In keeping with the University s 2010 objectives the department to extend and grow the postgraduate programme.
The departmental postgraduate courses aim to advance the knowledge and skills of our postgraduate students so that they develop specialist level skills as well as the critical thinking, clinical reasoning, problem solving and research skills necessary to become leaders in their filed of occupational therapy practice.
The department offers the following postgraduate programmes:
* Postgraduate diplomas in the field of neurosciences, paediatrics and psychiatry;
* MSc (Occupational Therapy) by coursework and short report in the fields of neurosciences, paediatrics, psychiatry;
* MSC (Occupational Therapy) by dissertation.
* PhD
Admission for the coursework programme close on 30 October for admission the following January. The admission requirements include an Occupational Therapy qualification recognised by the Occupational Therapy Professional Board of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and at least one year clinical experience. Therapists applying for the coursework option should preferably be working in a service site that is consistent with their being able to practice the clinical skills. A minimum of three other postgraduate degrees are not restricted to a specific time of the year.
Admission for the coursework programmes are currently part-time. All courses are modularised and are taught using a block release system. There are approximately four to six teaching blocks in a year which may be one or two weeks in length. In the time between teaching blocks students are given assignments, projects and clinical work to meet the course objectives.
Plans are quite far advanced for the introduction of two additional coursework options - one for the occupational therapist working in the community and the primary care level and another for the therapists working in the musculoskeletal area. These will be hopefully introduced in 2009.
