Bachelor of Occupational Therapy

Course information for - 2025 entry
International
  • Domestic
  • International

Offered at 5 locations
  • Ballarat
  • Brisbane
  • Canberra
  • Melbourne
  • North Sydney

Duration

4 years full-time

CRICOS Code
078172B
IELTS
7.0 overall score (with a minimum score of 7.0 in all bands)
Fees (first year)*
$43784
Start dates
February 2025, February 2026, February 2027

Overview

Occupational therapists play an important role in the lives of individuals and communities enabling participation in occupations of self-care, productivity and leisure. To do this, occupational therapists need to know how humans function, and need the skills to practice competently and safely. You will learn how to analyse and assess occupational performance; apply and evaluate interventions to enable occupational performance; and collaborate and communicate effectively with clients and their families and colleagues.

High achieving Bachelor of Occupational Therapy students can undertake honours in the third and fourth years, provided they meet admission requirements.

Professional experience

You will undertake 1,000 hours of professional practice education as part of your degree. Each semester, starting in Semester 1 of your first year, you will undertake industry placements. These supervised placements are designed to help you apply and contextualise theoretical knowledge gained in your course work, into professional practice.

Work placement

Fieldwork and clinical placements are undertaken throughout the course, working with people across the life-span to help them overcome physical, cognitive or societal barriers to participation.

ACU has strong industry ties with a range of health and community services for placements and significant stakeholder engagement with many health partners. We endeavour to place students in a variety of different locations to give students experience in various settings. Students should expect to benefit by a rural/remote placement during their course. Locations and settings of placements include:

• a range of private hospitals

• community health

• private sector and private practices

• non-government and charitable organisations

• aged care sector

• disability sector

Your placements start in first year:

• Year 1: Semester 1: ½ day placement;

• Year 1: Semester 2: 2-week full-time block (80 hours)

• Year 2: Semester 2: 40 hours simulated placement (one week).

• Year 3: 2 x 5-week blocks. These are scheduled after the end of traditional semesters in the inter-semester break, so you’ll need to check placement dates before making other commitments.

• Year 4: Semester 1: a 9-week block;

Year 4: Semester 2: 2 weeks (1 day per week for 10 weeks).

As part of your course, you will be placed in a range of organisations to integrate the theory you learn with practical workplace experiences (placements). As part of your enrolment, you must complete the Faculty of Health Sciences pre-placement requirements. To ensure you meet these requirements you need to start as soon as possible. Visit ACU’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) website to view your Pre-Placement Requirements checklist.

Community engagement

Year 2: Semester 1: 25 hours

Year 2: Semester 2 – 25 hours

Year 4: Semester 2: 30 hours

Professional recognition

The ACU Bachelor of Occupational Therapy has been developed to ensure new graduates will meet the competency standards of the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and Occupational Therapy Council (OTC). ACU is adhering to accreditation requirements of WFOT and OTC in the implementation of the program. Full accreditation has been granted in Victoria, NSW and Queensland. Graduates will be eligible for registration as practicing Occupational Therapists with the Allied Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and for membership of Occupational Therapy Australia (OTA). Please refer to the Registration Standards for Occupational Therapy on the AHPRA website.

Careers

Course details

Course structure

Course map

Open all

Please note: Course maps are subject to change.

Commencing Semester 1

  • Specified UnitsALHT106Psychology for Allied Health10 cp
  • Specified UnitsBIOL121Human Biological Science 110 cp
  • Specified UnitsOTHY100Foundations of Occupational Therapy10 cp
  • Specified UnitsOTHY101Health and Occupation10 cp
  • Specified UnitsOTHY102Musculoskeletal Structure and Function for Occupational Therapy

    (Pre: BIOL121)

    10 cp
  • Core Curriculum UnitsCore Curriculum Unit 1See the ACU Core Curriculum page for details10 cp
  • Specified UnitsOTHY107Infants and Children

    (Pre: OTHY101)

    10 cp
  • Specified UnitsOTHY108Evidence-Based Practice and Health Conditions

    (Pre: OTHY100)

    10 cp

Prerequisites (Pre:) are other units that you must have passed before enrolling in the unit. 

