Occupational Therapy, Advanced Standing (M.S.)

Occupational Therapy, Advanced Standing (M.S.)
Occupational Therapy Assistive Technology

WHY GET A MASTER’S DEGREE IN 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 clinical settings. Our accredited master’s degree 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, societies and populations. You’ll learn to evaluate, provide intervention, and monitor the outcomes of patients facing a variety of illnesses, injuries and disabilities, such as autism, traumatic brain injury, stroke, substance abuse and musculoskeletal injuries.

WHY CHOOSE UNH’S OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM?

At UNH, you will gain valuable hands-on experience, integrating your knowledge and skills as you provide services with people in the community through academic courses and fieldwork. You will have opportunities to become involved with faculty research and scholarly projects, and you will also be supported by the educational, service and social opportunities of the Student Occupational Therapy Association on campus. Students in the B.S. OT Program enter the advanced standing M.S. program having completed many professional courses, earning both degree programs in five and a half years. After completing your M.S. degree, you will be eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy certification exam to become a registered occupational therapist.

POTENTIAL CAREER AREAS

  • Acute care
  • Administration
  • Early intervention programs
  • Hand therapy clinics
  • Hospitals
  • In-patient rehabilitation centers
  • Mental health and substance abuse programs
  • Primary care settings
  • School settings
  • Skilled nursing facilities
 
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Curriculum & Requirements

UNH students who are in the BS program in occupational therapy enter into the Advanced­-Standing MS Program to complete a MS Degree in Occupational Therapy to be eligible to enter the profession of occupational therapy. Because they have completed some of the professional courses, they earn their MS Degree in Occupational Therapy in three semesters, including fieldwork. The 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. Their phone number is (301) 652-AOTA.

An entry level master’s degree in occupational therapy will prepare you to enter the profession with strong foundational skills in occupational therapy assessment and intervention in all areas of practice, and skills in leadership and advocacy, clinical research, and program development. You will learn to evaluate, plan and 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. At UNH, you will learn and apply occupational therapy principles to traditional and emerging areas of practice, in hospital and community-based settings and for individual clients and population groups.

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

Most classes will be scheduled during weekdays during the day and into early evening. Some courses require experiential, off-campus learning in addition to required off-campus level II fieldwork experiences. The level II fieldwork experiences are full­ time for a total of 24 weeks and are planned collaboratively with the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator.

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 will 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.

Advanced-Standing M.S.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
OT 854 Level II Fieldwork, I 8
OT 855 Level II Fieldwork Discussion 1
 Credits9
Spring
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
Graduate elective 3 credits 3
 Credits12
Second Year
Fall
OT 856 Level II Fieldwork, II 8
OT 855 Level II Fieldwork Discussion 1
 Credits9
 Total Credits30

Degree Requirements

In order to be awarded a MS degree in Occupational Therapy from UNH, students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0, earn a minimum of B- in all required occupational therapy courses, with no more than 8 credits of B- or lower in OT courses (700 level or above). Students must also pass all competency (practical) exams as part of OT courses, 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 for both 12-week Level II fieldwork experiences.

