The Department of Occupational Therapy (OTH) at the College of St. Scholastica has offered a Master’s of Science degree in Occupational Therapy for more than 25 years. The Department is located at the Health Science Center and provides students an education in a state-of-the-art learning environment. Located on site is the maurice’s® Community Clinic which provides students hands-on learning opportunities with diverse client populations throughout the progression of the Program. Occupational therapy curriculum is focused on developing students’ knowledge and understanding of occupational therapy process across the lifespan to prepare for entry-level practice in occupational therapy. Based on Experiential Learning Theory and occupation-based practice models, the curriculum integrates clinical experiences with academic learning and personal reflection to foster clinical reasoning and professionalism. Students learn fundamentals of science driven, evidence based occupational therapy practice for clientele across the lifespan through faculty facilitated experiences and community engagement. Occupational therapy faculty bring diverse experiences to the students including expertise in emotional and behavioral health, health and wellness, pediatrics, neurorehabilitation, assistive technology, physical and orthopedic conditions, older adult services, and emerging practice areas. Evidence-based practice projects, advised by faculty, provide students the opportunity to engage in critical appraisal of research and develop an evidence-based project that furthers their understanding of knowledge translation within the field of occupational therapy.
Contact Information
Programs
The Occupational Therapy Department offers these programs:
Accreditation
The College of St. Scholastica M.S. Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
6116 Executive Boulevard
Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
(301) 652-AOTA (2682)
acoteonline.org
Application to the M.S. in OT Program
Admissions Track
The MS OTH Program uses an inclusive and equitable admissions process to grow a diverse occupational therapy profession with cohorts that represent a wide range of educational, personal, and professional experiences. Applicants are evaluated on the following criteria:
Degree:
- Bachelor's degree (any major) from a regionally accredited institution
GPA Requirement:
- Cumulative or most recent 64 credit GPA of 3.0 is preferred. The College will consider whichever is higher: GPA as calculated by OTCAS. Admissions committee members do not see GPA when reviewing applications. Applicants will also have an opportunity in OTCAS to explain whether their academic record accurately reflects their capabilities.
Understanding of occupational therapy profession:
- Through an OTCAS question, the applicant will show they have sufficiently researched the profession to demonstrate that they are making a career choice based on a sound understanding of the profession of occupational therapy. Options that demonstrate understanding of the profession:
- Observation hours
- Successful completion of an introduction to occupational therapy course or healthcare careers course.
- Personal experience
Personal Experience:
- The experiences that each individual has enrich the profession. This information allows the applicant to highlight their important accomplishments. Enter information in OTCAS for any of the following:
- work history
- community service
- honors/recognitions
- leadership
- teaching
- participation in research activities
Essays:
- Essays should be written with clear expression of ideas and good organization. Specific prompts for the essays are found in OTCAS.
- OTCAS Personal Essay/ Statement
- This allows the applicant to show why they selected OT as a career and how their personal, educational, and professional background will achieve their professional goals.
- CSS Supplemental Statement
- This allows the applicant to explain their connection to the mission and focus of the CSS OTH curriculum.
- OTCAS Personal Essay/ Statement
- Hardship Statement (optional)
Prerequisite Courses:
- Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of 2.0 or better
- Complete prerequisite courses no later than two weeks prior to the start of classes in June
- AP credit accepted for General Psychology. To verify results, applicants must submit official CollegeBoard scores directly to The College of St. Scholastica (not OTCAS) using the code 6107.
- A score of 3 or better is required to qualify; scores must be within 10 years from date of application.
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Prerequisite courses must be within the past 10 years.
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The College of St. Scholastica M.S. OTH Program does not give credit for work experience or credits taken in another occupational therapy program toward prerequisite or in-program courses.
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The following prerequisites (or their approved transfer equivalents) are required for admission:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 2510 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 2520 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Psychology | ||
| Lifespan Developmental Psychology | ||
| General Sociology | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
The Office of Graduate Admissions does not review unofficial transcripts to determine the completion of prerequisite coursework. In most cases, course titles match. If you have specific questions about a particular course, please reference our transfer credit center to determine if the course meets the stated requirement.
Any student may request a waiver of admission requirements through a written request to the Graduate Admissions Office. Waiver requests are reviewed by the admissions committee and the applicant will be notified of the decision by email.
