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Accredited by RCOT and HCPC, ensuring professional standards.
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Well-established links with local NHS and social care organisations.
Occupational Therapy (Pre-Registration) MSc Course overview
Accidents, illness, disability, mental health issues, and ageing impact millions worldwide, making everyday tasks like work, education, and self-care harder. Occupational therapists help people overcome these challenges by teaching new techniques, providing assistive technology, and adapting environments to enable them to live fulfilling lives.
Our degree emphasises hands-on learning, starting with simulated environments in our Art of Living Suite and progressing to real-world placements. You will also study practical sessions in our Anatomy suite to deepen your understanding of the body’s functions.
The course combines theory and practice, covering occupational therapy, human development, anatomy, physiology, and psychology to build a strong foundation for your OT career. No day is the same; you might help with rehabilitation, assist the elderly in staying independent, or support those with mental health or learning disabilities.
Over two years, you will complete 1,000 placement hours in various settings across London, gaining broad experience in hospitals, community settings, schools, charities, and more.
Benefits of this course
- Accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), ensuring it meets the educational standards set by the professional and regulatory bodies.
- Accelerated 2-year programme offering a master’s-level route into occupational therapy.
- Eligible students receive a £5,000 annual NHS maintenance grant.
- HCPC registration eligibility upon successful completion.
- 1,000 hours of diverse practice placements, including hospitals, schools, and non-traditional settings.
- Access to cutting-edge facilities like the Art of Living Suite, pathology museum, and Anatomy suite.
- City St George’s has a long history, offering unique access to St George’s Hospital for hands-on learning.
- Learn alongside like-minded peers in a multidisciplinary environment.
Award
You can select to apply for one of the available exit points for this course.
- Master of Science (MSc)
Who is this course for?
This course is for those who wish to pursue a career in occupational therapy, particularly those with a background in health, science, or related fields.
It is ideal for those who are passionate about making a difference in people’s lives by helping them engage in everyday activities, despite physical or mental health challenges.
This course is suitable for both recent graduates and those looking to change careers, and it provides a fast-track, two-year pathway to becoming a qualified occupational therapist.
Structure
Master of Science (MSc)
Duration:
- Full-time: 2 years
Modules:
This two year MSc Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) Occupational Therapy degree involves four successive practice placements with a total of 1,000 hours, which represents approximately a third of the programme.
This is an intensive programme which is 45 weeks per year. Your studies will incorporate university and practice-based learning.
University-based teaching is problem-based, using an interactive, integrated and self-directed approach to learning the philosophy, underpinning theories and evidence for occupational therapy.
Problem-based learning helps students to gain the evaluation skills relevant to masters level, such as critical thinking and analysis.
Problem-based learning sessions will be in small groups and facilitated by a member of the occupational therapy team. Students will consider real-life situations relevant to professional practice.
Additional learning activities such as practical sessions, seminars, debates, self-directed learning and guest lectures are scheduled to integrate the skills, theories and evidence required to provide a solution to the real-life scenario.
There is a strong emphasis on the relationship between health, well-being, participation and human occupations, as well as occupational justice.
Students will be encouraged to consider how occupational therapy skills and perspectives can be used in a range of education, health and social care settings, with both groups and communities.
Watch the Occupational Therapy (Pre-registration) webinar from our postgraduate virtual event.
Year 1 modules
- Occupational Beings
- Theory and Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice
- Maximising Occupational Performance
- Evidence-based Practice and Research
- Practice Placement 1
- Practice Placement 2.
Year 2 modules
- Advancing Contemporaneous Occupational Therapy Practice
- Research in Practice
- Contributing to Communities
- Practice Placement 3
- Practice Placement 4.
Placement
The range and volume of placement opportunities we offer is what students tell us they like most about occupational therapy programmes – practice placements are undertaken in a variety of health and social care environments, including acute NHS hospital trusts, community-based services, mental health services, social care, non-statutory provision and children’s services.
The supervised, hands-on experience you get with service users and patients on placement is the best way to consolidate your learning. You will gain experience of working as part of a team, demonstrating professional behaviour, and implementing a range of occupational therapy assessments and interventions.
Over the two years of the programme, you will be expected to undertake a minimum of 28 weeks of placement, with full-time working hours. On placement, you are supervised by a practice educator who will facilitate your learning.
