Upon successful completion of the program the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students will be able to:
1. Design and implement client centered care that is inclusive of cultural values, beliefs and needs.
2. Demonstrate effective communication skills to function effectively as a member of an inter-professional health care team.
3. Support all clinical decision making with evidence based practice.
4. Create interventions with a central focus on occupation as the means and end of the profession’s philosophy.
5. Employ health promotion and wellness in all interactions with individuals, communities and populations.
6. Defend and advocate for health care change.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Program must:
- Have obtained a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution within the last 10 years.
- Application can be submitted during enrollment in an undergraduate degree program or during completion of prerequisite course work. A study plan with anticipated completion dates of course work must be submitted with the application.
- Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-English speaking country or those who are not a US citizen or permanent resident, must have verification of the following scores within two years of intended enrollment:
An Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90 with no less than 20 on each sub-score; or
An IELTS of 6.5 with no less than 6 on each band score.
Note: Students whose native language is English and/or students with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university are exempted from this examination.
- Medical Terminology course required. (1-2 credits)
- Applicants must have obtained an overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of program prerequisite courses.
Required prerequisite courses:
- Two (2) English and or communications courses (1-2 credits earned from each).
- Two (2) courses in the humanities or social sciences (Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Ethics; Cultural studies; Group Dynamics - 3 credits earned from each).
- One (1) Statistics course. (3 credits)
- One (1) course in Human Anatomy plus Lab (3 credits).
- One (1) course in Physiology plus Lab (3 credits).
- One (1) course in Human Development or Lifespan (3 credits).
- One (1) course in Abnormal or Behavioral Psychology (3 credits).
Student should have:
- Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
- Three (3) references:
- Two (2) occupational therapists; one (1) faculty member / advisor.
- A minimum of 40 volunteer or observation hours obtained from an occupational therapy setting of choice.
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Application due dates:
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For Fall term starting in September – the application due date is May 1st of the same year.
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For Spring term starting in January – the application due date is September 1st of the prior year.
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Fulltime devotion to this program is highly recommended; any employment can interfere with the successful completion of this program.
MSOT Transfer Credit Evaluation
Transfers of credits within the university will be considered on a case by case basis. Students wanting to transfer credits from other Occupational Therapy programs are allowed a maximum of 18 transfer credits for the WCU MSOT degree.
MSOT Candidate Deposit
Applicants that are conditionally accepted to the MSOT program will be required to submit a $500.00 good faith payment for a Seat Deposit. The Seat Deposit will be credited to your program costs. The University will retain a maximum of $175.00 of this deposit should you cancel your enrollment within seven calendar days (excluding holidays) of enrollment or by the seventh calendar day of the first term, whichever is later. The seat deposit is fully refundable if you are not admitted as a result of your background check. Deposits may be paid by money order or cashier's check made out to West Coast University.
For specific graduation requirements, please see the MSOT Graduation Requirements.
Program Information and Disclosures
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program Accreditation Disclosure
The entry-level MSOT Program at WCU has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 47wo Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-2682. ACOTE's website: www.acoteonline.org
Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, 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, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licensure are usually base on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may effect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
More information about the NBCOT examination process is available at: www.nbcot.org.
California Board of Occupational Therapy (CBOT) Disclosure
Graduates who wish to practice in California must apply with the California Board of Occupational Therapy to be issued licensure to practice in the state of California.
For more information about OTR license application requirements, please visit the California Board of Occupational Therapy at www.bot.ca.gov/.
Health Insurance Requirement
Students enrolled in the MSOT program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork. Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program.
MSOT Curriculum
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is offered on a Trimester system, with 3 trimesters a year. Students may complete the MSOT program in a total of 6 trimesters over 2 years (24 months). These trimesters are labeled as follows:
MSOT Trimester 1 | 2nd week of January each year
MSOT Trimester 2 | Last week of April each year
MSOT Trimester 3 | 1st week of September each year
*Note: New students will be enrolled in Trimesters 1 or 3 only. New students will not be enrolled into Trimester 2.
Core Occupational Therapy Courses
| OCC 510 | Foundations of Occupation and Occupational Therapy | 2.0 |
| OCC 511 | Occupations across the Lifespan | 2.0 |
| OCC 512 | Introduction to Fieldwork I | 1.0 |
| OCC 513 | OT Evaluation and Screening I | 3.0 |
| OCC 514 | Introduction to Research | 2.0 |
| OCC 515 | Basic Patient Care Skills | 2.0 |
| OCC 516 | Integrated Physiology and Anatomy | 5.0 |
| OCC 520A | Occupational Performance in the Older Adult | 4.0 |
| OCC 520B | Skills Lab: Older Adult | 2.0 |
| OCC 521 | Fieldwork I – Older Adult | 1.0 |
| OCC 522 | OT Evaluation and Screening II | 2.0 |
| OCC 523 | Brain, Behavior and Occupation | 3.0 |
| OCC 524 | Movement Analysis in Occupation | 3.0 |
| OCC 525 | Evidence-based Practice I | 2.0 |
| OCC 526 | Occupations in Practice | 2.0 |
| OCC 531A | Occupational Performance in the Adult | 4.0 |
| OCC 531B | Skills Lab: Adult | 2.0 |
| OCC 532 | Fieldwork I – Adults | 1.0 |
| OCC 533 | Evidence-based Practice II | 2.0 |
| OCC 534 | Preparatory Methods I | 3.0 |
| OCC 535 | Assistive Technology | 4.0 |
| OCC 541A | Occupational Performance in Children and Adolescents | 4.0 |
| OCC 541B | Skills Lab: Children and Adolescents | 2.0 |
| OCC 542 | Fieldwork I – Children and Adolescents | 1.0 |
| OCC 543 | Introduction to Fieldwork II | 1.0 |
| OCC 544 | Preparatory Methods II | 4.0 |
| OCC 545 | Occupational Wellness | 4.0 |
| OCC 546 | Professional Management and Leadership | 3 |
| OCC 551 | Preparation for Professional Practice | 1.0 |
| OCC 552 | Fieldwork II-A | 12.0 |
| OCC 562 | Fieldwork II-B | 12.0 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 96.0 |
For program costs, please see the Graduate Tuition and Fees section.