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  • Master of Occupational Therapy

    The Master of Occupational Therapy program at Worcester State University provides you with the theoretical and practical knowledge to become a competent, compassionate practitioner who helps people of all ages build or regain the skills needed to live full and productive lives. Our full-time day program is an exceptional value: You’ll graduate with a sought-after master’s degree in occupational therapy in just 3 years.

    An integral component of our curriculum, Level II Fieldwork provides you with valuable, real-world experience—and helps you establish important professional connections that may lead to permanent jobs. During your 2 full-time, 12-week sessions, you’ll work alongside licensed, registered occupational therapists, helping individuals who have psychosocial and physical disabilities in such settings as hospitals, mental health facilities, and outpatient clinics. You can even complete an optional third session in a specialty area.

    In addition, you will have the opportunity to conduct hands-on research in an area that interests you, culminating in a thesis paper. In recent years, our students’ research has been published in the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Special Interest Sections Quarterly Newsletters. Graduates of WSU’s MOT program are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination, for which we boast a consistently high pass rate. They go on to rewarding careers as occupational therapists, registered (OTRs) in such settings as acute-care hospitals, public schools, and skilled nursing facilities.

    The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Inquiries regarding accreditation may be made to:

    Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational
    Therapy Association (AOTA)
    4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200
    Bethesda, MD 20814-3449
    301-652-AOTA
    www.acoteonline.org

    This program is recognized by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists.

    Catalog Details

  • Program Requirements
    • All OT undergraduate major courses must be completed with a C or better.
    • All graduate courses must be completed with a B- or better and students must maintain a graduate GPA of 3.0.
    • Courses must be taken in prescribed sequence or with the department chair’s approval.
    • All coursework must be completed prior to beginning Level II Fieldwork.
    • The second Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 12 months of the academic preparation.
    Prerequisites for Entry
    • If you are applying for post-baccalaureate admission, your completed application is due by March 1.
    • If you are a current WSU occupational studies major and applying for conditional entry to the MOT program the summer before your senior year, your completed application is due by July 1.
    Preference is given to completed applications (i.e. all prerequisites have been completed). Applicants currently enrolled in prerequisites during the spring may be granted conditional status.

    In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must have:
     
    • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in a related field with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0
    • Scores on the verbal, quantitative, and writing sections of the GRE (around the 50th percentile)
    • Grades of B- or better taken in courses taken within 6 years of application in the following courses: (Please note: prerequisite course syllabi may be requested for review by the program coordinator)
      • Introduction to Psychology
      • Developmental Psychology
      • Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II, with labs (8 credits)
      • Statistics
      • Neuroscience with lab (4 credits) - biology-based course, not psychology-based
       
     
    Program of Study

    1st Year Summer I

    • OT 101 Intro to Occupational Studies of Wellness/Disability (3 credits)
    • BI 271 Kinesiology (3 credits)
    • OT 211 Kinesiology Lab (1 credit)

    1st Year Summer II

    • OT 102 Occupational Studies of Wellness/Disability Groups (3 credits)
    • OT 203 Occupational Therapy Theories (3 credits)

    1st Year Fall Semester

    • OT 301 Psychosocial Wellness/Disability (2 credits)
    • OT 302 Psychosocial Therapeutic Approaches (3 credits)
    • OT 304 Psychosocial Therapeutic Approaches Lab (2 credits)
    • PS 322 Psychology of Aging (3 credits)
    • OT 317 Research I (3 credits)

    1st Year Spring Semester

    • OT 312 Physiological Wellness/Disability (2 credits)
    • OT 313 Physiological Therapeutic Approaches (3 credits)
    • OT 318 Physiological Therapeutic Approaches Lab (2 credits)

    2nd Year Fall Semester

    • OT 401 Occupational Performance & Context for Elders (2 credits)
    • OT 402 Therapeutic Approaches for Elders (3 credits)
    • OT 403 Therapeutic Approaches Lab for Elders (2 credits)
    • OT 404 Assistive Technology I (3 credits)
    • OT 407 Research II (3 credits)

