Honors in Major

Occupational Therapy Departmental Honors in Major Program 

Purpose 
The Occupational Therapy (OT) Departmental Honors in Major Program is designed to foster advanced intellectual development of students through seminars, classes, and research activities. Honors program participants report that the program enhanced their independent thinking and communication skills, and enriched their learning beyond the regular classes. 

Eligibility and Course Requirements 
Students with a minimum of 3.6 GPA in their first two years are eligible for occupational therapy departmental honors-in-the-major coursework. Students must consult with their OT faculty advisor about their plan for completion of honors-in-the major. 

Requirements 
Four upper level occupational therapy courses including completion of a thesis project of at least 4 credits. These courses must be completed by the end of the student’s undergraduate senior year. The courses required are: 

  • OT 781 Research I, honors designation 
  • OT 710 Occupational Therapy Practice & Professional Roles, honors designation 
  • OT 741 Human Occupation, honors designation 
  • OT 791 Honors Thesis. 

Thesis 
Students complete their thesis by the end of the senior undergraduate year. The student is responsible for identifying a faculty mentor to supervise their Honors thesis work. The student must meet with potential faculty mentors to discuss possible projects and expectations. Students are encouraged to begin exploring topics and identifying a possible senior honors thesis occupational therapy faculty mentor early. The spring sophomore year or fall junior year are good times for interested students to begin a conversation with their faculty advisor and/or the occupational therapy department honors coordinator about a senior honors thesis project. Typically, students present their thesis research at the UNH undergraduate research conference. 

University Honors 
Students completing the University Honors Program must complete four Honors courses during their undergraduate years, in addition to meeting the Occupational Therapy Departmental Honors requirements. Participation in the University Honors Program is not a prerequisite for participation in the Occupational Therapy Departmental Honors Program. 

Contact 
Sarah Smith 
Honors Coordinator 
Department of Occupational Therapy
Email: s.smith@unh.edu 

Revised March 2022