Programme Information
Block Course Dates 2025
Fieldwork 1 (Year 1) – 02 June to 27 June
Fieldwork 3 (Year 2) – 22 September to 14 November
Fieldwork 4 (Year 3) – 07 July to 29 August
Programme Structure
Fieldwork placements provide ākonga with the opportunity to integrate theory into real-world occupational therapy practice. These placements take place across various settings throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and are tailored to meet individual learning needs. On-site clinicians provide supervision, while additional support is available from the fieldwork team.
Throughout the programme, ākonga complete five fieldwork placements over three years. Their learning is guided and facilitated by registered kaiwhakaora ngangahau | occupational therapists, all holding current annual practising certificates. Each fieldwork placement offers opportunities for ākonga to work in a client-centred manner, build relationships with diverse professionals, and receive feedback on their developing skills.
The curriculum is designed to ensure that ākonga achieve a minimum of 1,115 fieldwork hours, slightly exceeding the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT) requirement of 1,000 hours, as stipulated in the WFOT's Minimum Standards for the Education of Occupational Therapists (Revised 2016) and by the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand (OTBNZ). This surplus helps safeguard ākonga from falling short due to illness or unforeseen circumstances.
Additionally, designated 'study' hours during fieldwork placements allow ākonga to reflect on their learning needs, align them with the opportunities provided in each placement, and engage in the types of experiences needed to meet their goals. Simulation and other fieldwork-related hours embedded within courses across the three years further contribute to the accumulation of fieldwork hours. Details about these components will be provided in the respective courses. The division of hours across placements is outlined in the table below.
|
Placement No. |
Hours per week |
Weeks |
Total |
Location |
|
1 |
35 |
4 |
150 |
Anywhere within NZ |
|
2 |
6.5 |
14 |
90 |
Dunedin or Hamilton |
|
3 |
35 |
8 |
300 |
Anywhere within NZ |
|
4 |
35 |
8 |
300 |
Anywhere within NZ |
|
5 |
17.5 |
8 |
150 |
Dunedin or Hamilton |
|
Class based hours |
125 |
|
||
|
|
|
Total hours |
1115 |
|
Some additional fieldwork related authentic/simulation hours are included within courses throughout the three years. These are an essential component to your accumulated fieldwork hours. Further information will be provided in the courses on the content of these hours. Please see table below.
Fieldwork Hours - for Curriculum 2025
|
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy - Authentic Work Experience Fieldwork Hours |
|||||
|
Course Name |
Class based |
Placement |
Total Authentic work experience hours
|
||
|
Number of weeks
|
Hours per week |
Total on Placement Hours |
|||
|
Year One |
|||||
|
Foundations of Occupational Therapy |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Professional Practice |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Human Body & Movement 1 |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Human Body & Movement 2 |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Fieldwork 1 |
10 |
4 |
35 |
140 |
150 |
|
Fieldwork 2 |
14 |
3 (plus x hrs event) |
90 |
90 |
|
|
Total Fieldwork hours year 1 |
280 |
||||
|
Year Two |
|||||
|
Applied Professional Practice |
30 |
30 |
|||
|
Theory in Practice |
5 |
5 |
|||
|
Informing Practice: Mental Health |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Informing Practice: Neurological Rehabilitation |
10 |
10 |
|||
|
Fieldwork 3 8 x 35 |
20 |
8 |
35 |
280 |
300 |
|
Total Fieldwork hours year 2 |
355 |
||||
|
Year Three |
|||||
|
Fieldwork 4 |
20 |
8 |
35 |
280 |
300 |
|
Fieldwork 5 |
8 |
19 |
150 |
150 |
|
|
Future Practice/ Future Practice/ Negotiated Learning |
15 |
15 |
|||
|
Total Fieldwork hours year 3 |
480 |
||||
|
Total Fieldwork placement hours |
940 |
||||
|
Total class-based hours |
175 |
||||
|
Total Authentic Work Experience hours |
1115 |
||||