Submit the completed Occupational Therapy Centralized Admission System (OTCAS) application by the mid-November priority deadline.
Note: meeting minimum entrance requirements does not guarantee admission. Exceptions to minimum criteria may be made at the discretion of the admissions committee. The College of St. Scholastica follows the OTCAS method of calculating GPA. Interviews are not typically part of the admission process for the OTH Program.
Pass and graduation rates
For National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam data by school and state, visit NBCOT.
- 2020 graduates: 36 students entered and 36 graduated for a 100% graduation rate.
- 2021 graduates: 36 students entered and 35 graduated for a 97% graduation rate
- 2022 graduates: 36 students entered and 34 graduated for a 94% graduation rate
- Three year total 108 students entered and 105 graduated for a 97% graduation rate average.
Occupational Therapy Courses
The specifics and dynamics of occupations are analyzed to support occupation as the center of occupational therapy practice. Activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and other occupations central to the care of self will be analyzed with strategies for addressing occupation with individuals, groups, and populations. The roles, habits, and routines of individuals and the contexts and environments in which they engage in occupations will be explored. Observation skills will be developed through the ability to describe and analyze optimal performance in occupations.
The components of occupation that contribute to a person’s health and well-being are analyzed. The meanings and dynamics of occupation as intervention are evaluated with analysis of performance skills and patterns and client factors. Specifically the occupation of functional mobility for engaging in other occupations will be analyzed. Clinical reasoning is established to construct and demonstrate occupation-based, client-centered interventions in various contexts to enable individuals, groups, and populations across the lifespan. Practice skills to engage with clients, caregivers and interdisciplinary teams are developed focusing on sound judgment and safety for self and others through effective and responsible communication.
The dynamics of occupation are further explored through the evidence supporting occupation as a mechanism for participation, health and well-being. The complex mechanisms of occupation are identified through integration and transaction with person and context to meet a person’s survival needs, psychological needs, and social connections. The inner dynamics of situated occupations will be examined from a macro to micro perspective for individuals, groups, and populations across the lifespan. Intervention types and approaches will be constructed to apply occupation as a mechanism for participation, health, and well-being.
Intervention selection concepts of occupation-based practice are appraised through application of models and frames of reference while analyzing the occupation and activity, the client, and the environment. Emphasis is placed on creating group interventions through consideration of group dynamics and process. Focused topics include understanding occupational adaptation and gradation through the therapeutic process, teaching and learning, the intentional relationship, evidence based practice, and health literacy.
Interventions that prepare the client for engagement in occupation are evaluated through theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice. Specific interventions include: mechanical modalities, physical agent modalities, orthotics and prosthetics, pain management and other adjunctive therapies. The focus is on integrating preparatory interventions with occupation-based concepts to deepen skill across client populations.
Explores the three basic tenets of occupational therapy through the profession, the practice, and the practitioner. The profession and practice of occupational therapy is analyzed through the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework and theoretical models of occupation. The professional roles and ethical responsibilities of the practitioner are studied.
Intended to ground students in the occupational therapy process of selecting and administering clinical measurement tools used to guide evaluation and assessment a client’s occupational performance. Students will learn to use a client-centered approach to clinical assessment including the use of: formal and informal interviewing techniques and skilled observation of occupational performance skills and patterns.
Develops fundamental scientific inquiry skills related to evidence-based practice and knowledge translation: gathering, critically appraising, and applying the rehabilitation research literature. Evidence-based reasoning is taught within the context of doing synthesized literature reviews. Emphasizes appreciating the value of life-long learning as future evidence-based occupational therapists as well as developing the skills to carry this out in challenging and changing clinical environments.
Provides opportunities to build beginning-level professional skills through exposure to different clinical settings and client populations. Situations to practice careful observation, clear communication, therapeutic use of self, and task analysis through simulated client experiences and group learning. Professional development is initiated in the community through facilitated learning with clients. Expands upon current understanding of human occupational performance and gains insight to working with diverse client populations.
Apply knowledge about evidence-based practice to clinical experiences through critical appraisal and synthesis of literature to advance the body of knowledge in occupational therapy. Applies quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques for delivering evidence-based practice. Ethical issues when applying evidence in practice and when disseminating research are addressed.
