit in West London.

We also have expertise in the areas of dementia, occupation therapy for children, and the assistance of dogs in treatments. Specialist guest lecturers additionally lend external expertise to our academic staff.

Specialist facilities

Within our School of Health and Human Sciences, we have a range of specialist clinical laboratories and IT facilities to assist you with the effective learning and acquisition of new skills; for students of our MSc Occupational Therapy, we have a specialist lab at our Colchester Campus which provides you with access to kitchen, bedroom, and wheelchair facilities to help develop your skills in helping people in the home.

We also arrange off-site visits to farms and other specialist external facilities to assist in your learning, and offer excellent physical and online resources in terms of libraries, computer labs, datasets, archives and other research materials.

Our student-run Occupational Therapy Society is also involved in many internal and external events.

Your future

Successful completion of our MSc Occupational Therapy (pre-registration) programme leads to eligibility to apply for registration as an occupational therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), which then allows you to practise as an occupational therapist in the UK.

If you are a self-funding international student interested in working outside of the UK we would advise that you check registration procedures with the relevant professional body in that country.

Example structure

Year 1
-Interprofessional Collaboration and Development
-Research in Health Care
-Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice
-Occupational Performance in Practice
-Learning in Practice 1
-Learning in Practice 2

Year 2
-Research Activity
-Transformation Through Occupation
-Contexts of Occupational Therapy Practice
-The Competent Occupational Therapist
-Learning in Practice 3
-Learning in Practice 4

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Why choose this course:

• This is the only distance learning MSc Hand Therapy course in the UK which will give you the flexibility to study the course from home on a part time basis so you can stimulate the development of your own learning.

• You can study this course as part of your personal and professional development, allowing you to develop in areas of hand therapy that interest and matter to you.

• In the latest Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey, 95% of students were satisfied with the overall quality of the course, while 100% of students felt the course enhanced their academic ability and better prepared them for their future career.

• If you complete specific modules within the course you'll be eligible to apply to the British Association of Hand Therapists(BAHT) for accreditation as a BAHT accredited hand therapist when you graduate.

• You'll be taught by a highly experienced teaching team who are actively involved in hand therapy research so you can be sure you'll be learning all the latest theories and developments.

About the course:

This course is for qualified occupational therapists and physiotherapists working in the field of hand therapy. You don't need to be working in hand therapy full time but a proportion of your work needs to be within hand therapy.

Building on the skills you will have gained in your own professional practice, this course enables you to continue learning, evaluating, maintaining and developing services for hand therapy both now and in the future. The course is divided into the Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and Masters stage but you can choose to study as little as one module which would contribute to your continued professional development.

You'll find that the course is flexible to suit you and fit around your other commitments, but what you learn will still be challenging and interesting.
During the course you'll be able to:

• Develop your ability to critically evaluate and reflect on your own practice in hand therapy
• Critically review the theory which underpins hand therapy
• Contribute to the body of knowledge about hand therapy
• Develop your understanding of research methods and research skills
• Develop yourself personally and professionally
• Make improvements in clinical practice and research into hand therapy.

Our teaching team will also give you the full support and help you'll need with your studies. You can get tutorial support by email, telephone or face-to-face depending on what suits you best. As a distance learning student you will have access to our libraries with an extensive range of journals and online resources which will help you with your self directed learning.

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The MSc in Professional Development in Occupational Therapy offers occupational therapists the opportunity to build a masters level qualification around their own area of practice and personal development plan. The flexible programme focuses upon core skills of leadership, research application, and critical thinking applied to the practice of occupational therapy in the context of multi-disciplinary working in health and social care services. The programme consists of six taught modules and a dissertation which can be completed between two years full-time and up to six years part-time.

You can choose from a range of Masters (Level 7) taught modules available within the School. You must complete six modules comprising:

• Two compulsory core
• One (from four) additional core
• Two Occupational Therapy modules
• One optional module for the PgDip and a further 60 credit dissertation related to Occupational Therapy for the MSc

Dissertation options include: research project, work based project or a systematic review.

Students who complete one core module and two Occupational Therapy modules will be eligible for a PgCert award.

Modules

Compulsory Core:

Research in health and social care
Innovation for excellence

Additional Core:

Professional development through contract learning
Developing skills and competence in professional practice
Delivering an evidence-based service
Ethics consultation and best interests decision making

Occupational Therapy Modules:

Advanced group skills for occupational therapists;
Outcome measures in occupational therapy
Theoretical perspectives in context: advancing occupational therapy practice
Occupational therapy for the older person
Applied leadership and service innovation in occupational therapy

Examples of Optional Modules:

An introduction to counselling skills for health care professionals
Introduction to economic evaluation for AHPs
Leadership skills for allied health professionals
Teaching and learning in practice settings (AHPs)

Professional links

London South Bank University is affiliated with the College of Occupational Therapists (COT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Employability

Modules in this programme will contribute to the continuous development of your occupational therapy practice through the acquisition of advanced skills and higher levels of knowledge which are required for the effective performance of a complex role.

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