Programs in Occupational Therapy
Department of Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Counseling

Occupational therapy is a health care profession that promotes the life-long health and well-being of individuals and populations through engagement in occupation. By “occupation” we mean the activities that are meaningful to individuals within the environments in which they live and function, including self-care, work, other productive activities, and play or leisure activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals and populations to increase daily function, enhance and support health and development, and prevent disability both through promotion of individual performance and by adapting tasks and the environment.

The range of functions an occupational therapist may perform includes evaluating children with developmental disabilities and collaborating with their families to create daily routines and activities that help them grow socially, cognitively, and physically; helping individuals who are physically challenged learn to carry out important daily tasks at home, on the job, and in the community; working with groups of clients experiencing psychiatric disability to help them identify effective strategies for managing daily activities in the community; and suggesting changes in the design layout, routines, and equipment of home, school, or workplace to support greater independence for persons with disabilities.

Occupational therapists function as clinicians, educators, consultants, researchers, administrators, and private practitioners. They may work in community health programs, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools and early childhood programs, nursing homes, home care, private practice, college and university faculties, the military services, Veterans Administration, the Public Health Service, and other government agencies.

Occupational Therapy programs are offered at the entry-level professional and post-professional levels. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program prepares students for entry into the profession.The postprofessional master’s (MS) and doctoral (ScD) programs prepare certified rehabilitation professionals for leadership in research, practice, and teaching in the profession. Boston University’s graduate OT programs were ranked #2 for the past five consecutive rankings by the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Graduate Schools.

The programs in Occupational Therapy enjoy ample teaching, laboratory, and research space in the Sargent College facility. A majority of instruction takes place in small discussion and lab sessions with an emphasis on collaborative learning and reflective analysis of theory and practice.

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master of science degree program in occupational therapy (MSOT)

Students attending the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program study with outstanding faculty who have made significant contributions to occupational therapy practice, scholarship, and research. The BU faculty are known among occupational therapists and the health care community throughout the United States and internationally and bring a broad and rich perspective to the education of students in our programs. They are passionate about the profession, enthusiastic about teaching, and committed to making a positive difference in occupational therapy and health care at the state, national, and international levels.

The MSOT program strives to prepare leaders who can apply occupational therapy knowledge and expertise to improve the health and well being of others in a wide variety of settings. This goal requires students who can transcend their personal experiences to understand the experiences of others; who assume responsibility for their own personal and professional development; who appreciate the complex systems involved in human occupation and health; who will be able to communicate, interact, and collaborate effectively with clients, families, professional colleagues, and the larger community; and who are flexible, dynamic, and creative in solving problems.

Over the last five years, our graduates have achieved a 95–100 percent success rate on the National Certification Exam in occupational therapy (first try). Over 90 percent of our graduates seeking employment last year had jobs within 3 months after completing the program. Our graduates consistently rate themselves as very well prepared for practice, and many have taken on leadership roles in practice and education.

Professional Program

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree program prepares graduates with baccalaureate degrees in disciplines other than OT to become occupational therapists.

The curriculum is designed to provide integrated preparation for diverse professional roles as an occupational therapy practitioner in traditional settings as well as in areas of newly identified need. The program involves both academic courses and integrated fieldwork experiences.

The MSOT program includes two years of academic work plus 24 weeks of internship (Level II Fieldwork), is full-time, and consists of primarily day-time, weekday classes with some evening labs. Our program begins in the fall semester, and courses are sequential and build upon preceding courses. Therefore, we offer no options for spring entrance into the program. There are no summer courses.

The MSOT curriculum has three organizing threads that guide all instruction: a clear focus on occupation as the central concern of the profession; a commitment to client-centered practice; and a strong belief that practice must be guided by the best scientific evidence available.

