Here is the ATAR score that you will need to study occupational therapy for each university in Queensland. Occupational therapy is a rewarding allied health field in which practitioners aim to restore their patient’s ability to complete daily activities that are meaningful to them in their everyday lives. The degree is also quite competitive due to high demand from many students across the state and country, with many using it as a great option to later gain entry into medicine. Overall, entry requirements for occupational therapy can vary considerably between universities across the state.
As a result, it can be difficult to state a definitive score for entry, though in general, you should aim for an ATAR between 75 and 95.
As you can see, this is a large range so below we’ve broken down the ATAR score requirements you’ll need to study occupational therapy in Queensland for each university. The most common undergraduate paramedicine degree is the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) which is offered at several Queensland universities.
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland (UQ) offers a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) to school leavers with a duration of 4 years full-time. The program at UQ has a strong emphasis on clinical experience. Throughout the degree, you’ll undertake more than 1000 hours of supervised clinical practice in hospitals, educational facilities, other healthcare organisations, private practice and UQ’s occupational therapy clinics. Here are the ATAR scores required for occupational therapy at UQ:
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | 99.70 | 99.95 |
| Median: | 96.25 | 97.50 |
| Lowest: | 90.75 | 95.40 |
As you can see, the median unadjusted ATAR a student had that was accepted into the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at the University of Queensland in 2022 was 96.25. If your goal is to become an architecture student at UQ, we recommend aiming for this goal, or even above to ensure that you remain competitive for future years as cutoffs continue to change. UQ offers 2 bonus points if you are studying Specialist Maths, and 2 bonus points if you are studying a language other than English. Read more about their adjustment scheme here. The lowest adjusted ATAR accepted into occupational therapy was 95.40.
Griffith ATAR For Occupational Therapy
Griffith University also offers a 4-year Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree like UQ. Like the University of Queensland, entry into occupational therapy at Griffith University also requires a high ATAR score though it is slightly lower than UQ’s. Griffith’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy will commence for the first year in 2023. We will update the ATAR requirements as soon as we can.
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) (Nathan)
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | TBD | TBD |
| Median: | TBD | TBD |
| Lowest: | TBD | TBD |
The median unadjusted ATAR for admission into Griffith’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at their Nathan campus was TBD. You should aim to meet or surpass this if your goal is to study occupational therapy at Griffith Nathan. In 2022, the lowest adjusted ATAR to gain admission was TBD. Griffith offers adjustment points for several subjects including Specialist Maths, Chemistry and Physics. You can read more here.
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) (Gold Coast)
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | TBD | TBD |
| Median: | TBD | TBD |
| Lowest: | TBD | TBD |
The median unadjusted ATAR for admission into Griffith’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) at their Gold Coast campus was TBD. You should aim to meet or surpass this if your goal is to study occupational therapy at Griffith Gold Coast. In 2022, the lowest adjusted ATAR to gain admission was TBD. Griffith offers adjustment points for several subjects including Specialist Maths, Chemistry and Physics. You can read more here.
ACU Occupational Therapy
The Australian Catholic University (ACU) offers a 4-year Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree at its Brisbane campus. Entry remains competitive, and the ATAR score required is similar to Griffith’s. Here are the scores to study occupational therapy at ACU in 2022:
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | 95.05 | 99.95 |
| Median: | 90.10 | 98.75 |
| Lowest: | 83.55 | 94.50 |
The median unadjusted ATAR for admission into ACU’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy in Brisbane was 90.10. You should aim to meet or surpass this if your goal is to study paramedicine at ACU. In 2022, students were accepted into this degree if they achieved an adjusted ATAR of 94.50 or above at ACU’s Brisbane campus. Like the other universities, ACU offers adjustment points for several subjects and other factors which you can read about here.
USQ Occupational Therapy
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) offers a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree at its Ipswich campus. The duration of 4 years matches the other degrees from the universities above. This degree also has a strong focus on clinical experience, and students are expected to partake in 1000 hours over the duration of the degree. The ATAR required for admission into USQ’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree is 75, and the university also offers bonus points through its adjustment scheme. Read more here.
University of the Sunshine Coast
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree is another popular choice for prospective occupational therapists from Queensland and requires a competitive ATAR score. The degree is the same length as the others we’ve seen at 4 years in full-time duration. Here are the ATAR scores needed to study occupational therapy at the University of the Sunshine Coast:
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | 95.90 | 99.95 |
| Median: | 79.55 | 83.80 |
| Lowest: | 67.80 | 71.80 |
The median unadjusted ATAR for admission into USC’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) was 79.55 which you should aim to meet or surpass if your goal is to study occupational therapy at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Like the other universities, USC has an adjustment scheme which you can read about here. The lowest adjusted ATAR a student achieved for entry into USC’s occupational therapy degree was 71.80.
Central Queensland University
Central Queensland University (CQU), located in Cairns, offers a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) degree and is another popular choice for high school leavers. Like the other degrees we have seen, this one is 4 years full-time in duration. Here are the ATAR scores to study occupational therapy at Central Queensland University:
Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) (Rockhampton Campus)
| Without Adjustments | With Adjustments | |
| Highest: | 98.25 | 98.25 |
| Median: | 82.40 | 84.40 |
| Lowest: | 75.00 | 75.00 |
The median unadjusted ATAR for admission into CQU’s Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) was 82.40 which you should aim to meet or surpass if your goal is to study occupational therapy at CQU. The lowest adjusted ATAR to gain admission was 75. You can read about their adjustment scheme here.
Bond Occupational Therapy
Bond University does not offer an undergraduate occupational therapy degree; however, they do offer a unique postgraduate Master of Occupational Therapy. As a postgraduate degree, the Master of Occupational Therapy requires successful completion of an undergraduate degree (in a health-related field) that meets the program’s requirements. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 1 on a 4-point scale and must meet subject prerequisites to gain entry into the Master of Occupational Therapy. The duration of their occupational therapy degree is 2 years full-time (though this is after the completion of an undergraduate degree).
Conclusion
Occupational therapy is a unique, highly rewarding degree and career choice, though it can be difficult to gain entry from high school. While occupational therapy is one of the more difficult degrees to gain entry into from high school, it is still definitely achievable. If you’re considering studying occupational therapy, our advice is to not get too caught up on the ATAR cutoffs and requirements. At the end of the day, your goal in Year 12 should be to get the best possible ATAR that you can achieve. This will give you the best chance of getting into a occupational therapy degree (or any degree) of your choice. To estimate your ATAR, check out our ATAR Calculator.
Even if you don’t achieve the required ATAR, you can still definitely study occupational therapy and achieve your goal of becoming an occupational therapist. Many students opt to undertake an undergraduate ‘bridging’ course before aiming to enter into an occupational therapy degree via postgraduate entry pathways which is a 100% viable option.
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