Yearbooks

Programme: BOT

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty Department
10138003 Faculty of Health Sciences Department: Occupational Therapy
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 4 years Total credits: 520 NQF level:  08

Programme information

Students who registered for BOccTher degree programme prior to 2015 will complete the degree according to the relevant regulations as published in the 2014 Yearbook. A revised curriculum as reflected below is being phased in for the programme. The revised first year of study will be followed for the first time in 2015, the second year of study in 2016, the third year of study in 2017 and the fourth year in 2018.

The programme extends over four academic years, during which period a student receives clinical training as a student occupational therapist at an institution approved by the University.

Students must complete at least 1 000 hours’ clinical practical work over the four years of study in order to register as an occupational therapist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Students may complete the first three years over four years. In such cases, the choice of modules for the different years is done at the commencement of studies, in conjunction with the head of department.

Admission requirements

  • The following persons will be considered for admission: a candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; a candidate who is a graduate of another Faculty at the University of Pretoria; and a candidate who is currently studying at a university.
  • Admission to Health Sciences programmes is subject to a selection process.
  • Grade 11 final examination results will be used for the conditional selection of prospective students.
  • For selection purposes, the sum of the results in six subjects, including English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, is calculated.
  • Life Orientation is excluded in the calculation of the Admission Point Score (APS).
  • Candidates should note that their conditional admission will be revoked if their APS drops by more than two points in their final school examination results.
  • PLEASE NOTE that compliance with the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to any programme in this Faculty.
  • Selection queries may be directed to click here
  • A student who is made an offer but does not accept it cannot defer the offer and must reapply to be considered in the following year.

Transferring students (university experience)

  • The applications of students who are studying towards a tertiary qualification or have obtained a tertiary qualification must meet the following requirements regarding school subjects and performance levels: They must be in possession of an NSC for degree studies/full exemption certificate and must have attained a performance level of 5 (or 50% HG if completed prior to 2009) for Mathematics and Physical Sciences (or Life Sciences, if required).
  • If the subjects were not passed in Grade 12, the equivalent subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) must be completed at the tertiary level. University students do not have to submit any non-academic performance record or CV. In their case selection is based on the results attained in the qualification(s) previously completed, ie they will be considered on the basis of their results achieved in higher education.
  • The completion of only a three-year diploma or certificate is not considered as university experience, but will be considered in the school-leaver category and admission will be based on the applicant’s Grade 12 results.

Qualifications from countries other than South Africa

  • A limited number of places are made available to citizens from countries other than South Africa, with those from SADC countries being given preference. Permanent residents of RSA are not categorised as foreign students. Applications from citizens from countries other than South Africa may also be considered if they are:
  • citizens or permanent residents of countries which have relevant government to government agreements with South Africa
  • asylum seekers or refugees

University of Pretoria website click here

Minimum requirements

Achievement level

English Home Language or English First Additional Language

Mathematics

Physical Sciences 

APS

NSC/IEB

AS Level

NSC/IEB

AS Level

NSC/IEB

AS Level

4

D

4

D

4

D

30

*  Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the Cambridge system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

*  International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the IB system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

Additional requirements

Also consult General Regulations.

Note: Each student in Occupational Therapy must apply immediately after admission to the first year of study, to the Registrar of the Health Professions Council of South Africa for registration as a student in Occupational Therapy.

Other programme-specific information

Important: The modules AIM 111 and AIM 122 Academic information management and ELH 121 and 122 Academic English for Health Sciences must be completed before registration for the fourth year of study.

Note:

  1. Consult the Department of Physiology regarding possible prerequisites for the modules in question.
  2. Students who enrolled for the BOccTher degree programme prior to 2015, will complete the degree under the old curriculum.
  3. Students who fail a year in the existing curriculum will be managed on an individual basis in the Department of Occupational Therapy.
  4. The total credits and regulations for the old curriculum appear in the 2014 yearbook and are applicable for these students.

Examinations and pass requirements

Subminimum
In modules with a written as well as a practical and/or clinical examination, a subminimum of 40% is required in the written as well as the practical and/or clinical sections of the examination.

Examination after one semester
A final-year student who has failed one module but who has passed all other modules, may be admitted to a special examination in the module in question at the end of the first semester of the subsequent year, after satisfactory attendance at lectures and clinical work during the first semester.

