BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy Bachelor's degree at Keele University
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy at Keele University leads to a nationally recognised BSc (Hons) qualification. Keele, founded in 1949, holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 and is.
About this course
Gain the skills to thrive in this rewarding and evolving field with Occupational Therapy BSc at Keele. Learn more. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Occupational Therapy is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Keele University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Allied health graduates from this provider, 90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 85% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £29,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Nursing & Health, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 90% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 81% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
- Health and WellbeingCompulsory
Module details
This module introduces you to the concept of health and wellbeing with a focus on primary prevention and health promotion. This reflects the shifting emphasis away from a medical disease model towards a health model based on personal responsibility and prevention of disease.
- Anatomy, Psychology and Occupational Performance and ParticipationCompulsory
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of anatomy, physiology and psychology, and how these apply to activity analysis, occupational performance and participation.
- Foundations of Human Occupation and the Occupational Therapy ProcessCompulsory
Module details
You will learn the history and evolution of the occupational therapy profession, including key concepts, philosophy, values and beliefs. You will also develop an understanding of the dynamic relationship between occupation, health and wellbeing and the occupational therapy process.
- Communication, Interpersonal Skills and Professional PracticeCompulsory
Module details
This module focuses on the development of skills, knowledge and attributes such as professionalism, communication, skills of reflection and life long learning, that are essential for a health and social care professional.
- Applying Occupational Therapy Theory to Occupational Performance and ParticipationCompulsory
Module details
You will explore typical pathologies encountered in practice and explore the impact of life changes and life choices on human occupation and participation. The module also provides an introduction and application of contemporary occupational therapy models and occupational science.
- Practice Based Learning ACompulsory
Module details
Building on prior programme content, this module allows you to further develop and apply your knowledge, skills, and behaviours through practical placement experience. It is designed to prepare you for practice in diverse settings while also fostering transferable skills - such as multidisciplinary teamwork, leadership, and communication - that are valuable across various contexts and specialties.
- Professional Reasoning and Influences on PracticeCompulsory
Module details
You will develop your knowledge and skills in professional reasoning, and begin to evaluate factors which influence decision making in contemporary occupational therapy practice.
- Assessments and Interventions in Occupational Therapy PracticeCompulsory
Module details
Within this module you will gain practical experiences in occupational therapy assessment, intervention and outcome measurement. You will also further develop your knowledge and ability when justifying your decision making in contemporary occupational therapy practice.
- Evidence Based Occupational TherapyCompulsory
Module details
This module offers you the opportunity to develop and enhance your knowledge and skills in effectively using research and other forms of evidence to support and underpin your practice, as well as recognising the tools used to evaluate services.
- Diversity in Occupational TherapyCompulsory
Module details
You will participate in, practically facilitate and justify a range of specialist and diverse occupation focussed interventions for example splinting, wheelchair provision and pressure care, group work, vocational rehabilitation. Risk management, risk enablement and health and safety are key aspects of this module.
- Research ProposalCompulsory
Module details
Under the guidance of a research supervisor, you will gain knowledge and skills in formulating research questions and designing ethically sound research proposals to address them. You will also explore effective dissemination strategies to maximise the impact of your research.
- Practice Based Learning BCompulsory
Module details
Building on prior programme content, this module allows you to further develop and apply your knowledge, skills, and behaviours through practical placement experience. It is designed to prepare you for practice in diverse settings while also fostering transferable skills - such as multidisciplinary teamwork, leadership, and communication - that are valuable across various contexts and specialties.
- Research ProjectCompulsory
Module details
This module builds on the research proposal module, enabling you to implement the research proposal and produce a structured written report of your work. The module aims to develop your ability to carry out subsequent research independently.
- Professional Identify, Leadership and Transition to Occupational Therapy PracticeCompulsory
Module details
Exploring the characteristics of effective leadership and evaluating service development and delivery, this module will support you to promote and prioritise the delivery of high quality care. You will also focus on your professional occupational therapy identity and transition to occupational therapy practice.
- Addressing the Health and Occupational Needs of Communities and PopulationsCompulsory
Module details
This module offers you the opportunity to consider the occupational and health needs of communities and populations on a global scale, whilst proposing equitable occupational therapy services to address them nationally or internationally. You will consider public health, health promotion and prevention strategies for communities and populations and be introduced to the social constructs and cultures of communities and societies and their complexities.
