Occupational Therapy

Faculty

John P. Sanko, Ed.D., Chair
Marlene J. Morgan, Ed.D., Program Director
Karen L. Brady, M.O.T.
Rita P. Cottrell, M.A.
Molly Beth Mika, M.Ed.
Carol Reinson, Ph.D.

Overview

The University offers a five-year, entry-level Master of Science degree program in Occupational Therapy (OT). Students usually enter this program as freshmen, proceed through four years of undergraduate study, receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Sciences, and are awarded the M.S. in OT degree upon completion of graduate requirements. The course work is sequenced in a planned progression in order to build upon and develop knowledge and skills at increasing levels of complexity, competence and integration. Therefore, all required courses are to be completed in sequence. A minimum grade of C (2.00) must be attained in every undergraduate cognate and OT course. A minimum, overall, undergraduate GPA of 2.75 is required in order to advance into graduate study; a minimum, overall GPA of 3.00 must be achieved and maintained for all graduate courses. Required OT Level II Internships are graded on a Credit/No Credit basis. The normal length of time for completion of the program is five and one-quarter years. All OT students must complete Level II Fieldwork within 24 months following completion of the academic portion of the program. Students will receive the M.S. in OT degree following completion of all academic and clinical requirements. Admission to the program is normally open to first-time incoming freshmen; transfer students are considered for admission on an individual basis. Applicants are selected on a competitive basis, with emphasis placed on high school record, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation. It is suggested that prospective students observe and/or volunteer in an occupational therapy setting. The Admissions Office will request this information prior to registration. Since the majority of course work is at the undergraduate level, the OT program is described in detail in the University's undergraduate catalog rather than in the graduate catalog. Inquiries about admission to the B.S. to M.S. in OT program should be directed to the Graduate Office at (570) 941-7600.

Capstone Experience

Each student is required to propose and execute a graduate master's-level research project that culminates in a thesis. This process begins in the first semester senior year with OT 493: Research Methods. The second semester of senior year is when students will make application to either the Department Review Board (DRB) and/or the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The thesis is written and publicly defended during the graduate year. Six credits are awarded for the thesis in a two-semester course sequence, OT 593 and OT 594.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. AOTA's phone number is (301) 652-AOTA. Graduates of the program who have completed all academic and fieldwork requirements are able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual is an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Candidates will need to provide documentation of all graduation and credentialing requirements, including certification/licensure. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the certification examination or attain state licensure. Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Occupational Therapy Curriculum
Dept. and No.				Descriptive Title of Course	Credits
				FIRST YEAR	FALL	INT.	SPRING	SUM.
MAJOR		OT 140		Introduction to OT	1
MAJOR		OT 141		OT Theoretical Concepts1			3
GE NSCI		BIOL 110-111		Structure-Function of Human Body2	4		4
GE S/BH		SOC 110		Introduction to Sociology			3
GE S/BH		PSYC 110		Fundamentals of Psychology	3
GE SPCH - WRTG		COMM 100 - WRTG 107		Public Speaking - Composition	3		3
GE C/IL		C/IL 102		Computing and Information Literacy	3
GE PHIL-T/RS		PHIL 120 - T/RS 121		Introduction to Philosophy - Theology I	3		3
GE FSEM-PHED		INTD 100 - PHED		Freshman Seminar - Physical Education	1		1
					18		17
				SECOND YEAR
MAJOR		OT 240-241		Activity Analysis I and II 1	3		3
MAJOR		OT 256		Human Anatomy for OT	4
MAJOR		OT 275		Clinical Kinesiology			3
COGNATE		PSYC 221-222		Child & Adol. - Adult & Aging	3		3
GE PHIL-T/RS		PHIL 210 - T/RS 122		Ethics - Theology II			6
GE HUMN		HUMN ELECT		Humanities Electives	6		3
GE PHED		PHED ELECT		Physical Education	1
					17		18
				THIRD YEAR
MAJOR		OT 346-347		Pathological Conditions I and II	3		3
MAJOR		OT 356		Functional Neuroanatomy	3
MAJOR		OT 360		OT Practice I (Pediatrics)1	3
MAJOR		OT 361		OT Practice II (Psychosoc. Rehab.)1			3
MAJOR		OT 380		OT Level I Clinical I (Peds.)3		1
MAJOR		OT 381		OT Level I Clinical II (Psysoc.)3				1
COGNATE		HADM 112		Health Systems			3
COGNATE		CHS 333–341		Multicult. in Human Svces.–Grp. Dynamics	3		3
GE QUAN		PSYC 210		Psychological Statistics	3
GE PHIL or T/RS		PHIL or T/RS		Philosophy or T/RS Elective			3
GE HUMN		HUMN ELECT		Humanities Elective			3
GE PHED		PHED ELECT		Physical Education	1
					16	1	18	1
				FOURTH YEAR
MAJOR		OT 440		Mgt. and Supv. of OT Services			3
MAJOR		OT 451		Hand Rehabilitation	2
MAJOR		OT 460		OT Practice III (Physical Rehab.)1	3
MAJOR		OT 461		OT Practice IV (Geriatrics)1			3
MAJOR		OT 475		Advanced Therapeutic Techniques			3
MAJOR		OT 480		OT Level I Clinical III (Phys.)3		1
MAJOR		OT 493		Research Methods in OT	3
GE ELECT		ELECT		Free Electives	6		6
					14	1	15
				FIFTH YEAR
MAJOR		OT 581		OT Level II Internship I (Psysoc.)4				6
OR
MAJOR		OT 582		OT Level II Internship-II (Phys.)4
MAJOR		OT 501		Leadership in Occupational Therapy	3
MAJOR		OT 502		Advanced OT Theory			3
MAJOR		OT 560		Advanced Interpersonal Dynamics	3
MAJOR		OT 575		Community-based Practice			3
MAJOR		OT 593		OT Applied Clinical Research I	3
MAJOR		OT 594		OT Applied Clinical Research II			3
COGNATE		HADM 504		Human Resources Management	3
COGNATE		PCPS 501		Interdisc. Developmental Assess. in Peds.			3
					12		12	6
				SIXTH YEAR (Summer)
MAJOR		OT 581		OT Level II Internship I (Psysoc.)4				6
OR
MAJOR		OT 582		OT Level II Internship II (Phys.)4
MAJOR		OT 583		OT Level II Internship III (Optional)4		(4)
						(4)		6
					Total: 172 (176) Credits
1 Includes service-learning component 2 Extra science credits 3 OT Level I Clinical I, II, III are each a minimum of two weeks, full time. 4 OT Level II Internship I, II are required and each a minimum of 12 weeks, full time, in Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Physical Rehabilitation. Time period scheduled for individual students may vary as determined by the department, and with consideration of student needs and circumstances.