collageOccupational Therapy Master’s Degree
Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
Occupational therapy is a vital health care service that uses occupation as the basis for treatment of people of all ages with a wide variety of physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities. Occupations are everyday, purposeful activities that all people engage in as part of their daily routines.
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Program News
Shawnee State is proud to announce its first Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program
Starting fall semester 2020, Shawnee State University is proud to introduce its very first Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral program (PP-OTD).
SSU Master of Occupational Therapy Program Partners with Golden Bears for Student Success
Starting this semester, the Shawnee State University Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program created a partnership with the university’s Golden Bear program to help students gain a number of skills for their future career.
SSU Graduate Advances her Career in Post-Professional Doctorate Program
After graduating from Shawnee State University twice with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Occupational Therapy, Alissa Cannoy (’10, ’12) enrolled in the university for a third time in the university’s first doctoral program – the Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate (PP-OTD).
Shawnee State is proud to announce its first Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate program
Starting fall semester 2020, Shawnee State University is proud to introduce its very first Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctoral program (PP-OTD).
SSU Master of Occupational Therapy Program Partners with Golden Bears for Student Success
Starting this semester, the Shawnee State University Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program created a partnership with the university’s Golden Bear program to help students gain a number of skills for their future career.
Application Information
Admission requirements and application information can be found under the Admission Process link on this page.
Please call the Graduate School at (740) 351-3177 for more information.
What do occupational therapists do?
Occupational therapists help disabled people of all ages acquire or regain the skills they need to live independent, productive, and satisfying lives. They work in hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, public and private schools, and home health agencies.
Occupational therapists are responsible for evaluating clients and developing treatment plans to assist clients in achieving their goals. They provide functional treatment activities for clients individually and in groups, and they choose or fabricate equipment that helps people function more independently. Occupational therapists supervise certified occupational therapy assistants in carrying out treatment plans and possess skills to work with a variety of allied health professionals. Money Magazine names the Occupational Therapist as one of 50 top jobs. For more information please see the AOTA press release (PDF).
Bachelor’s to Master’s 3+2 Program Now Offered
This specialty 3+2 degree offers a baccalaureate in the study of health and occupation and upon successful completion in three years you will be admitted into the Master of Occupational Therapy program.
3+2 Program information
Graduate Program Information
A graduate degree in occupational therapy includes coursework focusing on theoretical constructs and their application to clinical practice, research competencies, and professional leadership skills. The occupational therapy program requires six to nine months of full-time (usually 40 hours per week) internships in a variety of health care settings. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from clinical facilities as well as any other costs associated with clinical placements.
To ensure continuity of application of academic concepts, all fieldwork must be completed within 24 months following academic preparation and 2 months prior to the NBCOT Certification Examination date.
Student Handbook (PDF)
Accreditation
The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) 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
(301) 652-6611
accred@aota.org
ACOTE’s phone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is acoteonline.org.
Graduates are able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT), located at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878. NBCOT sets its own criteria for taking the exam, which may include questions on the applicant’s criminal history. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification examination or attain state licensure.
For more information on these limitations, you can contact NBCOT at (301) 990-7979. 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.
MOT Prerequisite Courses
Listed below are the MOT Program prerequisite courses as listed on the Selection Criteria page. To the right of each requirement are examples of equivalencies if taken at SSU. Please refer to the MOT Prerequisite Summary (PDF) form for your assistance.
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 in any area of study. Applicants are encouraged to work with the Graduate School Administrator, (740) 351-3177, for academic advising to ensure that a plan for completing prerequisite requirements is developed before applying to the MOT program.
Academic advising to select a baccalaureate degree best suited to the applicant’s interests and skills is strongly advised. Admissions will be processed and handled through the Graduate School. Students admitted into the program will begin coursework fall semester.
*NOTE: Applicants are NOT required to be an Occupational Therapy Assistant, or earn an associate’s degree in the Occupational Therapy Assistant Program, to apply to the MOT program.
All prerequisite biology courses must be within the past 5 years and all other prerequisite courses completed within the past 10 years.