- Practice Based Learning CCompulsory
Module details
This module builds on your previous placement experiences and academic learning, allowing you to further develop and apply your knowledge, skills, and behaviours within occupational therapy practice. It aims to prepare you for working in contemporary and diverse settings, while also strengthening your transferable skills, that are valuable across a range of contexts and specialties.
- Practice Based Learning DCompulsory
Module details
Building on prior placements and content from the programme. Through hands-on occupational therapy practice, it supports you in further developing and applying your knowledge, skills, and behaviours. The module aims to equip you to work effectively in contemporary and diverse settings, while also enhancing transferable skills applicable across a wide range of environments and specialties.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This course equips you with practical and theoretical skills for occupational therapy practice. A course like this typically begins with foundations in occupational therapy principles, human anatomy and the social context of health. You'll usually progress through clinical and theoretical modules covering assessment, intervention and rehabilitation across the lifespan. Throughout all three years, you'll undertake supervised placements, a core part of your training, in settings such as adult nursing, mental health, children's nursing, community and primary care. Later stages typically introduce specialist options, leadership and evidence-based practice, building towards your final year where you consolidate competence for professional registration.
Who it's for
This course suits students with A-level qualifications or equivalent. Most accepted entrants held A-levels; the typical UCAS tariff band among recent cohorts was 112–127 points. You'll study full-time in English.
Careers & job market
Across Nursing & Health courses nationally, 90% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 87% are in highly skilled roles or undertaking further study. National earnings data shows starting salaries of £27,000–£30,500 at 15 months; after three years, £23,800–£33,600; and after five years, £27,200–£38,400. These figures reflect national outcomes for the field, not individual guarantees. Related specialisations in health and social care include Adult Nursing, Mental Health, Child Health, Midwifery, Public Health, Physiotherapy, Social Work and Paramedic Science.
University & format
This BSc (Hons) is studied full-time over 3 years at Keele University, a university founded in 1949 located in Keele. Instruction is in English. The degree is recognised by the UK degree-awarding body framework and holds Gold for teaching quality in the Office for Students' TEF 2023. Graduates may be eligible for NMC registration upon completion.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Contextual Offer. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Names detected beside accreditation or recognition copy on the provider course page; verify the route and intake.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 91% |
| another higher-education qualification | 3% |
| an Access course | 3% |
| a previous degree | 2% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Entry is set by the university and based on your offer. Use your predicted grades to see how you compare, then check the university's stated requirements.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code B920). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Keele University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- NHS Learning Support Fund: Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied-health students can receive a non-repayable training grant. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Nursing & Health graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £29,000 | £28,000 – £32,000 | 20 |
| 3 years after | £28,500 | £26,500 – £30,500 | 75 |
| 5 years after | £32,000 | £30,000 – £34,500 | 70 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Newly Qualified PractitionerPreceptorship / first post · 0–2 yrs
- 2Registered PractitionerAutonomous practice · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / SpecialistSpecialist or team lead · 5–10 yrs
- 4Advanced / Consultant PractitionerAdvanced practice or management · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Nursing & Health nationally
National figures for Nursing & Health graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 20; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Nursing & Health courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,506 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Therapy professionalsSOC 2020 222 · 75% of published destinations · ASHE median £37,338
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 70; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Nursing & Health graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine documentation and triage support
- Scheduling and records admin
- First-pass risk flags from data
- Standard reference look-ups
More human than ever
- Hands-on, compassionate care
- Clinical judgement and accountability
- Communicating with patients and families
- Ethics and safeguarding decisions
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Nursing & Health graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- NHS trusts
- Private healthcare
- Care providers
- Community & mental-health services
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Nursing & Health graduates.
Nursing Home ManagerJarrodean Healthcare RecruitmentSenior Charge Nurse Uist Community Nursing teamNHS National Services ScotlandCare Assistant - Nursing Home | Flexible Hours, Weekly PayMpa RecruitmentCare Assistant (Nursing) - Nightshift - RatheaneMacklin Care Homes LimitedSenior Support Worker: Meaningful Care & Flexible ShiftsPotens GroupDental NurseBupa Dental CareIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
90% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £29,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.5 out of 10: NSS 84% · in work or study 90% · continued 81%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Keele University
Subjects allied to medicine across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Keele University
88 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Nursing & Health right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Keele University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £20,800 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Keele University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Keele University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Keele University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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