Occupational therapy is a four-year degree requiring a bachelor pass with Mathematics and Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences at most institutions. Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa and community service follow qualification.
Occupational therapy helps people participate in the activities of daily life after illness, injury or disability, or where a developmental condition affects function. It is frequently confused with physiotherapy: physiotherapy focuses on physical movement and rehabilitation, occupational therapy on function and participation across daily activities.
Entry Requirements at a Glance
Entry is assessed on the following.
- A bachelor pass, since it is a degree
- Mathematics at the level required, with Mathematical Literacy not accepted at most institutions
- Life Sciences at the level required
- Physical Sciences, required at several institutions
- Health screening and a police clearance certificate
- Job shadowing or evidence of understanding the profession, required by some institutions
Academic and Minimum Admission Requirements
The degree runs four years and includes supervised practice across hospital, school, community and mental health settings, which is broader than the placement range of most health science degrees.
The breadth of practice is worth understanding before applying. Occupational therapists work in physical rehabilitation, mental health, paediatrics, hand therapy and vocational rehabilitation, and the training covers all of these.
Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa is required before you may practise, and community service applies to most health science professions after qualifying. Only a qualification from an accredited programme leads to registration, so confirm accreditation before enrolling.
Subjects, APS and Qualification Requirements
Life Sciences underpins the anatomy and physiology content. Because the profession has a substantial mental health component, institutions also look for strong language results, since assessment and reporting are central to the work.
Mathematics is required at most institutions, and Physical Sciences at several. Confirm both, since requirements differ more between institutions here than for physiotherapy.
Points are calculated by each institution own method, and because intakes are limited by clinical placement capacity, the score that actually secures a place is set by competition rather than by the published minimum.
Documents and Application Requirements
Applications normally require the following.
- A certified copy of your identity document
- Your National Senior Certificate or latest statement of results
- Proof of the application fee, where one is charged
- Your final matric results, used to confirm any conditional offer
- A medical or health screening report and a police clearance certificate, required before clinical placement
Selection, Intake and Eligibility Considerations
Occupational therapy is offered at a limited number of universities and intakes are constrained by placement capacity. It is competitive, though generally somewhat less so than physiotherapy.
Job shadowing is valuable both for your application and for understanding the profession, which is less visible than physiotherapy and frequently misunderstood by applicants.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between occupational therapy and physiotherapy?
Physiotherapy focuses on physical movement and rehabilitation. Occupational therapy focuses on function and participation in daily activities, and includes mental health and paediatric practice.
Do I need Physical Sciences?
It is required at several institutions and not at others. Confirm for each one, as requirements differ more here than for physiotherapy.
Where do occupational therapists work?
Hospitals, schools, community settings, mental health services, hand therapy and vocational rehabilitation.
Is community service required?
Community service applies to most health science professions after qualifying. Confirm the current position with the HPCSA.
Confirm subject requirements individually, since they differ between institutions more than in comparable programmes. Confirm programme accreditation and registration requirements with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Confirm the exact APS, subject levels and closing dates with each institution for your intake year. See admission requirements and browse all education requirements.