As individual as people are
In our Occupational Therapy study programme, you will learn how to encourage, advise, and support people in leading as independent a life as possible. After successfully completing your studies, you will be able to help them fundamentally improve their health, quality of life, and well-being. Working in occupational therapy is as individual as the people you will be working with.
Our occupational therapy degree has integrated vocational training which we plan to offer in cooperation with a vocational school for ergotherapy. This means that you will earn two degrees − the state-recognised occupational therapy qualification and a bachelor's degree.
The study location is primarily the Freiburg Campus.
Your key contact
I'm happy to help you with any questions you have about our new programme.
+49 7723 920-2077 Mail ergotherapie(at)hs-furtwangen.de
Programme content and structure
Study occupational therapy in a modern way
The curriculum was developed in partnership with experts in occupational therapy training. These experts bring with them many years of experience in training occupational therapists and in client care. Our focus is on the ideal integration of theory and practice with a special emphasis on evidence-based practice, intervention simulations in skills labs, and contemporary practical training in occupational therapy workplaces.
Structure of the programme
At the beginning of your programme, we focus on human activity in everyday life and how medical, social science, and scientific principles relate to these. You will also learn the basics, models, and paradigms of occupational therapy and how to classify them in the health, social, and education systems. You will then deepen your knowledge of prevention and health promotion. You will deal with various everyday living environments in which occupational therapy work takes place. Based on the individual's everyday life, the evaluation of individual concerns and roles, as well as the challenges faced by clients, the objectives of the therapy and thus the appropriate interventions are developed to fit each individual case. Occupational therapy concepts are explained using case studies and applied in a person-centered manner both in individual settings and in groups. You can try this out in our multi-professional Skills Lab which includes a teaching kitchen and model apartment.
Internal link opens in the same window:Take a look at our Skills Lab on the Furtwangen Campus.
The practical training phases begin in the third semester at various cooperating institutions. There you will gain practical experience in different settings and can try out your acquired knowledge in practice. The practical placements take place in psychosocial, motor-functional, neurophysiological, and/or neuropsychological areas as well as in occupational therapy areas and prepare you in the best possible way for occupational therapy work after graduation.
Examination and qualifications
At the end of the sixth semester, you will take the state examination to become an occupational therapist. This will grant you the professional license that allows you to work in Germany. You complete your studies after the seventh semester with the submission of an academic thesis, the bachelor's thesis. This means you have two qualifications under your belt which allows you to work therapeutically and paves the way for an academic career or future management positions. The choice is yours!
ET specifics
Occupational therapists support people of all ages in participating in the everyday activities that are important to them in their living environment. The theory and practice of occupational therapy focuses on concepts such as human activity, scientific evidence and subjectivity of the context, supplemented by resource orientation and person-centeredness. The central goals of occupational therapy are to improve participation, quality of life and a self-determined lifestyle. The promotion of health and well-being through meaningful activity is of paramount importance. Everyday activities of all kinds are used as both a goal and a method to improve or, if necessary, regain the skills required to lead as self-determined a life as possible. Occupational therapists work in the health and social care sector, where they make an important contribution to care in both inpatient and outpatient contexts. They form an important interface between medical care and social participation by contributing to acute and chronic healthcare, rehabilitation, health promotion and disease prevention. They are also active in training and research institutions.
What's covered
Semester fees
Special features
This degree programme is being planned in cooperation with a vocational school for occupational therapy.
Thanks to our partnership with a vocational school for occupational therapy, it is possible to study with us as part of your training. You do not need to apply separately to the vocational school or an employer. Simply send your application to us.
Please note that this is a demanding full-time programme of study, as you will be working toward two qualifications. Both the theoretical and practical phases of the programme require a high level of commitment to learning.
This new degree programme allows you to obtain two professional qualifications within 3.5 years (as opposed to three years of training). You will obtain your professional license after three years and your bachelor's degree six months later. There are no high training costs, only semester fees. The 1,700 hours of practical training correspond to traditional training. You will therefore acquire all the practical skills with us, as they are also anchored in vocational school training. The difference is that you can apply these skills with considerably more specialist knowledge from the field of science and research.
Your career prospects
Internationally, a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy is standard. University-trained occupational therapists are urgently needed on the job market. There is a shortage of qualified staff in a wide range of specialist facilities. With your degree, you can therefore choose where you would like to work, e.g. in inpatient care or in outpatient healthcare settings. There are also many areas beyond clinical or outpatient occupational therapy in which occupational therapists are needed, such as in occupational health promotion, in school settings, as job coaches, in spatial planning, architecture, environmental protection and refugee aid.
FAQ
Why should I study occupational therapy instead of doing vocational training?
In Germany, this profession is currently offered mainly as a three-year vocational training programme at state-recognised schools in the healthcare sector. Only a few, mostly fee-based private universities currently offer a corresponding primary qualifying undergraduate degree which also includes professional qualification. In contrast, not least our neighbouring countries Switzerland and France already require an academic qualification for professional practice in occupational therapy.
