Occupational Therapy | Degree Apprenticeship BSC (Hons)
3 years full time
Option for Placement Year
Option for Study Abroad
Occupational Therapy | Degree Apprenticeship BSC (Hons)
Overview
Our Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship is aimed at those employed in occupational therapy support roles.
Apprentices will learn about the philosophy and theoretical underpinnings of occupational therapy and occupational science, develop knowledge and skills in the workplace and engage with professional development requirements in order to successfully complete the degree Apprenticeship and be eligible for registration as an Occupational Therapist with the Health and Care Professions Council, enabling apprentices to develop a career across a range of settings in health, social care, education, research and beyond. Apprentices will undertake a minimum of 1000 hours of practice placement in a range of practice settings including NHS, Local authority and other service providers where Occupational Therapists work.
The Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship is fully integrated with gateway activities included within the 3 year (full time) programme. Apprentices with a first degree or substantial relevant experience are eligible to apply for recognition of prior learning enabling them to enter the programme at level 5, completing the programme within 2 years
Apprenticeship programmes at Northumbria University are designed to support apprentices in acquiring the appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviour and retain the integrity of the apprenticeship standard as defined by Skills England. For further details please consult the Skills England Apprenticeship standards / website for the Occupational Therapist (Integrated Degree) Apprenticeship standard here.
Entry Requirements 2026/27
Standard Entry
Applicants must be employed in a relevant role, such as an occupational therapy assistant, technical instructor or assistant practitioner with the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts directly to their personal and professional work experience.
Potential apprentices will need:
112 UCAS Tariff points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-levels, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas or the International Baccalaureate.
We may also consider applicants with non-standard qualifications, or a significant amount of relevant work-based experience evidenced through a portfolio of evidence mapped against the RCOT career development framework.
Entry to Level 5 of the programme will be possible with relevant qualifications and experience evidenced through a portfolio of evidence mapped against the learning outcomes of level 4 and the RCOT career development framework.
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 7 with 6.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent).
GCSE requirements:
It is a requirement that all apprentices have acquired and can evidence level 2 Maths and English qualifications at GCSE grade C/4 or above before completion of the programme. For any applicants to a degree apprenticeship programme who cannot provide evidence of level 2 maths and English qualifications on entry, NU will work with a designated level 2 provider to facilitate both an initial diagnostic test and learning support and assessment leading to the required qualification.
Recognition of Prior Learning
Students can apply for exemption from studying individual modules or an entire stage of a programme on the basis of prior learning. The prior learning and experience of each applicant is mapped against the programme learning outcomes and apprenticeship standards in compliance with ESFA policy on initial skills assessment and the NU Process for Management of Degree Apprenticeship Students: Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
Modules Overview 2026/27
Modules
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
Year one
DA5119 -
Research Skills and Evidence Based Occupational Therapy (Core,30 Credits)
This module will enable you to develop critical reading skills, building on the foundation skills within the level 4 study skills module, which in turn will enable you to consider the quality and value of evidence to support occupational therapy practice and your own continuing professional development. The curriculum adopts a spiral approach where foundational concepts are revisited and applied in increasingly complex practice contexts as you progress, enabling you to build upon previous learning and develop more sophisticated research and professional reasoning skills based on evidence informed practices kills over time.
In this module you will be reading and critically appraising published research and other forms of evidence that inform health and social care practices, with a particular focus on occupational therapy. You will develop your understanding of the meaning of knowledge and how knowledge is generated ethically. You will also focus on service user and carer involvement in healthcare research and how this can be facilitated in development of practice-based knowledge and evidence. Service users are recognised as equal partners and valued contributors will be considered as the key to the development and enhancement of service provision. You will develop knowledge and understanding of research terminology, methodologies and research methods by exploring relevant terminology, concepts and research processes. You will develop your critical appraisal skills to enable you to appreciate the value and limitations of a variety of approaches used in health and social care research.