Graduate statement

Insight

As an ACU graduate you have personal insight founded on an understanding of who you are as a professional, a citizen and a scholar. You embrace change and growth through critical self-awareness and learning autonomy. You are empowered to seek truth and meaning, drawing on the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all human beings.

Empathy

As an ACU graduate you value human dignity and diversity. This appreciation is founded on deep reflection, and empathy. You have experience of Indigenous Knowings and perspectives and can engage respectfully when working alongside Australia's First Peoples. You can connect with people and cultures and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and all cultures

Imagination

As an ACU graduate you utilise imagination and innovation to solve problems. You critically analyse information from a range of sources to creatively solve practical problems and use critical thinking to make decisions and advance the common good. You appreciate the role of innovation and creative thinking in developing a better future for each person and community.

Impact

As an ACU graduate you recognise your responsibility to work for social justice and a sustainable world founded on a commitment to human dignity and the common good. You lead change through respectful collaboration and effective communication of ideas to diverse peoples, groups and communities in local and global contexts. You are empowered to positively impact your profession and the community.

AQF framework

Bachelor - AQF Level 7

Exit Points

A student who has successfully completed 220 to 230cp from the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy units excluding the Core Curriculum units and 10 to 20cp from the Core Curriculum units may exit with the following qualification:

  • Bachelor of Allied Health

Additional course information

Classes

Class sizes

In 2021 we welcomed 89 new students to our Brisbane campus, 106 to our Melbourne campus, and 112 to our North Sydney campus. You can expect tutorial class sizes of approximately 25 – 30 students.

Contact hours

You can expect to have about 16–20 hours of face-to-face contact each week for 12 weeks of the semester in first, second, third and fourth years (on a full-time load). In addition, you will be required to attend professional practice placements full-time, for example, 40 hours a week for two weeks in first year and two x 5-week placements in third year. See more details under placement.

We understand the need for flexibility when it comes to your studies. For many of our undergraduate programs, lectures and tutorials are delivered face to face. Lectures provide an opportunity to engage with the lecturer and the occasional guest lecturers will provide specialist insights into the course content. Tutorials are where critical exploration of key concepts and development of attributes takes place. This is achieved through activities including group work, debate and role play.

Lectures are recorded and are made available online for students who cannot attend in person. Most tutorials and practical classes are held on campus.

Sample Assessments

Occupational Therapy sample assessment examples: online quiz, written reflective journal, oral presentation, poster, written examination, written assignment.

Sample unit assessment criteria:

OTHY204 Occupational Participation and Disability

• Assessment 1 (20%)

Case-based group presentation: students will, in groups of three, deliver a 15 minute oral presentation to demonstrate skills in gathering and presenting material related to evaluating the impact of the physical, social and technological environment on occupational participation and communication for a client with a disability.

• Assessment 2 (50%): written assignment (2,000 word essay)

Students will write on the National Disability Insurance Scheme to develop skills to synthesise and analyse societal, political, environmental and other factors impacting the community participation and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.

• Assessment 3 (30%): post community engagement critical reflection

Students will write a 1,500 word reflection on their preparation for community engagement and the community engagement experience.

Meritorious students may apply to undertake Honours in the third and fourth years of the course, subject to meeting the admission requirements and achieving a grade point average of 5.5 on the ACU seven point scale.

Determination of students who meet the requirements to enrol in the honours program, and will be offered a place, will be the responsibility of the undergraduate course coordinator in collaboration with the Head of School.

Overseas study available

Each year ACU’s Faculty of Health Sciences offers a number of destinations where students can undertake a community engagement unit or professional practice placement abroad as part of their studies. These include in Vietnam, Vanuatu and Timor Leste. These activities are facilitated through our ACU overseas partners. Most of these experiences are offered to students enrolled in their third or final year of study at ACU.

You might also choose to study an Occupational Therapy unit at ACU’s Rome Campus over the June - July or December - January breaks.

To find out more, visit: acu.edu.au/study-at-acu/study-overseas/study-tours-and-short-programs/study-health-sciences-overseas/short-term-international-study-experience    

Please note: overseas travel opportunities are subject to public health restrictions in place at the planned time of travel.

