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 in Occupational Therapy (MS in OT) degree prepares competent entry level occupational therapist leaders who are committed to providing excellent occupation centered client-centered evidence-based occupational therapy.
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Twenty-four to twenty six students are admitted each year. The deadline for application to the occupational therapy program is the first Friday in January 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 narrative, resume, and personal potential index (PPI). Specific deadlines, application materials, and weighting of application criteria are available at 4031 Health Science Center and on the Occupational Therapy Program web site www.uwlax.edu/ot/.
The graduate program in occupational therapy is eight semesters (30 months) long with extensive clinical experiences woven throughout academic coursework. The last two 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 part-time option is available on a case-by-case basis for fieldwork and students should expect to incur additional expense for tuition and fees.
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.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for 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 licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certificate Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
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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. ACOTE's telephone number is (301) 652-AOTA.
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(Required Coursework)
Year 1 - Summer
OT 520 Introduction to Occupational Therapy (3 credits)
OT 521 Professional Foundations of Practice (2 credits)
OT 523 Human Physiology (3 credits)
Total Credits: 8
Year 1 - Fall
OT 524 Human Anatomy (5 credits)
OT 526 Analysis of Human Movement: Development, Learning, Control (2 credits)
OT 544 Biomechanics and Kinesiology Applications in OT (1 credit)
OT 545 Applied Biomechanics and Kinesiology Applications in OT (1 credit)
OT 550 Scholarly Practice I: Foundations of Assessment (1 credit)
OT 551 Applied Scholarly Practice I: Foundations of Assessment (1 credit)
OT 570 OT Intervention: Group Dynamics (1 credit)
OT 571 Applied OT Intervention: Group Dynamics (1 credit)
OT 530 Occupational Performance Analysis (2 credits)
OT 531 Applied Occupational Performance Analysis (1 credit)
Total Credits: 16
Year 1 – Spring
OT 611 Applied and Pathological Physiology (2 credits)
OT 515 Neuroanatomy (3 credits)
OT 750 Scholarly Practice II: OT Research (2 credits)
OT 751 Applied Scholarly Practice II: OT Research (1 credit)
OT 660 Occupational Performance: Mental Illness (2 credits)
OT 661 Applied Occupational Performance: Mental Illness (1 credit)
OT 670 Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction I (2 credits)
OT 671 Applied Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction I (1 credit)
OT 775 Critical Analysis of Practice I (CAP) (1 credit)
OT 573 Level I Fieldwork: Mental Illness (1 credit)
Total Credits: 16
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