DA5120 -
Public Health and Communities (Core,30 Credits)
Building on level 4 modules DA4100 and DA4101this module will develop your understanding of the public health agenda through an occupational lens. You will critically explore regional, national and international health issues affecting individuals and communities, developing your familiarity with policy and. You will consolidate your knowledge and understanding of occupational science theory and concepts, including occupational justice, to consider the social, cultural, political and environmental influences on health and well-being. You will explore the relationship between occupation and contemporary population health challenges (for example obesity, food insecurity and climate change), engaging with local, national and global debates on health in order to develop and apply your own understanding. You will also develop an understanding of how occupation can be a solution for communities to move towards sustainable health and wellbeing, exploring health promotion, disease prevention, and health protection approaches and strategies to support change, with a focus on the occupation as a means for promoting and sustaining healthy and just societies. You will identify public health occupational therapy challenges within the communities who access the practice setting. You will analyse these using relevant theoretical models and evidence-based approaches, demonstrating your developing understanding of the occupational therapy role within the public health agenda when working with a range of communities including those who are disenfranchised. The assessment directly relates to identified public health concerns within your working area.
You will also consider the skills required to work closely with a wide range of communities, using co-production principles to promote an inclusive way of working. We will support the three key values identified in our work with experts by experience, valuing intentional relationship building, showing curiosity about people, their contexts and their communities, and being aspirational in our practice. Within this module we will seek to build relationship skills through co-production, show curiosity regarding the unique relationship between health and occupation and work towards inclusive, client centred and health promoting practice delivery. This module is delivered over the year along side modules focusing on occupational therapy skills and research and evidence You will utilize knowledge and skills developed in this module to support your understadning of the importance of research adn evidnce based pracice, and the application of OT practice skills when engaing in the wider concepts of public health and community focused to enhance and support your learning on the other modules ensuring that your learning is cohesive across level.
DA5121 -
Occupational Therapy Practice Skills (Core,40 Credits)
This module builds on the fundamental knowledge gained in level 4 modules and draws directly on your work-based experiences enabling you to develop and refine core occupational practice therapy skills by integrating foundational knowledge from anatomy, physiology, psychology and occupational science. You will apply understanding the underpinning sciences, and theoretical models and frameworks of practice to identify barriers and challenges that impact occupational performance across the lifespan. This module will provide an in-depth and critical focus on the occupational process and the development of profession reasoning skills. You will be provided with opportunities to learn and practice these skills and apply them to a range of authentic case studies and practice contexts including your workplace setting. This will include consideration of listening and interviewing skills in order to understand occupational needs and priorities; practical skills in planning and facilitating individual and group activities in a range of practice contexts while considering a range of variables including risk management that impact on safe and effective practice. Alongside these practical skills, professional reasoning and decision-making skills will also be developed throughout the module. In addition, you will also have the opportunity to develop wider professional skills including skills in risk assessment, record keeping and collaborative working. This module is delivered over the year along side modules focusing on research and evidence based practice and public health and communities. You will utilize knowledge and skills developed in this module to support your understanding and development of variety and protentiaom of OT practice and the importance of applying effective research and evidence support your day to day practice, ensuring that your learning is cohesive across level 5.
More informationDA5122 -
Practice Placement B (Core,20 Credits)
On this placement you will build and consolidate learning form practice placement A, whilst continuing to continuing to develop your occupational therapy knowledge and skills in a practice area that is different to your current work setting
You will take an active role in the occupational therapy process, applying what you have learned in university so far. With supervision, you’ll develop core practice skills, work collaboratively, and explore how the environment can support or limit people’s participation.
People with lived experience have helped to co-produce three core values for the occupational therapy programmes. These are: we value the importance of intentional relationship building, we are curious about people, their contexts and their communities, and we work towards embracing aspirations for the future. You will reflect on the values that matter to service users and carers, will also explore cultural awareness, professional behaviours, and how to work effectively within organisations. You will also reflect on your resilience and your personal responses to a range of situations on placement.
This placement supports your growth as a reflective, evidence-based practitioner and links to theory from your Year 1 and 2 modules. It also contributes 370 clinical hours to the minimum 1,000 hours of supervised practice required for HCPC registration. Some university-based learning before and after placement may also count towards these hours.
As part of your inter-professional education, you will reflect on your own role within teams and organisations and think about your contribution to collaboration and shared decision-making, keeping people at the centre of services. This module occurs in semester 2 of the programme and will enable you to apply your learning from the academic modules in a different practice environment to your work place setting.
Year two
DA6103 -
Occupational Therapy Dissertation (Core,40 Credits)
In this module which builds on DA4099 and DA5199 and complements DA6105 you will have the opportunity to conduct a literature review, research proposal or service improvement proposal on a self-selected topic, of personal and professional interest, in an area relevant to your occupational therapy practice.
