The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is delivered in a hybrid format, combining online coursework with required on-campus intensive learning 3 weeks per semester. The curriculum consists of 66 credit hours and is completed in 2.5 years.

Shawnee State University’s Master of Occupational Therapy program aims to provide a “flexible learning environment” to develop lifelong critical thinkers and problem solvers. “Learning by doing” facilitates the development of essential knowledge and skills to meet the current and future occupational needs of society. Graduates will value occupation and ethics and use evidence-based practice to holistically serve all people, populations, and communities, demonstrating respect for diversity and actions of inclusion within the profession and the populations served. This unique approach of “learning by doing” is cultivated from the occupational therapy profession’s foundation that “places occupation at the center of all learning” (Hooper et al., 2015).

• The SSU MOT program emphasizes a flexible hybrid learning environment rooted in adult learning theory (Knowles, 1971), and places occupation at the core of teaching and learning.
• The curriculum is built on the core belief in the occupational nature of humans, aligning with the OT profession’s philosophy and values.
• Students engage in experiential, hands-on learning (“learning by doing”) integrated with reflection to develop clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills.
• Curricular design is scaffolded to progressively build knowledge, application, and integration across courses and learning experiences.
• Three curricular themes are threaded throughout the program:
  1. Occupational Nature of Humans – foundational to the OT profession and addressed across all coursework.
  2. Evidence-Based Practice – integrated into research and clinical decision-making.
  3. Professionalism – including ethics, advocacy, and cultural competence.

For more information regarding the Master of Occupational Therapy program, please visit our web page at: Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy | Shawnee State University

Occupational Therapy is a vital healthcare profession that uses purposeful and meaningful activity—referred to as “occupation”—as the foundation for treating individuals across the lifespan who are experiencing physical, developmental, cognitive, or emotional challenges.

Occupational therapists assist individuals of all ages in acquiring, restoring, or adapting the skills necessary for independent, productive, and satisfying lives. Therapists work in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term care facilities, public and private schools, home health agencies, and community-based programs.

Occupational therapists are responsible for evaluating client needs, developing individualized treatment plans, and implementing therapeutic interventions. They lead both individual and group sessions, recommend or fabricate assistive devices, and collaborate with certified occupational therapy assistants and other allied health professionals to support client outcomes.

To practice as an occupational therapist, individuals must complete a graduate-level educational program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The program includes coursework in theoretical foundations, evidence-based practice, clinical reasoning, research, and professional leadership.

In addition to academic preparation, students must complete six to nine months of full-time (40 hours/week) supervised fieldwork in a variety of healthcare and community settings. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months of the conclusion of academic coursework and no later than two months prior to sitting for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination.

Program Educational Goals

The curriculum design of the Shawnee State University (SSU) MOT program is derived from the mission, vision, and philosophy of the university, SSU MOT program, the occupational therapy profession, along with core concepts of occupational therapy and established educational learning theories. The program philosophy and curriculum design, along with all aspects of occupational therapy education as defined in the Accreditation Standards for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), help guide faculty in the development of course content, course planning, instructional methods, student and program evaluation. To aid in the sequencing of courses and development, three curricular themes are identified and threaded throughout the curriculum to reflect knowledge acquisition, application of knowledge, and knowledge integration (AOTA, 2018). The three themes of the SSU Master of Occupational Therapy curriculum are: 1) Occupational Nature of Humans, 2) Evidence-Based Practice, and 3) Professionalism, which are identified within the “Cornerstones of Occupational Therapy Practice” (AOTA, 2020, p. 6). These three themes are embedded within the coursework, fieldwork, advising, and research-based activities that occur within the community, classroom, and online learning environments.

