In this course, you will study modules relating to the structures and functioning of the human body and mind (such as Anatomy, Physiology and Psychology). You will have specialist Occupational Therapy modules in many different areas of practice (such as Physical Disability, Paediatrics, Older Adults, Neurology and Mental Health). You will learn how to provide a high-quality, evidence-based healthcare service through modules in Management, Evidence-Based Practice, Research and Fundamentals of Occupational Therapy. 

This course is accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (WFOT) and regulated by CORU, giving you trusted, recognised qualifications. You’ll complete over 1,000 hours of Practice Education through four placements in healthcare, education, and community settings across the country, supervised by qualified Occupational Therapists. 

Students will also take lectures in Anatomy, Psychology, Physiology in their 1st and 2nd Year and will get the opportunity to learn from Lecturers across the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. Some of our modules include learning from people with lived experience of health conditions and using healthcare services. 

This course explores how difficulties in relation to physical or mental health can affect occupation (i.e. daily activities) in all groups of people - children, adolescents, adults and older adults. You will also explores how the social and physical environment can hinder or support people to live full lives and how daily activities can be health-promoting. 

Throughout the four years of the course, students will have the opportunity to take part in interdisciplinary learning with other healthcare students and learn from community partners and those with lived experience of health challenges. 

Year 1 

In first year, students will gain a basic understanding of the human body and psychology and will be introduced to the theoretical background of Occupational Therapy. Students will have an opportunity to practice some key occupational therapy skills in the areas of mental health and physical disability in a classroom setting. A short placement allows students to understand the experiences of people in their daily activities and apply some of their emerging knowledge. 

Year 2 

In second year, students will develop their understanding of the human body and mind further, with additional modules in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. They will be introduced to occupational therapy practice in the areas of paediatrics and intellectual disability. They also learn about structures and systems affecting how people can participate in daily life through modules in occupational science and social policy. Students will have their first long placement in Semester two of second year. 

Year 3 

In year three, students will engage in different methods of learning, moving towards more group-based and self-directed project work. Students work on community-led projects and learn about specialist areas of practice such as cognitive neuropsychology and neuropsychological rehabilitation. You will also learn about research methods, evidence-based practice and how to work with older adults and their families. Students will again have a placement in Semester two. 

Year 4 

In final year, students move towards becoming occupational therapy practitioners. There are two placements in Semester one, giving students excellent experience as they prepare for their career. Students work alongside a supervisor to plan, implement and report an individual research project and they learn important skills in management and professional development. 

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

• Employability:  Our graduates are highly sought after because they are professional, skilled, and well prepared for all areas of healthcare.
• Research-active lecturers: Our staff are leading research programmes in rehabilitation, programme evaluation, paediatrics, assessment development and in teaching design. 
• Students benefit from cutting-edge knowledge in the classroom and become clinicians who are able to be leaders in the healthcare context. 
• High quality learning environment: You will study in dedicated teaching spaces with clinical skills labs and on-site learning. Students from different healthcare courses learn together, helping you work better as part of a healthcare team.
• Theoretical and Experiential Learning: This course combines important theory and evidence-based practice with a wide variety of experiential learning activities (such as community engagement, group facilitation, seating and splinting workshops and simulation) You will gain the knowledge and skills to become a great occupational therapist.

Occupational Therapy graduates have access to diverse and rewarding career paths across leading healthcare providers and specialised clinical programmes. Our graduates are eligible to apply to register with the Irish Health and Social Care Professions Regulator, CORU, to work as an Occupational Therapist in a variety of settings and with many different individuals and groups, including: 

• Hospitals
• Community Rehabilitation Services
• Mental Health Services
• Child and Adolescent Services
• Voluntary Organisations
• Community Disability Network Teams
• Private Practice
• Primary Care teams
• Industry 

Exciting new developments include opportunities with the Educational Therapy Support Services and National Clinical Programmes in areas as diverse as Perinatal Mental Health, Obesity and Emergency Medicine. Occupational Therapists work across the lifespan from neo-natal services to older age and across all types of health and social concerns – from specialist neuro-rehabilitation to primary care, to mental health and homelessness services.  

