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 website
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.  Applications are available in July each year for fall of the following year.  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 downloaded from the university website at

http://www.southalabama.edu/departments/eforms/colleges/alliedhealth/otobservationform.pdf. 

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.

The Master of Rehabilitation Sciences in Occupational Therapy is aimed at providing students with rich, robust, clinically relevant, and evidence-based learning experiences. Graduates will have a strong understanding of entry-level and advanced clinical services, will utilize evidence-based research relevant to the field, demonstrate leadership skills that impact delivery of high quality care for patients, and develop skills needed to serve as a patient educator, clinical educator, or faculty member. This program is intended to support international clinicians and academicians wishing to gain further experience with a variety of disorders and principles of rehabilitation. This program is not accredited by the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education and does not lead to licensure or certification in the United States. Graduation from this program does not guarantee admission to a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy or Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program. Students enrolled in this program are not eligible for federal financial aid. Admission to the RSOT program is on a competitive basis. For admissions information, visit the department’s website.

The RSOT program is an in-residence program requiring 30 credit hours. The program runs August to July and is divided into three semesters (Fall, Spring and Summer).