Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy
Occupational
therapy is the art and science of faciliating participation in occupations.
The core
concepts and knowledge base of occupational therapy come from the study of
human occupation -
occupational science. Occupational therapists use
purposeful and meaningful occupations to evaluate and address the needs of
individuals who have a disorder, impairment, or activity limitation that
interferes with their ability to participate in daily life. Occupational
therapists promote health, well-being and life satisfaction. Persons wishing
to be licensed and practice as an occupational therapist must have at least
a Master's degree in occupational therapy.
The
Occupational Therapy Program is a 2-year graduate program, following
completion of an undergraduate degree. Students who complete the Occupational
Therapy Program are eligible to take the national certification examination
given by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
and apply for licensure in those states requiring it.
Occupational
therapists work in a variety of practice settings, including but not
limited to early intervention programs, public schools, rehabilitation
facilities, mental health programs, hospitals, industry, assisted living
environments, long term care facilities, and hospice.
To find out more about occupational therapy, visit the American Occupational
Therapy Association at www.aota.org.
Admission to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program is
competitive. There are two routes of entry:
1) Option 1 includes persons who have completed a baccalaureate degree
in occupational science.
2) Option 2 (transition) includes persons who have completed a baccalaureate
degree in another discipline and coursework in human anatomy, human physiology,
statistics, and psychology. Persons interested in applying for the Option
2 route of entry must complete two semesters of prerequisite coursework
as an undergraduate prior to applying to the Master of Science program.
This coursework includes 28 credit hours and begins in the Fall semester
of
each year.
Enrollment in the Master of Science Program in Occupational Therapy is
limited. Completion of the undergraduate program in Occupational Science
or transition classes does not guarantee admission into the graduate
program in Occupational Therapy.
The admission application deadline for persons applying to the Master
of Science Program is February 1st (note: this does not include
persons interested in taking Option 2 transition prerequisites. See link
to Option
2 below).
Admission is competitive and based on the GPA of the last 60 hours of
undergraduate work, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), three recommendation
letters, and Professional and Personal Objectives. Students are accepted
annually into the Master of Science Program. Option 1 and 2 applicants
begin together in the fall semester, completing 56 graduate credits.
MASTER OF SCIENCE ADMISSION AND PROGRESSION
All graduate occupational therapy students must maintain a minimum graduate
grade point average of 3.0 for all graduate work completed. Students must
successfully complete course offerings with the minimum of a C. Students
who do not successfully pass a course with a C, must wait for the course
to be offered with the next class in order to repeat the course.
| Option
1 |
is for persons who have a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational
Science. |
| Option
2 (Transition) |
is
for persons who have a baccalaureate degree in another field. |
| Option
3 |
is for persons with an undergraduate degree or a post-baccalaureate certificate
from an accredited Occupational Therapy Program.
|
| Graduate Student Handbook F2008 |
is for students that have been accepted into the Masters
Degree Program in the Occupational Therapy Department.
|
| Recommendation
Form |
Option 1 and 2 applicants must submit three forms. (This is in a PDF
file) |
The program leading to initial certification as an occupational
therapist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy
Education (ACOTE),
4720 Montgomery Lane Bethesda MD
20814,
(301) 652-2682, TDD (800) 377-8555. Online information about ACOTE is available
at www.aota.org.
Upon successful completion of the Master of Science
program, students are eligible to take the national certification examination
given by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
(NBCOT), and apply for licensure in those states requiring it. Further
information about NBCOT can be found at www.nbcot.org.
Sharon.Shasby@eku.edu for
information about MS in OT
Scholarships for Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Students
