Graduate Study at USI >> College of Nursing and Health Professions
812-492-7817
75 Credit hours
The occupational therapist is the professional-level practitioner who provides services that include evaluating, developing, improving, sustaining, or restoring skills in ADL, IADL, work, school, play, leisure, education, sleep, and social participation as well as lifestyle redesign.
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program is an entry-level professional program designed for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree. The MSOT program does not have a preference as to the major for the applicant’s bachelor’s degree as long as the nine required prerequisites courses or their equivalent are completed (CRITICAL: contact the OT program for equivalency information). The best undergraduate major is one in an area in which the student would enjoy working after obtaining the undergraduate degree and should be selected based on the student’s interests. The MSOT program consists of six semesters, including summers. The structure of the program is designed such that the academic and fieldwork components of the curriculum are full-time educational experiences.
At the University of Southern Indiana, the occupational therapy program promotes academic and professional excellence by preparing students, distinguished for their high level of professionalism and strong clinical skills, to become credentialed occupational therapy practitioners at the entry level.
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, North Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s phone number is 301-652-6611 ext 2042 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Graduates of the program 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). NBCOT’s phone number is 301-990-7979 and the web address is www.nbcot.org. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico require licensure in order to practice. License agencies require verification of the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction and/or ethical violations may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. NBCOT provides early determination review upon request (www.nbcot.org/Student/Services#EarlyDetermination).
In addition, most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Program Objectives
USI’s MSOT program will prepare students to:
- Demonstrate the entry-level proficiencies of an occupational therapist, with an ability to practice in dynamic services delivery systems addressing the needs of individuals, populations, and other entities.
- Recognize and value the role played by occupation and related concepts in influencing an individual’s health and wellness.
- Know, value, and capably apply elements of theoretical approaches, frameworks, and practice models during evaluations, interventions, and when establishing and evaluating outcomes.
- Recognize, understand, and utilize the synergy of person, occupations, and contexts in facilitating occupational performance with individuals of diverse lifespans, cultures, ethnicities, and/or other diversities.
- Engage in active learning—understanding, valuing, and utilizing appropriate ways of knowing and reasoning
- Recognize the impact of pathology on an individual’s structure and/or functions, and recognize how related impairment might contribute to activity limitations and/or participation restrictions.
- Know, value, and practice behaviors of professional integrity encompassing the ethical standards and practice standards of the profession.
- Understand and value the roles and contribution of the various professionals and other individuals with whom an OT may collaborate in varying setting.
- Embrace the dynamics of person, occupations, and contexts interactions (Law et al., 1996) as applied to an individual developing the personal and professional aptitudes of an occupational therapy practitioner—understanding, developing, and utilizing the needed skills, potential occupations, and contextual elements influencing effective, ethical practice.
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