Occupational Therapy, M.O.T.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MOT degree program is based on the completion of a set of requirements that are reviewed and evaluated by the university and the department admission committee. The application process includes the following:

1. Students applying to the Graduate School must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a grade point average of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in the final 60 semester credit hours of undergraduate and/or graduate courses.
2. A limited number of applicants with a GPA of 2.90-2.99 may be granted conditional admission. Conditional admission status is removed when the student achieves a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
3. Completion of prerequisite courses (anthropology or sociology, statistics, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, medical terminology, human anatomy, human physiology, and introduction to occupational therapy) with a grade of C or better before beginning professional course work. The anatomy and physiology courses must be taken within five years of admission to the program. A minimum of 3.0 in the above prerequisite courses is required for consideration of the application.
4. Prerequisite courses required for admission may be repeated only once to improve a grade.
5. Submission of the Occupational Therapy Department application. All students are strongly encouraged to review admission eligibility with an advisor before applying.
6. Proof of over 40 hours of work experience or community service that demonstrates human service skills. Experience is to be described on the prescribed form and signed by an appropriate supervising individual. This experience is not limited to the field of occupational therapy.
7. Two recommendations on the prescribed form. One of the recommendations must be from an upper-division teacher. The other recommendation may be from another upper-division teacher or an employer or community service supervisor. Relatives cannot submit recommendations.
8. A typed essay of approximately 1000 words on the applicant’s reason for pursuing occupational therapy as a career and how the human service experience has enhanced and developed the applicant’s interpersonal skills.
9. Interview with the members of the Occupational Therapy admission committee. Applicants who are not accepted into the program can meet with an advisor to discuss options to strengthen their reapplication.

Students are enrolled fulltime and part-time into the MOT program only once a year in the fall semester. Class size is limited, and admission into the program is highly competitive. Depending on the number of qualified applicants, a waiting list may be created. Applicants placed on the waiting list will be notified of their status and rank on this list. If slots become available, applicants on the waiting list will be offered admission in rank order.

Applications are accepted and reviewed throughout the academic year. The deadline for submission of application materials to the MOT program is February 1st each year. Graduate applications and materials (including official transcripts and application fee) are sent directly to the Graduate School.

Admission by Advanced Standing

Graduates who complete a Bachelor of Health Science/Pre-OT degree from CSU, preceding their intended enrollment in the graduate program, may apply for advanced standing in the MOT program.

Advanced standing students may be given up to 28 hours of credit for foundational occupational therapy courses. Students must meet the graduate GPA requirements of 3.0 or better for the last 60 hours of credit for admission into the graduate program in order to receive advanced standing.

Transfer Credit

No transfer credit will be given for professional course work in the MOT curriculum. No academic credit is given for work or life experiences in occupational therapy.

General Requirements

The MOT curriculum requires completion of 83 credit hours of graduate-level course work that includes Level I and Level II fieldwork. Full-time students can complete the program requirements in two and a half calendar years. Part-time study may be completed in four and a half years but does require full-time study during the last year.

Students in the MOT curriculum are required to maintain a 3.0 (B) average each semester and receive a passing grade in all Level I and Level II fieldwork. Please refer to the progression policies for details.

The fieldwork component of the MOT curriculum is an integral part of the student’s overall educational experience. Placements are made in a variety of traditional settings and emerging areas of practice. Students have four semesters of Level I fieldwork experience. Level I fieldwork is one day a week for ten weeks of each semester. Level II fieldwork experiences are completed during the last year of the MOT program. Level II fieldwork involves two twelve-week full-time affiliations. Completion of the graduate research project is required before beginning of Level II fieldwork. All Level II fieldwork experiences must be completed within 24 months following the completion of 69 hours of professional course work.

All students must successfully complete cumulative end of year examinations to progress to the next level of courses. The comprehensive exit examination given in the Graduate Symposium course (O T 5395 ) must be successfully completed prior to graduation.

All degree requirements must be completed within 6 years from the date of initial enrollment in the MOT program.

Upon completion of all academic and fieldwork requirements, students will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination given by National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).

Specific Requirements

Curriculum Pattern

Other Pertinent Information

• All students enrolled in the MOT program must assume responsibility for the following expenses:
• A current CSU medical and dental form completed with immunizations, flu shot and TB test/X-ray records by August 1st each year.
• Proof of health insurance.
• Required textbooks, test instruments, and supplies.
• Yearly subscription to the American Journal of Occupational Therapy (AJOT) and to Occupational Therapy Practice magazine.
• Transportation to fieldwork experiences, state conferences and fieldtrips.
• Maintaining a current CPR certification.

The program has a required program fee that is charged each semester to assist in covering cost of professional requirements.

Progression and Dismissal Policies

Any interruptions or repetition of course work will result in an extension of the total length of the program. To ensure timely completion of the program, the course sequence must be followed. Students who drop a professional-level course for any

reason resign their status as a professional-level student. Readmission will be by consent of the program chairperson and the admissions committee.

Students may receive only two C grades according to the graduate school policy. Students may be required to repeat a course in order to meet graduation requirements. Professional courses may be repeated only one time for a grade of B or higher.

A student can earn no more than 4 letter grades of “C” or less in the professional program.

More than 4 grades of “C” or below are grounds for dismissal. A student needing to repeat a course to improve the grade must repeat the course at the next scheduled offering. Students may be required to assume part-time status when repeating courses. A student’s cumulative GPA must be 3.0 or above to proceed to Level II Fieldwork.

Students with a semester GPA of less than 3.0 will be placed on probation*. Students with less than a 3.0 GPA after the third semester of three consecutive semesters will be dismissed from the MOT program.

A student who misses more than 20% of a scheduled course due to unexcused absences may receive a failing grade for the course.

Students must repeat any fieldwork in which they receive an unsatisfactory (failing) performance evaluation. Continued unsatisfactory performance on a repeated fieldwork will result in the student being dismissed from the MOT program.

All end-of-year examinations and the comprehensive exit examination must be successfully completed to progress to the next semester and prior to graduation. Only three opportunities will be given for any end-of-year examination, and the comprehensive exit examination is the final opportunity for successful completion.

Any course with a grade of “D” or “F” must be repeated. Students needing to repeat a course will be placed on probation. Repeated failure of the same course will result in dismissal from the program.

Failure of two or more professional courses in the same semester will result in dismissal from the program.

Violation of the standards of ethical practice, including plagiarism, will result in the student being placed on probation. Repeated ethical violations or ethical/legal misconduct that endangers or creates potential harm to students, client, academic and clinical faculty are grounds for dismissal from the program. Standards of ethical behavior are outlined in the AOTA Code of Ethics and the University Policy on Student Conduct.

* Probation is defined as written notification of the student’s current status in the MOT program.

Grievance Policy

Students are required to become familiar with the department and college grievance polices. The policies and procedures can be found in the university catalog and the occupational therapy student handbook.

Student Assessment and Retention Program

The department has several programs to improve the retention and graduation of students. A departmental assessment plan is an integral part of the retention program. This plan includes explicit statements and measures about student learning outcomes, end-of-year examinations and curriculum effectiveness. Other retention activities include mentoring, tutoring, counseling, and advising.

• The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) offers a peer-mentorship program. Students at the professional level may be matched to community- based mentors who are occupational therapists.
• Student Success workshops are held for students in the program throughout the semester. These workshops address skills needed in a professional program and are considered a professional obligation.
• Peer tutors are available for professional-level students. The faculty has identified office hours to assist students.
• All students receive one-on-one advising from faculty throughout the year. Referrals to other resources both within and outside the university are made when indicated.