Becoming an Occupational Therapist
Why Study Occupational Therapy?
If you want a career where every day is different and your work can make a real difference in people’s lives, Occupational Therapy could be for you. Occupational Therapists support people of all ages to take part in the everyday activities that matter to them, from learning, working and caring for themselves to enjoying hobbies, relationships and community life.
Occupational Therapy brings together science, creativity, practical problem-solving and human connection. You will learn to understand the whole person, what matters to them and the factors that may be affecting their ability to take part in everyday life. You might help a child participate more fully in school, support someone to regain independence following an illness or injury or enable an older person to continue living safely and meaningfully at home.
Whether you are leaving school, building on another degree or returning to education, Occupational Therapy could be a great fit if you are curious about people, enjoy solving real-life challenges and want a career with a strong sense of purpose. There is no single type of person who becomes an Occupational Therapist, with people coming into the profession from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.
It’s a dynamic, hands-on career with opportunities to work in a wide range of settings and develop expertise in areas that interest you. You will work alongside people at some of the most important and challenging points in their lives, supporting them to overcome barriers and participate more fully in the lives they want to lead. Occupational Therapy offers a career with real purpose and the opportunity to make a lasting difference to people’s everyday lives.
Watch this video to discover why studying Occupational Therapy is a great choice!
Occupational Therapy Courses in Ireland
There are four undergraduate Occupational Therapy training programmes in the Republic of Ireland. These courses can be accessed through the CAO. Each university also has an entry route for mature students which you can look up on their website. The four year courses leading to a BSc in Occupational Therapy are available at:
There is also an accelerated postgraduate training programme in the University of Limerick which is a 2-year course leading to a MSc in Occupational Therapy.
Students on all five courses study how physical, psychological, social and environmental factors affect people’s ability to participate in everyday life. The course includes anatomy, physiology, psychology, Occupational Therapy theory, assessment and intervention skills, research and evidence-based practice. Students will learn to use the person-environment-occupation (PEO) model of practice to assess people, set client-centred goals and deliver meaningful and effective Occcupational Therapy intervention. In this way, they will learn how to enable people to participate fully in their lives and enage in the everyday activities that matter to them - called occupations by Occupational Therapists.
All five courses offer a broad education in health, social and occupational sciences and students take part in supervised clinical placements with qualified therapists during their college education (see practice eductaion below). All five programmes are accredited by (or undergoing accreditation by) the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland and approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists and CORU.
Practice Education
Practice education is a fundamental part of student learning and development when studying Occupational Therapy. It usually involves going on a clinical placement in an Occupational Therapy service where the student gains hands-on experience under the supervision of an Occupational Therapist who is registered with CORU.
During their course students will experience a range of different placements that require them to integrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes learned in taught modules into practice, with a range of different people, such as:
- People of different age groups
- People who have recently acquired and long-standing health needs
- Interventions that focus on the person, the occupation, and the environment.
All students studying Occupational Therapy in Ireland must complete 1000 hours of practice education. Within this 1000 hours, students must complete a minimum of 250 hours within a mental health and/or psychosocial setting and a minimum of 250 hours within a physical/sensory disability practice setting. By the end of their 1000 hours of this work-based learning students must have reached the level of competence necessary to qualify as an Occupational Therapist.
Who Can Call Themselves an Occupational Therapist?
In Ireland each person with an Occupational Therapy qualification needs to register with CORU in order to be able to call themselves an Occupational Therapist and practice Occupational Therapy. This is because the title “Occupational Therapist” is protected under the Health and Social Care Professionals Act 2005. In order to use the title of Occupational Therapist a person must hold a valid qualification from an accredited Occupational Therapy programme and then must register with CORU.
In Ireland there are currently 4 university degree programmes and one master’s programme. These programmes are accredited by AOTI (or undergoing AOTI accreditation) on behalf of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). This means that the professional qualification you receive will be recognised internationally and the standard of education meets the WFOT Minimum Standards for Education. In Ireland each university programme is also approved by CORU. This is important as it ensures that standards of education for Occupational Therapists also meet strict criteria to ensure the protection of the public.
Other Occupational Therapy Studies Courses
There are other courses in Ireland that offer both online and face to face teaching in Occupational Therapy studies. These courses do not qualify you to become an Occupational Therapist as they do not meet AOTI or WFOT standards nor do they meet the qualification standards required to register with CORU. Some people do these courses as they would like to work as an Occupational Therapy Assistant.