  • In accordance with the stipulations of the General Regulations, no minimum year or semester mark is needed for admission to the examination, and all registered students are admitted to the examination automatically.
  • The final mark for a specific module in Nursing Science, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Occupational Therapy and Human Nutrition (at least 50% is required to pass) is calculated from the examination mark as well as the mark compiled from the evaluation of a student during continuous, objective and controlled assessment opportunities during the course of the quarter/semester/year. At least one formal assessment per module is set as the minimum norm, and students will be exposed on a continuous and regular basis to self-directed assignments in order to promote reflective learning.
  • In the case of modules with practical components, students are required to also comply with the applicable attendance requirements with regard to acquiring practical skills before a pass mark can be obtained for the module.
  • There are two main examination opportunities per annum, the first and second examination. In respect of first-semester modules, the first examination opportunity is in May/June and the second examination opportunity in July. In respect of second-semester modules, the first examination opportunity is in October/ November and the second examination opportunity in November/December of the same year. Where students need to work additional clinical hours to be allowed to do a second examination, the relevant head of department will determine the second examination opportunity.
  • Only two examination opportunities per module are allowed. If a student fails a module at the second examination opportunity, the module must be repeated.
  • A second examination opportunity in a module is granted to students in the following cases:

- If a student obtains a final mark of less than 50% in the relevant module at the first examination opportunity and thus fails.

- If a student does not obtain the subminimum in the examination, as required for a specific module.

- If a student does not sit the examination in a module at the first examination opportunity due to illness or extraordinary circumstances.

  • Students intending to sit the second examination due to the reasons mentioned above, must register for the second examination opportunity 24 hours after the results have been made public.
  • If a student fails a module at the first examination opportunity, the examination mark obtained in the relevant module at the second examination opportunity will be calculated as the final mark. The marks obtained with continuous evaluation during the course of the quarter/semester/year will not be taken into calculation. If the student passes the module at the second examination opportunity, a maximum of 50% is awarded as a pass mark to the module in question.
  • If a student could not sit the examination in a module at the first examination opportunity due to illness or extraordinary circumstances, the continuous evaluation mark, together with the examination mark obtained in the module in question at the second examination opportunity, will be calculated as the final mark obtained in the module.
  • The School of Healthcare Sciences applies the General Regulations, according to which a student requiring a limited number of modules to complete his or her degree, may in terms of faculty regulations, be admitted to a special examination in the modules in question.

Promotion to next study year

Students in the first year of study who do not qualify for admission to the second year of study are automatically subjected to selection again.

  • A student must pass in all the prescribed core modules of a specific year of study to be promoted to a subsequent year of study. A student can only be promoted to a subsequent year of study if the student has not failed more than two fundamental modules of seven weeks each per semester or one module of 14 weeks per semester. A non-negotiable prerequisite for admission to the final year of study is pass marks in all the core and fundamental modules of the preceding years of study. Refer to the programmes for fundamental modules in each discipline.
  • A pass mark refers to a final mark of at least 50%.
  • Modules with practical and clinical training credits cannot be passed unless all the prescribed clinical hours and practical activities have been completed to the satisfaction of the relevant head of department.
  • The Chairperson of the examination moderating meeting may, after assessing the student’s total profile, grant special approval to be promoted to the next year of study.
  • The exception is the Department of Human Nutrition, where the regulations as applicable in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences regarding the modules presented by that Faculty, are relevant.
  • Modules can only be taken in advance or repeated if it can be accommodated in the existing examination timetable.
  • A student who must repeat a year of study may, with the approval of the Chairperson of the examination moderating meeting and the relevant head of department, be allowed to take fundamental modules of the subsequent year, if he/she complies with all the prerequisites for the relevant modules. No adjustment to existing timetables will be allowed.

The following fundamental modules are relevant:

  • Department of Nursing Science: SLK 110, 120; FSG 251,252
  • Department of Physiotherapy: SOH 254; FSG 251, 252, 261, 262; SLK 210, ANP 210; GMB 252, 253, 254; FAR 381, 382
  • Department of Occupational Therapy: ZUL 110; SEP 110; SLK 210, 220; FSG 251, 252, 261, 262; ANP 210; RPD 481, GNK 286
  • Department of Human Nutrition: BCM 251, 252, 261, 262; FAR 381, 382, VDS 322; VDB 321
  • Department of Radiography: FSG 251, 252, 262; GNK 286; ANP 210.

Pass with distinction

The BOccTher degree is conferred with distinction on a student who has obtained an average of at least 75% in the core modules in the final year of study.

Minimum credits: 153

Choose between Sepedi SEP 119 and Zulu ZUL 119

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology.

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  • Module content:

    Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.