You receive support from your University link tutor who will meet with you at least once during the placement and provide support as needed. You should be prepared to travel for your placements within the London/Greater London area.
Below are some examples of where our students have attended practice placements.
- Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust
- Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust
- Enfield Community Services
- Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
- Islington Community Rehabilitation Services
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust
- South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust
- Southend University Hospital NHS Trust
- St Georges University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Vauxhall City Farm and Randall Close/Leonard Cheshire
- West London Mental Health NHS Trust
*This list is subject to change and should be used as a guide of where students may be able to go
Programme specification
The programme specification contains more information on how the course is organised, the requirements for progression for each part and credits required for awards.
Teaching and assessment
To succeed as an occupational therapist, you will need a mix of practical, personal, and professional skills, along with enthusiasm and quick thinking.
Our degree helps you develop a portfolio of clinical skills to meet professional standards, focusing on critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and hands-on experience.
You will practice skills like life support, wheelchair transfers, and splint-making on students and mannequins, building confidence for real-world patient care.
We offer a collaborative, inter-professional learning environment, working alongside students from other healthcare courses. This fosters valuable communication and team-building skills, preparing you for multidisciplinary clinical work.
Our expertise
You will be taught by experienced staff with expertise in areas like mental health, neurology, trauma, orthopaedics, and children’s care. We invite service users and professionals to share their experiences, enriching your learning.
City St George’s is globally recognised for its research in population health, infection, immunity, and clinical sciences through our world-class research institutes.
Assessment
You will receive feedback after assessments, including Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCEs), exams, reports, presentations, research projects, and professional practice placements, assessed by a nominated supervisor.
Fees and funding
Fees for academic year 2025/26
Master of Science
(MSc)
Full-time
per year
Home/UK: £9,535
International: £20,100
Full-time per year
Home/UK: £9,535
International: £20,100
Apply for a £5,000 NHS Training Grant
Apply to create an account on the NHS Learning Support Fund website to stay updated.
Funding
Explore up-to-date information about funding options, available financial support and typical living costs.
Additional costs
The below highlights the additional course-specific costs related to this degree.
Visit the additional course-related costs for more information on general costs to consider alongside your studies.
Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
DBS - £40
Post office verification - £6
Administration fee - £9
Clothing
Students will require a lab coat for use in wet labs, these can be purchased from the SU - £10.
Uniforms are provided by the University; replacement uniforms are paid for by the student at £30 per full set.
Membership
Student Membership with the Royal College of Occupational Therapists is optional but highly encouraged - £5.05 per month.
Travel to placements
You should expect to spend approximately £800 - £2,000 on travel to placements for the duration of your course.
If you qualify for the UK government Learning and Support fund you maybe able to claim travel and accommodation costs (if the cost of travelling to placement is more than the cost of travelling to university) and accommodation (only if it has been agreed that it would be impractical to travel to placement daily).
If you qualify for the UK government Learning and Support fund you may be eligible to receive a training grant of £5,000 per academic year to help with maintenance and associated study costs and an additional £1,000 for studying a specialist subject. Visit the NHS BSA website for more information.
20% off your study
We are offering a Graduate Loyalty Discount of 20% on tuition fees to all our alumni when applying to any of our degree courses.
To be eligible for the discount you must have successfully completed an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at legacy City, University of London or legacy St George's, University of London.
To apply you will need to be accepted onto your intended course of study and to meet all the normal academic admissions criteria for the relevant course at City St George's, University of London.
Career
Our courses are recognised globally, but applicants should confirm with their national authorities if they wish to practice in their home country.
There is a growing demand for occupational therapists in the UK, offering excellent career prospects and progression within the NHS and other settings.
Opportunities include roles such as Senior Occupational Therapist, Advanced Practitioner, or moving into management, education, or academia.
EU and non-EU (international) applicants should check with their country’s professional registration body to ensure eligibility to practice.
Occupational therapists can work with individuals, groups, or communities in settings like hospitals, clinics, charities, prisons, and social services.
With experience, you can specialise in areas such as mental health, hand therapy, elderly care, or paediatrics, or explore emerging roles like working with asylum seekers or first responders.