The MSOT program is designed to provide integrated preparation for diverse professional roles. We have adopted a life-course perspective in all of our clinical courses, rather than organize teaching by the traditional divisions by diagnosis (mental health; physical disabilities) or age group (pediatrics, geriatrics). Clinical courses make extensive use of case examples, which are followed across the life course and guide the introduction of relevant assessment, intervention, and systems issues as they would typically occur in relation to each part of the life course.

Each semester, MSOT students participate in an Integrative Seminar that links academic course material with concurrent extended Level I Fieldwork (LIFW) experiences in the local Boston community. Students discuss and analyze their LIFW experiences in the Seminar to apply what they have learned in other courses to these clinical situations.

Accreditation

Boston University Sargent College’s Entry-Level Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220; 301-652-2682; AOTA.

Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Visit the NBCOT website at NBCOT for more information. Upon successful completion of the exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. (NBCOT Eligibility: The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) may disqualify students with felony convictions/charges from becoming certified. The Qualifications Review Committee (QRC) will review the qualifications of examination candidates who have been convicted of or charged with a felony to determine if the circumstances appear to relate directly to the safe, proficient, and/or competent practice of occupational therapy. For students entering an OT program, the QRC may give an early determination for approval to take the certification exam. For more information, please contact the NBCOT directly.)

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Admission Requirements

Applications should be received by February 15 to be assured consideration. Applications received after that date will be considered on a space-available basis, and financial aid availability may be limited.

Applicants should gather and submit all required materials to:

Student Academic Support Services
(Admissions) Office
Boston University Sargent College
635 Commonwealth Ave., Room SAR 207
Boston, MA 02215
617-353-2713
sargrad@bu.edu
www.bu.edu/sargent

1. Official transcript(s) showing evidence of completion of (or intention to complete) a baccalaureate degree. Degree should include a minimum of 12 credits in social sciences (no time limit on these credits) and may include history, government, economiccs, sociology, anthropology, geography, and psychology. The program does not require a particular undergraduate concentration, and we encourage applicants with a diversity of backgrounds. A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in undergraduate coursework is required. Prerequisite courses taken after completion of a baccalaureate degree are not counted toward the GPA.

2. Scores on the aptitude portion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test. We recommend the following minimum GRE scores: verbal 500+, quantitative 500+, and analytical writing 4.5+ (analytical taken before Oct. 2002: 500+). Official scores should arrive by February 15 to Sargent College (institutional code 3028, dept. code 0618). Because our program requires strong critical thinking and writing skills, we use the GREs as one indicator of an applicant’s competency in these areas.

   If GRE scores are below the minimum in any area (especially the verbal), we recommend retaking the exam. There are some excellent study guides available to help students prepare for these exams, and sample test questions are posted on the GRE’s website at GRE. There is no limit on the number of times a student is allowed to retake the GREs. We will use the highest score from each section.

3. A completed application form and essay addressing the following three special essay questions (typed, double-spaced, three pages total, one page maximum per question). The purpose of the essay is to evaluate the applicant’s understanding of and commitment to the profession, as well as the applicant’s thinking process and writing ability.

1. Discuss your perception of how occupational therapy contributes to health and well being.
2. Discuss how your past education and life experiences led you to choose the profession of occupational therapy.
3. Describe a personally meaningful occupation and how your participation in that occupation has influenced you.

4. Three (3) letters of reference. One must be academic (from course instructor or academic advisor). One should be from a supervisor in professional or other work capacity who can address work, service, or other areas of the applicant’s background that may be pertinent to your qualifications. One should be health-care related if possible.

5. Official transcripts indicating completion of the five (5) college-level prerequisite courses. A minimum grade of B– is required, except for Gross Human Anatomy where the minimum required grade is C.

Courses taken to fulfill prerequisites must have a minimum of 3 credit hours. All courses must be completed within 7 years of matriculation into the MSOT program. Prerequisites must be completed before starting the MSOT program, but may be in progress at the time of application (applicants will be accepted conditionally). Students may apply prior to completing Gross Human Anatomy, with the understanding that this course must be completed successfully in Summer Term before they can begin the Fall MSOT courses. Courses may be taken at any accredited college or university, including community colleges.