At our university you obtain two qualifications in one (Bachelor of Science plus state-certified occupational therapist). You will also complete the full practical training with us. The degree programme is free of charge (you only pay the semester fees). After successfully completing the Bachelor’s in Occupational Therapy, our graduates are able to work directly in client care and also to view and critically reflect on their practice from a scientific perspective.
Where is the programme taught?
Theoretical and practical teaching takes place mainly in the study centre on the Freiburg Campus. You will also occasionally use our Skills Labs on Furtwangen Campus. In addition, you will have placements at different locations during the practical study phases (modules: Applied Occupational Therapy I–IV). These placements are organised by HFU in cooperation with a vocational school. The practical study phases take place exclusively with our practice partners. Most of these are based in Freiburg and the surrounding region, although some placements may be further away.
Where can I live?
Teaching mainly takes place in Freiburg and only on a few days in Furtwangen. You must decide for yourself whether you would like to live in Freiburg, in the Freiburg area or in Furtwangen.
Will I need a car?
A car makes travelling between the study locations and the practical training facilities easier. However, it is not absolutely necessary. Travel between Furtwangen and Freiburg can be covered through car-sharing arrangements such as lift-shares or car sharing schemes. Some practical training facilities that are difficult to reach by public transport offer on-site accommodation.
When and where does the practical training take place?
From the 3rd semester onwards, practical phases in cooperating occupational therapy facilities alternate with teaching at the university in blocks of 4 to 12 weeks. These include various rehabilitation clinics, practices, acute hospitals and other health-related institutions.
Most of the practical training takes place in institutions in the Schwarzwald–Oberrhein region. In individual cases, a practical phase abroad is also possible. A total of 1,700 hours of practical training is completed in accordance with the Training and Examination Regulations for Occupational Therapists, as in the traditional vocational training system.
How many study places are available?
There are 44 first-year study places in the winter semester.
How are study places allocated?
For degree programmes with restricted admission, Furtwangen University allocates its study places using its own selection procedure if there are more applicants than places available.
After deducting the preliminary quotas, study places are allocated as follows:
- 90% of study places via the selection procedure
- 10% of study places via waiting time
The following preliminary quotas apply:
- 10% international applicants (non-EU citizens)
- 5% hardship cases
- 2% applicants with a previous degree
- 1% applicants with local ties in the public interest
- all applicants with priority status (those previously rejected due to military or alternative service)
Within the selection procedure, additional achievements (for example stays abroad, vocational training, a voluntary social year (FSJ), internships of more than three weeks, etc.) can positively improve the grade of your higher education entrance qualification. Please remember to include the relevant documents (references, certificates, etc.) as your additional achievements can only be recognised if supporting evidence is provided. A written test or a personal selection interview is not planned.
The selection criteria used by the selection committee are:
- school performance (German, mathematics and the best-graded continued modern foreign language)
- the grade of the higher education entrance qualification (Abitur, Fachhochschulreife, etc.)
- other achievements, including:
- completed vocational training in a recognised occupation
- practical experience in health-related settings
- extracurricular achievements, e.g. prizes and awards
- work or study abroad lasting at least three months
I have received an offer of admission – what happens next?
With the offer of admission you acquire the right to a study place. You only become a student once you have enrolled (matriculated). Enrolment for the winter semester generally takes place at the beginning of September. Please refer to your letter of admission for the exact date.
Applicants who have been offered a study place must submit their application for enrolment within the deadline specified in their letter of admission, using the forms provided by the university, to the Examinations Office of the Student Affairs Department.
We require the following documents from you:
- completed application for enrolment
- copy of your letter of admission
- proof of existing health insurance
- any missing documents listed in the letter of admission
- copy of your identity card
- extended police clearance certificate (further information on how to apply is provided in the letter of admission)
- medical certificate (a template is enclosed with the letter of admission)
- self-disclosure of criminal records
What information is required for the medical certificate?
A template for the medical certificate confirming that you are medically fit to practise as an occupational therapist is enclosed with the letter of admission. This form must be completed, signed and stamped by a doctor. Extensive diagnostic procedures (for example X-ray, ECG) are not required.
How and when do I apply for the certificate of good conduct?
You do not need to submit a certificate of good conduct with your application. Please wait to apply for it until you have received an offer of admission from us and the accompanying information letter.
For enrolment (matriculation) you will need an extended certificate of good conduct (document type NE). At the start of the winter semester on 1 September, it must be no more than three months old.
Do I need to do a (pre-)internship in order to apply?
You do not need an internship in order to apply. However, practical experience can still have a positive effect on your application.
Is it possible to spend a semester abroad?
Because students are bound by the state-regulated Training and Examination Regulations for Occupational Therapists in order to obtain professional registration, it is currently difficult to undertake a stay abroad before the 7th semester. For this reason, many of our students choose to go abroad in the 7th semester, when they write their bachelor’s thesis and take various elective modules.
