Occupational Therapy, MSc

Starting a professional postgraduate programme can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Welcome Week has been carefully designed to help you settle into university life, get to know your peers and staff, and begin building the knowledge, confidence, and professional identity that will support you throughout your studies.

Welcome Week

Throughout the week, you will take part in a variety of activities, workshops, and social sessions designed to help you:

• Meet fellow students and begin building supportive friendships from Interprofessional Education course: MSc Physiotherapy, MSc Dietetics and MSc Occupational Therapy
• Learn about the structure and expectations of the programme
• Familiarise yourself with university resources, digital platforms, and support services
• Prepare for professional practice and placements
• Develop sense of belonging within our Occupational Therapy community
• Gain insight into the diverse and rewarding nature of the profession

Students who engage fully in Welcome Week often report feeling more connected, supported, and ready to succeed academically and personally.

Occupational Health, DBS & Placement Preparation

Please ensure that you engage with all Occupational Health, DBS or Placement planning activities required by the Admissions Team. Failure to complete this by the time you register on the course may result in you not being able to proceed with your studies.

We are proud to be an inclusive University that supports a diverse community of students. Please note that if you have a disability or would like to learn more about the support that we can offer to students, please visit the Disability and Mental Health website.

Placement Information

InPlace

Once your first placement has been allocated, you will automatically receive an email with instructions on how to sign in to InPlace and access your placement information.

Occupational Health

Students need to obtain occupational health clearance to ensure they are fit to practice. You will be prompted via your ‘MyRecord’ to complete a clearance check and directed to an online health questionnaire.

Once you have submitted your questionnaire, you are required to attend an occupational health vaccination appointment appropriate to your placement requirements. We use an external company called OH Works for this. Ahead of your appointment, please gather any vaccination documentation (paper or electronic) from your GP or workplace to take to your occupational health appointment.

Your OH vaccination appointment will take place on Thursday 17 September 2026 in RWf07 (Rowan Williams Building, Medway Campus). Please see the below table for the exact time of your appointment:

Surname	Date	Time	Location
A - M	17 September 26	14.00 - 14.15	RWf07
N - Z	17 September 26	14.15 - 14.30	RWf07

For enquiries about your occupational health clearance please email cccustudents@ohworks.co.uk or phone 01227 286288.

Uniform

On placement, you will be required to wear a uniform as part of your Readiness for Practice. Important information regarding your uniform can be found on the uniform policy.

Your uniform is provided to you free of charge and is expected to last you the duration of your course.

You do not need to order your placement uniform before you start your course.

Uniform ordering is staggered by course. This means that students on different courses will be invited to order their uniform at different times. If you hear that students on another course have already been invited, please don't worry – you will be contacted when it is your course's turn.

The Placement Management Team will email you with instructions on how to order your uniform in plenty of time before your first placement.

These instructions will be sent to your CCCU email account. Towards the end of August, once you have been invited to register for your course, we will email you with information on how to set up your CCCU email account.

Please note that you will not be able to order your uniform until you have completed all of your registration tasks.

Placement Badge

On placement you will be required to wear a placement badge, which will have your course title and preferred first name obtained from your MyRecord account. This placement badge is provided to you free of charge. You will be supplied with your placement badge once you have started your course. Please note, this is not your student ID card. 

Your Course

During your first trimester, you will study the following modules:

Foundations of Occupational Therapy. Module Lead: Elisa Valdez

This module introduces the core philosophies, theories, values, and professional principles that underpin occupational therapy practice. You will begin exploring occupational science, person-centred practice, professional identity, and the role of occupational therapists across a range of settings.

Academic and Professional Orientation Module Lead: Rupert Kerrell

This interprofessional module is designed to support your transition into postgraduate study and professional healthcare education.

Teaching across these modules will involve a variety of learning approaches designed to support active participation, collaboration, and critical thinking.

You can expect a mixture of:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Workshops
• Practical sessions
• Small group discussions and presentations
• Directed independent study
• Online learning activities
• Reading activities
• On-campus teaching

During the first few weeks of teaching, you will begin attending lectures, seminars, and workshops for both trimester 1 modules.

These early sessions are designed to help you:

• Settle into postgraduate study
• Build relationships with peers and staff
• Develop confidence in academic and professional skills
• Begin thinking like an occupational therapist

You will also take part in interactive learning activities group discussions, reflective tasks, and introductory practical sessions.

Your Personal Academic Tutor

During your studies, you will be assigned a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT). Your PAT is a key point of contact throughout the programme and is here to support both your academic progress and overall student experience.

During Welcome Week, you will have opportunities to meet with your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT) and begin building a supportive and positive professional relationship that will continue throughout your studies.

Blackboard

Throughout your studies, you will use the university’s online learning platform, Blackboard, to access:

• Module materials and lecture slides
• Reading lists and resources
• Assignment information and submission links
• Timetables and announcements
• Discussion boards and online learning activities

Learning Skills Hub

To help you feel confident and prepared, we recommend completing some introductory skills courses available through the Learning Skills Hub before the course begins.

These resources can support your transition into postgraduate study and help develop key academic skills early on.

We do not require you to purchase any textbooks during your time with us, but certainly a range are useful and are recommended within each of our modules.

If you are eager to start right away, the following texts are relatively easy and are certainly useful across the course and beyond:

• Duncan, E.A. ed. (2020). Foundations for Practice in Occupational Therapy. Elsevier Health Sciences: Oxford
• Christiansen C, Haertl K (2024) Essential Concepts of Occupation for Occupational Therapy. A Guide to Practice. Routledge: London

In addition a great basic resource to support you would be to read the NHS Constitution.

NHS England aim to build a Culture of Compassionate Care, which underpin what we do so having an understanding of the basic principles of the 6C’s will stand you in great stead. Before starting your course, it is advisable that you access these links and read the information about the culture of care.

• Royal College of Occupational Therapists - Championing occupational therapy
•  Occupational Therapy Standards & Code Of Ethics - RCOT
•  Guidance on conduct and ethics for students - HCPC
•  The NHS Constitution for England - GOV.UK
•  Health & Care Professionals Councils - Learning Materials for Students