Social and Behavioral Sciences
3 or 4 unit course in each of the following, beyond introductory level
- Developmental Psychology or Human Development (PSYC1130, PSYC2130/3130)
- Abnormal Psychology (PSYC3160)
- Adult development and/or Aging (SOCI3234*, PSYC3130 or 3131)
- Social or Cultural Anthropology (ANTH2250 or SOCI above intro level)
Natural Sciences
3 or 4 unit course in each of the following; upper division level of physical sciences within five years prior to admission to program
- Neuroanatomy with lab (BIOL3660)
- Advanced Human Physiology with lab OR Pathophysiology (BIOL3650)
- Biomechanical & Functional Kinesiology (EXSC3561)
- Two courses of physical science (CHEM, GEOL, NTSC, PHYS, or PSCI [above introductory level])
Other Course Work
- Medical Terminology (BUHE3000)
- Statistics (STAT1150or PSYC2120)
* SOCI3234 will meet the requirement for either Social Anthropology or Adult Development, but not both
Selection Criteria
All applicants must meet the minimum criteria as stated in the University Catalog as well as complete application materials to the Master of Occupational Therapy Program. All applicants receive a numerical score in four areas. Each area is weighted as follows:
Area 1: 20% – Volunteer evaluation (applicants need 40 hours). The volunteer evaluation is given a numerical rating based on the quality of the evaluation. Students who do not waive their right to review the volunteer evaluation will have a significant reduction in the scoring of the evaluation. This is due to potential reluctance of the reviewing therapist to make unfavorable comments.
Area 2: 50% – Grade point average, minimum GPA of 3.2 from previous baccalaureate degree. In addition, prerequisite courses must meet a minimum of 3.0. Grade point average will be based on these determinations and averaged per individual students and given a score. Applicants with overall undergraduate GPA of less than 3.2 are required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and obtain a score above the 50th percentile.
Area 3: 20% – Essay, via OTCAS. The writing sample is scored blindly and independently by the Admission Committee faculty. These scores are averaged.
Area 4: 10% – Each application must be accompanied by three references, via OTCAS, from individuals with a history of knowledge about the applicant
Bachelor’s to Master’s 3+2 Selection Criteria
Prerequisites For Bachelor’s to Master’s 3+2 Program
- Minimum 3.5 High School GPA
- ACT score of 26 or greater (cumulative)
- High School College Prep track
- Maintain 3.2 or higher GPA while in 3+2 Program
Students interested in the 3+2 program are encouraged to contact the Academic Advisor at (740) 351-3177 or bmassie@shawnee.edu
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Occupational Therapy Assistants help people of all ages with a variety of physical, developmental, and emotional disabilities. As an OTA, you may help:
- Toddlers increase their social skills through play
- Amputees adapt to a new artificial limb
- Individuals with physical limitations improve activities of daily living
- Individuals with developmental needs learn self-care activities
- Senior citizens with dementia adapt to memory loss
Application Process
The OTA Program application deadline is July 1st.
- Apply to Southern State Community College
- Apply to Shawnee State University
- Complete Shawnee State Health Science Application
Visit www.shawnee.edu/ for more information.
- In-demand health care field
- High-paying jobs with 2-year degree
- ACOTE Accredited program
- High national certification exam pass rates
- All classes held at SSCC
Average Salary for
Occupational Therapy Assistant
$25 PER HOUR
FAQs
Will the students be Southern State’s or Shawnee State’s?
Both. Students will apply at both institutions and will be considered a Transient Student at Southern State.
Who advises these students?
Prospective students should contact Lisa Whitten at lwhitten@shawnee.edu or 740-703-7120.
Who takes care of their financial aid?
Shawnee State will be considered the “home” site and Southern State will be the “host”.
How can I get a program outline?
Visit Shawnee’s Occupational Therapy Assistant Course Requirements webpage.
What courses will these students take from SSCC?
If these course requirements haven’t already been satisfied, the OTA students will take a variety of Psychology, Biology, English, Sociology, Math courses, and even Medical Terminology.
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