Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Transform lives by promoting health and well-being

Occupational therapists help us build and protect the specific capabilities we need to effectively participate in the critical activities of our daily lives: learning, socialising, playing, doing our jobs and simply looking after ourselves.

By guiding and supporting physical and psychological progress, they help individuals, families and communities create or restore meaning, purpose and independence.

What will you study during a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)?

Our Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) equips you to identify, prevent and manage the full range of challenges to everyday activity.

With many courses taught by registered practising occupational therapists, the degree places an emphasis on real-world experience. In over 1,000 hours of work-based training, you’ll work with children and adults of all ages in multiple settings: public and private health organisations; schools; rehabilitation centres; aged care; mental health and more.

You’ll gain high-level knowledge and skills in:

  • human anatomy, physiology and the pathophysiology
  • rehabilitation from short- and long-term injury, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, chronic illness, disability and mental health issues
  • specialised practice with children and families
  • broad public health issues and population approaches to health and wellbeing
  • cultural diversity, with a focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities, and rural or international health perspectives
  • evidence-based, patient-centred care.

You’ll regularly access our purpose-built training facilities and state-of-the-art simulation suites—among Australasia’s most advanced. In addition, you’ll benefit from collaborative learning with key complementary disciplines, speech pathology and physiotherapy.

From late in third year, you’ll choose one of two streams—research* or industry—and undertake a major project. Research will hone your skills in developing new knowledge; industry focuses on integrating research into practice.

Where could a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) take you?

You’ll graduate eligible to pursue a wide range of career opportunities working with communities and populations to achieve and maintain health and well-being. You could help children with sensory issues realise their full learning—and life— potential. You might help elderly people maintain the capacity to live in their treasured family homes. Perhaps you’ll help those recovering from workplace trauma return to their passion.

Accredited with conditions by the Occupational Therapy Council and approved by the Occupational Therapy Board.

 *Entry into the research stream will be based on academic merit.

Note: 
This degree is only available in blended mode and on-campus attendance is required.  If you are a continuing student in the degree and are unable to attend campus, please contact your program coordinator for program advice.



Explore your career in Occupational Therapy

Discover how the University of Adelaide prepares students like Ella for a meaningful career in helping others thrive. Ella shares how her practical skills and confidence grew with the help of our state-of-the-art learning facilities before she even started placement.



  • Very strong employment growth predicted (up to 35% by 2026)*
  • 750-1000+ hours of placement
  • Simulation-led teaching and brand-new facilities


*Australian Government, Labour Market Insights, 2023.

Entry Requirements

Choose your applicant type to view the relevant admissions information for this program.
I am a:

Before applying make sure you understand the eligibility and entry requirements for your chosen degree.

Look out for any prerequisites or assumed knowledge subjects. Some degrees also have additional entry requirements like interviews and auditions.

Domestic applicants

Admissions information

SATAC Code 354271
2024 CSP ATAR 80.4
2024 CSP IB 32
Guaranteed Entry Score - ATAR 95
Guaranteed Entry Score - IB 38.25
Deferment Yes - 2 year
Intake

February

Additional Entry Requirements

Rural Background Entry Pathway:

If you have as of 31 December in the year prior to degree commencement, spent at least five 5 consecutive years, or 10 years cumulatively, in an Australian Standard Geographic Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) RA 2-5 area, from birth, you are eligible to apply under the Rural Background entry pathway. The time frame is based on the location of your primary residence. Please refer to Remote Area locations (RA) for further guidance. Rural Background Entry (RBE) pathway applicants are required to sign and submit a statutory declaration with your SATAC application as the only acceptable proof of rural background.?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander application process:

  1. Please contact the Future Students team via email at start@adelaide.edu.au to discuss your interest in applying.
  2. Submit a South Australian Tertiary Admission Centre (SATAC) application online.
  3. Submit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway Declaration Form. You must upload the form as part of your SATAC application.

Selection Criteria
Recent Secondary Education

Applicants with recent secondary education are those whose admission is primarily based on the completion of Year 12 within the last two years, however if you completed your secondary education more than two years ago, you may still be able to be considered on the basis of your secondary schooling. You must not have completed more than 2 years full time equivalent university study (48 units). You compete for a place with your Selection Rank (ATAR plus any applicable adjustment factors).

