Master of Occupational Therapy
Design, technology, and business entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship are embedded in the curriculum content, which has been designed collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals.
Students complete three professional work placements in community- or hospital-focused agencies that offer short-and long-term therapy, a well as an innovative project-based placement in the Design Factory Melbourne. Working in teams, students gain industry experience by developing innovative solutions to problems provided by industry partners and consumers.
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Due to limited capacity, students will be unable to defer their place in this course.
Duration
2 Year/s
Intakes
Hawthorn (Winter) - View application and start dates
CRICOS code
089748J
Fees
A$35600 (annual for 2020)*
The indicative course fees shown in Course Search apply to international students for the relevant year only. They are based on a standard study load per year. However, please note that fees are assessed according to a student's study load in each semester, and variation to study load will result in an adjustment to tuition fees. All fees are subject to annual review and may be adjusted.
Course information in detail
- Course detail, course structure and units of study.
Course description
Occupational therapists work in hospital, rehabilitation, residential care, mental health, community health, forensic mental health, school, paediatric and occupational rehabilitation settings. Occupational therapists assist people who have difficulty participating in everyday life. Everyday life activities include participation in the paid work force, leisure activities, and/or self-care activities. Clients may have neurological, musculoskeletal or mental health problems and may be living at home or in a supported living setting.
Problem-based learning
International students in Australia who hold student visas are required to study full-time and on campus. Courses that are taught entirely online are only available to international students studying outside Australia or those in Australia who are not on a student visa. Online courses are not available to international students in Australia who hold a student visa.
Course structure
- 11 Core units of study (137.5 credit points)
- 3 Professional placement units of study (62.5 credit points)
It is a mandated requirement of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and the Occupational Therapy Council (Australia and New Zealand) Ltd that all students will undertake 1000 hours of professional practice training including 800 hours of work placements and at least 240 hours of other professional practice activities in other units. Work placements are organised into three full-time blocks (20 weeks total). Swinburne will organise the student placement program.
Placements will be undertaken in agencies which: provide short-term or long-term therapy, are community or hospital focused, with clients across the lifespan. Clients will experience occupational performance problems as a result of mental health, neurological or musculoskeletal impairments. Every client will be experiencing some limitation in what they need, want or expect to be able to do. It is intended that students be offered a variety of placement experiences during their enrolment.
Units of study
Careers and graduate outcomes
- Career opportunities, course aims and objectives and professional recognition.
Career opportunities
Aims and objectives
Specifically students will:
- construct an occupational performance profile(s) for an individual, group or community using key theoretical perspectives and apply these in a range of contexts
- critique published studies in order to inform best practice in areas of musculoskeletal, neurological and mental health occupational therapy across the lifespan
- choose relevant studies, produce an evidence review report related to a musculoskeletal, neurological and/or mental health assessment or intervention
- select and appraise relevant concepts and skills to develop comprehensive intervention plans for clients (individual, community or group)
- select and present (in oral presentation) high level communication skills (i.e. communication skills which are targeted to a particular audience e.g. family member, court report)
- plan, produce and evaluate a design or device solution to a problem of occupational participation identified by an external partner in the disability sector
- evaluate self and peer team work skills, capacity for self-direction and active learning ability.
Professional recognition
Pathways and scholarships
- Scholarships.
Course fees and requirements
- Fees, entry requirements and English language requirements.
Fees for 2019
Fees for 2020
Course fees
Students holding an international student visa are required to study full-time and on campus. Due to government regulations, industry-based learning (IBL) and work placement are not available to onshore international students unless it is a compulsory component of the program. Programs that are taught solely online are not available to onshore international students who hold an international student visa.
Entry requirements
A prerequisite for many courses, the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) can now be done on campus in Hawthorn at Room 132, Building TD. Book now or call +61 3 9214 3584 for more information.
- completed their undergraduate degree in the last ten years and obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study AND completed at least one unit in anatomy and physiology (such as BIO10004 Anatomy and Physiology) or an equivalent anatomy and physiology bridging course
- have completed a postgraduate degree in the last ten years and obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study AND completed at least one unit in anatomy and physiology in their undergraduate degree (such as BIO10004 Anatomy and Physiology) or an equivalent anatomy and physiology bridging course.
Applicants are required to provide the following documentation with their application:
- Academic transcript
- Personal statement outlining reason for applying
- Curriculum vitae
- One page report on knowledge of work of occupational therapists (sources to be correctly referenced using APA 6th style)
English language requirements
Satisfactory completion of one of the following:
- minimum IELTS overall band of 7.0 (Academic Module) with no individual band below 6.5
- TOEFL iBT (internet-based) minimum score of 95 with a reading band no less than 20 and writing band no less than 22
- Pearson (PTE) minimum score of 66 (no communicative skills less than 58)
- any other equivalent assessment of English language proficiency.
How to apply
For international students only:
- Closing date for applications is Friday, 21 February 2020
Find out more
Tel: +61 3 9214 8444 (outside Australia)