Studium Ergotherapie - Studierende behandeln die Hand einer Patientin

Occupational Therapy bachelor degree programme

Help people to perform everyday activities independently again. Our Occupational Therapy bachelor programme will equip you with all the tools you need.

Become an expert in the activities of daily living with our three-year programme.

Organisational form:

Courses normally take place from Monday to Friday.

Full-time
Organisational form
Language:

Courses are held in German.

 

 

German
Language
Duration:

You will complete your degree in 6 semesters, or 3 years. During this time, your workload will be 180 ECTS credits.

 

6 semesters
Duration
Internship:

During your degree, you must complete an internship lasting at least 36 weeks, equivalent to a total of 1150 hours.

 

36 weeks
Internship
Study fee:

This is the tuition fee for EU and EEA citizens. In addition, the Austrian National Union of Students (ÖH) dues amount to EUR 22.70. Please note that different tuition fees apply for non-EU citizens.

 

EUR 363.36
Study fee

The degree programme

You’ll soon come to appreciate what a wide-ranging profession occupational therapy is. During your degree you’ll learn about many different clinical fields, with a special focus on internal medicine and orthopaedics, neurology, psychiatry, geriatrics and paediatrics. You will also acquire knowledge and skills in the increasingly important field of health promotion and prevention.

You’ll gain experience in these areas during your practice placements, which will help you to discover where your interests lie while you’re still at university.

In semesters 5 and 6 you will extend your occupational therapy knowledge and skills, and learn about applying evidence-based approaches to various different areas of occupational therapy.

The programme will give you the qualifications required for high-grade occupational therapy positions in the Austrian system. Once you graduate, you can decide whether you want to work as an employee or an independent practitioner. The bachelor programme is recognised by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) and is affiliated to the European Network of Occupational Therapy in Higher Education (ENOTHE).

Get the full programme details in German

The occupational therapy profession

It is often the relatively small things in life that make a big difference: things that we take for granted such as the ability to dress and wash ourselves, being independent enough to be able to go shopping and prepare simple meals, having the opportunity to work or study, and the freedom to spend our leisure time how we want.

As an occupational therapist you will work with people who have difficulties performing basic activities on their own due to illness, injury or disability. And that’s not all: occupational therapists also have a lot to contribute in the field of health promotion and prevention.

Occupational therapy puts people first – people who want to maintain or regain their former quality of life.

Overview of therapy options

Considering the interplay between the individuals, activities and environments plays a key role in the diagnostic process. The goal is to help people become as functionally independent as possible.

Therapy begins with an evaluation of the client’s everyday activities and performance skills. This is the basis for deciding which goals and activities to focus on during the therapy. Terms and concepts you might encounter include guidance and adaption, practising everyday activities (e.g. washing, dressing, eating, and movements required in leisure and work situations), splint treatment and equipment consultation.

Degree programme occupational therapy - Students do cutting exercise on an apple
Degree programme occupational therapy - closeup of a cutting exercise with bread
Degree programme occupational therapy - Student notes ideas while brainstorming on a blackboard

" Our team is made up of experts from professional practice and research. The stand-out feature of the programme is how we work with our students – our future colleagues – as equals. "

Programme director Barbara Prinz-Buchberger

A formula for success: theoretical knowledge + practical experience

The programme is built on three pillars.

  1. 1

    1. The basics

    Semesters 1-3

    At the beginning of the programme, you’ll acquire the basics of occupational therapy: your courses will cover health promotion, prevention, therapy and rehabilitation.

    You’ll learn about interventions which facilitate the maintenance, promotion, improvement and recovery of functional independence. In parallel with this, you will also develop ethical values in the context of medicine and society which will guide you in your professional practice. Putting people’s interests first is central to this.

  2. 2

    2. Practical experience

    Semesters 2, 4, 5 and 6

    The time has come to consolidate what you’ve learned – in practice, working with real clients. You can demonstrate your skills on practice placements in Austria or abroad.

    We provide you with support and coaching before, during and after your placements. You’ll gain a total of 1,150 hours of professional experience. This will put you in a great position to start work in the profession straight after graduation. Your fourth semester will be spent almost entirely at placement providers on professional placements. The advantage for you is a high degree of flexibility in terms of your choice of location.

  3. 3

    3. Advanced courses

    Semesters 5-6

    Here, the focus switches to work outside clinics and hospitals – for instance, community settings and preparations for becoming an independent practitioner.

    You will complete case studies with students from other health science programmes to practise working as part of an interdisciplinary team. At the end of the programme you will also have the opportunity to prove your academic knowledge and skills.

Our Team

Get to know the core team of our bachelor degree programme Occupational Therapy.

  • Prof.(FH) Barbara Prinz-Buchberger, MSc | interim Head of Institute Therapeutic and Midwifery Sciences / Programme Director Occupational Therapy - IMC Fachhochschule Krems
    Prof.(FH) Barbara Prinz-Buchberger, MSc
    interim Head of Institute Therapeutic and Midwifery Sciences / Programme Director Occupational Therapy

    interim Head of Institute Therapeutic and Midwifery Sciences / Programme Director Occupational Therapy

    Prof.(FH) Barbara Prinz-Buchberger, MSc

    Core Competencies
    • Occupational Therapy in the field of Pediatrics
    • Health Assisting Engineering

Questions about the degree programme?

Prospective Student Advisory Service

Do you have questions regarding the entry requirements, the admission procedure and more? Our Prospective Student Advisory Service is happy to help.

[email protected]

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