University of Charleston

University of Charleston

Occupational Science

  • DURATION

    3.5 Years

  • FORMAT

    In Seat

  • LOCATION

    Charleston

Program Overview

A unique undergraduate program that explores human behavior through participation in daily activities. This is an interdisciplinary degree that combines components of healthcare, behavioral psychology, and social science.

Occupational scientists study ways of measuring participation in daily living, develop new and innovative methods to help individuals engage in activities, and examine the impact of participation on an individual’s health and well-being. The program will provide the tools for students to understand research that can lead to new and innovative treatment options, helping individuals live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

This program also prepares students for application to an occupational therapy program or other advanced degree, or to work as a non-credentialed healthcare professional in a variety of settings.

 

 

Occupational Science

 

Freshman applicants with a 2.5 or higher high school GPA and transfer students with a 2.0 or higher cumulative college GPA are eligible for general admission to UC, and will gain direct entry into this program. Students may apply online or download the admissions application.

 

Students must complete all pre-requisites, maintain a 3.25 overall GPA and a 3.5 GPA for the required pre-requisite courses, with a minimum of 68 credit hours for University of Charleston students or 62 credit hours for transfer students. If these standards are met and maintained, students who declare this major as freshman will automatically be admitted to the occupational therapy component of the program, beginning in Fall of the third year of the course schedule.

Program Highlights

  • This is an accelerated bachelor’s degree program with completion in 3.5 years. This program is geared towards traditional college students and transfer students.

  • Students develop a deep understanding of the various roles of the occupational therapy practitioner (mentor, educator, practitioner, manager, leader, advocate, consultant, and researcher) and how each can contribute to the field of occupational science.

  • Smaller class sizes provide opportunities for individual instruction.

  • Students learn to apply occupational science to daily life to understand the impact of day-to-day activities on a person’s health and well-being.

Program Outcomes

  • Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between occupational science and occupational therapy.

  • Students will be able to show effective critical thinking skills to evaluate evidence, develop innovative practice ideas, use a variety of knowledge sources, and be intellectually flexible to meet the occupational demands of an ever-changing world.

  • This is an interdisciplinary field, combining healthcare, behavioral psychology, and social science, which will students for a variety of careers. It also provides a strong foundation for success in an occupational therapy masters’ degree program, as well as physical therapy, nutrition, or other health related career paths.

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 entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program has applied for 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 be granted Candidacy Status, have a pre-accreditation 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.

The program has also submitted to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditor and is pending HLC approval.

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