Higher Education Study

You must have completed at least six months full time equivalent higher education study (the number of courses and units will vary depending on your prior institution however at the University of Adelaide, this equates to 4 courses / 12 units). There are places in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) reserved for University of Adelaide students however students with study from other institutions are also considered. A Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated for each separate program you have undertaken (apart from some double degree programs where the GPA is combined). You compete on the basis of your best GPA.

Work and life experience

To be eligible to sit the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) as as pathway for entry, you must be 18 years or over before 1 February 2025. If you have studied at higher education level in the last two years (for 2025 entry this means you were enrolled in either 2024 or 2023), you must not have accumulated more than a TOTAL of 2 years full-time (or part-time equivalent) higher education study (ie. including any study prior to 2023). If you meet this criteria, you will be ranked according to your result in the Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). Your STAT result is not weighted between verbal and quantitative components.

Other Entry Pathways

2024 Admissions Data for school leavers
ATAR
(raw ATAR, excluding any applicable adjustment factors)
Lowest ATAR to receive an offer 73.4
Median ATAR to receive an offer 85.98
Highest ATAR to receive an offer 99.25
Selection Rank
(ATAR plus any adjustment factors)
Lowest Selection Rank to receive an offer 80.4
Median Selection Rank to receive an offer 88.63
Highest Selection Rank to receive an offer 99.95
Minimum eligibility score 70
Additional criteria considered Selection rank only
  • Admissions Transparency Data
    Student Profile
    Applicant background Semester one/Full year intake 2024
    Number of students Percentage of all students
    (A) Higher Education study
    (includes a bridging or enabling course)
    15 14.6%
    (B) Vocational education and training (VET) study n/a N/A
    (C) Work and life experience
    (admitted on the basis of previous achievement not in the other three categories)
    N/A N/A
    (D) Recent secondary education:
    • Admitted solely on the basis of ATAR
      (regardless of whether this includes the consideration of adjustment factors)
    84 81.6%
    • Admitted where both ATAR and additional criteria were considered
      (e.g. portfolio, audition, extra test, early offer conditional on minimum ATAR)
    N/A N/A
    • Admitted on the basis of other criteria only and ATAR was not a factor
      (e.g. special consideration, audition alone, schools recommendation scheme with no minimum ATAR requirement)
    N/A N/A
    International students <5 N/A
    All students 103 100.0%

Ready to Apply?

Find out more about the application process and start your studies at the University of Adelaide.

Be sure to check the critical dates to avoid missing application deadlines.

Apply

Fees and Scholarships

Choose your applicant type to view the relevant fees and scholarships information for this program.
I am a:

Domestic applicants

Indicative annual tuition fees
Commonwealth-supported place: $10,305

Where the standard duration of the program is less than one year the full cost of the program is displayed.

More information on Student Contribution Amounts.

Incidental fees There will be additional costs, over and above tuition fees for all Honours Degree of Bachelor of Occupational Therapy students, these include (but are not limited to) textbooks, equipment, required immunisations, clearance renewals, first aid certificates, student amenities fees etc. For further information visit: adelaide.edu.au/student/finance/other-fees/

Scholarships

Scholarships are not only for high achievers—they are also available to provide students with an equal opportunity to study at university, no matter where they live or what their financial situation might be.

Scholarships are available to both new and continuing students. We encourage students to apply for any scholarships for which they may be eligible.

To browse scholarships offered by the University, visit: University Scholarships

To explore scholarships offered by organisations external to the University, visit: External Scholarships

Careers

Career Readiness

Qualified occupational therapists have a wide range of career options in metropolitan and rural settings. They work in public and private hospitals, community health care, private practice, aged care, rehabilitation centres, paediatrics, education and research.

Please see the inherent requirements for occupational therapy programs for further information.

The University of Adelaide Careers Service prepares, inspires and empowers students to achieve successful career transitions and connect with industry.

Industry Placement

Students will be introduced to clinical placement in the second year of study, before completing 1000+ hours of clinical placement in a range of metropolitan and rural settings throughout the final 18 months of the program.

Professional Accreditation

Consistent with processes for new programs, the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) is accredited with conditions by the Occupational Therapy Council and approved by the Occupational Therapy Board.

