DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Chair: Marjorie E. Scaffa (434-3939)
Associate Professors: Scaffa, Van Slyke
Assistant Professors: Schiska
Instructors: Gifford, Wooster

Occupational Therapy is a health care profession devoted to providing service to persons with acute and chronic physical, emotional, mental and developmental disabilities. The Occupational Therapist helps these individuals achieve independence in their daily lives and activities. An Occupational Therapist may aid in the growth and development of premature babies; create a learning environment for physically and mentally challenged children; adapt home environments for persons with stroke, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and other disabilities; and create activities which are designed to restore mental health for persons with emotional, mental, and substance abuse problems.

The curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy is divided into two components: The Pre-Professional Component and Professional Component. The Pre-Professional Component (Freshman and Sophomore years) consists of 65 semester hours of prerequisite course work as listed below. The Professional Component (Junior and Senior years) consists of 80 semester hours (6 semesters) and is devoted entirely to didactic and clinical education pertinent to the professional practice of occupational therapy. Successful completion of the Pre-Professional component does not assure the student acceptance into the Professional Component. A limited number of students is selected each spring for admission to the Professional Component which begins in the summer semester.

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. AOTAÆs phone number is (301) 652-AOTA. Graduates of the program will be able 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). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

I. Pre-Professional Component Requirements:
(65 semester hours as listed)

Elective:
(Any ARS elective through 281, except 101; or any of the following: LS 295, 379 , 395; PE 370, 380)

II. Professional Component Requirements:
(Junior and Senior Years)
(80 semester hours as listed below)

Junior Year
Summer

Fall

Spring

Senior Year
Summer

Fall

Spring

A special admissions process is required to enter the Professional Component. One class is admitted each year to the Professional Component and classes begin in early June. During the Fall and Spring semesters of the senior year students participate in clinical education at special clinical sites affiliated with the program. Students should plan on relocation to two different "out-of-town" clinical centers during these two semesters. Accreditation standards require that students complete Level II Fieldwork within 24 months following completion of academic course work.

Interested applicants for the Professional Component should contact the Academic Advisor for Allied Health, Ms. Melissa Wold, for application packets before December 1 of the year for which admission is being sought. Transfer students are also required to apply for admission to the University.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS IS JANUARY 15TH.

SELECTION CRITERIA FOR THE PROFESSIONAL COMPONENT
The selection of students for entry into the Professional Component of the program is a competitive process. The criteria used to select students include the following:

1. Strength of overall academic preparation.

2. Work experience (minimum of 50 hours of observation and/or work experience with a Registered Occupational Therapist is required.)

3. Acceptable interview score.

4. Letters of recommendation.

Following consideration of the above criteria, a group of students will be selected for interview to determine each candidate's suitability to enter the program and the profession. Places will be offered to students after both academic and interview scores are taken into account.

Expenses: Students in the professional component of the curriculum should be prepared for extra expenses associated with professional studies including books, local travel to and from clinical facilities and for out-of-town travel and living expenses during the clinical internships which consist of 2 semesters (Fall and Spring) of the senior year. Special lab fees are assessed for the following courses:

Description of all Occupational Therapy (OT) courses

College of Allied Health Professions

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