Bachelor of Science (Occupational Therapy)

Course notes

Important course notes

• Practicum requirement

  An extended full-time practicum component applies to the three Clinical Science units in this course.

  Attendance requirements

  Students may be required to undertake part of this study in a rural or regional setting.

  Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required

  To be eligible to undertake clinical practice and fulfill their duty of care, students are required to complete risk management protocols on commencement of the course and carry out amendments in subsequent semesters, as appropriate. Risk management protocols include, but are not restricted to:
  
  Certificate of National Police Clearance
  Current WA Department of Health Criminal Record Screening Clearance Card
  Current First Aid Certificate
  Department of Education and Training National Criminal History Record Check
  Evidence of immunisation status as per the Department of Health schedule, more information at
  http://www.health.wa.gov.au/circularsnew/circular.cfm?Circ_ID=12891
  MRSA clearance if worked in, or been admitted to, a health facility outside of Western Australia in the 12 months prior to enrolment
  Working with Children Check, more information at www.workingwithchildren.wa.gov.au

  Professional practice rules

  The practice education/fieldwork component of the course needs to comply with the Professional Accreditation Standards for Occupational Therapy Entry Level Education Programs as devised by the Occupational Therapy Council (Australia and New Zealand) Ltd (OTC).
  
  Students must complete a minimum of 1000 hours of practice education/fieldwork that is in line with the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). These practice education/fieldwork opportunities will require students to integrate knowledge, skills and attitudes to practice with a range of people who have different needs, and in differing circumstances. Students are required to be supervised and assessed by a registered occupational therapist.

• Registration

  Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia . Registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia is required to practice in the profession.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Apply broad occupational therapy knowledge to a range of theoretical and practical situations.
2. Communicate occupational therapy knowledge and ideas clearly, coherently and with independence.
3. Demonstrate broad global perspectives and ethical considerations, with respect for cultural diversity including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competence.
4. Demonstrate initiative and accountability for own learning and professional practice.
5. Think creatively to anticipate challenges and generate solutions and responses in new situations.
6. Think critically to evaluate, interpret and conceptualise complex occupational solutions.
7. Use assistive technologies, digital technologies and contemporary literacies to assess, evaluate and synthesise information in occupational therapy contexts.
8. Work collaboratively and demonstrate initiative in multi-disciplinary teams.

Quick guide to uni-speak

• • ATAR

    ATAR is the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, the primary criterion for entry into most undergraduate university courses in Australia. The ATAR is a percentile score which denotes a student's ranking relative to their state-wide peers upon completion of their secondary education.

  • CRICOS code

    CRICOS is the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A CRICOS code is allocated to education institutions (like ECU) who are approved to recruit, enrol and deliver education to overseas students. Courses with a CRICOS code are available to international students who meet the entry requirements.

  • Majors

    A major, or unit set, is your chosen area of in-depth study in an undergraduate course. It usually involves 8 units of study, or one-third of the units in a 3-year degree. Talk to your Student Information Office if you need help choosing a major subject.

  • Minors

    Minors include between 4 and 6 study units in a specific discipline. Not all courses require you to complete a minor. Your minor subject doesn't appear on your printed degree (parchment), but is part of your academic transcript.

  • Full-time

    If you're enrolled in 3 or more units in a semester this is considered full-time study. To complete most 3-year degrees studying full-time you'll need to complete 4 units per semester, i.e. 24 units over 3 years.

  • Part-time

    If a course is available to study part-time you can generally expect it to take twice as long to complete as it would in full-time mode. Part-time students are enrolled in 1 or 2 units maximum per semester.

    Note: International students who hold a student visa can only choose the full-time study option for our courses. This is to ensure the course is completed within the duration of the student visa.

• • Semester 1

    Most courses start in Semester 1 each year, usually in the last week of February. Some courses can be started in Semester 2 (we call this mid-year). There's a week of Orientation before each semester to help you get used to uni life.

  • Semester 2

    A lot of our courses start in Semester 2 each year, usually in the last week of July. We call this mid-year. There's a week of Orientation beforehand to help you get used to uni life.

  • Credit Points

    We use a points system to make it easier for you to understand your study progress. Most Bachelors degree study units are allocated 15 credit points. If you're studying a 3-year full-time degree you'll need to successfully complete 360 credit points – that's 24 units x 15 points per unit.

  • Core Units

    These are compulsory units you have to successfully complete as part of your course.

  • Recommended Electives

    An elective is a unit you choose to study that counts towards your course requirements, but isn't compulsory. For some courses we recommend elective units. In some situations, a course coordinator may approve an elective unit as a replacement for a compulsory one.