The BSc (Occupational Therapy)  is accredited by the WFOT. This means that graduates can practice in settings across the world. Internationally, opportunities exist within the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, renowned rehabilitation centres in Australia, and community health organisations in Canada. Graduates may also work with international NGOs and educational institutions delivering programs focused on physical rehabilitation, mental health support, workplace ergonomics, and adaptive technologies.

Clinical Placement 

As an Occupational Therapy student you will gain hands-on experience through regular clinical placements throughout all four years of the course.  

These placements are carefully designed to help you apply classroom knowledge to real-world settings, working directly with clients across diverse healthcare environments. 

This practical experience will equip you with the confidence, clinical skills, and professional competence needed to deliver effective, client-centered occupational therapy interventions safely and confidently. 

How it works 

Your clinical placements (Practice Education) are a mandatory aspect of the course, ensuring that you meet the requirements for professional registration with the Health and Social Care Professions Regulator (CORU).  

It is required to complete at least 1000 hours of practice education in order to register as an Occupational Therapist. 

Locations 

Our placements may take place anywhere in Ireland. We want to ensure you get a range of clinical experiences, including in specialist areas such as the National Rehabilitation Hospital, Palliative Care, Mental Health, Paediatric Services, Community and Primary Care and Educational settings such as schools.  

We will find your placements for you and allocate you to an educator/supervisor. International placements are an option in your final year, if available. 

Support 

You will be supported on placement by a practice educator who will supervise your work, help you achieve learning goals and give you feedback. Our practice education co-ordinator and practice education team will support both you and your educator to facilitate an impactful learning experience. 

Timing 

Your placements are spread throughout the four years of the programme as follows: 

• Year 1: 1 week (Semester 2) 
• Year 2: 8 weeks (Semester 2) 
• Year 3: 8 weeks (Semester 2) 
• Year 4: 8 weeks (Aug-Oct) and 8 weeks  (Oct-Dec) 

Accrediting Body  

Graduates are eligible to register with CORU (the regulatory body for health and social care professionals in Ireland) and become members of AOTI (the professional body for occupational therapists in Ireland). The programme is also accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy.  

Graduate Opportunities   

Graduates are qualified to work as CORU-registered Occupational Therapists in a variety of settings and with a variety of patients and clients, including hospitals, voluntary organisations, mental health services, child and adolescent services, physical and sensory services, community rehabilitation, and disability services.  

International Opportunities  

Occupational Therapy graduates are in high demand worldwide. The BSc (Occupational Therapy) programme at University of Galway is accredited by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy. This means that graduates can practise in settings across the world. 

All academic staff members are CORU-registered Occupational Therapists 

• Professor Agnes Shiel
• Mr Manigandan Chockalingam
• Dr Orla Brady
• Dr Jackie Fox
• Dr Sinéad Hynes
• Dr Hazel Killeen
• Ms Mary Mulry
• Ms Mairéad Murray 

This course is designed to encourage students to become self-directed, life-long learners. Students are viewed as adult learners, responsible for their own progress and are treated as such. 

We recognise that some students come to the course as adult learners with a wealth of existing knowledge and experience and during the occupational therapy specific modules, they are encouraged to relate and learn from each other as well as the educator. 

Small-group learning: Many of our modules include small-group learning. In these modules, students are asked to contribute fully to the work of the group and communicate respectfully.  

Lectures: You will have lectures from the Occupational Therapy academic staff and from related disciplines such as Anatomy and Psychology 

Practical and simulation-based education: In our Occupational Therapy-focused modules, students will get classroom-based experience with the important skills they need to develop as clinicians. Examples are practicing splinting and seating assessments, therapeutic group-work, communication skills, paediatric assessment, mental health interviewing and community engagement. 

Attendance: 100% attendance is expected across all modules and placements, unless in cases of illness. This is in line with the CORU professional standards. 

