Master of Occupational Therapy

The Master of Occupational Therapy provides students with skills and knowledge in treating clients who have difficulty participating in everyday life activities due to neurological, musculoskeletal or mental health issues.

Students undertake problem-based learning which requires them to collaboratively question, research, interpret core information and develop meaningful responses to case scenarios.

Design, technology, and business entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship are embedded in the curriculum content, which has been designed collaboratively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health professionals.

Students complete three professional work placements in community- or hospital-focused agencies that offer short-and long-term therapy, a well as an innovative project-based placement in the Design Factory Melbourne.

Working in teams, students gain industry experience by developing innovative solutions to problems provided by industry partners and consumers.

The Master of Occupational Therapy prepares students to be eligible to practice as a qualified occupational therapist. Once qualified, graduates are required to apply for registration to practice with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency.

This course is designed for students who are interested in learning about how to enable participation in daily life using design, device and technology approaches. Students will use a problem-based learning approach to their studies. A scenario will be presented at the commencement of a topic that will set the scene for self-directed learning. There will also be concepts and skills classes that relate to the scenario.

Students gain problem-solving and critical-thinking skills by working through problems collaboratively to find meaningful solutions. This style of learning replicates the approach used by occupational therapists in practice.

To qualify for the award of Master of Occupational Therapy, students must complete 200 credit points comprising:

• 11 Core units of study (137.5 credit points)
• 3 Professional placement units of study (62.5 credit points)

Units of study

Students must complete 137.5 credit points of study from the following list of units:

OCC60005 An Occupational Perspective of Health OCC60010 Enabling Participation: Mental Health 1 OCC60020 Enabling Participation: Musculoskeletal and Neurological 1 OCC70010 Enabling Participation: Mental Health 2 OCC70020 Enabling Participation: Musculoskeletal and Neurological 2 OCC80030 Enabling Participation: Children OCC80040 Enabling Participation: Youth OCC80055 Evidence Review OCC80050 Enabling Participation: Advanced Practice DDD80012 DFM Toolbox: Innovation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration 1 DDD80013 DFM Practice: Innovation & Interdisciplinary Collaboration 2

Students must complete the following three placement units (62.5 credit points):

OCC60015 Professional Practice 1 OCC70015 Professional Practice 2 OCC80015 Professional Practice 3

* Outcome units - matched exemptions are generally not granted for higher education outcome units.

• completed their undergraduate degree in the last ten years and obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study AND completed at least one unit in anatomy and physiology (such as BIO10004 Anatomy and Physiology) or an equivalent anatomy and physiology bridging course
• have completed a postgraduate degree in the last ten years and obtained a minimum 65% GPA in their last year of study AND completed at least one unit in anatomy and physiology in their undergraduate degree (such as BIO10004 Anatomy and Physiology) or an equivalent anatomy and physiology bridging course.

Applicants with equivalent qualifications and/or significant relevant work experience will be considered on a case by case basis*

• Academic transcript
• Personal statement outlining reason for applying
• Curriculum vitae
• One page report on knowledge of work of occupational therapists (sources to be correctly referenced using APA 6th style)

Successful applicants must maintain a current Working with Children Check and Police Records Check throughout the duration of the program.

* Work experience

Documents substantiating work experience need to be provided on company letterhead and clearly detail roles as well as duties and duration of posts held.

Special requirements

Students must provide an up to date record of all immunisations they have received over their lifetime, translated in English at the time of course commencement. For information on required vaccinations, please visit the Australian Government website.At course commencement, the Faculty Immunisation form will require completion and signed by an Australian medical practitioner to ensure you are immunised according to the Vaccination for Healthcare Workers standards. Further information will be provided upon course commencement.Additional immunisations may be required in response to any changes in Government policy or the specific requirements of the organisation you attend for your placements. Any required immunisations or serology tests would be at your own cost.

Police check A Police check from your country of residence will be required at the time of course commencement.

Overseas If you have lived overseas for more than 12 months in the past ten years, you are required to provide a police check from each country you resided in (including an English translation) and/or a statutory declaration stating that you have never been convicted of any crime in another country.Australia You will be required to have an annual National Police Record Check to attend placements. Further information about how to apply will be provided at course commencement. Working with Children Check – all applicants must maintain a current Working with Children Check throughout the duration of the program.Professional placements Placements can occur at any time during the course, including during the school holidays, Christmas and Easter holidays. Students need to be available to attend placements at all times during the course. It is advised that holidays are not booked prior to allocation of placements as alternative placements may not be available, therefore impeding progress in the course. Detailed information will be provided to all students at the commencement of the course. Once enrolled in the course, all students (with the exception of Master of Dietetics students) are registered with the Australian Heath Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Additional costsUniform and equipment will be required to be purchased for use in class and placement.

Some placements will be undertaken in regional locations, students are responsible for costs incurred for travel and accommodation.

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to demonstrate entry-level, discipline-specific knowledge, skills and attributes and demonstrate advanced level professional skills including the ability to be self-directed, work in teams, collaborate with others and advance their practice through critical self-reflection.

• construct an occupational performance profile(s) for an individual, group or community using key theoretical perspectives and apply these in a range of contexts
• critique published studies in order to inform best practice in areas of musculoskeletal, neurological and mental health occupational therapy across the lifespan
• choose relevant studies, produce an evidence review report related to a musculoskeletal, neurological and/or mental health assessment or intervention
• select and appraise relevant concepts and skills to develop comprehensive intervention plans for clients (individual, community or group)
• select and present (in oral presentation) high level communication skills (i.e. communication skills which are targeted to a particular audience e.g. family member, court report)
• plan, produce and evaluate a design or device solution to a problem of occupational participation identified by an external partner in the disability sector
• evaluate self and peer team work skills, capacity for self-direction and active learning ability.

The Swinburne Graduate Attributes signify that Swinburne intends that its teaching courses assist all its graduates to be:

• capable in their chosen professional, vocational or study areas
• entrepreneurial in contributing to innovation and development within their business, workplace or community
• effective and ethical in work and community situations.