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  • Module content:

    A systematic approach to Anatomy, including general terminology, embryology and osteology, with the use of wet specimens. Introductory histology includes cytology, the nucleus and cell division, epithelial tissue, general connective tissue, cartilage and bone.

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  • Module content:

    Anatomy of the appendicular skeleton
    A systematic approach to the Anatomy of the muscles, blood vessels, nerve supply, lymph drainage and joints of the upper and lower limbs, as well as surface anatomy, with the use of wet specimens. Introductory histology includes muscle tissue, nerve tissue, and blood and haemopoietic tissue.

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  • Module content:

    A systematic approach to the anatomy of the thorax and its contents, the abdomen and its contents and the pelvis and its contents (organs, vascular systems, nerve supply, lymph drainage, muscles and joints), as well as surface anatomy, with the use of wet specimens. Introductory histology includes the histology of the lungs, liver and kidneys.

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  • Module content:

    Anatomy of the head and neck, and neuroanatomy
    A systematic approach to the anatomy of the head and neck regions, the senses and the central and peripheral nervous system (cranial nerves, autonomic nervous system), as well as surface anatomy, with the use of wet specimens.

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  • Module content:

    Academic reading as well as academic writing and presentation skills, based on the approach followed in the healthcare sciences. *Presented to students in Health Sciences only.

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  • Module content:

    Study of specific language skills required in the Health Care Sciences, including interviewing and report-writing skills. *Presented to students in Health Sciences only.   (BCur, BDietetics, BOH, BOT, Brad, BPhysT)*

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  • Module content:

    Introduction to physiological principles; neurophysiology, and muscle physiology.

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  • Module content:

    Body fluids; haematology; cardiovascular physiology, lymphatic system, and body defence mechanisms.

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  • Module content:

    This practical-orientated module will provide students with training in basic life support, automated external defibrillation, and first aid treatment to the suddenly ill or injured patient.  The theoretical content will be offered in an interactive format where students are expected to master the content as self-directed learning.  Practical skills will be demonstrated in the skills laboratory and students will get the opportunity to practice the skills under guidance and supervision.

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  • Module content:

    The acquisition of a basic medical orientated vocabulary compiled from Latin and Greek stem forms combined with prefixes and suffixes derived from those languages. The manner in which the meanings of medical terms can be determined by analysing the terms into their recognisable meaningful constituent parts, is taught and exercised. The functional use of medical terms in context as practical outcome of terminological application is continually attended to.

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  • Module content:

    *For absolute beginners only.
    The acquisition of basic Sepedi communicative skills with emphasis on everyday expressions and suitable high frequency vocabulary, within specific social situations.

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  • Module content:

    This module is a general orientation to Psychology. An introduction is given to various theoretical approaches in Psychology, and the development of Psychology as a science is discussed. Selected themes from everyday life are explored and integrated with psychological principles. This module focuses on major personality theories. An introduction is given to various paradigmatic approaches in Psychology.

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  • Module content:

    This module introduces the student to a basic knowledge and understanding of the biological basis of human behaviour. The module addresses the key concepts and terminology related to the biological subsystem, the rules and principles guiding biological psychology, and identification of the interrelatedness of different biological systems and subsystems. In this module various cognitive processes are studied, including perception, memory, thinking, intelligence and creativity. Illustrations are given of various thinking processes, such as problem solving, critical, analytic and integrative thinking.

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  • Module content:

    *For absolute beginners only
    The acquisition of basic isiZulu communicative skills with emphasis on everyday expressions and suitable high frequency vocabulary, within specific situations.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    Leadership and multidisciplinary team work. Healthcare systems and legislation. Determinants of health. Introduction to healthcare models (e.g. community-based care, family-centred care, etc.). Professionalism, Ethical principles. Management of diversity. NB: Only for School of Healthcare Sciences and Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology students.

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  • Module content:

    Theory of occupational science. Application of creative ability principles during activity participation. Application of a variety of elective activities which promotes the engagement of clients in meaningful occupation.

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  • Module content:

    The study of occupational therapy roles, scope, domain, core knowledge and professional ethics. Includes the application of the process of occupational therapy intervention, tools of practice and theoretical frameworks.

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Minimum credits: 120

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    Structure, gas exchange and secretory functions of the lungs; structure, excretory and non-urinary functions of the kidneys, acid-base balance, and skin and body temperature control. Practical work to complement the theory.

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  • Module content:

    Nutrition, digestion and metabolism, hormonal control of body functions, and the reproductive systems. Practical work to complement the theory.

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  • Module content:

    Special neuro and muscle physiology.

