Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy involves the holistic use of normal daily occupations, to help individuals, across the life span, to participate to their highest level, in meaningful and purposeful activity. The ultimate goal is to support the achievement of life satisfaction through optimal participation and engagement within one's own contexts. Occupational therapists (OT's) are trained to use occupation-based interventions to promote health; enhance, restore, or maintain function; and/or prevent further disability. By working cooperatively with other health care professionals and engaging in evidence-based intervention, OT's are able to support clients in achieving the highest possible level of independence.

Applications are still being accepted for Fall 2023!

Starting for the Fall 2024 Cohort, applications will ONLY be accepted through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). 

Fall 2024 OTCAS applications open on July 21, 2023. The priority deadline is October 1, 2023.

Interview Dates for the Fall 2024 Cohort

Saturday, November 4, 2023

The application window will open in late July 2023 and the priority deadline will be October 1, 2023.

Program Description

The Allen College Master of Science (MS) degree in occupational therapy requires approximately 27 months of classroom and fieldwork preparation.  Program content supports the student in learning to critically reason, effectively judge the current evidence, and develop quality skills necessary for delivering occupation-based, client-centered care that is culturally appropriate and respectful. Fieldwork experiences are scheduled in each semester of the program to build the student's direct services skills and assure that they are well versed in the foundational operations of a variety of practice settings. Additional outreach service experiences are designed to help the student develop advocacy, management, and leadership, and skills for use in a variety of practice settings.

As graduates of the program these students will emulate the institution's core values of caring, community, integrity, learning, quality, and accountability. These values will prepare them to embrace diversity, social responsibility, leadership, partnership, and professionalism in all personal and professional endeavors.  Life satisfaction results from successful participation in valued occupations that are appropriate to our current surrounding contexts. The students in the Allen College OT Program will collaborate with clients, families, and other support systems to develop plans of care that match client capacities and support development of new skills necessary to meet their current health care needs. Ultimately, graduates of the program will be prepared to practice with a clear understanding of emerging trends in global health and will be able to employ social justice values as they assist their clients in reaching desired health care outcomes.

Accreditation

The entry-level occupational therapy master's degree program has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam 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). Use the following link to view NBCOT program data results (NBCOT). Additional information about certification is available at www.nbcot.org.

In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

                                              Program Statistics (Outcomes)

Graduation Year*	Students Graduated	Graduation Rate	National Exam Pass Rate
2019	21/23	91%	100%
2020**	23/24	96%	100%
2021	23/23	100%	100%
Total (Past 3 Years)	67/70	96%	100%

*All columns are reported by calendar year.
**Includes all students from cohort 2020 who graduated in both December 2020 (as scheduled) and also those who graduated in May 2021 due to COVID19 pandemic.