Potential careers

Graduates of this program have gone on to roles such as:

Occupational Therapist

Degree Structure

The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) requires four years of full-time study or students can choose to study part time over a longer period.

In the first year of study, you will be introduced to anatomy, physiology, public health and health research courses with a focus on occupational therapy principles.

The second year includes detailed applied anatomy of the lower and upper limbs and explores the pathophysiologic basis of disease. Occupational Therapy specific courses prepare you for professional practice, while you will elect to pursue courses that focus on rural or international health perspectives.

The third year of the degree focuses on specialised practice principles including children and families, musculoskeletal and neurological conditions, and mental health across the lifespan.

The fourth year of the degree provides an opportunity to apply learning in professional practice settings, under the supervision of registered clinical professionals.

From late third year, you’ll choose one of two streams—research* or industry— and undertake a major project. Research will hone your skills in developing new knowledge; industry focuses on integrating research into practice.

* Eligibility for entry to the Research Stream will be determined by a student’s cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for the courses which comprise the first and second years of the program, and the availability of a suitable research project and supervisor within the School. Students with a cumulative GPA of 5 or greater will be notified of their eligibility for entry to the “Research Stream” at the commencement of the third year of the program. Eligible students who wish to undertake the Research Stream will be required to contact the School of Allied Health Science and Practice Honours Coordinator to discuss their area of interest and project the availability of a suitable research project and supervisor.

Example Study Plan

Level I
S1 HLTH SC 1400

Biosciences for Human Health A
HLTH SC 1401

Communication in Professional Practice
HLTH SC 1404

Evidence Based Practice in Allied Health 1
OCCTH 1000

Introduction to Occupational Science
S2 HLTH SC 1403

Biosciences for Human Health B
HLTH SC 1402

Foundations of Health and Wellbeing
HLTH SC 1406

Introduction to Behavioural Neuroscience
HLTH SC 1405

Psychological Foundations for Allied Health
Level II
S1

HLTH SC 2400

Evidence Based Practice in Allied Health 2

ANAT SC 2401

Anatomy of Lower and Upper Limbs

OCCTH 2000

Occupational Perspectives of Health A

OCCTH 2003  

Rural Health and Occupational Therapy Practice

S2

PATHOL 2400

Pathophysiology for Allied Health

HLTH SC 2401

Developmental Psychology for Allied Health

OCCTH 2002

Occupational Perspectives of Health B

OCCTH 2001

Participation in Diverse Communities

Level III – Industry Honours Stream
S1

OCCTH 3001  

Enabling Change: Musculoskeletal and Neurological (6 units)


OCCTH 3007

Enabling Change: Children and Families (6 units)

S2

OCCTH 3006

Advanced EBP in Occupational Therapy


OCCTH 3004

Enabling Change: Mental Health across the Lifespan (6 units)

OCCTH 3002

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice A

Level IV – Industry Honours Stream
S1

OCCTH 4005

Enabling Change: Population Approaches A

OCCTH 4003

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice B (6 units)
Winter School

OCCTH 4000

Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice

S2

OCCTH 4002

Enabling Change: Population Approaches B (6 units)

OCCTH 4004

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice C (6 units)

Level III – Research Honours Stream
S1

OCCTH 3001  

Enabling Change: Musculoskeletal and Neurological (6 units)

OCCTH 3007

Enabling Change: Children and Families (6 units)

S2

OCCTH 3002

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice A

OCCTH 3004

Enabling Change: Mental Health Across the Lifespan (6 units)

HLTH SC 4400

Allied Health Research Project Planning

Level IV – Research Honours Stream
S1

HLTH SC 4401A

Allied Health Honours Research Project 

OCCTH 4003

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice B (6 units)

Winter School

OCCTH 4000

Advanced Occupational Therapy Practice

S2

HLTH SC 4401B 

Allied Health Honours Research Project (6 units)

OCCTH 4004

Occupational Therapy Clinical Practice C (6 units)



Further information
All courses are compulsory. The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) does not contain elective courses.

Assessment

Assessment in the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) consists of formative and summative work including but not limited to; essays, case studies, tests, oral presentations, practical assignments, tutorial participation, structured clinical assessments and written examinations. Both face-to-face and online methodologies will be used.

Related Degrees

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Last updated: Thursday, 12 Sep 2024