    2nd Year Spring Semester

    • OT 421 Occupational Performance & Context for Children/Adolescents (2 credits)
    • OT 423 Therapeutic Approaches Lab for Children/Adolescents (2 credits)
    • OT 424 Assistive Technology II (3 credits)
    • OT 426 Organizational & Professional Issues (3 credits)
    • OT 427 Therapeutic Approaches for Children/Adolescents (3 credits)
    • OT 928 Thesis Seminar I (3 credits)

    3rd Year Summer Semester

    • OT 903 Clinical Reasoning I (3 credits)
    • OT 908 Community Health (3 credits)
    • OT 929 Thesis Seminar II (3 credits)
    • OT 933 Assessment and Evaluation Across the Lifespan (3 credits)

    3rd Year Fall Semester

    • OT 905 Clinical Reasoning II (3 credits)
    • OT 906 Global Health Issues (3 credits)
    • OT 930 Thesis Seminar III (3 credits)
    • OT 931 Organizational & Professional Issues II (3 credits)

    3rd Year Spring Semester

    • OT 920 Physical Disabilities Fieldwork II (3 credits)
    • OT 921 Psychosocial Fieldwork II (3 credits)
    Outcome Data

    Outcomes for the OT Program:

    Year of Graduation*Students Entering/GraduatingGraduation RateGraduates Taking NBCOT ExamPass Rate
    201920/20100%TBDTBD
    201825/25100%25100%
    201725/25100%25100%
    201632/32100%32100%
    201526/26100%26100%
    201432/32100%32100%
    TOTAL160/160100%140**100%**

    * Denotes the number of students entering the 900-level courses (graduate courses).
    ** Excluding 2019 data

    Performance data for all accredited OT programs can be found on the NBCOT site.

    Level I Fieldwork

    The purpose of Level I Fieldwork is to provide the student with an opportunity to develop professional behaviors and basic understanding of a particular client population. Level I Fieldwork is completed concurrently and designed to complement the following courses:

    OT 304 Psychosocial Therapeutic Approaches Lab (Evaluation-Psychosocial)
    OT 318 Physiological Therapeutic Approaches Lab (Evaluation-Physical Disabilities)
    OT 403 Therapeutic Approaches Lab for Elders (Evaluation-Geriatrics)
    OT 423 Therapeutic Approaches Lab Children/Adolescents (Evaluation-Pediatrics)

    Fieldwork Education Resources

    AOTA 
    ACOTE 
    NBCOT 
    NEOTEC

    HIPAA training and certification for our students is provided by HIPAA EXAMS, Inc.  

    Level II Fieldwork

    The goal of Level II fieldwork is to offer an in-depth practical experience that will enable the student to become a competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapist. In addition to those experiences designed to complement specific program courses (Level I fieldwork), the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE, 2011) requires a minimum of 24 weeks' full-time Level II fieldwork.

    WSU requires that students complete 2 12-week Level II fieldwork placements, 1 fieldwork in physical disability (OT 920) and 1 in psychosocial disability (OT 921). An optional third fieldwork experience (OT 932) can be arranged if a student wants further exposure to a specialty area.

    All students must complete all required fieldwork within 12 months of completion of the academic program. In addition, students must complete all fieldwork requirements before they are eligible to sit for the national certification examination. 

    Level II Fieldwork Manual

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  • Announcements

    Info Session for MOT Program

    Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

    Our department is hosting a Master’s in Occupational Therapy information session for prospective post-baccalaureate applicants in Room 209 of the Ghosh Science and Technology Center (weather permitting).

    Please RSVP to the OT secretary at 508-929-8624 and provide us a telephone number in case of cancellation. If you are not a WSU student, please complete an online form to get a visitor parking pass emailed to you.

  • CONTACT US

    Cheryl B. Lucas
    Program Coordinator
    Ghosh Science & Technology Center
    Office ST-210
    508-929-8795
    clucas2@worcester.edu