Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
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Duration
1 1/2 Years *
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Format
In Seat
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Location
Charleston
Program Overview
*Admittance to the MSOT portion of the program is dependent upon successful completion of 3 required semesters of undergraduate occupational science courses at the University of Charleston.
This graduate-level program will prepare you to serve individuals who experience limitations in their daily lives. In this program, you’ll build on your previous education and/or experience in healthcare to gain the confidence, knowledge, and skills necessary to practice as an ethical occupational therapist.
This program is designed as part of our Occupational Therapy pathway, and is a continuation of our Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science degree. Students should choose the Direct Admit pathway when enrolling their freshman year, then apply to the MSOT program in their 3rd year.
Other options are available for those wishing to transfer to UC from another institution, those who already have a bachelor’s degree, and for those who have a current Occupational Therapy Assistance license. (See below for the details.)
Students apply to the Master of Science of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS), a centralized application portal for OT programs. Find information about OTCAS here.
All students regardless of degree status must complete the required pre-requisite courses with a pre-requisite GPA of 3.5 or higher and an overall GPA of 3.25 or higher to be considered for acceptance into the program.
In addition, all students will be required to complete a brief video interview, written essay, and obtain two letters of recommendation (one from a former supervisor/coach who is not a relative and the other from a former, yet recent (within the past 6 months) instructor). The application portal will open each Fall and students will be notified in early Spring of acceptance or denial for the following fall semester start.
Required Pre-requisites
The following are the minimum required pre-requisite courses needed to apply and enter the program in Fall Year 3. Students may have a grade of a “C” in only one of these courses to be eligible for admission. Grades lower than a “C” will disqualify the course from counting. The pre-requisite GPA must be a 3.5 or higher:
- Statistics (3 credit hours)
- Biology with Lab (4 credit hours)
- Kinesiology (3 credit hours)
- Medical Terminology (2-3 credit hours)
- Introductory Psychology (3 credit hours)
- Sociology or Social Science (3 credit hours)
- Life-Span Development (3 credit hours)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credit hours)
- Human Anatomy with Lab (4 credit hours)
Students who enroll as incoming freshmen at UC and major in the Bachelor of Science of Occupational Science may apply to begin the MSOT program content in the fall of their 3rd year at UC.
Acceptance is conditional and based on the student’s ability to maintain a 3.5 pre-requisite GPA, 3.25 overall GPA, demonstrate professional behaviors, and academic integrity. While undergraduate BSOS students will be given preference in selection, if the number of direct admission students exceeds the number of direct admission spots for the program, scores from the materials in the application packet will be used to rank students.
MSOT Advanced Placement Policy
High school advanced placement (AP) credits may be applied on a case-by-case basis toward the BSOS/MSOT program prerequisites or general education courses in the undergraduate portion of the BSOS program at the University of Charleston. AP credits may NOT be applied toward any OCSC or OCTH courses in the program.
Undergraduate students transferring from other institutions who wish to enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science/Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program must have a minimum of 62 earned credits that include the required pre-requisite courses, in addition to taking both University 204 and Speech 103 at the University of Charleston, in order to apply to the MSOT program in their 3rd year.
These students must obtain general admission to the University of Charleston and apply to the MSOT program through OTCAS. Transfer students may have additional course requirements to complete to obtain the BSOS degree as part of their progression.
Students transferring to the University of Charleston with fewer than 62 credits or without all of the required pre-requisite courses will be required to take courses in the BSOS plan of study in addition to UNIV 204 before applying to the MSOT portion of the program and must meet all other MSOT admissions requirements.
Students with a Bachelor’s degree
Students with an earned bachelor’s degree in any field from any accredited institution are eligible to apply to the BSOS/MSOST program provided they have successfully completed all pre-requisite coursework with the required minimum GPA.
Transfer of Credit Policies
Course credits from other occupational therapy programs are not transferable to the MSOT program at the University of Charleston. This is due to the unique nature of this program and how the curriculum was designed. It is the combined BSOS/MSOT program that we believe adequately prepares our students for the NBCOT examination and future clinical practice.
Students who are currently licensed Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTAs) can apply to the Bridge Program, which will allow the student to progress into Masters-level coursework. These students should have an associate degree and be practicing OTAs with a minimum of 1,040 verifiable hours of work completed before the start of the program.
Work hours may be part-time, full-time, or per diem but must be verifiable (e.g., documented on pay stubs). In addition to the associate degree, these students must also successfully complete the pre-requisite courses with a minimum pre-requisite course GPA of 3.5. Pre-requisite courses with a grade lower than a “C” will not be counted.
Application Resources
Program Highlights
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Small class size, individualized attention to help students obtain the knowledge and skills needed to be a generalist practitioner
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In addition to building skills, the MSOT program provides students with information needed to build, market, and manage a business that provides OT services.
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Program includes classroom learning, research, hands-on experiences, fieldwork, and more. Students learn assistive technology and devices, virtual environments, telehealth as part of the intervention process.
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A traditional in-seat option with direct admission to the Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science/Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is available for incoming UC freshman students. Conditional acceptance into the MSOT will be offered in the Fall of Year 3 of the BSOS.
Program Outcomes
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Graduates of the program will be able to demonstrate effective critical thinking skills to evaluate evidence, develop innovative practice ideas, used a variety of knowledge sources, and be able to meet the demands of an ever-changing world.
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Students will be able to assess the well-being and occupational engagement of those who may need occupational therapy services
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MSOT students will learn to communicate effectively in professional settings
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Students develop the knowledge and skills needed to be a generalist practitioner in accordance with the applicable state practice acts
Additional Information
Policies and Procedures for MSOT Program
The Master of Science of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program is housed in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Charleston and is part of the combined Bachelor of Science of Occupational Science and Master of Science of Occupational Therapy (BSOS/MSOT) accelerated degree program. This part of the program consists of 50 graduate credit hours of coursework. Students must apply to the BSOS/MSOT program and successfully complete the undergraduate occupational science courses to begin this part of the program.
The program has received Higher Learning Commission (HLC) approval, and has applied for specialized accreditation 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. The program must have a preaccreditation review, complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist 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). In addition, all 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.
Students must complete all graduation and fieldwork requirements in a timely manner. Students must graduate within 5 years of starting the occupational science component of the program. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.
Meet the Faculty
Meet the Faculty
Dean of the Bert Bradford School of Health Sciences
Radiologic Science, Department Chair