You will engage in the process of addressing real practice topics/issues through critical engagement with published literature. You will have the opportunity to access and apply research and other sources of evidence to a practice-based topic under the guidance of dissertation tutors and your work-based mentor recognising the importance of the use of research and the application of evidence-based practice in your workplace setting
You will have the opportunity to further enhance your knowledge and skills of information retrieval, and critical appraisal developed previously in your programme of studies. In addition, you will synthesise a body of evidence and consider in detail how the application of evidence can impact on the quality-of-service provision and your own professional development as a life-long learner. This module is delivered over the year al gside a module focusing on ptransition adn professional development. You will utilize knowledge and skills developed in this module to support and evidence the skills you are developing in research and practtice development to provide evidence for your ongoing professional development ensuring that your learning is cohesive across level 6.
DA6104 -
Transition to Practitioner and Professional Development (Core,40 Credits)
You will build on the modules at level 5 , placement experiences and work-based experience to consolidate your knowledge skills and values (including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith) in preparation for practice and meeting the requirements for registration with HCPC as an Occupational Therapist. You will continue to develop your reflective skills and identify your own areas for development to focus your learning and support your transition to professional Occupational Therapist; learning to assess your own skills, take responsibility for own learning and continual professional development. This will be in line with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) Career Development Framework (RCOT 2023). This module also considers employability and enables you to identify the next step in terms of applying for posts, professional use of social media, and interview preparation working with graduate futures. You will reflect on your learning journey in the context of a range of professional practice settings identifying key theoretical constructs alongside a range of research and evidence that supports contemporary occupational therapy practice in the UK. You will explore the concept of professional reasoning in order to demonstrate your professional knowledge, skills and behaviours in the context of an identified practice setting. You will engage in collaborative working including practice-based teams and experts by experience (service users and carers) to identify areas for service development and the importance of this within the arena of health and social care justifying the role of the occupational therapist. You will consider the value of diverse and cultural competence within your practice and the influence of the professional and regulatory bodies on the development and sustainability of the occupational therapy profession. Engagement with this module will provide you with mentoring skills to support learners in practice as preparation for supervising students as a qualified practitioner. This module is delivered over the year along side modules focusing the dissertation module and semester based module on practice placement and innovations in practice You will utilise knowledge and skills developed in this module to support your research and application of evidenced based information to enhance and support your learning on the other modules ensuring that your learning is cohesive across level 6
More informationDA6105 -
Enhanced Occupational Therapy Skills - Innovations in Practice (Core,20 Credits)
This module requires you to draw on your experiences as an emerging practitioner, identifying ethical dilemmas and practice questions from your workplace into your academic learning to identify areas for innovation and development. Your workplace mentor will play a key role in your development throughout this module, working in partnership with university staff to support your application of theory to practice. They help you identify appropriate learning opportunities and develop your professional reasoning. This tripartite relationship between you, your workplace mentor, and the university will nurture a supportive learning environment bringing together academic and practice settings, ensuring coherence in your professional development.
This is a highly practical module based that will enable you to integrate theoretical knowledge with occupational therapy practice by identifying an area of innovation withing your workplace and developing undertaking a work-based project to develop and disseminate your ideas for innovation within your service. You will develop skills in project design, management, evaluation and leadership. Through critical reflection as your project develops you will demonstrate your ability to address meaningful practice issues and your capacity for transformative learning and professional growth. You will develop skills in project management and evaluation, you will consider the evidence base underpinning your chosen area of practice to develop your project, this will enable you to develop competence in leadership, innovation and coproduction through stakeholder engagement. Through ongoing reflection, you will be able to demonstrate your creative problem solving and evaluation skills. This module will also contribute to your development of lifelong learning skills linked to the RCOT career development framework. This module is delivered in semester 1 alongside the dissertation and professional development module enabling you to apply knowledge and skills form these modules to develop your understanding and application of ideas to innovate practice ensuring learning is cohesive across level 6.
DA6106 -
Practice Placement C (Core,20 Credits)
Your final practice placement builds on placements A and B A alongside theory modules to consolidate your occupational therapy knowledge and skills. During this placement you will take a more active and increasingly independent role in delivering safe and effective occupational therapy as you progress towards becoming an autonomous practitioner.
