Occupational Therapy (M.S.)

https://chhs.unh.edu/occupational-therapy/program/ms/occupational-therapy

A master's degree in occupational therapy (OT) will prepare you for a career supporting people in the daily activities that are important to them. A fast-growing field, occupational therapy provides opportunities to work with people of all ages in a range of settings. Our accredited program emphasizes the understanding that engagement in everyday activities fulfills social needs and gives meaning to life, and is essential to the development, adaptation and well-being of individuals and populations. You will learn to evaluate, provide intervention, and monitor the outcomes of clients facing a variety of illnesses, injuries and disabilities such as autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, substance abuse and musculoskeletal injuries. After completing your degree, you will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination to become a registered occupational therapist.

The UNH Occupational Therapy Master's Program is accredited 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, (301) 652-AOTA.

Academic Standards and Policies

In addition to the academic standards outlined in the requirements for the program, students must meet professional behavioral standards, which are explained in detail in the OT Department Policy and Procedure Manual, provided to all occupational therapy students during their first semester.

Because curriculum review and revision is undertaken annually, occupational therapy faculty work closely with students during academic advising sessions and share information about any policy and requirement changes during registration periods as well as throughout the academic year. Students are expected to take an active role in verifying expectations and requirements and should check with their departmental advisers each September for updated policies and requirements. Program requirements and policies for retention in the major are posted annually in the OT Department Policy and Procedure Manual, which is available on the OT department’s organization site on MyCourses.

Students participate in a variety of off-­campus and fieldwork experiences throughout the course of study and are covered with basic personal liability insurance through UNH for all practical components of the curriculum. Students are responsible for transportation to fieldwork sites and other off-campus learning experiences. Students are responsible for meeting the health and criminal record clearances established by their fieldwork sites and off-campus learning sites. Proof of immunization such as poliomyelitis, rubella, H1N1, and hepatitis B may also be required. For Level II fieldwork, health insurance and a physical examination, including a tuberculin test, are required. All fieldwork experiences are scheduled in centers approved by the Department of Occupational Therapy and with whom active Memoranda of Understanding with UNH exist.

After successfully completing all Level II fieldwork requirements and academic work, students are awarded a Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy. They are then eligible to sit for the National Board Certification Examination in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Consistent with NBCOT expectations, students must sit for the certification examination within two years of completion of coursework and fieldwork. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or obtain state licensure.

The program includes 2.75 years (6 semesters) of coursework, including fieldwork experiences. After the initial summer, there are no summer course requirements. Most classes will be scheduled during weekdays during the day and into early evening. Some courses require experiential, off-campus learning in addition to the Level II fieldwork experiences which are two twelve-week full time experiences. Level II fieldwork experiences are planned collaboratively with the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

Occupational Therapy MS Requirements

Students must complete at least 81 graduate-level credits, including 18 credits of fieldwork.

In order to be awarded a MS in Occupational Therapy from UNH, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and earn a minimum of B- in all required occupational therapy courses, and may not earn more than 8 credits of B- in OT courses (700 level or above). Students must pass all level I fieldwork requirements and receive a passing criterion score on the American Occupational Therapy Association Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapist in both 12-week Level II fieldwork experiences.

Required Courses
OT 810OT Practice and Professional Roles3
OT 815Introduction to Group Process: Theory and Application2
OT 830
830L
Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance
and Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance Lab
4
OT 841Human Occupation4
OT 844Fieldwork and Professionalism - Level 11
OT 845Administration and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice3
OT 846Fieldwork and Professionalism-Level II1
OT 850Neuro-Occupation: The Relationship Between Occupation and the Brain3
OT 851Mind Body Systems/Neurologically-based Function and Dysfunction3
OT 852
852L
Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations
and Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations Lab
4
OT 854Level II Fieldwork, I8
OT 855Level II Fieldwork Discussion1
OT 856Level II Fieldwork, II8
OT 860
860L
860R
Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention
and Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention Lab
and Psychosocial Evaluation & Intervention Recitation
4
OT 862
862L
862R
OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children
and OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children - Lab
and OT Evaluation and Intervention for Children Recitation
4
OT 863
863L
863R
Occupational Therapy Intervention for Adults
and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults - Lab
and Adult Evaluation and Intervention Recitation
4
OT 865Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning 13
OT 871
871L
Enabling Participation in Community Groups
and Enabling Participation in Community Groups Lab
5
OT 875Leadership in Occupational Therapy Systems of Practice3
OT 881Introduction to Research and Evidence-Based Practice3
OT 882Research Methods and Application3
OT 883Engagement in Research3
OT 892Level I Fieldwork1
Electives
Select 3 credits of graduate-level elective course(s)3
Total Credits81
1

Course requirements for OT 865 Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning, include a capstone experience in which students synthesize knowledge from academic coursework and fieldwork experiences to develop an innovative occupational therapy program that addresses the needs of a specific population or program.

