Occupational Therapy
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy/Bachelor of Ergonomics, Safety and Health – Melbourne (Bundoora) (HZOTBE)
From 2009 this course will only be available for continuing students.
Division of Allied Health: (03) 9479 5815
Duration: 5 years
Broadly, the goal of occupational therapy is to habilitate and rehabilitate people who have difficulties managing their daily activities. Occupational therapy aims to address people’s occupational needs and the loss of daily living skills which follows physical, emotional, psychological and social disorders. Ergonomics is an applied science in which basic knowledge drawn from both psychological and biological sciences is developed by researchers and applied via professions such as engineering, organisational psychology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy. Its purpose is to optimise the operating efficiency of the person-task-environment system by adapting task and environment factors to fit human needs and capacities.
Course structure
This is a five-year, full-time course. Students must successfully complete all subjects outlined in the course structure. Throughout the course students must obtain not less than 1000 hours of supervised clinical experience in a variety of hospital and community settings.
This course incorporates lectures, laboratory classes, tutorials, practical and research projects. In the first year of the course, students learn about normal human functioning and development, and are introduced to occupational therapy theory and studies in human occupation. In subsequent years, students progressively learn more about impairment, activity limitations and participation restrictions and their impact on human occupations, as well as learning about research and evaluation. There will be an increasing emphasis on ergonomics, with students studying the biological and psychological bases of ergonomics, the relationship between ergonomics and ageing, ergonomics in the workplace, and ergonomics analysis and evaluation methods. Students will also complete projects in both occupational therapy and ergonomic practice.
Integral to the degree is the provision of supervised occupational therapy clinical experiences, enabling students to develop a sound basis for professional practice. Placements are completed in a variety of clinical settings and may take place in Melbourne, regional Victoria and elsewhere.
Victorian state government legislation requires staff and students who work with clients and food preparation in any manner to complete a short course on ‘food hygiene for food handlers’. The School of Occupational Therapy gives all first-year students the opportunity to complete this course in order to meet the requirements of their clinical placements.
First year (no new intake in 2010)
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS1APH | Human Anatomy and Physiology | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT1THA | Introduction to Occupational Therapy 1 | 30 |
| TE-SEM-1 | PSY1PYA | Psychology A | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS1ALU | Anatomy: Lower and Upper Limbs | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS1HBF | Human Body Function | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT1DEV | Human Development for Occupational Therapists | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT1THB | Occupational Therapy B: Studies in Human Occupation | 5 |
| TE-SEM-2 | PSY1PYB | Psychology B | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | STA1OCT | Statistics for Occupational Therapy | 10 |
Second year (continuing students only)
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS2NEU | Neurosciences A | 5 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS2PAG | General Pathology | 5 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT2CON | Occupational Therapy Conditions | 5 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT2CPS | Clinical Psychiatry | 5 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT2THC | Occupational Therapy C: Theory, Process and Practice | 25 |
| TE-SEM-1 | PHE1RMH | Research Methods in Health 1 | 5 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS2BEW | Healthy Workplace Design | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT2ADL | Activities of Daily Living | 5 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT2INA | Occupational Therapy Intervention A: Psychosocial Practice | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT2INB | Occupational Therapy Intervention B: Physical Intervention | 20 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT2INC | Occupational Therapy Intervention C: Paediatrics in Occupational Therapy | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT2PRB | Clinical Practice | 10 |
Third year (continuing students only)
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS2PEA | Design for Safe System Performance | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS2PEB | Workload, Stress and Performance Management | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT3IND | Occupational Therapy Intervention D: Neurological Interventions | 25 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT3INE | Occupational Therapy Intervention E: Psychosocial Intervention | 10 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT3PRC | Clinical Practice | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS2BEM | Biological Bases of Ergonomics M | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3INF | Occupational Therapy Intervention F: Integrated Practice | 10 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3PRD | Clinical Practice | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3THE | Occupation, Personal and Community Development | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3CRA | Critical Review in Occupational Therapy A (Pass) | 5 |
| or | |||
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3RSB | Research for Occupational Therapists (Honours) | 5 |
Fourth year (continuing students only)
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-ALLYR | OCT4CRB | Critical Review in Occupational Therapy B (Pass) | 40 |
| or | |||
| TE-ALLYR | OCT4RSD | Occupational Therapy Research Project (Honours) | 40 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS3EAG | Ergonomics and Ageing | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT3AGP | The Ageing Population | 10 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HLT3IPA | Interdisciplinary Professional Practice | 15 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT4THG | Occupational Therapy G: Adult Learning in Practice | 5 |
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT4PRE | Clinical Practice | 40 |
Fifth year (continuing students only)
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-ALLYR | HBS3EAM | Ergonomics Analysis and Measurement Methods | 40 |
| TE-ALLYR | HBS3ESS | Ergonomics and System Safety | 25 |
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS3DAI | Systems Data Analysis and Interpretation | 20 |
| TE-SEM-1 | OCT3OHS | Occupational Health and Safety Principles and Legislation | 15 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS3ESH | Reviews of Ergonomics, Safety and Health Issues | 20 |
Honours degree
An honours program is available to those students who have achieved results of a high academic standard. Eligibility for honours is determined by a system that weights first second and third year subjects. The honours course runs over three teaching periods commencing in the second teaching period of third year, and students who are eligible for admission to the honours stream will be informed prior to its commencement. The subjects taken only by honours students are:
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-2 | OCT3RSB | Research for Occupational Therapists (Honours) | 5 |
| TE-ALLYR | OCT4RSD | Occupational Therapy Research Project (Honours) | 40 |
Grades awarded to students successfully completing honours are H1, H2A, H2B or H3. Students who perform at a high level in the ergonomics component of the double degree may undertake an additional honours year, preparing students for postgraduate research in ergonomics.
| Teaching period | Subject code | Subject title | Credit points |
|---|---|---|---|
| TE-SEM-1 | HBS4HPA | Honours in Human Physiology and Anatomy | 60 |
| TE-SEM-2 | HBS4HPA | Honours in Human Physiology and Anatomy | 60 |