Occupational Therapy, M.O.T.

The College of Health and Human Services  graduate professional degree in Occupational Therapy (Master of Occupational Therapy-M.O.T.) prepares students to assume general practice positions in occupational therapy in a variety of health, education, and social service delivery systems. This is an entry-level graduate degree. This curriculum is designed for the student who has a bachelor’s degree (any major), required prerequisite course work, and a strong commitment to pursuing a rigorous program of study in Occupational Therapy.

Program Outcomes

Students who have completed all required academic and fieldwork education in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program will be able to:

1. demonstrate entry-level competence of an occupational therapist through a combination of critical reasoning, comprehensive skills and knowledge and effective communication;
2. articulate and apply occupational therapy theory and science based evidence in occupational therapy service across the life span and in multiple areas of health and human service;
3. uphold the ethical standards and values of the occupational therapy profession and embrace a commitment to life-long learning;
4. promote health, wellness, and participation in life roles for all, but especially for those with illness, injury or disability;
5. advocate for occupational therapy services and those served to enable people of all ages to live life to their fullest.

Accreditation

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. Web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates of the program are 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). All states, including Illinois, require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Caution: a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or attain state licensure.

Special Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting university admission criteria, applicants must have successfully completed the following prerequisites in addition to, or in conjunction with a baccalaureate degree:

• Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 hours total) to include General Psychology (3 hours) and Abnormal Psychology (3 hours). The following courses are strongly recommended: developmental psychology, or other related sociology or anthropology courses.
• Natural Sciences; (16 credit-hours total) to include 4 credits of general physics I with lab,  8 credits of anatomy and physiology with lab; 4 credits of general chemistry with lab.
• Other course work: (6 hours total)
  • Medical Terminology (1 hour)
  • Orientation to Occupational Therapy (2 hours)
  • Survey of Research or Statistics course (3 hours)

Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.00. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is a prerequisite requirement for the MOT program. An essay and three letters of recommendation are required in the application process.

Application to the MOT program is through an occupational therapy centralized application service: OTCAS (www.otcas.org) Admission is by application and is competitive. Review the program website (www.govst.edu/mot) for current information regarding application procedures and timelines.

Recommended Preparation

Students planning to pursue application to the M.O.T. program should complete a baccalaureate degree in any field of study and complete the above-stated prerequisite courses.

Admission to Candidacy

Following acceptance and progression in the MOT program, a student must apply for candidacy. Application must be made when a student has completed at least 75 credit-hours and maintained a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for all courses in the MOT program.

Master’s Final Project

The Occupational Therapy Level II Fieldwork A and B (OCCT-8910  and OCCT-8920 ) are graduate practica that provide students with the opportunity to evaluate the relevance of theoretical and academic perspectives in the profession and meet entry-level competence and, therefore, meet the requirement of the master’s final project.