Professional accreditation status

This course is accredited by Occupational Therapy Council (Australia & New Zealand) Ltd (OTC).

Students enrolled in this degree will be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) for the duration of their program of study or until they are no longer enrolled. Graduates will be eligible to apply for professional registration with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Division

Tropical Health and Medicine

Minimum English language proficiency requirements

Applicants of non-English speaking backgrounds must meet the English language proficiency requirements of Band 3a – Schedule II of the JCU Admissions Policy.

Students also need to take note that in accordance with the National Registration Board’s requirement, they must hold a valid IELTS minimum score of 7.0 in all components within 2 years prior to applying for registration upon Graduation as Occupational Therapists in Australia.

Post admission requirements

Immunisations:

Students must provide evidence of being immune to hepatitis B and that they have been vaccinated or evidence that they are not susceptible for the vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR); Varicella and Pertussis. Professional experience placement is a requirement of this course and students may be engaged in roles where there is contact that would allow transmission of a VPD. Students are required to comply with the above requirement prior to commencing their first Professional Experience Placement or by the end of the first teaching period of their studies, otherwise their enrolment will be terminated.

Suitability to Work with Children Card (blue card):

This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements that may involve contact with children under 18 years of age. Students are required to obtain a Suitability to Work with Children Card (which involves a criminal history check undertaken by the Queensland Police) by the last day of the first teaching period of their course. Students must retain a current Suitability to Work with Children Card for the duration of their course, as failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course.

For more information, refer to:

Blue Card Services

Current Apply First Aid and CPR Certificate:

Candidates must hold a current First Aid Certificate before undertaking professional or clinical placements.  This must be provided by the last day of the first teaching period of their course. It will be the responsibility of the student to maintain this certificate for the duration of their course, as failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course. Candidates are responsible for any costs associated with obtaining this certificate.

Some professional/clinical placement agencies may require that candidates hold an advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certificate before undertaking a professional or clinical placement. Candidates are responsible for any costs associated with obtaining this certificate.

Australian Federal Police check:

This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements. Some placement agencies will require students to produce a current Australian Federal Police check. This is in addition to the requirements for a Blue Card. Students must provide written confirmation of clearance to the Clinical Placement Officer by the last day of the first teaching period of their course. Students will be required to provide an updated Australian Federal Police check if requested by the College, and failure to do so will result in the termination of their admission to the course.

Application documents can be accessed at:

Australian Federal Police

Course learning outcomes

The James Cook University Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree will prepare graduates for registration as an entry level Occupational Therapist (OT) in Australia. The course is aligned with the Australian Standards for Occupational Therapy, including AHPRA OT code of conduct and OTA Occupational Therapy Competencies.

On successful completion of the course, graduates will be able to:

• Apply broad and coherent theoretical and technical knowledge that promotes the development of an inclusive society through enabling occupation, with a particular focus on rural, remote, indigenous and tropical contexts

• Demonstrate appropriate communicative, ethical, legal and professional behaviours, skills and strategies, in the delivery of culturally safe and client-centred care

• Retrieve, synthesise and evaluate information from multiple sources to assess, formulate, implement and monitor management plans, in order to improve the health status and wellbeing of individuals and/or populations

• Critically evaluate and apply evidence in occupational therapy and inter-professional practice to support professional judgement and problem solving, consolidation of knowledge and theory building

• Communicate clearly and coherently through well-developed English language and numeracy proficiency, appropriate for graduate entry into the occupational therapy workforce

• Apply contemporary skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to deliver safe and sustainable occupational therapy in collaboration with individuals and/or populations and other professionals, within the accepted professional and personal scope of practice

• Assess professional learning needs through reflection on current skills, knowledge and attitudes and demonstrate autonomy and accountability in planning ongoing professional development.

Townsville

Maximum time to complete

7 years

Course includes mandatory professional placement(s)

This course includes prescribed professional or clinical placements. Students may be required to undertake such placements away from the campus at which they are enrolled, at their own expense. (Note: health professional courses generally involve extensive professional or clinical placements). Currency of post-admission requirements must be maintained throughout the degree.

Further information about placements can be found at Enrolment Policy – Coursework Students

Accreditation requirements

Nil

Supplementary exam for final subject

Not applicable

Maximum allowed

63 credit points

Expiry

Advanced standing gained for any subject shall be cancelled 17 years after the date of the examination upon which the advanced standing is based if, by then, the candidate has not completed this course.

Approved abbreviation

BOccThy

Exit with lesser award

Not applicable

Eligibility

At the start of level 3, the Head of School will invite selected students to enter the honours program.

Eligible candidates must obtain a grade of at least Credit for all subjects from the first two levels.

A quota on entry into the honours program may be applied depending on the availability of supervisors.