BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: Three Years
- Start Date: September 2025
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If you’re an aspiring occupational therapist and want to make a promising start to your career, Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) has all the tools you need to graduate with up to date skills and be ready to start work.
As an occupational therapist, you will help people overcome difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities. It is a fulfilling role and a great way to give back to the community, that’s why our work placements serve the local community in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. BNU offers you practical focused teaching, great facilities and a friendly student community so you can start your professional career with confidence
We make sure we stay up to date with the changing landscape of occupational therapy both in the UK and abroad, Gain a truly internationally relevant degree at BNU. Choose to gain the latest knowledge, skills and experience and become fully prepared to enter a competitive job market. Developed from professional insight and work experience, our course has been developed in partnership with local employers to give you the most up-to-date skills required for a variety of areas of practice, such as the NHS, social care, the voluntary sector and private practice. Our course will help you gain the skills you need to provide first class occupational therapy to a range of people.
With opportunities to explore interdisciplinary learning, you’ll learn from others and form part of a highly specialised team. With the pressures on the healthcare system, you’ll be able to demonstrate a superior understanding of the use occupational therapy equipment and the ability to work across teams in a collaborative healthcare environment to support others. Utilise state-of-the-art facilities for learning, development and practicing of skills – our purpose-built wards include real equipment, just like you would find in a real life clinical setting. Simulation of "real life" events during education is an important aspect of all our courses. You will regularly be taking part in realistic scenarios to practise a broad spectrum of technical skills in a safe and supportive environment.
This course is accredited by the  (HCPC) and  (RCOT). At the end of our degree you will be accredited and ready for a fulfilling career in occupational therapy. BNU provides practice placements within Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, London, and the surrounding areas, This will put you in good stead to pursue work locally at our NHS Trusts and other organisations after graduation. We work with a range of partners across the region, and our students are highly respected for the skills and training they receive while there.
What facilities can I use?
With industry standard facilities in the Buckinghamshire area, we are the only institution that can offer our own top specification equipment in High Wycombe. This means you will be able to find everything you need to practice occupational therapy professionally.
At our High Wycombe Campus, we have purpose-built facilities, including well-equipped simulation laboratories and teaching rooms, where you will be taught throughout your course. Our library is packed with all the information you need for your assessments, and there is plenty of room for quiet study.
Most of the placements on your course are in Buckinghamshire and surrounding areas. In addition, due to the University being part of the PMP, we have existing placement contracts with various hospitals around London, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire.
What will I study?
Occupational therapy involves enhancing the daily lives of people with a range of physical, mental health and social needs. As an occupational therapist you will work with people of all ages, to improve their wellbeing and quality of life.
Our occupational therapy degree will equip you with the skills to practise as a competent occupational therapist in a wide variety of health, social care, community and alternative environments. Your studies will cover the theory and practical aspects of this exciting and varied role.
Working with a range of people who all have different requirements, you will need to understand each client's lifestyle so that you can work with them to create the best treatment plan. We help you take a holistic approach to each client's physical and mental wellbeing and evaluate all their needs - physical, social, psychological and environmental.
You will have the skills to assess, plan, implement and evaluate treatment plans in hospital and community settings and establish realistic goals with clients, or know when to refer clients to other specialists when needed. Organising support and rehabilitation groups for carers and clients will be a big part of your role, you will be able to contribute to the analysis, planning, audit, development and evaluation of services, using the skills you gained while studying at BNU.
How will I be taught and assessed?
All our degree modules will include online activities and we will engage in positive and formative feedback on your work. Forms of formative feedback include peer feedback, discussions, and in-class (face-to-face) interactions. Feedback from exams will be provided within the 3-week turnaround as per the University guideline for feedback.
The following assessment activities are used on this programme:
- viva exams with a focus on the evaluation and application of theoretical knowledge
- practical exams (OSCE) with a focus on skills and theory
- written exams
- written coursework with a focus on critical evaluation and analytical writing
- online portfolios with a focus on critical analysis, reflective practice, and professional development
- clinical case studies
- research literacies are assessed sequentially in the first-year research methods module and the final dissertation module
Practice Placement
You will also be continuously assessed on practice placement in a range of different areas, such as physical, mental health and community settings.
Practice placement is an important part of the occupational therapy course, however, being assessed is not something to fear. BNU wants the best outcome for you and we will always provide you an opportunity to improve, learn and grow as you go.
What are the course entry requirements?
A typical offer will require a UCAS tariff score of: 120 - 144
UCAS points can be obtained through qualifications such as A levels, T levels, BTEC or an Access to Higher Education course in a relevant subject. Please list all your qualifications on the application form as you will be asked to provide copies when we receive your application.
The University’s will apply to admission to this course. Meeting one or more of the following requirements are acceptable methods of entry to the course:
- Five GCSEs or equivalent at grade 4 (C) or above, including English language or literature, mathematics, and a science subject in addition to the 120 UCAS tariff points listed below.
- 120 UCAS tariff points (e.g. 3 A Levels at grades BBB or above) or a BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in a science or health-related subject equivalent to 120 UCAS tariff points. You will also require the GCSE grades listed above.
- Foundation degree
- International Baccalaureate (30 points)
- Access to Higher Education course in Science, Health, Social Care or similar (60 credits, of which 45 credits will be at Level 3, including 30 at distinction grade and 30 at merit grade).
