Dual-Degree Program: Psychology & Occupational Therapy

Overview
Beginning in the 2005 summer term (and retroactive to the 2002 catalog), a dual degree program leading to a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy will be available to qualified UW-L students. This dual degree program will require at least three years of attendance at UW-L in the psychology undergraduate program followed by two and one half years of attendance in the occupational therapy graduate program. This means that one year of undergraduate study will be eliminated.  Students who are interested in the Dual Degree program:

o         must be accepted as a Psychology major.  Students must pass both Psychology 100 (Intro to Psychology) and Math 145 (Statistics).  Interested students should declare themselves as a Psychology major (or pre-psychology major – please see the Psychology department website www.uwlax.edu/psychology for specific information), with a second major as Pre-OT.

o         must have an established GPA of at least 3.0.  Incoming freshman must wait until their second semester in order to establish a college GPA. 

o         should have fewer than 60 credits.  There are a few exceptions; however, once a student has earned 60 credits, it generally does not save them any time in regard to length of study to complete their degrees. 

o         must sign a contract with the Dual Degree advisor program (Deborah Dougherty, Asst. Clinical Professor in Occupational Therapy program), during which time the advantages and disadvantages of the dual degree are explained to the student.

Students enrolled into the Psychology-Occupational Therapy Dual Degree program are not guaranteed admission to the Occupational Therapy program. Students will be admitted into the Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy program based on GPA, completion of prerequisite requirements, positive letters of reference, and a satisfactory application narrative (see admission requirements). The Occupational Therapy Program will waive the admission requirement of a completed undergraduate degree for students enrolled in the dual-degree program. However, all other requirements for admission are still required (minimum of 3.0 GPA, completion of all pre-requisite coursework, and a minimum of 10 hours of job shadowing experience).

This program is subject to re-negotiation as conditions change and experience dictates.

Dual-Degree FAQ's

Recommended Coursework

Dual-Degree Contract

Dual-Degree Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why would a student wish to pursue a dual degree?
   The dual degree program is designed to allow a student to complete a bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in 5.5 years of schooling (plus summers). Students who complete the requirements in the recommended sequence save approximately two semesters. The sooner a student decides to complete the dual degree, the higher the likelihood that she/he will reduce credits.

2. Does the dual degree guarantee admission to the graduate program in Occupational Therapy?
   No. The dual degree exists to reduce the overall number of credits a student takes IF they are accepted into the graduate program. It does not guarantee admission. A student who is not accepted into the program may complete a BS in Psychology by completing 13 credits in psychology, 7 credits at the 300/400 level outside of psychology and approximately 10 additional credits of university courses to complete 120 credits toward graduation.

3. Who is eligible for the dual degree?
   Any student at UW-L with fewer than 60 credits with a GPA of 3.0 or above. Students in the semester in which they will earn 60 credits are also eligible.

4. Are there any drawbacks to the student?
   The only drawback to the student is that they may not be accepted into the graduate Occupational Therapy program. In addition, the sequencing of courses is very tight and allows for little variation or additional electives. Students who are not accepted into the Occupational Therapy program have the option of completing a BA in psychology and then re-applying to UW-L's Occupational Therapy program or other graduate programs in Occupational Therapy.

5. Can a student get an undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy?
   No. The last class of bachelor occupational therapy students was admitted in the summer of 2004.

6. What courses does a student have to take?
   See the Recommended Course Sequence for Psychology Majors. Visiting an advisor in both psychology and occupational therapy is encouraged.

7. What has to occur to make the dual-degree happen?
   A student interested in pursuing the dual degree must declare Psychology as their first major and Pre-OT as their second major. They must also sign a contract that is signed by an Occupational Therapy advisor.

8. How are the credits earned?
   During the first 3 years, students would complete 92 credits of undergraduate coursework including (1) general education requirements, (2) CLS core requirements, (3) partial requirements for the CLS program option (which substitute for a minor), and (4) most of the psychology major requirements. Over the next several semesters, the students will complete 84 credits of Occupational Therapy coursework. Twenty-nine of these credits are applied to completion of the undergraduate degree. When the requirements are completed in the recommended sequence, students will be formally awarded a BS in Psychology no later than at the end of the Fall semester of their fifth year at UW-L. Together, the undergraduate and graduate degrees will take a total of 5.5 years to complete.

9. Is there any flexibility in the scheduling?
   Yes. Despite the appearance of a rigid schedule of courses, there is room for trading when a variety of courses are taken. However, in order to enter the program with the proper requirements, students must complete 15-17 credits per semester and complete summer courses from starting in their third summer through the completion of the program.

Recommended Coursework for Dual-Degree Students
First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Fourth Year

Fifth Year

Sixth Year

NOTE: 30 credits of OT count toward the 120 credits needed to graduate with a BS in Psychology.

*If you deviate from this course - please talk to an advisor. 
**if you take it starting OT-you will pay for grad. credit.
**We recommend you think about internship credit (CEI 450) for some or all of this credit.  You need to visit career services to choose a site and have a faculty advisor agree to oversee your placement. 

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