College of Medicine,
Nursing & Health Sciences
Occupational
Therapy
www.nuigalway.ie/occupational_therapy
Studying Occupational Therapy
at NUI Galway
Occupational Therapy is an interesting and rewarding career. Its primary goal is to enable people to participate in
the activities of everyday life. As an occupational therapist you will assist in enabling individuals to do things that
enhance their ability to live independently in their daily ‘occupations’. ‘Occupation’ is the term used to describe
those tasks and activities with which we fill our daily lives – at the most basic level, washing, dressing, feeding and
moving around, to the more complex areas of working, leisure, socialising and managing finances and home.
Illness or trauma can result in difficulties in these areas. Occupational Therapists design and deliver intervention
programmes to address these difficulties.
Study in Occupational Therapy includes a diverse range of subjects including medicine, psychology, sociology and
occupational therapy. Occupational Therapy is developing rapidly and as it’s significance in health care grows, so to
do the career opportunities afforded to graduates of this dynamic programme.
Occupational Therapists work with many different types of people including children with physical and intellectual
disability, people with mental health problems, older people recovering from operations like a hip replacement,
homeless people and young adults recovering from accidents to name but a few.
Course Outline
This course explores how difficulties in relation to physical
or mental health can affect occupation (i.e. daily activities
in relation to areas such as self care, work, leisure, play etc.)
in all groups of people - children, adolescents, adults and
older adults. In the first year of the programme, students
will gain a basic understanding of the human body,
psychology and be introduced to the concepts of enabling
occupation. These concepts will be further developed in
year two of the programme, with an additional focus on
neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.
Year 1
In years three and four of the programme, students will
develop their research skills and evidence based practice.
They will learn to analyse, report and present on case
studies. In addition to this, year four of the programme
prepares future graduates for active engagement in
occupational therapy practice, students will review current
health care strategies and policies and learn about
continuing their professional development once they
graduate from the programme.
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Course Facts
Year 2
Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy 2
Neuroanatomy
Neurophysiology
Health Psychology
Enabling Occupation - Paediatrics
Enabling Occupation- Learning Disability
Practice Education 1 and 2
Case Study 1 and 2
Year 3
Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy)
Work Placement
CAO Code:
GY502
Entry points (2009):
505
Duration:
4 years
Average intake:
25
Entry requirements
Minimum Grade HC3 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at H or O Level
in the Leaving Certificate including: Irish, English, another language, Mathematics, a
laboratory science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry
(joint) or Agricultural Science and any other subject recognised for entry purposes.
Additional
requirements
• Principles for Practice/Fundamentals 1
• Psychology
• Anatomy
• Human Body Function
• Enabling Occupation - Mental Health
• Enabling Occupation - Physical Disability
• Groupwork and Professional Skills
Students must satisfy the Garda Vetting and Medical Clearance requirements.
During the course, students undertake 1,000 hours of
Practice Education, which is a clinical practice under the
supervision of an experienced Occupational Therapist.
At present, this takes place in four 8-week blocks (two in
Semester 2 of year two and the other two in Semester 1 of
year four).
In addition, students have a one-week observation
placement at the end of their first year. The aim of Practice
Education is to allow you to develop professional
competence, to enable you to experience the future work
environment and to put the theory you have learned into
practice. Students may be asked to undertake placements
anywhere in Ireland.
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Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy 3 and 4
Cognitive Neuropsychology
Evidence-Based Practice
Enabling Occupation - Community
Standardised Testing in Occupational Therapy
Enabling Occupation - for older Adults
Emerging Areas of Practice
Research Methods
Social Policy
Year 4
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Practice Education 3 and 4
Case Study 3 and 4
Management and Leadership
Preparation for Practice
Research Project
Did you know
Occupational Therapy began at
NUI Galway in 2003 and has
continued to grow and develop
ever since .
The Association of Occupational
Therapists iof Ireland is the
professional body working on
behalf of all Occupational
Therapists and Occupational
Therapy students in Ireland.
Did you know
This course is professionally accredited
by the Association of Occupational
Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) and the
World Federation of Occupational
Therapists (WFOT). The qualification is
recognised world wide. On successful
completion of this course you will be
eligible for membership of the AOTI
and WFOT.
Career Opportunities
Aine Gallagher
Occupational Therapy graduates will be in a position
to work in a variety of settings and with a variety of
patients/clients including:
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Hospitals
Community Rehabilitation Services
Mental Health Services
Child and Adolescent Services
Voluntary Organisations
Physical and Sensory Disability Services
Community Rehabilitation Services
Private Practice
Primary Care teams
Did you know
We use a wide range of teaching
methods to give you the skills to
become an Occupational Therapist
including lectures, tutorials, workshops,
practical work, service learning,
problem solving, individual research
and interprofessional learning.
Student Profile
“I found this course insightful and challenging, providing
opportunities to study a range of subjects learn about the
complexity of human behaviour and activity and have many
diverse job prospects for the future. The course contains a
good balance of practical experience and academic learning.
The Discipline is small making it easier to get to know
people and helps you to feel recognized within the busy
University campus life. If you are interested in studying
Occupational Therapy, NUI Galway provides a quality
course where you will learn and feel part of the community.”
School of Health Sciences
T +353 91 492 957 F +353 91 495 540 E healththerapies@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/occupational_therapy