All entry requirements listed here should be used as a guide. Applicants who are made a conditional offer of a place may be asked to achieve more than is stated.
Year 1
Standard entry requirement
UCAS Tariff: 102
Scottish Higher: BBBC or equivalent
A Level: BCC or equivalent
Minimum entry requirement
UCAS Tariff: 90
Scottish Higher: BCCC or equivalent
A Level: CCC or equivalent
Year 2 entry
Standard entry requirement
HNC in Occupational Therapy Support
Specific units required
English language
IELTS score of 7.0 with no element below 6.5 (or equivalent)
Additional information
Acceptance to this course is subject to a satisfactory occupational health screening and PVG clearance.
Additional information
Relevant experience (RPL)
GCU's flexible entry policies exist to allow relevant work experience and prior learning to be considered towards standard entry or advanced entry into a course.
If you do not have the typical academic entry qualifications, but can demonstrate relevant work experience and/or credits from recognised professional bodies, you may be eligible to enter this course via the University's Recognition of Prior Learning scheme.
Minimum entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements are for widening access students only. If you are from a group that is not currently well-represented in higher education you may qualify as a widening access student. This includes living in a target postcode area, attending a target school or college, attending SWAP, are care-experienced or provide care for someone else, have refugee status or are an asylum seeker.
The tuition fees you pay are mostly determined by your fee status. What is my student fee status?
Fees are subject to change and are published here for guidance only. If you have any queries about the fees for 25/26 please contact our Funding and Finance Team.
Annual full-time tuition fees 24/25
Home: £1,820*
RUK: We are currently reviewing the impact of the UK Government decision to raise undergraduate tuition fees and maintenance loans for September 2025 for students from the rest of the UK who have chosen to study in Scotland. We will update information on our fees as soon as possible.
International: £15,200
*Scottish student tuition fees are subject to confirmation by the Scottish Government and may change once confirmed.
Additional costs
As a student at the University, there are additional fees and costs which may or may not apply to you, but that you should be aware of.
View additional costs
Additional costs for Scottish domiciled students
If you are a Scottish domiciled student, you will not need to pay for PVG checks, occupational health checks or uniforms. You may be able to apply to SAAS for additional expense support to help meet these costs. Check out the SAAS Nursing and Midwifery student placement expenses claim and Allied Health Professions student placement expenses claim forms.
Additional course costs for all other students (rest of UK, EU and International)
During this course, you will be required to cover the cost of:
- While on practice education placements, you will need to meet any additional costs for accommodation and travel
- Uniforms: approximately £14 each. The number of uniforms you require depends on the duration of your course and can range from two to four.
- Occupational health checks and vaccination set fee of £372
- Membership of Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme. New applications cost £59. Updates to the existing scheme record cost £18.
Invoices will be issued by the University for payment of all of the above additional costs in Trimester B (March/April) of the first year of your programme.
Professional body membership fees
Professional body student membership is required as compulsory from Level 1 (this is needed in preparation for practice placement in role-emerging settings as they require to have professional indemnity cover). The current cost of student membership is £5.05 per month.
Scholarships
We provide high-quality education for a fair price; as the University for the Common Good, we are committed to offering accessible higher education for talented students by keeping our tuition fees low and providing a generous scholarship package.
View undergraduate scholarships at GCU.
Assessment methods
We use a wide variety of interesting and challenging assessment methods to help you to develop personally, whilst simultaneously developing your knowledge and understanding of topics integral to occupational therapy practice.
Professional accreditation
When you graduate you will be eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This course is also accredited by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT). Professional registration with HCPC allows Occupational Therapist to work across all sectors.
Teaching methods
The learning and teaching methods we use ensure that our programme is both vocationally relevant and academically challenging. Our approach is student-centred, practical, participative and relevant to the needs of employers.
We've moved away from the traditional teacher-centric learning to a more independent learning approach, where you are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills.
We pride ourselves on the support we offer to our students on this course, enabling everyone to meet their potential. Through student feedback, staff support is consistently highlighted as one of the most important and positive aspects of our course.
Work placements
You’ll be required to undertake a minimum of 1000 hours of practice-based learning experience on this course. Within each level of the programme, you’ll be provided with a practice-based learning experience. Practice-based learning placements take place in a range of health and social care settings, as well as in innovative and emerging areas of practice.
Please note
There is continuous recording within the Interprofessional Simulation Centre (ISC) rooms. These recordings may be used for learning and assessment purposes to fulfil programme requirements, so all students registered on health-related programmes may be recorded while in these rooms. Recordings may be viewed by programme staff, students, and external examiners. Recordings are routinely deleted after 28 days; however, in certain circumstances, this period may be extended to accommodate moderation and education quality requirements.
