Occupational Therapy Subjects List 2025: Check Semester-wise Subjects & Syllabus
Parul ThapaAssistant Manager
Occupational Therapy is a discipline of medicine that focuses on treating and rehabilitating people who are physically, emotionally or psychologically disabled. The BSc in Occupational Therapy is a UG course also known as BOT. The course teaches students everything they need to know about occupational therapy and rehabilitation methods. The courses are available at leading colleges for undergraduates (BOT) and postgraduates as Masters of Occupational Therapy or MOT.
Students can continue reading this article to know everything about the Occupational Therapy syllabus and subjects.
List of Subjects in Occupational Therapy
The principles of occupational therapy, as well as anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, microbiology, orthopaedics and surgery, medicine, psychiatry and psychology, are all taught in this course. The details of each subject are listed below:
Typical Core Subjects for Occupational Therapy
|
Subject title |
Subject details |
|---|---|
|
Psychology |
Read about the use of psychological principles and management of abnormal conditions in people of all ages. |
|
Anatomy |
The description of bones, joints, muscles, the brain, cardiopulmonary and nerve systems will be taught in classes. |
|
Biochemistry |
Study biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels using chemistry. |
|
Physiology |
Physiology is all about the scientific analysis of a biological system's functions and processes. |
|
Pharmacology |
You will learn how medication therapy affects patients, along with the fundamental principles of pharmacology. |
|
Pathology |
It generally includes the study of illness, including various biological research topics and medical procedures. |
|
Microbiology |
The subject discusses the types of microscopic organisms and their effects on the health of humans. |
|
Biostatistics |
It includes planning biological studies, gathering and analysing data from such experiments. |
|
Bioengineering and Biostatistics |
This subject covers how to use ideas from chemistry, biology, maths and engineering to identify and solve issues in biology, health care, medicine, etc. |
|
Sociology |
You will study society, human social behaviour, social patterns, human engagement and cultural aspects of daily life. |
Typical Elective Subjects for Occupational Therapy
|
Subject Title |
Subject Details |
|---|---|
|
Psychology-1
|
It helps to understand human behaviour and also strengthens the ability to understand and interpret behavioural patterns. |
|
Bioengineering
|
It will provide information on how to use and apply mechanical principles for investigating biological processes and human movement. |
Detailed Syllabus For Occupational Therapy
The Bachelor of Occupational Therapy syllabus is divided into 8 semesters and is completed in four years. Also, 1 year of mandatory internship is included in the BOT course syllabus to provide students with practical experience. Both practical and theoretical courses, split into core and optional subjects, are part of the BOT syllabus. The following is a list of B.Sc of Occupational Therapy subjects organised by semester -
|
Semester |
Core/Elective |
Subject title |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Core |
Anatomy (Theory/ Practical) Physiology Biochemistry |
|
2 |
Core
|
Pharmacology Microbiology and Pathology Biostatistics and Research Methodology |
|
3 |
Core Elective
|
Occupational Therapy-1 (Theory/ Practical) Psychology-1
|
|
4 |
Core
|
Psychology-2 (Organisational Psychology) Practical
|
|
5 |
Core
|
Rheumatology Bioengineering Neurology |
|
6 |
Core
|
Clinical Psychiatry General Medicine Community Medicine and Sociology General Surgery
|
|
7 |
Core
|
Occupational Therapy in Neurology (Theory/ Practical) Occupational Therapy in Rehabilitation (Theory/ Practical)
|
|
8 |
Core |
Occupational Therapy in Paediatrics and Developmental Disabilities (Theory/ Practical) Occupational Therapy in Mental Health (Theory/ Practical)
|
Specialisations offered in Occupational Therapy
The two-year diploma and degree programmes resulting in the M.Sc in occupational therapy or MOT and the PG diploma courses are available after completing a BOT or B.Sc with at least 50% marks. There are specialisations available after the MSc course, and one can pursue Paediatrics, Adult rehabilitation, Hand therapy, Vision rehabilitation, Ergonomics and many more. Given below is a list of specialisations to consider -
|
Specialisation |
Subjects |
|---|---|
|
Paediatrics |
|
|
Musculoskeletal |
|
|
Rehabilitations |
|
|
Ergonomics |
|
|
Psychiatric |
|
Note - This info is taken from various sources and can vary.
