Occupational Therapy
| Health Science, B.S. with Concentration in Pre-Occupational Therapy | Degree | B.S. |
| Health Science, B.S. with Concentration in Pre-Occupational Therapy, Accelerated | Degree | B.S. |
Department of Occupational Therapy
The Department of Occupational Therapy offers the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) graduate degrees for those students wanting to enter the profession of occupational therapy. The program is three years in length and degrees are granted after completion of all academic and clinical requirements.
Prospective applicants to the program must meet required prerequisites, complete observation hours with a licensed occupational therapy practitioner, meet minimum scores on the GRE/MAT and provide letters of reference as instructed on the program admissions page. Applicants must also meet all requirements for admission to the ISU Graduate School.
Undergraduate students preparing for a graduate degree in occupational therapy should choose a major that is of interest to them and will assist in completion of prerequisite course work. It is advantageous to select a major that incorporates the specific program prerequisites. Baccalaureate students will have advisors in their major department, but should also seek additional health professions' advising through the Pre-Health Advising Office. Students who have completed a baccalaureate degree and who are completing prerequisites for occupational therapy should contact the Department of Occupational Therapy for advising at ot@isu.edu. Please refer to the Occupational Therapy program pages for the most current admissions requirements.
Accreditation of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program
The Occupational Therapy Graduate Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. AOTA's phone number is 301-652-AOTA; website is http://www.acoteonline.org. Graduates will be able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Annual NBCOT program results for ISU's MOT program are available on the NBCOT website.
Occupational Therapy Preparation
Occupational therapists are health practitioners with graduate-level degrees, who help people participate in the things they want and need to do across the lifespan, through the therapeutic use of everyday activities or “occupations”. Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities participate in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injuries regain skills, and providing strategies to promote participation in everyday life activities for older adults who experience physical and cognitive changes.
The participatory nature of occupational therapy is extremely broad and requires practitioners who have an interest in the complexity of humanity and the diversity of human occupations. Occupational therapists must also have the ability to think critically and creatively so they can address occupational performance problems that result from developmental issues, disease, trauma, and mental illness. To meet these needs, students must enter the profession with a foundation in the liberal arts, as well as biological, physical, and social sciences. Graduate-level programs in occupational therapy require specific coursework as prerequisites to apply for admission to their programs. Graduate-level programs in occupational therapy do not require a specific undergraduate degree for admissions.
B.S. Health Science, Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration
The Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration is an undergraduate degree designed for students interested in a future career in occupational therapy. The degree allows students to obtain a broad health science background by completing the BSHS major requirements. The concentration also prepares students with many of the necessary academic prerequisites to apply to many graduate-level occupational therapy programs, though students should carefully check the prerequisite requirements for the programs to which they wish to apply, since different programs may have some different admission requirements.
Graduate occupational therapy programs will accept a wide range of undergraduate degrees, however, the B.S. in Health Science with the Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration prepares students for future practice in health care, while efficiently including the courses required for admission into graduate programs in occupational therapy. Admission and completion of this concentration area does not guarantee admission into ISU’s Master of Occupational Therapy program.
B.S. Health Science, Accelerated Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration
The B.S. in Health Science, Accelerated Pre-Occupational Therapy Concentration (3+3) provides the opportunity for students to enter the graduate-level ISU Occupational Therapy program during their fourth undergraduate year and complete a pre-professional year in the program as an undergraduate. This concentration is available to a limited number of students selected on a competitive basis, and requires students complete an application in the Fall of their junior year of student before joining the concentration for the Fall of their senior year.
During their first three undergraduate years, students who wish to pursue this concentration area complete a course of study that meets the ISU General Education requirements, the BS Health Science Core courses, and the OT program prerequisite course requirements. Student applicants must complete all Pre-Occupational Therapy concentration courses with a grade of "C" or higher. Prospective students should apply by September 30 during the Fall semester of their academic junior year for accelerated entry status. If accepted, they complete the pre-professional year within the OT program during their senior year. During the Spring semester of that pre-professional year, students will apply to the ISU Graduate School and the MOT Program to be considered for acceptance. Students will receive a Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree in May of that year. If accepted into the post-professional year, students continue as a graduate student in the third semester (Summer) of the Master of Occupational Therapy curriculum. Successful students will complete and receive their master's degree two years later. Due to the competitive nature of admission to graduate-level occupational therapy programs, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better throughout the BSHS curriculum.
Students not accepted into the accelerated concentration area may continue within the pre-OT curriculum, earn their bachelor's degrees, and apply to graduate-level occupational therapy programs at ISU and elsewhere through the traditional graduate school processes.
The combination of the BSHS and MOT program creates a seamless entry into the occupational therapy profession, ensuring all prerequisites in social, physical, and biological sciences are completed in a timely manner. For the most current information and application instructions for the BSHS Accelerated program, review the webpage or contact Dr. Amanda Henscheid, Director of BSHS Pre OT Accelerated at amandahenscheid@isu.edu.
Admission into the Master of Occupational Therapy Program
Students with a bachelors degree may be admitted for Fall semester entry into the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program by applying through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS) system and through the standard ISU Graduate School admissions procedure. Applicants must satisfy the prescribed prerequisites and other admission requirements as outlined on the MOT Program website. Although any undergraduate major is acceptable for entry into the MOT program, it is recommended that applicants select a degree that aligns closely with our required prerequisites listed below.
Occupational Therapy Program Prerequisites
Applicants must complete the following prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in each of the specified categories.
SOCIAL BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE (4 courses, 3 semester credits each)
Human Development
Sociology
Abnormal Psychology
Cultural Anthropology
BIOLOGY (2 courses, 4 semester credits each)
Human Anatomy and Physiology, each with laboratory; These courses must have been completed within the last 5 years.
CHEMISTRY (3 semester credits)
Chemistry, College-level chemistry course. Laboratory not required. General Chemistry preferred.
MATHEMATICS (3 semester credits)
Statistics - Statistics course from any department. Research Methods, Tests and Measurements and Marketing Statistics will NOT meet this requirement.
ENGLISH/COMMUNICATION (2 courses, 3 semester credits each)
Composition
Public Speaking
LIBERAL ARTS (15 semester credits)
15 credits from the following departments, with no more than 8 credits from any department:
Economics
Ethics
Fine Arts (music, art, theater, dance)
History
Humanities
Language (including sign language)
Literature
Philosophy
Political Science
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED COURSES
Physics with Laboratory
Technical Writing