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 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.
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 | 8 (Lab) |
| 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. No grade of less than C in any prerequisite coursework
5. No more than two “C”s in prerequisite
coursework
6. Evidence of 20 hours of volunteer/job shadow experiences supervised by an
occupational therapist.
7.
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 advisor early in their academic career to
qualify for the dual degree.
Selection Process
Twenty-six students are admitted each year. The
deadline for application to the occupational therapy program is
January 8th for classes beginning the following May.
Factors considered in the admission process are academic success
(GPA), commitment to the profession of occupational therapy, and
professionalism. 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/.
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
part-time option is available on a case-by-case basis. Students
should expect to incur additional expense for tuition and fees
if attending the program part-time.
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 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. 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 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda,
MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301)
652-AOTA.
|
MS in OT Professional Curriculum
(Required Coursework) |
||
| Year 1 - Summer Session | Credits | |
| OT 520 | Introduction to Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| OT 521 | Professional Foundations of Practice | 2 |
| OT 523 | Human Physiology | 3 |
| Total Credits | 8 | |
| Year 1 - Fall | Credits | |
| OT 524 | Human Anatomy | 5 |
| OT 526 | Human Movement | 2 |
| OT 544 | Biomechanics and Kinesiology Applications in OT | 2 |
| OT 550 | Scholarly Practice I: Foundations of Assessment | 2 |
| OT 572 | OT Intervention: Group Dynamics | 2 |
| OT 530 | Occupational Performance Analysis | 3 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Year 1 – Spring | Credits | |
| OT 611 | Applied and Pathological Physiology | 2 |
| OT 515 | Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| OT 750 | Scholarly Practice II: OT Research | 3 |
| OT 672 | Occupational Performance: Mental Illness | 3 |
| OT 673 | Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction I | 3 |
| OT 775 | Critical Analysis of Practice I (CAP) | 1 |
| OT 573 | Level I Fieldwork: Mental Illness | 1 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Year 2 - Summer | Credits | |
| OT 760 | Scholarly Practice III: Research Seminar | 3 |
| OT 620 | Occupation in the Rural Context | 2 |
| Total Credits | 5 | |
| Year 2 - Fall | Credits | |
| OT 770 | Scholarly Practice IV: Evidence-Based Practice | 2 |
| OT 772 | Impact of Psychosocial Issues on Occupation | 3 |
| OT 773 | Occupational Performance: Physical Dysfunction II | 3 |
| OT 574 | Occupations and Intervention: Pediatrics I | 3 |
| OT 640 | Assistive Technology | 1 |
| OT 775 | Critical Analysis of Practice II (CAP) | 1 |
| OT 790 | Level I Fieldwork: Physical Dysfunction II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 14 |
|
| Year 2 - Spring | Credits | |
| OT 641 | Health Care Systems | 2 |
| OT 780 | Scholarly Practice IV: Writing Scientific Writing | 2 |
| OT 785 | Advanced Concepts in OT | 2 |
| OT 776 | Occupations and Intervention: Older Adult | 3 |
| OT 630 | OT Practice: Wellness Perspectives | 2 |
| OT 774 | Occupations and Intervention: Pediatrics II | 3 |
| OT 726 | Fieldwork Seminar | 1 |
| OT 791 | Level I Fieldwork: Pediatrics | 1 |
| Total Credits | 16 | |
| Year 3-Summer | Credits | |
| OT 795 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| Total Credits | 6 |
|
| Year 3 - Fall | Credit | |
| OT 795 | Level II Fieldwork | 6 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Total required credits for program | 87 | |
OT 723 (International Seminar) is an elective course
taught each spring. OT 720 (Select Topics) will be taught
periodically as an elective during Fall II or Spring II
semesters. OT 798 (Independent Study) is taught by arrangement
with occupational therapy faculty. OT 799 (Master’s 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.