There are many opportunities for career advancement, further study, or research, including our MSc Rehabilitation course.
- Acute health and social care
- Charities
- Children’s therapy services/schools
- Forensic mental health
- Hospices
- Hospitals
- Housing departments
- International services
- Mental health services
- Older people’s services
- Private practice
- Rehabilitation centres.
How to apply
Entry requirements
UK
To apply for this course, you should meet the following requirements:
- A minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in any subject.
- Experience with the research process and/or completion of an undergraduate research project is essential.
- All degrees must be awarded before 1 August of the year of entry.
International qualifications
We also accept qualifications from other countries for postgraduate study.
Non-academic requirements
Personal statement
You will be asked to submit a personal statement with your application. This statement should outline your reasons for applying for the course, demonstrate evidence of experience and what transferable skills you learnt from this experience. The personal statement will be considered at various stages in the application process including if you are invited to interview.
You will need to provide one reference. This should be an academic or professional reference. See the 'Apply' tab for more information.
Through the application process, you will need to demonstrate appropriate personal qualities, motivation, communication skills and understanding of an occupational therapist’s role.
Work experience and insight
We understand the challenges for our prospective applicants for medicine and allied health courses trying to gain work experience at this time, particularly in clinical settings.
In response to the continued impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have chosen to relax our work experience requirements for prospective applicants for our courses which would normally require these.
Despite the relaxed requirements, we still require our applicants to have an understanding of the realities of working as a healthcare professional and to show they have the necessary skills and attributes for their chosen career. Online resources can give you valuable insight into working in the healthcare sector and outline the wide range of careers and courses available. You can find a number of suggested resources for each of our courses.
Interview (MMI)
If you meet the entry requirements above, you will be invited to attend a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). This will usually be in-person, however we can also offer remote MMIs for international applicants.
You can find further information about this process on our MMI Guidance page, however please note that some of this information may change for those applying during the 2025 application cycle.
Occupational Health Checks
Should you receive an offer to study at City St George’s, you will be required to complete a health check and be declared fit to study and practise by the Occupational Health (OH) department before you begin your studies.
The following vaccinations are mandatory for all healthcare students before you begin your studies:
- MMR (measles, mumps and rubella)
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Diphtheria
- Pertussis (whooping cough)
- Poliomyelitis
- Tetanus
As part of the process, you will also be screened by the OH team for Chickenpox, Tuberculosis, HIV and Hepatitis B and C.
We do not currently require you to have been vaccinated against Covid-19, but we strongly recommend that you get double vaccinated before the start of your studies, unless medically exempt.
When admitting candidates to study and practise as a health practitioner, we have an obligation to both patients and to the individual student. Candidates who are concerned about a health issue are advised to contact us.
Disclosure and Barring Service Checks and Additional Declarations
This course will include work with children and vulnerable adults, so you will be required to submit a series of declarations.
If you are invited to an interview, we will request some additional information from you, regarding your criminal record, educational history and employment history. You will also have the opportunity to make any other declarations that you’d like us to be aware of.
We may not able to consider applicants who were suspended from previous study/work due to fitness to practise issues or failure in assessments/examinations.
If you are made an offer, you will be required to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. More information about this is sent to applicants as part of the admissions process.
Recent engagement in education
Due to the demanding nature of the programme, it is important that applicants can demonstrate recent engagement in education. If the qualifications that you are applying on the basis of (e.g. Level 3 or degree level qualifications) were awarded more than five years ago (e.g. before summer 2020), it may still be possible for us to consider your application.
In this case, we would look at supplementary level 3 qualifications, or relevant work experience, that you have undertaken within the last five years.
These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis, following submission of a UCAS application.
English language requirements
If your first language is not English you must demonstrate you meet our English Language requirements.
Most common test requirements:
- IELTS Academic: 7.0 overall with 7.0 in Writing and 6.5 in all other components
- TOEFL (iBT) and (iBT Paper): 93 overall with 27 in Writing, 20 in Listening and Speaking, and 19 in Reading.
For further details please see the City St George's UoL English Language requirements page. This is a Group 1 course.
Application process
Our academics
Your studies are supported by a team of committed and enthusiastic teachers and researchers, experts in their chosen field. On occasion we also work with external professionals to enhance your learning and appreciation of the wider subject.