Undergraduate - CourseBachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)

Students also complete fieldwork education in various practice settings during each year of the course. This provides opportunities for students to apply knowledge and skills, and appreciate the relevance of ongoing learning in the context of supervised health service delivery.

At the commencement of the course, students study foundation units in occupational science, anatomy, physiology, psychology, interprofessional education, health science and occupational therapy practice. This knowledge is then developed and applied to the assessment and intervention processes used by occupational therapists when working with individuals, families, groups and communities.

Students also undertake annual fieldwork placements, and an inter-professional education block each semester during the course. The latter involves working with students enrolled in other health science courses (for example, physiotherapy) around structured academic content focused on mutual understanding, collaboration and teamwork.

Units undertaken in the first and second years are common to all students. There are some differences in the units undertaken at third and fourth years depending on whether students undertake the honours or research level of the degree.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 8, the Bologna Cycle 1 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that graduates will be able to:

• demonstrate the knowledge, skills and attributes appropriate for a competent entry level occupational therapy practitioner
• develop strategies to enable individuals, groups and communities to participate in everyday occupations that they want and need to do
• appraise barriers to people's participation and devise strategies to overcome these
• articulate the unique professional contribution of occupational therapy
• demonstrate a client-centred approach to occupational therapy practice
• critically appraise the nature and meaning of occupation, the occupational nature of human beings and the theories and basic principles related to enabling occupation and occupational performance
• explain biomedical and social sciences concepts underpinning occupational therapy practice
• demonstrate a proactive approach in prevention-oriented and health promotion practice, demonstrating commitment to the health of populations as well as individuals
• describe different research approaches and be skilled at applying the best available evidence to everyday practice
• demonstrate occupational therapy practice that is ethical, respectful and collaborative, and assume leadership, supervisory and management roles as appropriate
• create personal strategies to maintain high standards in professional life and contribute to the professional occupational therapy community and engage in lifelong learning
• recognise the intrinsic value of people irrespective of culture, values, beliefs and socio-economic status.

Applicants applying for credit must clearly demonstrate that the content of their previous studies is at least equivalent to the Monash Bachelor of Occupational Therapy course components for which they are seeking credit.

Special requirements

Students must refer to the information available on the special requirements outlined below. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have the correct documentation.

Police checks

Students must have a current Police check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's police checkspolice checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/police-checks.html) webpage.

Working with Children checks

Students must have a current Working with Children check regarding their suitability to undertake placements. Refer to the faculty's Working with Children checksWorking with Children checks (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/wwc-check.html) webpage.

Immunisation and infection requirements

In accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations, this course requires that students comply with the faculty's Immunisation and vaccination policy and proceduresImmunisation and vaccination policy and procedures (http://www.med.monash.edu.au/current/immunisation/). These are designed to provide maximum protection against the increased risk of some vaccine preventable diseases for students, patients and workers in a health care setting.

This policy, and the associated procedures require that students have certain specified vaccinations, and have their blood borne virus status determined, before they commence a clinical placement. Students who have not complied with this policy may not be able to undertake clinical placement, with the attendant academic consequences.

Prospective students are provided detailed information on the effect of blood borne virus infection on the scope of practice of health care workers. Students who test positive to a blood borne virus (including HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C) will be required to consult a specialist medical practitioner approved by the faculty to provide advice on any necessary restrictions on work practices to protect patients and others from infection.

Fieldwork placements

This course requires students to complete a total of 1000 hours of fieldwork education, as required by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT). Participation in fieldwork education is integral to learning and is a requirement of the program in all years. Off-campus placements are completed in a mix of metropolitan and rural health services. In practice settings, students will have an opportunity to apply theory to practice under the supervision of qualified occupational therapy staff. Attendance is mandatory for the practice education component. All students will undertake one rural fieldwork education placement sometime during the second, third or fourth year of their bachelor's course. Students should take these matters into consideration when considering casual employment.

Fieldwork expenses

Students are responsible for all travel and accommodation expenses during clinical placement. Uniforms and accessories may be required for clinical placements and students will be notified regarding purchase arrangements upon commencement.

This course consists of core and elective units. Those students in the project-based honours stream complete a project, and those students in the research honours stream complete a research thesis.

First year

Semester one

• BMA1901 Human structure and function 1
• IPE1011 Foundations of health
• OCC1011 Professional issues
• OCC1021 Psychology for occupational therapy

Semester two

• BMA1902 Human structure and function 2
• OCC1012 Occupational science
• OCC1022 Foundations of occupational therapy practice
• OCC1032 Development across the lifespan

Second year

Semester one

• OCC2011 Occupational performance, capabilities and components

Semester two

• OCC2020 Enabling occupation 1A: Performance challenges
• OCC2022 Skills for evidence-based practice 1

Third year

Semester one

• OCC3030 Enabling occupation 1B: Performance challenges
• OCC3041 Skills for evidence-based practice 2
• OCC3061 Health promotion in occupational Therapy

Semester two

All students must complete:

• OCC3052 Enabling occupation II: Performance challenges in population health

in addition:

• students in the project-based honours stream complete OCC3062 Participatory community practice 1: Development
• students in the research honours stream complete OCC3072 Occupational therapy honours research project 1

Fourth year

Semester one

All students must complete:

• OCC4081 Transition to practice 1

plus one 6-point elective selected from the following:

• OCC4111 Introduction to hand therapy theory, principles and practice
• OCC4121 Adaptive and assistive technology
• OCC4131 Assessment of children: Methods, policy, ethics and issues
• OCC4141 Occupational therapy for children with a disability and their families
• 6-point elective selected from any unit available in the University

in addition:

• students in the project-based honours stream complete OCC4071 Participatory community practice 2: Implementation
• students in the research honours stream complete OCC4091 Occupational therapy honours research project 2

Suitable elective units can be identified using the browse units toolbrowse units tool (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/units/search) in the current edition of the Handbook. Note: Some units may require permission from the owning faculty. The level of the unit is indicated by the first number in the unit code; undergraduate units are those that commence with the numbers 1-3. Students must be able to meet any unit prerequisites.

Semester two

• OCC4082 Advanced professional practice
• OCC4092 Transition to practice 2

• Occupational therapy

Students may exit this course with a Bachelor of Human Sciences after successfully completing at least 144 points of study.

Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)