Occupational Therapy, M.O.T.

Chair: Dr. Edward Mihelcic

Occupational Therapy is a unique discipline among the health and human service specialties. It uses occupation as its primary mode of intervention with consumers of all ages who face challenges that might impair daily living and life satisfaction. Occupational therapists serve those whose daily routine might be challenged by physical injury or illness; developmental delay; or social, environmental, or emotional problems. Occupations are those meaningful and purposeful tasks that people do every day. Research has shown that when people engage in occupations they enjoy and which are appealing and motivating, return to normal patterns of daily life occur faster.

The Occupational Therapy program at Saint Francis University is designed to provide three years of pre-professional study where students will complete their general education studies and collateral requirements, followed by two years of intense professional occupational therapy study which integrates practical fieldwork experiences in a variety of settings. Six months of full-time fieldwork experience as well as submission and defense of a Scholarly Project will be required in the professional phase. Students will receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science after successful completion of the fourth year, and a Master of Occupational Therapy degree after successful completion of the fifth year. Graduates of the program will be prepared to assume entry level positions in a variety of diverse health and human service settings.

Advancement from the Pre-Professional Phase to the Professional Phase is guaranteed provided the student meets the progression criteria:

demonstrate a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in all courses by the end of the spring semester of year three of the Pre-Professional Phase of study.
demonstrate a minimum 2.75 overall collateral courses grade point average (Biology
111
,
205
,
206
; Computer Science
101
; Psychology
101
,
201
,
202
,
205
,
209
,
305
,
314
, and a psychology elective; Sociology
101
; and Speech Fundamentals
103
).
demonstrate completion of all general education and collateral courses as prescribed.
demonstrate completion of
OT 301
and
OT 302
Seminars (with a grade of “C” or better) or their equivalent as determined by the department chair.
demonstrate completion of at least 30 hours of occupational therapy observation, in at least two different settings (ex. hospital, outpatient, skilled nursing facility, pediatrics, etc.) between the freshman year and the start of the professional phase, OT 401.

Individuals holding an earned baccalaureate degree with the necessary prerequisite coursework may be admitted to the first year of the two-year professional curriculum based on space availability. Eligible candidates will have earned a minimum QPA of 3.0 and successfully completed the following prerequisite coursework (or equivalent):

Collateral Requirements Needed Prior to Professional Phase:

Professional Phase Progression:

The Professional Phase is comprised of both didactic (Lecture & Lab) and fieldwork (Level I & Level II) components. During the Professional Phase of the MOT program, material will be presented in module format. Student competencies will be measured by formal tests, practical examinations, scholarly papers, research, special projects, satisfactory fieldwork completion, and other methods deemed appropriate. Students will be informed in writing by the instructor as to the point value of each of the competency measures.

Year One of the Professional Phase consists of the following courses:

Progression from Year One of Professional Phase to Year Two of Professional Phase:

At the completion of year one of the Professional Phase, students must demonstrate a professional phase cumulative quality point average of 3.0 (for those three semesters) as well as attainment of at least a “C” in each course prior to beginning year two of the Professional Phase.

Year Two of the Professional Phase:

Year two of the Professional Phase consists of the following courses:

Graduation Requirements:

In order to graduate from the MOT program at Saint Francis University, students must:

successfully progress from the Pre-Professional Phase to the Professional Phase
successfully complete the first Professional year (
OT 401
,
OT 402
and
OT 403
) with a cumulative Q.P.A. of 3.0 and a grade of C or better in each course
successfully complete OT
501
and
502
.
successfully complete and defend the Scholarly Project as outlined in the Department of Occupational Therapy Handbook.
OT
501
(Occupational Therapy IV) and OT
502
(Occupational Therapy V) both integrate an academic component along with a three-month Level II Fieldwork Component. The Level II Fieldwork Component of each course MUST be successfully completed within 24 months of the end of that academic year.

NOTE: A Remediation Policy is available in the Departmental Handbook.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist 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). 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 Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination. It is the responsibility of the prospective student to determine eligibility.

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, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. www.ACOTEONLINE.ORG.

Master of Occupational Therapy Degree Requirements:

Note(s):

Professional courses are open to Occupational Therapy majors only.