Focus is on selection and administration of specific screening and assessment tools that include three main areas: abilities and capacities; roles and competence; and environmental factors affecting an individual’s function and participation in a range of occupations and contexts. The use of evidence from the scientific literature, client values, and clinical reasoning will be emphasized in making decisions when selecting assessments for clients. The importance of developing and utilizing outcome measures that document the effectiveness of OT services is also emphasized.
Integrates occupational therapy theory into practice through hands-on learning experiences. Occurs within the occupational therapy process, while providing client-centered care in a supervised and mentor-based setting. Provides opportunities to build skills needed to interact with clients and caregivers/family, and care team. Professional development skills are expanded upon with opportunities to be applied throughout the clinical experiences.
Home and environment management includes focus on creating interventions to address life skills related to community mobility including driving rehabilitation, management of areas for medication, communication, finance, home, safety, and health, care of others, and shopping. Interventions to address social participation as a self-enhancement area of occupation with community, peer, and family will be developed. Designing group process for client learning to address social participation and areas of home and environment management will be included followed by implementation of those group processes. Opportunities to evaluate various practice settings to determine influences and considerations in occupational therapy process will occur.
Through the transformative engagement process, students will integrate prior learning with personal reflection and current theories related to concepts of supervision, management and leadership. Application of leadership and management theory, professional ethics and behaviors and the importance of professional relationships is facilitated through clinically-based scenarios. Students evaluate administrative structure and service delivery within health facilities, organizations and agencies with respect to occupational therapy's role. Students will create and evaluate a set of outcomes related to evidence-based practice, documentation, peer review, reimbursement, service provision and organizational change.
An elective experiential OT fieldwork experience that allows for exploration of various practice settings. Opportunity to work with individuals, groups or populations from birth to elder care depending on the assigned fieldwork placement. Designed to reinforce clinical skills, professional behaviors and relationships, clinical reasoning skills, ethical issues, and evidence-based practice.
Integrates occupational therapy into practice through a mentored clinical setting. Designed to provide application of clinical knowledge and skills, professional behaviors and relationships, clinical reasoning, and ethical decision making. Hands-on learning experiences of the occupational therapy process and provides client-centered care in a supervised settings including consultative process for occupational therapy.
The fieldwork experience reflects current practice in a selected setting that provides diverse learning opportunities to work with individuals, groups and populations across the lifespan. This is the first of two Level II fieldwork experiences, which is a minimum of 12 weeks full-time equivalency under the supervision of a registered and licensed occupational therapist. Each Level II rotation must be reflective of different setting types.
Self-advancement occupations of education and work are fully explored along with advanced practice settings including hand therapy, work/industry, neonatal intensive care unit, education, emerging practice, and non-traditional areas of practice. Alternative healing practices and advanced skill areas will be the focus of interventions.
Capstone course designed to integrate theory, knowledge of pathologies and intervention strategies with an understanding of human performance and adaptation. The course focuses on students’ abilities to integrate and articulate the role of the occupational therapist in a variety of complex situations and practice settings involving individuals and populations. Specific issues in global health care including public policy, access to service, at-risk populations and advocacy are addressed. Personal reflection of transformative engagement through leadership, management and professional development are emphasized.
Topics in Occupational Therapy.
The fieldwork experience reflects current practice in a selected setting that provides diverse learning opportunities to work with individuals, groups and populations across the lifespan. This is the second of two Level II fieldwork experiences, which is a minimum of 12 weeks full-time equivalency under the supervision of a registered and licensed occupational therapist. Each Level II rotation must be reflective of different setting types.
A Level II Fieldwork experience in a specialty area of occupational therapy practice occurring when all required academic and fieldwork experiences are completed. This elective experience typically ranges from 4 to 8 weeks in length depending on the requirements of the setting. Designed for the student seeking additional learning opportunities in specialty areas of occupational therapy practice.
Students are required to be enrolled continuously until the final research project and fieldwork are completed. A fee equal to one master's credit will be assessed each fall and spring semester until Occupational Therapy Program requirements are completed, if not registered for another OTH professional program course.
Independent study in Occupational Therapy.