1. Gross Human Anatomy (effective Fall 2007): Course should include the following 5 items: 1) cadaver lab; 2) covers all major body regions: head, neck, trunk, back, and limbs; 3) arthrology (study of joints); 4) general knowledge of muscle origin, insertion, action, nerve supply, and blood supply; and 5) surface anatomy. NOTE: Students are asked to submit a detailed course description to document that these requirements are met by their chosen Gross Human Anatomy course.

   Please note that Human Anatomy with an animal dissection lab is too basic and will NOT fulfill the Gross Human Anatomy requirement (Human Anatomy usually serves as a prerequisite to Gross Human Anatomy), Gross Human Anatomy is a more thorough course with a cadaver lab and often taught in premed or nursing programs. In Gross Human Anatomy, students learn more specific details about each system, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system. Students should learn muscle attachments, innervations and actions, as well as muscle palpation. The level of detail in the Gross Human Anatomy course is reflective of what a practitioner in the clinic would need to know in order to effectively evaluate and treat patients.

   Boston University Summer Term offers SAR HS 581 Gross Human Anatomy (mid-May to June), and the course description is as follows: Regional approach to the musculoskeletal, peripheral nervous, and circulatory systems of the human body. Cadaver laboratories reinforce the lectures by a study of osteology, prosected cadavers, and live anatomy palpations.

2. Human Physiology: one course (laboratory section optional).

3. Statistics: one course to include descriptive and inferential statistics, correlation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and introduction to regression analysis. A course in research design is also acceptable if it covers the relevant statistics.

4. Abnormal Psychology: one course (courses titled Psychopathology or Psychology of Deviance may be acceptable).

5. Developmental Psychology: one course (courses titled Life Span Development, Child Development, or Child Psychology may be acceptable; content on child development must be included in the course).

If you have questions about whether a course fulfills one of the above requirements, please submit a photocopy of the course description from the appropriate college catalog to MSOT Admissions Committee, Occupational Therapy Program, Boston University Sargent College, 635 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215. Please allow at least two business weeks for decision.

6. A list, on a separate sheet of paper, describing health care-related experience, including both paid and volunteer work. This information should show evidence of how you explored occupational therapy and determined it to be an appropriate career choice for you. The list should include:

• date of experience,
• name and type of facility,
• population, and
• a brief description of your involvement.

We highly recommend experiences in at least two different service delivery settings (e.g., schools, early intervention program, skilled nursing facility, community health center). One experience should be extended (over several weeks) and one short-term exposure. Although health care experiences are not part of the official admissions’ criteria, they provide additional information about a prospective student’s experience in the field and basis for choosing to pursue occupational therapy. Such experiences will weigh favorably when making admissions decisions.

7. Any student for whom English is not the first language must demonstrate competence in English through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Written English (TWE) or iBT (the internet version of these tests).

Application Deadline All materials should be submitted by the application deadline of February 15. Applications received after the deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis, and financial aid availability may be limited.

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Degree Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 64 graduate credits and 24 weeks of internship in order to fulfill degree requirements. All requirements must be completed within 5 years of initial matriculation. The program is designed for full-time study. In the unusual event that a student is approved by faculty for part-time or extended program due to extenuating circumstances, the student must complete at least one semester of coursework on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 credits).

Degree candidates must achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. No grade below C is acceptable for credit. Students may not repeat more than 2 required courses in the professional program. Students must complete Level II Fieldwork within 24 months after completing academic preparation. Please refer to the MSOT Student Manual for further details.

Curriculum

Students register for 16–18 credits each semester. Each course carries 4 credits unless otherwise noted. In the sequence below, courses designated as Processes of Assessment and Change (PAC) reflect the program’s integrated approach to teaching clinical skills and knowledge. All courses follow a life-course, case-based structure for assessing and intervening with problems in occupational performance associated with clinical disorders or risk conditions.