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  • Module content:

    Applied pathophysiology.

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  • Module content:

    In this module human development from conception through adolescence to adulthood is discussed with reference to various psychological theories. Incorporated are the developmental changes related to cognitive, physical, emotional and social functioning of the individual and the context of work in adulthood. Traditional and contemporary theories of human development explaining and describing these stages are studied in order to address the key issues related to both childhood and adulthood.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    Principles of project management. Communication principles. Leadership.  Health promotion and education, advocacy and literacy. Counselling for health behaviour change. NB: Only for School of Healthcare Sciences and Speech- Language Pathology and Audiology students.

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  • Module content:

    The theory on the science of occupation. Application of activities in the areas of ADL (Activities of Daily Living) and leisure, as well as elective activities that promote the engagement of clients in meaningful occupation.

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  • Module content:

    Sensory-motor disorders: The study of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention of sensory-motor disorders in all age groups. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected disorders.

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  • Module content:

    Mental health and cognition: The study of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention of psycho-social and cognitive disorders in all age groups. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected disorders.

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  • Module content:

    Neurology: The study of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention of neurological conditions in all age groups. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected conditions.

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  • Module content:

    Biomechanics: The study of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention of the conditions of the musculoskeletal system in all age groups. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected conditions.

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Minimum credits: 129

Fundamental modules

  • Module content:

    General principles of pathology, including necroses, reversible cell damage, reparation and abnormalities of growth, circulation disturbances, acute and chronic infections, classification of the spreading of tumours and carcinogenesis. Directed course in systematic pathology, with specific reference to cardiovascular system, respiratory system, locomotor system and neurophathology.

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  • Module content:

    Concepts of research; research process; research studies appraisal; planning and developing literature review; developing research idea and research question; research principles in designing research proposal; research proposal writing.

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Core modules

  • Module content:

    Community needs assessment. Leadership in community development. Planning and implementation of collaborative community-based interventions. Application of principles of monitoring and evaluation. NB: Only for School of Healthcare Sciences and Department of Speech - Language Pathology and Audiology students.

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  • Module content:

    The study of normal development and the effect on ill health and disability in the areas of play and school. The science and application of occupational therapy principles to promote engagement in meaningful occupation taking into consideration personal and environmental context. Includes pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected conditions.

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  • Module content:

    The study of the effect of ill health and disability in the area of Activities of Daily Living (ADL). The science and application of occupational therapy principles to promote engagement in meaningful occupation, taking into consideration personal and environmental contexts. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected conditions.

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  • Module content:

    The study of the effect of ill health and disability in the area of work. The science and application of occupational therapy principles to promote engagement in meaningful occupation within the context of South African Disability Equity Legislation. Includes the pathology, causes, clinical picture and prognosis of selected conditions.

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  • Module content:

    Continued study of occupational therapy for patients/clients with physical and neurological conditions. Facilitation of occupational performance through the application of assistive technologies and adaptations. Includes therapeutic apparatus, control interfaces, prosthesis and the selection, design and manufacture of splints.

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  • Module content:

    The application of therapeutic group techniques, stress management and interpersonal techniques in counselling. Includes the study of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention of psychiatric disorders in childhood.

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Minimum credits: 120

Fundamental modules

Core modules

  • Module content:

    Continued study in occupational science with emphasis on the areas of occupation. Integration and application of knowledge and skills in a community fieldwork setting, an elective vocational rehabilitation fieldwork setting and in an elective paediatric fieldwork setting.

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  • Module content:

    Principles for the management of an occupational therapy department in the public sector. Principles to set up and management of a private practice. Management of support staff in occupational therapy. Marketing strategies in occupational therapy. Professional ethics, values and accountability. Code of ethics for occupational therapists

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  • Module content:

    Continued study in occupational science with emphasis on the areas of occupation. Integration and application of knowledge and skills in a community fieldwork setting, an elective vocational rehabilitation fieldwork setting and in an elective paediatric fieldwork setting.

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  • Module content:

    Continued study of occupational therapy for patients/clients with physical and neurological conditions. Integration and application of knowledge and skills in a physical/neurological fieldwork setting.

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  • Module content:

    Continued study of occupational therapy for mental healthcare users. Integration and application of knowledge and skills in a mental health fieldwork setting.

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The information published here is subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information. The General Regulations (G Regulations) apply to all faculties of the University of Pretoria. It is expected of students to familiarise themselves well with these regulations as well as with the information contained in the General Rules section. Ignorance concerning these regulations and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression.

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