Books and Authors Related to Occupational Therapy
The books included in the syllabus of Occupational Therapy courses include coursebooks and reference books. Because Occupational Therapy is a vast discipline with many specialties, students read various practical and theoretical books during their UG or PG studies. Some highly recommended books are given below -
|
Subject |
Book title |
Author |
|---|---|---|
|
Physiology |
Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology |
John E, Michael E |
|
Anatomy |
Atlas Of Human Anatomy |
Frank H. Netter |
|
Biochemistry |
Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry |
David Nelson and Michael Cox. |
|
Pharmacology |
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Veterinary Technicians |
Robert L. Bill |
|
Microbiology |
Microbiology: An Introduction |
Gerard J. Tortora, Berdell R. Funke, Christine L. Case |
|
Pathology |
Weir & Abrahams' Imaging Atlas of Human Anatomy |
Jonathan D. Spratt, Lonie R Salkowski, Marios Loukas and Tom Turmezei |
|
Clinical Orthopaedics |
Decision Making in Orthopaedic Trauma |
Meir Marmor
|
|
Rheumatology |
Ultrasonography of the Hand in Rheumatology
|
Peter Vince Balint, Peter Mandl |
|
Biostatistics |
Biomedical & Pharmaceutical Sciences with Patient Care Correlations |
Reza Karimi
|
|
Bioengineering |
The Cell as a Machine
|
Michael Sheetz, Hanry Yu |
Entrance Exams for Occupational Therapy
The central and state-level exams to get seats in BSc in Occupational Therapy degrees at India's top colleges are listed here. Passing the 10+2 test with excellent grades is the basic requirement for these exams. Every exam has its own set of cutoff conditions for those scores.
-
CMCVEE: The Christian Medical College, Vellore, conducts the CMC Vellore Entrance Examination for students who want to get admission to the college's BOT course. The entrance exam is an online computer-based MCQ exam. In General Ability, there are 120 questions divided into two groups. Section I has 60 questions and Section II consists of 60 questions.
-
IPU CET- It is an online college entrance exam for admission to a variety of UG and PG courses. Examination pattern- The test will be conducted online and consist of 150 MCQs to be answered in 150 minutes.
Compared to IIT JEE and NEET, the above entrance exams are easier to crack. Students can prepare for the exam by taking a variety of high-quality mock exams available on the official website.
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News & Updates
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 3 weeks ago
Hi...
Here’s how the application (admission) process works at NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (part of NIMS University, Jaipur) — step by step. I also note specific requirements for courses like BPT / BOT, etc.
Step-by-Step Application Process for NIMS
Online Registration
Go to t
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 3 weeks ago
Hi.
That's a good question. Here's an analysis of what I found about NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy (NIMS, Jaipur) — what seems to work, and where there are caveats — to help you decide whether it's “good” (i.e. a reasonable / acceptable choice) depending on what you expect.
In
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 3 weeks ago
Hi.
Courses offered for MPT are
MPT IN MUSCULOSKELETAL
MPT IN SPORTS
MPT IN OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY
MPT IN NEUROLOGY
MPT IN PEDIATRIC
MPT IN COMMUNITY BASED REHABILITATION
MPT at NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, NIMS University is of 2 years duration in total. Students have to comp
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 3 weeks ago
Hi.
Visit the official website of NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
Fill in the application form with all the necessary details
Pay NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy's application fees
Upload and scan all the necessary documents
Take out the printout of the app
h
Scholar-Level 18
Answered 3 weeks ago
The private colleges that have the lowest Occupational Therapy course fees are:
Colleges | Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
Shridhar University | 6,000 - 60,000 |
Saveetha University | 75,000 - 2 Lakh |
80,000 - 1.6 Lakh | |
1 Lakh | |
Rayat Bahra University | 1.2 Lakh |
Note: This information is taken from the official website and may vary.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
Students can try to get admission in government colleges as these colleges have low tuition fees if we compare it to the private colleges or take education loan to reduce the cost. Most of the students prefer govt. colleges for this course.
R
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, definitely the fees can be different according to the state or region where the college is located. Private colleges in the urban areas and the colleges in the metropolitan cities have much higher fees. Colleges that are located in tier 2 cities or are run by the govt. often have lower fees whi
S
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 3 weeks ago
Yes, private colleges mostly charge higher fees for Occupational Therapy courses if we compare it to government colleges.
Government colleges often subsidize fees making them more affordable oprion which is from Rs. 20 K to Rs. 60 K per year. In contrast, private colleges may charge between rs. 1 - 3
M
Contributor-Level 9
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What is the application process of NIMS College of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy?