As an occupational therapy PhD student you will be able to develop your expertise in an area of clinical or professional practice and advance your knowledge, understanding and application of research methodologies.
The diversity of PhDs in occupational therapy is as broad as the profession itself. You may wish to focus on an aspect of clinical practice such as physical/mental health, learning disabilities, older people, paediatrics, diverse practice, social care. Alternatively you may wish to explore a leadership/management/educational or professional issues or policy/theory development. As such, occupational therapy research is open to a wide variety of research questions and designs, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches.
The occupational therapy staff work collaboratively with doctoral students to create a community of learning which fosters the development of occupational therapy research and practice. Examples of staff areas of interest and expertise include; older people, occupational science, understanding the lifeworld of individuals experiencing the need for occupational therapy, the use of creative activities, pedagogic approaches, impact of technology, occupational therapy in diverse settings, resilience, learning disabilities, paediatrics.
Staff are also able to offer support through their expertise in various research methodologies, including case study, ethnography, phenomenology, IPA, narrative, mixed methods.
The °®¶¹´«Ã½ offers interdisciplinary study across a range of allied health and health care practice areas. Programmes are focused on practical wisdom with research students playing an important role in exploring, developing and improving professional practice. There are opportunities to engage with a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives.
Graduates with a PhD in occupational therapy from the °®¶¹´«Ã½ proceed to employment in various organisations including NIHR, NHS, university lecturer posts and consultancy, as well as further research.