Undergraduate Courses
OT 710OT Practice and Professional Roles4
OT 730
730L
Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance
and Assistive Technology for Enhancing Occupational Performance Lab
4
OT 741Human Occupation4
OT 744Fieldwork and Professionalism - Level 11
OT 745Administration and Management for Occupational Therapy Practice4
OT 746Fieldwork & Prof Level II1
OT 752
752L
Human Movement and Environmental Effects on Everyday Occupations
and Human Movement Lab
4
OT 753Mind Body Systems: Neurologically-based Function and Dysfunction--Pediatric Conditions4
OT 757Mind Body Systems: Neurologically-based Function and Dysfunction--Adult Conditions4
OT 760
760L
760R
Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention
and Psychosocial Evaluation and Intervention Lab
and Psychosocial Evaluation & Intervention Recitation
4
OT 762
762L
762R
Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Children
and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Children Lab
and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Children Recitation
4
OT 763
763L
763R
Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults
and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults Lab
and Occupational Therapy Evaluation and Intervention for Adults Recitation
4
OT 771
771L
Enabling Participation in Community Groups
and Enabling Participation in Community Groups Lab
5
OT 785Research Methods and Application to Practice4
Total Credits51
Graduate Courses
Advanced-standing students are required to earn 30 graduate credits, which includes 16 credits of fieldwork, in addition to 50 undergraduate credits that includes 2 credits of fieldwork, taken as part of the occupational science degree.
OT 854
OT 855
Level II Fieldwork, I
and Level II Fieldwork Discussion
9
OT 856
OT 855
Level II Fieldwork, II
and Level II Fieldwork Discussion
9
OT 865Occupational Therapy Practice and Professional Reasoning 13
OT 875Leadership in Occupational Therapy Systems of Practice3
OT 886Engagement in Research3
Select at least 3 credits of graduate-level elective course(s)3
Total Credits30
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.

Elective Courses
OT 887Upper Extremity Rehabilitation and Splinting4
OT 888Application of Physical Agent Modalities in Occupational Therapy Practice3
OT 890Occupational Therapy and Sensory Integration4
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 889Using iPads to Support Children with Disabilities2
OT #866AMPS Training4
OT 895Readings and Research in Occupational Therapy1-6

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.

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Deadlines

Admissions decisions are made as applications are received. 

Applications must be completed by the following deadlines in order to be reviewed for admission:

  • Fall: March 1
  • Spring: N/A
  • Summer: N/A
  • Special: N/A

Application fee: $65

Campus: Durham

New England Regional: CT RI

Accelerated Masters Eligible: No

New Hampshire Residents

Students claiming in-state residency must also submit a Proof of Residence Form. This form is not required to complete your application, but you will need to submit it after you are offered admission or you will not be able to register for classes.

Transcripts

If you attended UNH or Granite State College (GSC) after September 1, 1991, and have indicated so on your online application, we will retrieve your transcript internally; this includes UNH-Durham, UNH-Manchester, UNH Non-Degree work and GSC. 

If you did not attend UNH, or attended prior to September 1, 1991, then you must upload a copy (PDF) of your transcript in the application form. International transcripts must be translated into English.

If admitted, you must then request an official transcript be sent directly to our office from the Registrar's Office of each college/university attended. We accept transcripts both electronically and in hard copy:

  • Electronic Transcripts: Please have your institution send the transcript directly to grad.school@unh.edu. Please note that we can only accept copies sent directly from the institution.
  • Paper Transcripts: Please send hard copies of transcripts to: UNH Graduate School, Thompson Hall- 105 Main Street, Durham, NH 03824. You may request transcripts be sent to us directly from the institution or you may send them yourself as long as they remain sealed in the original university envelope.

Transcripts from all previous post-secondary institutions must be submitted and applicants must disclose any previous academic or disciplinary sanctions that resulted in their temporary or permanent separation from a previous post-secondary institution. If it is found that previous academic or disciplinary separations were not disclosed, applicants may face denial and admitted students may face dismissal from their academic program.

Letters of Recommendation: 2 Required

Recommendation letters submitted by relatives or friends, as well as letters older than one year, will not be accepted.

Personal Statement/Essay Questions

Brief essay, stating interest in continuing into the graduate program to enter the profession.

Resume

Applicants who are not in the UNH B.S. in Occupational Therapy program must submit a one-page resume that details academic, work, and related experiences.

Important Notes

All applicants are encouraged to contact programs directly to discuss program-specific application questions.

International Applicants

Prospective international students are required to submit TOEFL, IELTS, or equivalent examination scores. English Language Exams may be waived if English is your first language. If you wish to request a waiver, then please visit our Test Scores webpage for more information.


 

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