Occupational Thearpy

Occupational therapy is a healthcare profession concerned with enabling people to engage in the activities, or occupations, that give their lives meaning and purpose. When illness, injury, disability, or mental health difficulty disrupts a person's ability to work, care for themselves, maintain relationships, or pursue interests, occupational therapists assess what barriers exist and design interventions, adaptations, and strategies that restore or develop the skills and environments needed for participation. The profession works across physical and mental health, with people of all ages, in hospitals, community settings, schools, and people's own homes.

At Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh you will study this four-year full-time degree, which leads to eligibility to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council as an occupational therapist. Across the four years you will develop knowledge of human development, anatomy, physiology, psychology, and the occupational science that underpins the profession alongside the clinical reasoning, therapeutic relationship, and practical skills that effective occupational therapy demands. Practice placements run throughout the programme, giving you supervised clinical experience in a range of settings and with different client groups, ensuring that your academic learning is continuously connected to the realities of professional practice.

Registered occupational therapists are in sustained demand across the NHS, local authority services, independent healthcare providers, schools, and the third sector. Career paths span physical rehabilitation, mental health, paediatrics, care of older adults, learning disabilities, forensic settings, vocational rehabilitation, and housing adaptations. Many occupational therapists specialise as they develop professionally, and senior roles include clinical specialist, team leader, and consultant practitioner.

Postgraduate study in occupational therapy, rehabilitation science, or related health sciences is a further option for those who wish to develop advanced clinical expertise or move into research or education.