Electives
OT 831Introduction to Assistive Technology Principles2
OT 832Introduction to Assistive Technology Practices2
OT 833Assistive Technology for Physical Access I: Electronic Technologies2
OT 834Assistive Technology for Physical Access II: Mobility, Seating, and Transportation2
OT 835Assistive Technology for Communication and Cognition2
OT 836Assistive Technology for Vision and Hearing2
OT #866AMPS Training4
OT 887Upper Extremity Rehabilitation and Splinting4
OT 888Application of Physical Agent Modalities in Occupational Therapy Practice3
OT 889Using iPads to Support Children with Disabilities2
OT 890Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration4
OT 895Readings and Research in Occupational Therapy1-6

Occupational Therapy M.S.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
SummerCredits
OT 850 Neuro-Occupation: The Relationship Between Occupation and the Brain 3
OT 815 Introduction to Group Process: Theory and Application 2
OT 810 OT Practice and Professional Roles 3
 Credits8
Fall
OT 841 Human Occupation 4
OT 851 Mind Body Systems/Neurologically-based Function and Dysfunction 3
OT 852 Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations 3
OT 881 Introduction to Research and Evidence-Based Practice 3
OT 852L Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations Lab 1
 Credits14
January Term
OT 892 Level I Fieldwork 1
 Credits1
Spring
OT 871L Enabling Participation in Community Groups Lab 2
OT 863R Adult Evaluation and Intervention Recitation 0
OT 882 Research Methods and Application 3
OT 863L Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults - Lab 1
OT 860L Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention Lab 1
OT 860R Psychosocial Evaluation & Intervention Recitation 0
 Credits7
Second Year
Fall
OT 854 Level II Fieldwork, I 8
OT 855 Level II Fieldwork Discussion 1
OT 856 Level II Fieldwork, II 8
 Credits17
Spring
OT 854 Level II Fieldwork, I 8
OT 855 Level II Fieldwork Discussion 1
OT 856 Level II Fieldwork, II 8
 Credits17
Third Year
OT 865 Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning 3
OT 875 Leadership in Occupational Therapy Systems of Practice 3
OT 886 Engagement in Research 3
Choose additional graduate level electives 3
 Credits12
Fall
OT 865 Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning 3
OT 875 Leadership in Occupational Therapy Systems of Practice 3
Elective or Grad Cert Course
 Credits6
 Total Credits82

The OT Department has identified five student outcomes for our Professional OT Program, MSOT graduates as follows:

Our graduates will:

Demonstrate professional attitudes and behaviors in their work and interactions with clients, and others with whom they work.

  • Our graduates will be dedicated to ethical, client-driven, OT practice, demonstrating integrity, honesty, compassion, and fairness. They will demonstrate respect for all clients with whom they work, which is grounded in an appreciation and consideration of individual priorities and life experience.  Our graduates will be life-long learners, and innovative thinkers committed to ongoing professional development, and state-of-the-art, evidence-based practices. They will be able to collaborate well with other professionals as committed team players and have a solid understanding of the many roles and expertise of other professionals with whom they commonly work, along with clarity of their roles as occupational therapists. They will aspire to and be prepared to assume leadership roles in their professional lives as practitioners, researchers, advocates, and educators.

Understand that engagement in meaningful occupations is essential to one’s health and well-being, and be prepared and committed to promote occupation-based occupational therapy practice.

  • Our curriculum emphasizes the idea that engagement in everyday activities to fulfill social roles and give meaning to life is essential to the development, adaptation, and well being of individuals, societies and populations. Our graduates are ready and committed to apply occupation-based evaluation and intervention techniques, and to share and expand authentic occupational therapy practices.

Be competent entry-level OT practitioners across diverse practice settings, skilled in the delivery occupation–based evaluation and intervention techniques.

  • Our graduates will have developed critical thinking skills, and the capacity for high-level clinical reasoning preparing them to deliver client-centered, occupation-based, services in traditional and emerging practice areas. Graduates will know a variety of evaluation methods for understanding a person’s occupational history, abilities, challenges and goals. They will apply occupation-based intervention approaches, and assistive technologies to address the needs of individuals, and populations in traditional and emerging medical, education, and other community-based practice arenas.

Apply evidence-based practices in their work.

  • Our graduates will be skilled in identifying and interpreting relevant research and other data sources for delivering evidence-based, clinical services for promoting occupational participation and life satisfaction. Furthermore, they will have research skills for contributing to the body of knowledge that supports and advances occupational science, and occupational therapy.

Demonstrate skills necessary to advance occupational justice so that all persons can fully participate in desired occupations.

  • Our graduates will apply critical thinking skills, ethics, policy, and awareness of the context in which occupational therapy may be of benefit, to help advance the OT profession’s goal of meeting the occupational needs of individuals, populations and societies. Our graduates will also be able to generate new ideas to support and promote occupational justice for individuals, populations, and societies.