You will apply learning from across your university modules, integrating theory with practice. With supervision, you will contribute to occupational therapy services, reflect on core values important to service users and carers, and explore how the environment can enable or inhibit participation.
We will continuously reflect on the core values of our programmes which have been co-produced with people with lived experience: we value the importance of intentional relationship building, we are curious about people, their contexts and their communities, and we work towards embracing aspirations for the future. You will continue to enact and reflect on these values within your professional practice, developing cultural awareness, collaborative working, and professional behaviours, while strengthening your organisational and decision-making skills. You’ll also continue to grow as a reflective, evidence-based practitioner, linking practice to theory from across all three years of study.
University sessions will support your learning before, during, and after placement, helping you manage workload, reflect on emotional responses, and develop strategies for maintaining your professional resilience.
As part of your inter-professional education, you will reflect on your own role within teams and organisations and think about your contribution to leadership and advocacy, keeping people at the centre of services.
At level 6, you will be skilled at using critical reflective skills to extend your knowledge in complex learning scenarios and will integrate this reflection into the Aptem system demonstrating you are meeting the KSBs required for your apprenticeship.
This module prepares you for professional registration and future employment, guided by the standards set by RCOT and HCPC. It also contributes 370 clinical hours to the required minimum1,000 hours of supervised practice required for HCPC registration. Some university-based learning may count toward your final placement hours.
To start your application, simply select the month you would like to start your course.
Occupational Therapy | Degree Apprenticeship BSC (Hons)
Modules and Learning
The Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship uses a blended learning approach, which will be a mix of online live teaching sessions each week, directed study/learning tasks with web-based resources, peer learning groups, twice yearly week of on campus sessions and practice placement learning in an area different from the workplace setting.
There is also a large component of self-directed study and reflective learning, where apprentices will explore the links connecting Theory to Practice in the workplace and on placement. Apprentices will be supported by a work-place allocated mentor in exploring these reflections and recording evidence of learning in the Programme Workbooks at each academic level. These are an important element of the learning and evidence of the developing knowledge and skills that will be a focus of the week of on-campus sessions each semester.
The programme acknowledges the value of ‘research informed, applied learning’ as a means of developing and transferring knowledge about Occupational Therapy and developing personal capabilities and future career prospects. To enable this, the learning will enable reflection on past and current work-related experiences and, through practical assessment, develop the ability to apply learning in the organisation. The programme embeds the development of research skills as a core element of the learning process, with research tutored and research led activities in each module.
Apprenticeship Assessment
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (2020) state that - Rigorous, robust and independent Apprenticeship Assessment gives employers confidence that apprentices can actually perform in the occupation they have been trained in and can demonstrate the duties, and knowledge, skills and behaviours set out in the occupational standard. For details of the current EPA for your standard please consult Skills England Apprenticeship standards here. This apprenticeship is fully integrated and the EPA is included within the 3 year programme.
University-led Learning
This degree apprenticeship programme is designed for engaging in a work-based learning programme providing opportunities to develop understanding of occupational therapy and capitalise on opportunities for applied learning within the context of employment.
Apprentices will combine academic studies with work-based reflection including their own personal practices and behaviours. This is designed to equip apprentices for such influential roles and support longer-term career aspirations of working as a Registered Occupational Therapist.
Apprentices will be supported to learn and develop by a dedicated academic team who are all occupational therapists registered with HCPC, including staff who are Lecturer/practitioners, with clinical employment in local services. The team have a wealth of clinical experience across a wide range of practice areas, reflected in the variety of research interests and projects that members of the team are involved with in relation to occupational therapy practice. They can offer support in the practical application of skills and knowledge, emphasise a person-centred approach within occupational therapy, and identify opportunities for apprentices to interact with peers and staff. Apprentices will also have a specific Personal Tutor throughout the programme for support and guidance.
Recognising apprentices are a work-based learners, significant emphasis will be placed on developing the academic learning skills and confidence. This ongoing series of learning activities will begin with an induction. This offers an opportunity to discuss expectations; explore issues relating to the programme structure and delivery, and to provide practical guidance in terms of use of library and support services. Apprentices are actively encouraged to take advantage of the support and services provided by the University’s Student Services, Skills Plus resource and the Library Service, all of which will be introduced as part of the induction event.
Extensive support is also accessible online as part of the University’s commitment to technology enhanced learning (TEL). This employs the use of the e-learning portal and social networking and collaborative learning tools. A central feature of the academic support available is the service provided by the university library at Northumbria. This service caters for all learning needs, has extensive access to electronic texts and tutorials that will directly support the development of academic skills aimed at developing critical thinking and analytical writing.
Employer-led Learning
In partnership with Northumbria University, the employer will support the learner at work to achieve their apprenticeship. The Occupational Therapist Degree Apprenticeship is a full time programme of study comprising of on and off the job training in conjunction with the employer. 40% of learning is dedicated to academic study at the university and practice placement, 60% of learning occurs in the workplace as part of the work role as an Occupational Therapist apprentice.
The employer will employ the apprentice in a genuine paid role which is relevant to the subject area of the apprenticeship and of sufficient duration to allow completion of the apprenticeship. The employer will also provide opportunities to apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours learnt in the apprenticeship; and allow at least 40% of normal working hours in activities related to the apprenticeship learning. This is called ‘Off the Job Training’ (OJT).
OJT can include:
- Attendance at scheduled classes
- Practical work-based training: Practice Placement, Shadowing, mentoring, industry visits
- Engagement with learning support and time spent writing assessments
The employer will also provide a Workplace Mentor and ensure their engagement in Tri-partite meetings with the apprentice and University Tutor.
As an employee, apprentices will have access to the usual employment benefits/employee support resources that the organisation provides in line with the employment contract.
The University also provides a team of specialist support staff providing information and guidance to all apprentices/learners, plus services and support for apprentices with a disability, including dyslexia or dyspraxia, long-term medical conditions, sensory impairments, mental health issues and mobility impairments. This support is accessible via the Student Portal and Ask4Help service 24/7. Personal tutors and programme staff can also be contacted via email during usual working hours.
Fees, Funding and The Levy
The employer covers all tuition fees for the apprenticeship; the total payment required depends on the organisation’s apprenticeship levy status.
Apprentices studying an apprenticeship do not pay any tuition fees, however, as they are in full-time employment they do not have student status and therefore are not entitled to apply for student finance. Application and entry onto this course should be initiated by employers. To discuss the fees for this apprenticeship in detail or to explore signing an agreement with the university, complete our enquiry form here, and someone from our Business and Enterprise team will be in touch shortly.
Application & Recruitment
We guide both employer and apprentice through the application and funding process and will be on hand to assist you during the apprenticeship journey.
Before entry onto the programme, all Apprenticeship applicants must complete an Initial Skills Assessment which maps their prior knowledge against the apprenticeship standard. This is part of the University’s regulatory funding obligations. The purpose of an apprenticeship is to provide new learning and the skills assessment will be used to establish whether we need to tailor your programme in any way to account for your previous qualifications or experience. It also provides a benchmark against which to map your progress on the programme.
To start the application process for either current employees or new recruits contact our Sales and Business Development team today by email or complete our online enquiry form. Alternatively, you can call 0191 215 6300.
All apprentices are required to be in full-time employment to study this apprenticeship. If you are interested in studying this apprenticeship and you are in current full-time employment complete our online enquiry form.
If you are not in full-time employment but would like to study this apprenticeship programme, keep checking our vacancies page for information regarding job opportunities.
Enquire now about this apprenticeship:
If you would like to find out more about any of our workforce development programmes or learn how we can work with your organisation to develop your employees, complete the form below and someone from Business Development team will be in touch.
All information is accurate at the time of sharing.
Full time Courses are primarily delivered via on-campus face to face learning but could include elements of online learning. Most courses run as planned and as promoted on our website and via our marketing materials, but if there are any substantial changes (as determined by the Competition and Markets Authority) to a course or there is the potential that course may be withdrawn, we will notify all affected applicants as soon as possible with advice and guidance regarding their options. It is also important to be aware that optional modules listed on course pages may be subject to change depending on uptake numbers each year.
Contact time is subject to increase or decrease in line with possible restrictions imposed by the government or the University in the interest of maintaining the health and safety and wellbeing of students, staff, and visitors if this is deemed necessary in future.
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Page last updated 22/08/26