THEMES	Learner Outcomes  As graduates of SSU’s MOT program, learners will:
Occupational Nature of Humans:  Students develop the understanding of the profession, through exploration of self as an occupational being, analyzing cases and directly engaging with others to identify persons, groups, and populations as occupational beings. The historical foundation of occupational therapy is a deep understanding of engaging in “interesting work…for the purpose of healing” (Dunlop, 1933, p. 6). More than one-hundred years of education and research of human’s intrinsic need to engage in occupation has been proven to directly influence health and quality of life (Bar & Jarus, 2015; Cruyt et al., 2021; Petruseviciene et al., 2018;). The science behind this understanding has helped us better understand the complexity of humans as an occupational being. The values and desires of persons, groups, and populations must be understood and considered within their context (AOTA, 2020). The interplay between the environment and personal factors influences the ability to participate in meaningful occupations. Occupational performance is influenced by an individual’s habits, routines, roles, and rituals, which are unique to each person, group, and population. The abilities of motor skills, processing skills, and social interaction also influence one’s occupational performance (AOTA, 2020). The belief and understanding of the complexities of humans as occupational beings is the ultimate guide for the occupational therapy profession and the curriculum in the MOT program at SSU.	understand and value the complexity, depth, and breadth of human occupation across the lifespan;    develop an understanding of the profession, through exploration of self as an occupational being, analyzing cases and directly engaging with others to identify persons, groups, and populations as occupational beings within their context;    evaluate the occupational needs of diverse persons, groups, and populations and create interventions and programs to meet these needs.
Evidence-based Practice:  Evidence-based practice in occupational therapy has been the standard expectation of practitioners for over two decades as education requirements continuously evolve (ACOTE, 2020; Hinojosa, 2013; Myers & Lotz, 2017). In considering the identity of occupational therapy, evidence-based practice highlights the occupational nature of humans and how occupations are a means to the therapeutic process and informs occupational therapy services (AOTA, 2020; Hooper et al., 2015; Hooper et al., 2018). As students and professionals, we explore occupations and “formulate new questions, scholarship, and research” (Hooper et al., 2015, p.4). It is the integration of clinical expertise, patient values, and the best research evidence that guides the ability to make informed decisions, which supports the occupational nature of persons, groups, and populations (AOTA, 2020).	identify, interpret, and analyze evidence that supports occupational therapy practice;    implement occupational therapy services which are informed by evidence and effective clinical reasoning that supports the occupational nature of persons, groups, and populations.
Professionalism:  Professionalism is described as a set of attitudes, values, behaviors, and relationships that hold health professionals responsible in their society Klemenc-Ketis & Vreckom, 2014. This definition reflects the goal of SSU’s MOT program, university, and the profession. Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) standards define professional behavior as the “ability to advocate for social responsibility and equitable services to support health equity and address social determinants of health; commit to engaging in lifelong learning; and evaluate the outcome of services, which include client engagement, judicious health care utilization, and population health” (AOTA, 2018a, p.38). Instilling professional behaviors in students supports the integrity of the profession.	demonstrate professional behavior and the ability to respond effectively to feedback regarding professional behaviors;    demonstrate the ability to engage in self-assessment to support reflective practice and the ability to become a change agent in the profession.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-6611, and its web address is ACOTE – Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

Certification and Licensure

Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT®). NBCOT establishes its own eligibility criteria for the examination, including requirements related to character and criminal history. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to take the certification examination or obtain state licensure.

Applicants with concerns about eligibility are encouraged to contact NBCOT directly or explore the Early Determination Review process. For more information, visit www.nbcot.org or call 301.990.7979.

Upon successful completion of the NBCOT Certification Examination, individuals earn the credential of Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR®). Most states require licensure to practice as an occupational therapist. State licensure is typically based on NBCOT certification and may include additional requirements such as background checks, jurisprudence exams, and continuing education.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Completion of OTCAS application
• Completion of Shawnee State University’s Graduate Application
• Submit non-refundable $30 graduate application fee
• Earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Submit official college transcripts
• Minimum overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (If <3.0 GPA, must submit GRE with a score of 50th percentile or above in each area)
• Completion of prerequisite coursework (listed below). A grade of ‘C’ or better is necessary for each prerequisite course.
• Minimum of 40 hours of occupational therapy observation (not required for occupational therapy assistants with current state licensure who are currently practicing). The volunteer form will need to be submitted.
• Personal Essay (500 words maximum): This essay should introduce who you are, highlight your motivation for becoming an occupational therapist, and explain how our program aligns with your professional goals.  Submit your completed essay as part of your OTCAS application an dattach it when sending materials to the Graduate School Admissions at Shawnee State University.
• 3 professional references

PREREQUISTIE COURSEWORK

*The following courses may be taken after acceptance into the MOT program, but must be completed prior to beginning MOT coursework.

Social and Behavioral Science:

(3 or 4 CREDIT course in EACH of the following, beyond introductory level within ten years prior to program admission)

• Developmental Psychology or Human Development (must cover the lifespan)
• Abnormal Psychology (must cover concepts of human behavior)
• Social or Cultural Anthropology (must cover societal needs related to sociocultural/socioeconomic factors)

Shawnee State Course Equivalents: PSYC1130, PSYC3160, ANTH2250, SOCI2205

Physical Science:

(3 or 4 CREDIT course in EACH of the following upper division level of physical sciences within five years prior to program admission)

• Anatomy (covers structure and function of the human body)
• Physiology (covers structure and function of the human body)
• Biomechanics and Functional Kinesiology  (covers biomechanics and kinesiology)
• Neuroscience (advanced level psychology or biology covering mechanisms of brain function)

Other Coursework:

(3 or 4 CREDIT course in EACH of the following)

• Medical terminology (covers commen medical terminology used in health professions)
• Statistics (covers basic principles of statistics)

Shawnee State Course Equivalents: STAT1150, ANHR1101

The Program Director of the Master of Occupational Therapy program will have final approval of all prerequisite courses.