Master of Occupational Therapy
The Master of Occupational Therapy provides students with skills and knowledge in treating clients who have difficulty participating in everyday life activities due to neurological, musculoskeletal or mental health issues. Students undertake problem-based learning which requires them to collaboratively question, research, interpret core information and develop meaningful responses to case scenarios.
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 years full-time
Intakes
Hawthorn (Winter) - View application and start dates
Study modes
- Full-time,
- Block Mode
Course information in detail
- Course detail, course structure and units of study.
Course description
The Master of Occupational Therapy prepares students to be eligible to practice as a qualified occupational therapist. Once qualified, graduates are required to apply for registration to practice with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.
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
This course is designed for students who are interested in learning about how to enable participation in daily life using design, device and technology approaches. Students will use a problem-based learning approach to their studies. A scenario will be presented at the commencement of a topic that will set the scene for self-directed learning. There will also be concepts and skills classes that relate to the scenario.
Students gain problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by working through problems collaboratively to find meaningful solutions. This style of learning replicates the approach used by occupational therapists in practice.
Course structure
To qualify for the award of Master of Occupational Therapy, students must complete 200 credit points comprising:
- 11 Core units of study (137.5 credit points)
- 3 Professional placement units of study (62.5 credit points)
Professional placements
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.
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
Core units
Students must complete 137.5 credit points of study from the following list of units:
Placement units
Students must complete the following three placement units (62.5 credit points):
* Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.
Careers and graduate outcomes
- Career opportunities, course aims and objectives, graduate skills and professional recognition.
Career opportunities
Occupational therapists work in hospital, rehabilitation, residential care, mental health, community health, forensic mental health, school, paediatric and occupational rehabilitation settings.
Aims and objectives
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate entry-level, discipline-specific knowledge, skills and attributes and demonstrate advanced level professional skills including the ability to be self-directed, work in teams, collaborate with others and advance their practice through critical self-reflection.
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.
Graduate skills
The Swinburne Graduate Attributes signify that Swinburne intends that its teaching courses assist all its graduates to be:
- capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
- entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
- effective and ethical in work and community situations.
Professional recognition
The program is approved by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia and accredited by the Occupational Therapy Council (Australia & New Zealand) Ltd.
Pathways and scholarships
- Credit transfer, recognition of prior learning and scholarships.
Course fees and requirements
- Fees, entry requirements and non-year 12 entry.
Course fees
Fees are estimates for students commencing in 2019 only: Tuition fees as published are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. These fees apply for units studied in 2019 only and may change for units studied in future years. If part-time study is permitted, annual fees will be proportionally lower based on the number of units taken per semester.
How do I pay my fees?
FEE-HELP is a loan given to eligible full-fee paying higher education students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. The Commonwealth Government pays the amount of the loan directly to Swinburne.
HECS-HELP is a loan and discount scheme available to eligible students enrolled in a Commonwealth supported place. A HECS-HELP loan can cover all or part of the student contribution amount.
This course offers Commonwealth Supported Places for eligible students.
The total tuition fee is dependent upon the combination of units of study selected by the student. Fees are reviewed each year. Find out more about fees.
Entry requirements
Applicants who have completed a three year degree in any area of study are eligible to apply if:
1. they completed their degree in the last ten years or have undertaken subsequent postgraduate studies or relevant work experience*
2. they obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study.
Applicants are required to provide the following documentation with their application:
1. they completed their degree in the last ten years or have undertaken subsequent postgraduate studies or relevant work experience*
2. they obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study.
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)
Successful applicants must maintain a current Working with Children Check and Police Records Check throughout the duration of the program.
* Work experience
Documents substantiating work experience need to be provided on company letterhead and clearly detail roles as well as duties and duration of posts held.
How to apply
Find out more about how to apply.
Please note that there are specific entry requirements for this course - before applying, please refer to the ‘How to enter this course’ in the ‘Entry Requirements’ section.
Applications are currently closed for Semester 2, 2019. Applications may be submitted for a mid-year intake in 2020.