Entry requirements

An applicant must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

To be eligible for admission to the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy, an applicant must have completed the following prerequisites at year 12 level, or equivalent:

StatePrerequisites

Australian Capital Territory

  • Pre-requisites: a study score of at least 133 in English-T (Major) or ESL (Major); and a study score of at least 97 in one of Biology-T, Chemistry-T, or Physics-T.

New South Wales

  • English Standard (Band 4) or English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) (Band 4), plus
  • One of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (Band 2 for all).

Queensland

  • Any general English (Units 3 & 4, C), plus
  • One of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (Units 3 & 4, C).

Victoria

  • Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English as an Additional Language (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL, plus
  • Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

An applicant must comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

 International applicants need to meet the English Language Proficiency requirements as defined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy.

Disclaimer: The course entry requirements above are for 2025 Admission. Refer to your relevant Tertiary Admission Centre website for future years' entry requirements.

View transparency admission information

International applicants

Applicants require the equivalent of an Australian Year 12 Certificate, including studies in science. Applicants must also comply with the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy and require an academic IELTS minimum overall score of 7.0 (with a minimum score of 7.0 in all bands), or an equivalent acceptable test score as outlined in the Admission to Coursework Programs Policy).

Honours

The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) program is embedded into years 3 and 4 of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Pass) program. To be eligible to apply for admission to the Honours program, a student must have completed 160 cp from years 1 and 2 of the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy pass degree, with a grade point average of at least 5.50.

Adjustment factors

If you’re currently completing Year 12 you may be eligible for adjustment factors that can boost your rank and help you get into your desired course.

Adjustment factors may be applied to your TAC application if you study particular subjects, attend schools geographically close to our campuses or in certain regional areas, apply as an elite athlete or performer or meet certain other criteria.

Learn more about adjustment factors

Inherent requirement

There are essential components of a course or unit that demonstrate the capabilities, knowledge and skills to achieve the core learning outcomes of that course or unit. You will need to be able to meet these inherent requirements to complete your course.

Learn more about inherent requirements for your course and how they affect you

Pathways

Further study

Honours graduates may be eligible to undertake a Master of Philosophy or Doctor of Philosophy.

ACU offers a number of postgraduate courses suitable for Bachelor of Occupational Therapy graduates including:

Postgraduate programs in Rehabilitation

Postgraduate programs in Mental Health

You can find out more on postgraduate programs in Health Sciences here – https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/faculties-directorates-and-staff/faculty-of-health-sciences/postgraduate-study-in-health-sciences

Fees

Course costs

  • Unit fee: $5473
  • Average first year fee: $43784
  • Estimate total cost: $175136

The tuition fees quoted above are for commencing students in the current year who undertake a normal full-time load. The Unit Fee is based on a 10cp unit. Fees are reviewed annually.

Tuition fees for continuing students may increase by up to 3 percent each year for the minimum duration of the course as provided on your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (eCOE). Students who continue to study beyond the minimum duration will have the relevant annual commencing rate applied to their fees for subsequent study periods.

Payment options

You should be able to concentrate on getting good marks instead of worrying about how you’ll pay your fees. We have a number of options that can help you ease the financial burden, including government assistance, scholarships and income support.

Explore your options

Scholarships

You could be eligible for one of the hundreds of scholarships we award each year to help students from across the university with the cost of studying, accommodation or overseas study opportunities. Some of our scholarships are awarded on the basis of merit, but these aren’t just for the academically gifted; ACU also recognises excellence in community engagement and leadership. We also offer a range of scholarships for those who may be struggling financially or who have faced other barriers to accessing education.

Search our scholarships

How to apply

International applicants

Canberra

Apply through UAC

UAC code

Direct application

Apply now

Information on the application procedure

International students undertaking an Australian Year 12 qualification should apply through the relevant tertiary admissions centre.

Additional application information

This is a four year course with an embedded honours program.

Deferment

Yes. See Defer your offer.

Students with a Student Visa will need to complete the program in minimum duration, study at least one subject on-campus each semester and must not undertake more than 33% of the program online.

Testimonial

Angela

I like that it is very personable, every tutor knows my name and knows a bit about me, and I know most students within my year and course. I think I enjoyed placement the most though because I love hands-on learning and I'm grateful we get to do it so early in our course. 

Angela
Occupational Therapy student
 

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