Occupational Science

Overview

Occupational science is the scientific study of humans as occupational beings. Occupational scientists study the impact of culture, environment and society on health and well-being. Whilst occupational science is not occupational therapy, it is the academic discipline that informs and shapes occupational therapy practice. This program has been designed to meet the demands of an evolving healthcare system and to provide a deeper understanding of occupation and its application to society.

Occupational therapists are increasingly working in multi-disciplinary teams, with traditional, diverse and emerging populations. The specialism of occupational therapy and the use of occupation as a framework for assessment, treatment and review of service user need has a key role in meeting current and emerging 21st Century challenges. A sound understanding of occupation and its application to phenomena, populations, communities, cultures, environments, disorders, disabilities and illness is therefore needed to support and guide the developing occupational therapy workforce.

This MSc in Occupational Science from University of Bradfordis primarily designed for students with an undergraduate qualification in occupational therapy, but is also available for humanities, public health and social policy graduates who wish to study at MSc level in a specialist subject that has practical applications and relevance outside of occupational therapy.

The programme provides opportunities for existing and experienced staff to develop higher levels of mastery in their profession, providing modular content which can be tailored specifically to areas of specialism. The program provides modules that align with the pillars defined in the Advanced Clinical Practice Framework, including modules to develop clinical practice, leadership and management through core and optional elements, and the inclusion of research activities during the program, culminating in a research activity which will relate to clinical practice enhancement.

A blended learning approach will be adopted for this programme, including face-to-face on-campus delivery and aspects of distance learning. It is also available as a part-time programme. Our undergraduate Occupational Therapy programme is currently ranked third in the UK and has a well-established reputation for innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Career prospects

Occupational therapists are now expected to not only be competent in understanding research but to engage in primary research to develop the evidence base for occupational therapy. This has created increasing demand for postgraduate training.

A review conducted by The NHS England and NHS Improvement board (2019) recognised that career progression opportunities for allied health professionals tended to have a singular focus via clinical specialism, research pathway, educational roles, or leadership and management. However, high numbers of the workforce felt that if they chose managerial and leadership roles, they would be forced to give up on clinical specialism and practice. Because of this many allied health professionals did not step into management posts because they felt they had worked hard to attain the levels of specialism they had and did not want to give up these aspects of their career. The review proposed that allied health professionals should be encouraged to retain their clinical expertise and practice as well as being supported into leadership roles. This MSc programme maps onto these proposals, enabling practitioners to enhance clinical knowledge whist also engaging in leadership and managerial development.