Occupational Therapy

Course Presentation

       The Occupational Therapy program at UNESC offers a high-quality higher education, preparing professionals for a career dedicated to the comprehensive care of individuals throughout their life cycle. With a focus on health promotion, autonomy, and quality of life, the degree lasts for 10 semesters. Integrating knowledge from health, human, and social sciences, the program equips students to work in various contexts of public policies, assisting individuals in situations of physical, mental, and social vulnerability.

       The pedagogical project of the program, aligned with the National Curriculum Guidelines for Occupational Therapy (CNE/CES Opinion No. 446/2024), proposes a generalist, critical, ethical, and interprofessional education, based on the articulation between teaching, research, and extension, with early insertion into real practice scenarios within the Unified Health System (SUS) and regional care networks.

       The occupational therapist trained at UNESC is a specialist in human action, capable of acting ethically, sensitively, and culturally competently in promoting autonomy, social participation, inclusion, and well-being for diverse populations. Their practice encompasses the fields of health, education, social assistance, social security, culture, work, justice, sports, leisure, and the environment, guided by intersectorality, comprehensive care, and the defense of human rights.

Differentiators

• Integration of teaching-service-community from the first semesters, ensuring real experiences in primary care, hospital, educational, and business settings.
• Updated curriculum matrix aligned with the real demands of the job market, incorporating the latest technical and scientific advancements in the health field.
• The highest practical workload in the country among Occupational Therapy programs, ensuring intense professional experiences and solid training from the first semesters.
• Formative process based on scientific evidence, utilizing active methodologies, educational technologies, and innovative tools that strengthen clinical reasoning.
• Interprofessional Health Care Center integrated into the structure of UNESC Clinics, providing experiences in multiprofessional teams and direct contact with the community.
• High employability rates among students and graduates, reflecting the quality of training and the broad regional and national demand for occupational therapists.
• Highly qualified faculty, predominantly composed of master's and doctoral holders with solid professional experience in health, education, and social assistance.
• Modern and fully equipped laboratories, ensuring a learning environment that replicates real professional practices.
• Continuous encouragement of research, innovation, and culture, with organization and participation in scientific events, extension actions, and integrated activities between faculty and students.
• Regional insertion and social commitment to promoting the communicative health of the population.

What You Will Learn

       In Occupational Therapy at UNESC, you will learn to view people in all their complexity and to transform care into concrete action. Throughout the program, you will be prepared to understand human daily life, recognize its potential and challenges, and intervene ethically, sensitively, and knowledgeably.

       You will develop competencies to work in multiprofessional and interprofessional teams, integrating science, practice, and social reality. You will learn to build evidence-based interventions, develop and apply assistive technologies, and plan care projects that promote autonomy, inclusion, and quality of life.

       The training goes beyond techniques. You will be challenged to think critically, engage in dialogue with different knowledge areas, and act as an agent of transformation in communities, with a strong connection to public health, education, and social assistance policies.

       By the end of the program, you will be prepared to continue learning throughout your life, produce and share knowledge, and actively participate in the decisions and processes that build an Occupational Therapy committed to democracy, human care, and social justice.

Workplace

Areas of Practice in Occupational Therapy

Childhood and Neurodevelopment - Focus on promoting child development, autonomy, play, learning, and school inclusion. The occupational therapist works with children, families, and educational institutions, supporting processes of development, social participation, and adaptation to the various demands of daily life.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Care -Person-centered care, focusing on building routines, strengthening social bonds, and developing life projects. Work in psychosocial care services, therapeutic residences, health units, and community devices, contributing to social inclusion and citizenship.

Geriatrics and Gerontology - Promotion of active and healthy aging, with actions to prevent functional decline, cognitive stimulation, adaptation of environments, and strengthening autonomy in daily living activities. Works with the elderly, their families, and care teams.

Physical, Neurological, and Intellectual Rehabilitation - Interventions aimed at recovery and enhancement of functionality, self-care, the use of assistive technologies, and social reintegration. Working with individuals with disabilities, injuries, acute and chronic illnesses, or neurological conditions affecting the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves, at various levels of health care.

Social Contexts and Inclusion - Engagement in public policies and social programs focused on ensuring rights, social inclusion, and community strengthening. Involves actions in contexts of vulnerability, social assistance, socio-educational systems, and community projects.

Public Health and Primary Health Care - Integration into the Unified Health System, with actions for health promotion, disease prevention, home visits, individualized therapeutic projects, and comprehensive care in multiprofessional teams.

Health and Work - Focus on analyzing work activities, ergonomics, professional rehabilitation, return to work, and prevention of work-related illnesses, contributing to healthier and more inclusive work environments.

Assistive Technologies and Accessibility - Development, adaptation, and prescription of resources, devices, and strategies that enhance autonomy, communication, and social participation, including physical, communicational, and technological accessibility.

Culture, Art, and Human Expressions - Utilization of cultural and artistic practices as strategies for care, expression, social inclusion, and strengthening bonds, recognizing art and culture as fundamental dimensions of everyday life.

A diverse, human, and transformative profession - Occupational Therapy offers a broad field of practice, with a direct impact on the quality of life of individuals and communities, articulating care, inclusion, autonomy, and social transformation.