Occupational Therapy

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.

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).

 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.

Admissions are OPEN. The Department of Occupational Therapy is currently accepting applications for admission to the 2008 cohort, which begins Fall Semester, 2008.  Admission requirements and application information can be found under the "Selection Criteria" link on this page.  Please call 740-351-3272 or 740-351-3225 for more information.