Supports: 

• Academic Writing Centre: Offers one-to-one tutorials and email consultations to help you academic writing skills. 
• Library: Access to a broad range of academic resources, workshops, and expert help through our world-class James Hardiman Library. 
• Academic Skills Hub: An online resource centre that supports the development of core academic and digital skills, with guidance on assignments, IT tools, and exam strategies. 
• Student Academic Advisors: Available for confidential advice on academic, personal, financial, or wellbeing-related matters.  

  Health and wellbeing Supports   

• The Disability Support Service (DSS): Provides tailored supports and reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities, ongoing physical or mental health conditions, or specific learning difficulties.   
• Student Counselling Offers free, confidential support including one-to-one counselling, online sessions, group workshops, and wellbeing resources. The counselling service support about 10% of the student population each year. 
• Student Health Unit Provides a wide variety of medical support services including GP services, sexual health support service and vaccination. 

European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability Annual Meeting

In September 2025 we are welcoming two new PhD students. Two scholarships were funded through the Chinese PhD Scholarship Team. Jing Xia and Wei Zhang will be supervised by Dr. Jackie Fox and Dr. Sinead Hynes. Jing Xia will research time-use, flourishing and mental health for men in Ireland and Wei Zhang will research the experiences of gynaecological cancer screening and treatment in multiple sclerosis. 

In 2026, the University of Galway will welcome a major international conference, the European Academy of Childhood-onset Disability (EACD) Conference. Dr. Hazel Killeen, Lecturer in Occupational Therapy is taking the lead as President of the organising committee for this prestigious event. For more details, see www.eacd2026.com  

Another of our occupational therapy lecturers, Manigandan Chockalingam, was successful in getting funding from the ENLIGHT network to collaborate with Uppsala University on an exciting project - ECCHOT: Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Intercultural Competence and Cultural Humility in Occupational Therapy. Occupational Therapy students will benefit from this project by experiencing learning activities that encourage reflection on cultural humility and connection with international student peers in Sweden ECCHOT 

Course queries: healththerapies@universityofgalway.ie 

Programme Director(s):   

Dr Jackie Fox 
E: jackie.fox@universityofgalway.ie
T: + 353 (0)91 495021  
Programme Director 
Occupational Therapy 
School of Health Sciences 
College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences  

Q: Is there any other way of doing Occupational Therapy at the University of Galway without getting the required CAO points? 
A: The only entry pathways into the BSc in Occupational Therapy at University of Galway are through the CAO process, as a mature student or through the Access, HEAR and DARE schemes. For these latter options, you still need to meet certain requirements. There are no courses that allow you to “transfer” into the BSc in Occupational Therapy.  

Q: Where can you work after graduation, and are there job opportunities?  
A: Our graduates work in Ireland and all over the world. The course is World Federation of Occupational Therapy and CORU (The Health and Social Care Professionals Register) approved. Occupational therapists are in high demand in public and private health care setting and in the community and voluntary sector. They work in hospitals, community care, private practice, businesses (e.g. those designing adaptive equipment for people with disabilities), forensic settings, mental health, paediatrics, nursing homes, in organisations such as Túsla, and may other areas. Job opportunities are good and are likely to grow with new healthcare initiatives such as Sláintecare.   

Q: What exactly does an occupational therapist do? 
A: The core job of an occupational therapist is to work with individuals/families/communities to help them engage fully in the activities of daily life. They do this by helping the person develop new skills, by helping them adapt to new ways of doing things, or by adapting the environment to make it more supportive for the person. This may look different depending on the person and their needs. 

For example: 

• With an older person at risk of falling in the home, an occupational therapist might adapt the home environment to be safer, teach the person safer ways to complete daily tasks, work with the family to keep the person as independent for as long as possible and help the person identify opportunities to keep engaged in their community and neighbourhood.
• With a person with a mental health issue such as anxiety, an occupational therapist might help the person identify areas in daily life where they are overburdened or doing too much, identify and practice restful and relaxing activities and problem-solve around particular challenges such as work stressors.

