Department of Occupational Therapy Staff	(251) 445-9222
Chair	Donna A. Wooster, PhD.
Associate Professor	Wooster
Assistant Professors	Hall, O'Connor, Taylor
Instructors	Deacy, Thompson

Department of Occupational Therapy web site
http://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/alliedhealth/ot

Occupational Therapy is a health care profession devoted to providing skilled treatment that helps individuals achieve independence in all aspects of their lives. Occupational therapists work with persons with acute and chronic physical, psychosocial, mental and developmental disabilities. 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; or create activities that are designed to restore mental health for persons with emotional, mental, or substance abuse problems. Occupational therapy focuses on "skills for the job of living" which includes all of the necessary skills for individuals to "live life to its fullest" and lead independent and satisfying lives.

The Master of Science degree program in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) is an entry-level professional program designed to enable the student to develop advanced critical reasoning skills and to prepare the graduate for professional practice in a variety of settings. Graduates will also have the capability of assuming responsibilities in the areas of administration, program development, consultation and research in occupational therapy.

The program consists of 95 semester hours and is seven consecutive semesters in length. This includes 24 weeks of full-time Level II Fieldwork as required by accreditation standards. Level II Fieldwork is available in a variety of medical and community sites representing a diverse range of learning opportunities for students. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 12 months following completion of academic requirements.

The program is designed to accommodate applicants who have a baccalaureate degree in another field.

Criteria for admission

A new class of MSOT students begins each year in the fall semester. All applicants must apply to OTCAS (Occupational Therapy Central Application Service) and submit a supplemental application to the OT program. Applications are available in July each year for fall of the following year. Supplemental applications with appropriate processing fees should be submitted directly to the Occupational Therapy Department. Selected applicants, who meet all academic admission requirements, may be invited for an interview. Students offered admission may choose to guarantee a seat by submitting a matriculation fee (applied toward tuition) or be placed on the alternate list. All students accepted to the program must complete a criminal background check. Admission is contingent on the background check being clear of criminal charges.

The candidate is expected to satisfy the following minimum criteria for admission:
• Completion of a Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university by June 1 of the year of admittance.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of “A” or “B” by application deadline.
• A minimum 3.0 (A=4.0) overall cumulative GPA; minimum 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite courses; minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of coursework taken.
• Minimum of 25 documented OT observation hours.
• Minimum GRE score of 290 on combined verbal and quantitative sections, and 3.0 writing score reported from same exam date.

Program Prerequisite Courses ALL applicants must complete:
Abnormal Psychology – 3 hrs
Life Span Development Psychology – 3 hrs
Anatomy & Physiology I – 4 hrs
Anatomy & Physiology II – 4 hrs
Statistics – 3 hrs
Kinesiology (biomechanics) or Physics – 3 or 4 hrs

Note: AP and CLEP credits are not accepted for any prerequisite courses.

Applications will be reviewed for academic qualifications on receipt of application, processing fee, transcripts and GRE results. Selected applicants who meet all academic admission requirements may be invited for personal interviews.

Admission is offered to the top students who apply after consideration of the admission score.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to observe occupational therapy practice in a variety of settings. A minimum of 25 documented OT observation hours are required. Documentation forms for observation are included in the application packet. 

These forms may also be downloaded from the university web site at

http://www.southalabama.edu/departments/eforms/colleges/alliedhealth/otobservationform.pdf or may be obtained from the occupational therapy department.

Core Performance Standards, which are fundamental tasks that must be performed to successfully complete the program, have been outlined and are available on the website or upon request from the program.

Applicants who are interested in whether courses from other universities will meet prerequisite requirements may contact the department by e-mail for an unofficial review of their course descriptions.