First Year (MSOT-1)

Fall Semester
SAR OT 526 Functional Movement: Analysis and Assessment
SAR OT 500 Integrative Seminar I and LIFW (2)
SAR OT 513 Analysis and Adaptation of Occupation
SAR OT 520 Evidence-Based OT Practice I (2)
SAR OT 529 Occupation Across the Life Course

Spring Semester
SAR HS 582 Neuroanatomy
SAR OT 501 Integrative Seminar II and LIFW (2)
SAR OT 524 The Occupational Therapy Process with Individual Clients
SAR OT 562 Processes of Assessment and Change I: Learning and Behavior Change
SAR OT 620 Evidence-Based OT Practice II (2)

Second Year (MSOT-2)

Fall Semester
SAR OT 502 Integrative Seminar III and LIFW
SAR OT 538 Assistive Technology (2)
SAR OT 563 Processes of Assessment and Change II
SAR OT 564 Processes of Assessment and Change III
SAR OT 621 Evidence-Based OT Practice III (2)
SAR OT 904 Thesis Proposal (2) optional

Spring Semester
SAR HP 650 Health Care Management
SAR OT 530 Occupation-Based Practice with Groups
SAR OT 565 Processes of Assessment and Change IV: Skills
SAR OT 566 Processes of Assessment and Change V (2): Resources
SAR OT 590 Level II Field Experience Fee (0)
SAR XX 500 Practice Elective (2) or SAR HP 905 Thesis: Directed Research (A thesis is an option for students who are in good academic standing and accepted by a faculty reader/advisor (thesis project must be in an area of current faculty research). If approved, the student registers for SAR OT 904 Thesis Proposal for 2 credits Semester I and for SAR HP 905 Directed Research for 4 credits Semester II. Students cannot begin OT 593/594 LIFW until the thesis is completed. No more than 6 credits of thesis will apply to the MSOT degree.)

Within 24 months after completion of didactic portion of program

SAR OT 593 Level II Field Experience 1 (0)
SAR OT 594 Level II Field Experience 2 (0)
SAR OT 595 Level II Elective Field Experience (0) (optional via petition)

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master of science program

Online Program Director, Clinical Professor Karen Jacobs
617-353-7516
kjacobs@bu.edu

Embanet Knowledge Group
(Boston University’s e-learning partner)
www.otdegree.com
ot@embanet.com
866-232-0232, ext. 3394

Post-professional Degree Program

Boston University’s post-professional Master of Science degree program is now offered exclusively in an e-learning format. This innovative program allows students to earn their MS degree without disrupting their career or relocating their family. The curriculum of our MS program was designed to increase practitioners’ ability to apply current theory, research, and knowledge of health and social service systems in their current clinical practice setting.

For further information about the post-professional MS program, including program and course descriptions, admission requirements, and procedures, please visit MS in Occupational Therapy.

All inquiries regarding the program should be directed to Boston University’s elearning partner, the Embanet Knowledge Group, at the phone number or e-mail address above.

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doctoral program in rehabilitation sciences (ScD)

Boston University occupational therapy faculty participate actively in the interdisciplinary Doctor of Science in Rehabilitation Sciences program, particularly in the Health, Adaptation, and Disability specialization (research track). Occupational therapists interested in pursuing doctoral study to prepare for a career in research and teaching can find a detailed description of the ScD program under “Doctoral Programs in Rehabilitation Sciences.”

Occupational Therapy Programs

617-353-2727
Website: www.bu.edu/sargent

Chair, Associate Professor Wendy J. Coster

Professor Cermak

Associate Professors Coster, Vergara

Assistant Professors Helfrich, Orsmond

Clinical Professor Jacobs

Clinical Associate Professors Cohn, Duncombe

Clinical Assistant Professors Berger, Lowenstein

Clinical Instructor Moran

Professors Emeritae Henderson, Scott, Talbot, Trombly

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Published by Trustees of Boston University
One Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215

20 September 2007
Boston University
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