OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Program Requirements
Related Links:
La Crosse Medical Health
Science Consortium
Occupational therapists work with people of
all ages facing physical, emotional, or mental challenges.
Students who choose a career in occupational therapy will
be instrumental in helping people participate fully in the daily
occupations of their lives. The Master of Science degree in
Occupational Therapy (MS in OT) prepares competent entry level
occupational therapist leaders who are committed to providing
excellent occupation-centered, client-centered, evidence-based
occupational therapy.
Admission Criteria
1. Earned
undergraduate degree (or degree completed by May 30th
of application year)*
2. Completion of all
prerequisite course work Credits
| Anatomy and Physiology | 6-8 |
| Physics | 4 |
| Life Span Development | 3 |
| Statistics or Principles of Research | 4 |
| Abnormal Psychology** | 3 |
| Introductory Sociology or Anthropology** | 3 |
3. A minimum
grade point average of 3.0 for undergraduate studies
4. All prerequisite
coursework completed with a grade of C or better; no more than
two “C”s may be used
5. Evidence of 10
hours of volunteer/job shadow experience supervised by an
occupational therapist.
6. Complete
application for admission to the Occupational Therapy program
and the UW-La Crosse graduate studies.
*A dual degree option allows UW-L
psychology students to apply for admission to the Masters of
Science program before completion of their psychology degree.
Students seeking this option must consult an adviser early in
their academic career to qualify for the dual degree.
**Effective for students admitted in 2011.
Selection Process
Twenty-four students are admitted each year.
The deadline for application to the occupational therapy
program is January 15th for classes beginning the
following May. Factors considered in the admission process are
academic success (GPA), commitment to the profession of
occupational therapy, and professional abilities as demonstrated
in the written application, writing sample, and letters of
recommendation. Specific deadlines, application materials, and
weighting of application criteria are available at 4031
Overview
The graduate program in occupational therapy is eight
semesters (30 months) long with extensive clinical experiences
woven throughout academic coursework. The last 2 semesters of
the program are spent in full-time Level II fieldwork. Students
should expect to incur additional expenses for books, course
fees, housing and travel during clinical fieldwork.
A thesis option is available for students
wishing to pursue independent research. Students must declare if
they intend to complete the thesis option by the end of the
first year in the program. Students pursuing the thesis option
would delay enrollment in the OT 795: Level II Fieldwork until
completion of the thesis. All level II fieldwork must be
completed within 24 months after the completion of academic
coursework.
Graduates of the program will be eligible
to sit for the national certification examination for the
occupational therapy administered by the National Board for
certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful
completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational
Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, most states require
licensure in order to practice; however, state licensure is
usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification
Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability
to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state
licensure.
Accredited Occupational Therapy Program
The occupational therapy program is accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
of the American Occupational therapy Association (AOTA), located
at
| Professional Curriculum (Required course work) |
||
| Year 1 - Summer Session | Credits | |
| O-T 520 | Introduction to Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| O-T 521 | Professional Foundations of Practice | 2 |
| O-T 523 | Human Physiology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
| Year 1 - Fall | Credits | |
| O-T 524 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| O-T 526 | Human Movement | 2 |
| O-T 530 | Occupational Performance Analysis | 3 |
| O-T 544 | Biomechanics and Kinesiology Applications in O-T | 2 |
| O-T 550 | Scholarly Practice I: Foundations of Assessment | 2 |
| O-T 572 | OT Intervention: Group Dynamics | 2 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| Year 1 – Spring | Credits | |
| O-T 515 | Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| O-T 611 | Applied and Pathological Physiology | 2 |
| O-T 573 | Level I Fieldwork: Mental Illness | 1 |
| O-T 672 | Occupational Performance: Mental Illness | 3 |
| O-T 673 | Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction I | 3 |
| O-T 750 | Scholarly Practice II: OT Research | 3 |
| O-T 775 | Critical Analysis of Practice I (CAP) | 1 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Year 2 - Summer | Credits | |
| O-T 620 | Occupation in the Rural Context | 2 |
| O-T 760 | Scholarly Practice III: Research Seminar | 3 |
| Total Credits | 5 | |
| Year 2 - Fall | Credits | |
| O-T 574 | Occupations and Intervention: Pediatrics I | 3 |
| O-T 640 | Assistive Technology | 1 |
| O-T 770 | Scholarly Practice IV: Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| O-T 772 | Impact of Psychosocial Issues on Occupation | 3 |
| O-T 773 | Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction II | 3 |
| O-T 775 | Critical Analysis of Practice II (PBL) | 1 |
| O-T 790 | Level I Fieldwork: Physical Disabilities | 1 |
| Total Credits | 14 |
|
| Year 2 - Spring | Credits | |
| O-T 630 | OT Practice: Wellness Perspectives | 2 |
| O-T 641 | Health Care Systems | 2 |
| O-T 726 | Fieldwork Seminar | 1 |
| O-T 774 | Occupations and Intervention: Pediatrics II | 3 |
| O-T 776 | Occupations and Intervention: Older Adult | 3 |
| O-T 780 | Scholarly Practice IV: Writing Scientific Writing | 2 |
| O-T 785 | Advanced Concepts in OT | 2 |
| O-T 791 | Level I Fieldwork: Pediatrics | 1 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Year 3-Summer | Credits | |
| O-T 795 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| Total Credits | 6 |
|
| Year 3 - Fall | Credit | |
| O-T 795 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Total required credits for program | 86 |
|
O-T 723 (International Seminar) is an
elective course taught each spring. O-T 720 (Select Topics) will
be taught periodically as an elective during Fall II or Spring
II semesters. O-T 798 (Independent Study) is taught by
arrangement with occupational therapy faculty. O-T 799 (Masters
Thesis) is elective and may be started in Fall II and would be
repeated each semester until thesis is completed (minimum 4 –
maximum 6 credits).
Degree Completion Requirements
Prior to granting
the degree students will be expected to:
·
Maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout the
professional graduate program.
·
Successfully complete (grade of
“C” or better) all didactic coursework requirements
·
Successfully complete (grade of
“pass”) two level II fieldwork placements (total of 24 weeks).
·
Finish all level II fieldwork
within 24 months of completion of academic portion of the
program.
·
Fulfill all university masters
degree requirements.