Postgraduate study: learn to be an OT, social worker or physio at Edinburgh Napier from January 2024

Are you looking to launch a career in a profession that really makes a difference in people’s lives?
Thinking about a post-graduate course in a profession that can really make a difference to people’s lives? Picture – supplied.Thinking about a post-graduate course in a profession that can really make a difference to people’s lives? Picture – supplied.
Thinking about a post-graduate course in a profession that can really make a difference to people’s lives? Picture – supplied.

Allied health professionals are the unsung heroes and heroines of the NHS – they work alongside doctors, nurses and other staff to provide a wide range of healthcare services, from diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation and prevention.

If you’re thinking about becoming an occupational therapist or physiotherapist, or want to work in the aligned field of social work, then the postgraduate programmes at Edinburgh Napier University offer the chance to study at Scotland’s best modern university for research power and research impact, according to the REF 2021 results.

Thanks to its commitment to delivering an excellent personalised student experience, it was also the number one university in Edinburgh for student satisfaction in this year’s National Student Survey for the fourth year running.

What’s more, you can still apply to start in January 2024.

Join the team on campus on Saturday, October 28, from midday to 3pm to get all the information you need to take your next step forward with a Masters – register now at napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/postgraduate-events-23

Want to study occupational therapy?

You don’t need an undergraduate degree in a health-related discipline to become a registered health professional as an occupational therapist, making it a great opportunity for a career change.

The MSc (pre-registration) Occupational Therapy programme prepares you to work effectively within the complex and rapidly evolving environment of health and social care. It will ready you for the workplace as a confident, competent and independent occupational therapist, with the skills to deliver personalised and responsive services that place individuals and families at the centre of their care and support.

“The most rewarding experience of my career has always been to work with occupational therapy students,” says Fiona Maclean, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy. “I consider it a privilege to be able to contribute to occupational therapy education, and to watch our students learn, grow and to go on and make a positive difference to the lives of people, across communities, in a diverse range of settings and countries.”

Students can benefit from the unique learning environment offered by the university’s Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre where you can experience realistic environments and NHS ward-like settings to further develop your skills.

Plus, Edinburgh Napier University has a long tradition of occupational therapy professional development: during WWI, our Craiglockhart campus was a military psychiatric hospital for officers suffering from ‘shell shock’ and the hospital's ‘work cure’ led to the development of occupational therapy as we know it today.

Thinking about a career in physiotherapy?

To join the Physiotherapy (pre-registration) MSc, you'll need a degree in a relevant science-related subject such as sports rehabilitation, sports therapy, human biology, biomedical sciences, anatomy or physiology.

This hands-on course will develop your theoretical understanding, critical thinking skills, and application of both your knowledge and your skills. You can benefit from scenario-based learning opportunities with the chance to work with volunteer ‘service users’ at the Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre; you’ll also work closely with students from the other disciplines in health and social care to develop your skills in communication, innovative thinking, clinical reasoning and team working.

"A real strength of this programme is that we’re able to develop it with other professions throughout the programme learning key skills together. We’re preparing graduates to go into that workforce having a really good understanding of their colleagues’ professional roles and boundaries. It’s not just an add-on at the end," says Colin McLelland, Lecturer in MSc Physiotherapy.

"Our teaching team is really passionate about developing future colleagues because that’s what they are. Being able to influence someone to go out and do a job that we all love, that’s what we’re really looking forward to. And working together in this integrated approach is fantastic."

Keen to study social work?

Though not defined as an allied health profession, social work is closely aligned and the Master of Social Work Programme at Edinburgh Napier University offers the opportunity to make vital connections between theoretical knowledge and practice – again, thanks to the excellent facilities on offer.

"To integrate social work theory and practice we use the Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre comprising fantastic resources, with the real hospital wards and the SHELTER (Simulated Home Environment for Learning, Teaching and Research) – it really is like someone’s home," says Dr Jana Králová, Programme Lead for the Master of Social Work Programme.

“We aim to equip our graduates with skills, knowledge and practice learning which will enable them to effectively respond to changes and challenges of contemporary social work.

"Students can practise all sorts of difference scenarios, for example, what it’s like to be welcomed into somebody’s living room, to be faced with all the sights and sounds and smells, what you do if they’ve left the television on and it’s loud, how you go about deciding whether to chat in the living room or the kitchen, how you can act respectfully in someone else’s home."

Join our open day

Meet academics, explore the facilities and get information about fees and funding, accommodation, catering and study options at the open day on Saturday, October 28, from midday to 3pm.

Sign up at napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/postgraduate-events-23 and get ready to take your next step forward with a Masters in allied health. A second event will take place on Thursday, November 16, from 4pm to 7pm.

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