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 Level in the Leaving Certificate, including Irish, English, another language, Mathematics, a laboratory science subject (i.e. Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Physics with Chemistry (joint) or Agricultural Science), and any other subject recognised for entry purposes. 

Additional Requirements

Vaccinations:

The HSE, the School of Health Sciences and the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, require students to produce evidence that they have received the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) and the Hepatitis B (Hep B) vaccinations. In line with this requirement, University of Galway recommends that students show evidence of both the MMR and Hepatitis B before the commencement of their first placement. Evidence of these vaccinations must be provided in the first year of the course. 

Garda Vetting:

Students must satisfy the Garda/police vetting and satisfy the English Language Requirements where English is not their first language. 

Alternative Pathways  

The Access Centre at University of Galway provides a number of alternative entry routes to undergraduate programmes. See below some useful links:  

• QQI/FET/FETAC Places  

• Mature Students  

• Access and Foundation programmes  

• HEAR Scheme  

• DARE Scheme  

Other Qualifications  

If you are a school leaver presenting results other than Leaving Cert results, please review the entry requirements relevant to you:   

• A Level students  

• International Baccalaureate students   

• EU students  

For applicants whose first language is not English, it is important to check our English Language Requirements.   

Admissions Office   

Our Admissions Office provides additional detail relevant to CAO applicants including key dates, FAQs and instructions for non-school leavers. 

Irish and European (EU/EFTA/UK) Applicants  

Apply via the CAO. See the CAO Handbook for useful information on applying through the CAO.   

Mature Applicants   

Apply via the CAO by 1 February. To apply for a place as a mature student, you must be 23 years of age on or before 1 January of the year of entry. Further information available here.   

QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants   

Apply via the CAO. See our QQI/FET/FETAC Applicants page for information on places available and entry requirements

Fees for Academic Year 2025/2026

Course Type	Year	EU Tuition	Student Contribution	Non-EU Tuition	Levy	Total Fee	Total EU Fee	Total Non-EU Fee
	All	€4,868	€3,000	€27,500	€340	€3,340	€8,208	€27,840

• Most EU students applying through the CAO will be eligible for the ‘Free Fees Initiative’. You can find out more here.
• If you are eligible for a means tested SUSI grant this may cover 100% of this Student Contribution Charge. If you are 100% eligible SUSI will pay the Student Contribution Charge of €3,000 on your behalf. 
• The Student Levy It is payable by all students and it is not covered by SUSI. 
• Where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing year fees. This applies to non-EU tuition.
• You can find additional detail on the Fees Office webpage including FAQs and how fee status is assessed.
• Occupational Health Service
  In year one students are required to pay a €200 fee towards a subsidised Occupational Health Service provided to students of the College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences in compliance with all relevant legislation and standards. This is shown as part of the levy

Additional Costs:   

You will be asked to purchase an occupational therapy uniform in your first year of the programme. 

Practice education placements may be in any area of Ireland and may require the use of a car and/or alternative accommodation. 

Our student support service can advise you on Financial Aid and other supports where appropriate CMNHS Student Support Officer - University of Galway

Application Process  

Students applying for full undergraduate degree programmes from outside of the European Union (EU), and who are liable for full non-EU tuition fees, should apply online via Apply to University of Galway. Our application portal opens on the 1st October each year for each the following September.    

Further Information:  

Please visit the international application webpage for further information on closing dates, documentation requirements, application fees and the application process. 

School of Health Sciences 
College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences 
T: 353 (0)91 492 957 
E: healththerapies@universityofgalway.ie 
www.universityofgalway.ie/occupational_therapy 
 
Other useful links: 

The Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland 

The World Federation of Occupational Therapy 

Further Education 

Students may continue further study in the following programmes at the Discipline of Occupational Therapy in the University of Galway: 

• Structured PhD Occupational Therapy - Full-time or part-time
• MPhil Health Sciences – Occupational Therapy - Full time or part-time 

Students will be eligible to register with the Health and Social Care Professionals Regulator (CORU) as soon as they graduate.