Occupational therapy PhD

University of Brighton

As an occupational therapy PhD or occupational science 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 occupational science and research methodologies.Occupational science is the study of humans as occupational beings, the meaning of occupation and its impact on health and wellbeing. The diversity of occupational science and occupational therapy PhDs is as broad as the profession itself. As a doctoral student at the University of Brighton, there are opportunities to engage with a variety of theoretical and methodological perspectives.You may wish to focus on an aspect of clinical practice such as physical/mental health, learning disabilities, older people, paediatrics, diverse practice, or social care. Alternatively, you may wish to explore a leadership/management/educational or professional issue; or develop policy, theory or understanding around an aspect of human occupation. As such, occupational therapy and occupational science research is open to a wide variety of research questions and designs, including quantitative, qualitative and mixed method approaches.Our expert staff work collaboratively with doctoral students to create a community of learning which fosters the development of occupational therapy and occupational science research and practice. Examples of staff areas of interest and expertise include: practice with older people, children, people with learning disabilities and in diverse settings; occupational science; understanding the life world of individuals needing occupational therapy; the therapeutic use of craft activity; pedagogic approaches; technology supporting participation; resilience; and dark side occupations.Staff are able to offer support through their expertise in a wide range of quantitative, qualitative and mixed method research methodologies, with particular strengths in qualitative research, including case study, ethnography, phenomenology, IPA and narrative methodologies. The University of Brighton offers interdisciplinary supervision across a range of allied health and health care practice areas.