- We generally require experience relating to occupational therapy, such as shadowing, work experience, access to virtual placements or healthcare experience in addition to one of the requirements above. However each application is considered on an individual basis.
- For learners, whose first language is not English, there is a requirement to achieve an IELTS tariff of 7 with no individual component below 6.5. This is in line with the recommendations of the HCPC.
Applicants who do not fit the typical entry requirements will be considered on an individual basis. In this situation evidence of recent study (within 3 years) to A level standard (level 3) alongside a profile of relevant healthcare or social care experience will be advantageous.
Applicants with a previous degree will be considered on an individual basis.
English language
If you are an international student, you must have the following minimum International English Language Test Score (IELTS) results at the time of applying:
- 7.0 overall or equivalent
- 7.0 in the listening and reading
- 7.0 in the writing and speaking
English and Mathematics GCSE (grade A–C or 4-9) or equivalent.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
This programme is subject to the University’s Fitness to Practise Procedures. All successful applicants must agree to and sign our rules of professional conduct, which reflect the professional and regulatory body standards of practice and include consent to practical classes.
Applicants who have previously been enrolled in an occupational therapy pre-registration programme or any other health professional education programme must submit a self-declaration confirming no previous fitness to practise concerns.
All successful applicants are required to have an Occupational Health screening. A satisfactory occupational health clearance and are required by all applicants prior to acceptance on the course. Our admissions team will send a medical questionnaire alongside an offer letter. The questionnaire would be completed by you and returned to the admissions team, who then forward all the forms to an external occupational health adviser who will contact you for further screening if needed. Candidates who fail the occupational health assessment will not be given entry onto the course.
You will need to show evidence of completed immunisations for Hepatitis B, BCG, Varicella, and Influenza, where applicable, before starting your practice placement. These immunisations can be received from most GP surgeries in England. There is up-to-date information on on how to obtain these.
Admission to the occupational therapy degree programme is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1994) section 4 (2) Exemption Order 1975 and DHSS HC 88 (9) guidelines regarding child protection and police checks. All applicants are required, as a condition of acceptance, to satisfactorily complete a criminal record disclaimer form and give their permission for us to obtain an enhanced police check with the Disclosure and Barring Screening Service (DBS). Each year after that, you are required to self-declare any police cautions or convictions before each practice education module.
The DBS in the United Kingdom does not currently conduct overseas criminal record checks. Therefore, international applicants, those without British Citizenship and British Citizens with a significant period of overseas residency, require a criminal record check or certificate of good conduct from their home/overseas country prior to entry onto the course. International applicants need to obtain a recent criminal record certificate from their home country and ensure that this is still valid by the date of enrolment in addition to the DBS requirements detailed above. A list of admissible certificates can be found on the UK Government website; Where an equivalent check is provided, applicants are required to complete an enhanced police check with the DBS a year later.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £9,535 per year *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2025 - 2026: £15,150 per year *
Following the Government’s announcement of 4 November 2024, we will be increasing our full-time undergraduate tuition fees for UK students to £9,535 per year from the start of the 2025/26 academic year. Our part-time fees for UK undergraduate students will increase to £7,145 per annum. Please visit , on the Government’s website, for more information about the changes.
Tuition fees for Home undergraduate students (including with foundation year) may increase in subsequent years for both new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by the Government.  
Tuition fees for both new and continuing international students may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year.  
Tuition fees for postgraduate courses and CPD may be subject to an inflationary increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the 12-month period to 31 January each year. This increase will apply to both new and continuing students.  
We understand, and really appreciate, the significant financial commitment our students make when they choose to study at BNU. We take our responsibilities to our students very seriously, and are ambitious for each to reach their full potential and succeed in their chosen career. Our fees help us to continue providing our students with a high-quality education, and to invest in the services and facilities which create an excellent student experience at BNU.
The following factors will be considered by the University when we set the annual fees: measures of inflation such as the retail price indices; projected increases in University costs; and any changes in the level of funding for teaching received from the Government.
What are my career prospects?
When you graduate from BNU, you will be well equipped with the knowledge, values and professional skills you need for occupational therapy practice. You can be proud of the things you have achieved and look forward to pursuing a career in a subject you love.
We encourage you to seek employment opportunities at the organisations where you undertook your practical placement while studying at BNU, and we encourage you to network and look for opportunities in the local area of Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Our courses are developed in line with local employer’s skill shortages and needs for this purpose.
Registered occupational therapists work in a variety of different areas, including the NHS, local authorities, schools, independent organisations such as voluntary or community organisations, charities, and other settings.
As a newly qualified occupational therapist, you may want to gain experience in a range of specialties before you decide on an area of occupational therapy you want to provide. You may already know where you want to go based on what you enjoyed and studied at university.
You can choose to specialise in areas of occupational therapy or take a more generalised approach. You don't have to remain in the same specialism throughout your career and can change your job role as you develop your experience and interests.
Pursuing promotion, or later down the line taking on consultation and specialist work is a way to increase your earnings and make an impact in the areas of occupation therapy that call to you the most. If you did decide to go down this route, it is highly advisable you have some experience and a degree, such as ours, to inform your knowledge.
