Occupational Therapy, M.S.
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) is designed to prepare graduates to take the national licensing examination (i.e., NBCOT) to become Occupational Therapists.
Accreditation
Point Loma Nazarene University's Master of Science in Occupational Therapy has been granted program accreditation by the Western Association of Senior Colleges and University Commission (WSCUC).
WSCUC can be contacted at 1080 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 500, Alameda, CA 94501. Telephone: 510-748-9001.
Additionally, students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 18 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.
Program Learning Outcomes
The Point Loma Nazarene University Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program Graduate will be able to:
- Use critical reasoning to provide evidence-based occupational therapy services across the lifespan, in a variety of service delivery models, health care settings, and community-based systems.
- Develop and utilize a therapeutic use of self during client interactions, which supports the client’s engagement in occupational therapy, and achievement of the clients’ goals.
- Provide services within a client-centered and occupation-based framework, with consideration of contextual factors, which influence a person, groups’, and/or populations’ ability to engage in meaningful occupational tasks and roles.
- Demonstrate compliance with legal, ethical, and professional standards when interacting with clients, service providers, and/or systems.
- Exhibit the ability to document, manage, and evaluate outcomes of services provided.
- Develop clinical programs, which meet a need for underserved persons, groups, and/or populations in the community.
- Embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion in clinical practice through the delivery of high quality, accessible, and culturally responsive care within a technological and global environment.
- Advance the awareness and ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary team members to enhance the provision of client-centered, quality occupational therapy services.
Admission Requirements
See https://www.pointloma.edu/graduate-studies/programs/occupational-therapy-ms
Application Process
Applications to the program occur through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy (OTCAS). Please visit the OTCAS website for more information or email OTCAS.
Applications are reviewed when the OTCAS application has been verified. Students may have up to 6 credit hours of the required prerequisite courses in progress at the time of application but must complete these courses prior to the program start date, except for Anatomy and Physiology I and II, which must be completed by the time of application to the program.
Interviews and acceptance will be on a rolling basis throughout the year until the cohort is filled.
Admission Criteria
To be admitted into the Occupational Therapy program, an applicant must meet these requirements:
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university recognized by a regional accrediting agency. College seniors are eligible to apply providing they will receive their degree prior to the August start of the program.
- Applicants must meet a minimum GPA of 3.000 in their most recent 60 semester units of work, including both graduate and undergraduate coursework.
- Prerequisite courses may only be repeated once; the second course grade will be used to calculate the average GPA.
- All applicants must meet the program’s technical standards.
Prerequisite Courses
Completion of the following prerequisite courses
- One semester of each of the following, each course completed with a grade of “B-” or 3.000 or better:
- Anatomy & Physiology I with lab (must be completed within the past 5 years)
- Anatomy & Physiology II with lab (must be completed within the past 5 years)
- In lieu of a combined A & P, you may take one semester of anatomy and one semester of physiology. Online and in-person classes accepted1.
- One semester of each of the following, each course completed with a grade of “B-“or better within the past 10 years. Courses can be taken online.
- Abnormal Psychology (3 units)
- Lifespan Development or Developmental Psychology (3 units)
- Medical Terminology (at least 1 unit)
- Introductory Statistics (in behavioral or social sciences, 3 units)
- Sociology, Anthropology, or Social Psychology (3 units)
These courses may be taken at any regionally accredited community, public, or private college or university. Online courses at regionally accredited colleges are also acceptable for psychology, sociology, anthropology, or statistics courses.
You may have up to six (6) credit hours of prerequisite courses in progress at the time of application to the program. If you are accepted into the program while currently enrolled in required prerequisite courses, you will be provisionally accepted. The provisional acceptance will be changed to full acceptance once transcripts are received that confirm successful completion of outstanding prerequisite courses that are aligned with the criteria above.
- 1
Students looking to fulfill their anatomy prerequisite have the option to complete it through PLNU's Anatomy Learning Institute.
Experience
Observation Hours
- A minimum of 40 observation hours (virtual or in-person) are required. Documentation of hours should be uploaded to the OTCAS. In lieu of observation hours, however, students may watch videos and write a paper about the OT profession from viewing the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) website’s career resources. Refer to below for more details on this second option.
- For students submitting proof of knowledge about the OT profession gained from the AOTA website, address the following points in a well-thought-out summary that does not exceed three pages. You will send this documentation to the graduate admissions office.
- What were the OT practice areas discussed in the AOTA career videos?
- How do current OT practice areas support the original tenets of the OT profession?
- What surprised you about the OT profession?
- What practice areas resonated with you and why?
- Additionally, there is a 20-hour video learning platform that can be used to obtain credit for 20 observation hours. The cost of this video learning is $49.99 and can be located on the site ClinEdWeb. Send completed certificate to gradinfo@pointloma.edu.
Work/Volunteer Experience
- Preference is given to applicants who have prior work and/or volunteer experience in healthcare or educational settings. You will describe applicable work and volunteer experience on the OTCAS.
Preferences
- Point Loma Nazarene University graduates.
Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of reference (personal or professional) are required. You will be provided with the link on OTCAS to send to your references.
Personal Essay
You are required to submit a personal essay to the OTCAS.
- How has your past work, volunteer, or service experiences prepared you to become an occupational therapist?
- Explain why you selected occupational therapy as a career and how an Occupational Therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, spiritual, and professional background will help you achieve your goals.
International Students
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOFEL), taken within the last 2 years, is required for any applicants for whom English is not their native language. The TOFEL requirement may be waived for applicants with a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited US institution. To review your application, we must receive official scores from ETS for the TOFEL. Only the IBT (Internet Based Test) form of the TOEFL will be accepted. We require a total score of 93 and a speaking score of 26 for entry into our program.
Advanced Placement/Transfer Credit
The PLNU MSOT Program values rigorous academic preparation and previous health care experience in the evaluation of applicants. However, it is not the policy of the program to award advanced placement or, to accept for credit, any previous academic or other experiential learning toward completion of the MSOT degree. All matriculated students are required to participate in and complete the entire curriculum of the program to meet the requirements of graduation.
Occupational Therapy Student Handbook
Click here to view the MSOT Student Handbook
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ANA 6005 | Applied Human Anatomy | 5 |
| ANA 6009 | Applied Neuroanatomy | 3 |
| OCC 6000 | Introduction to Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| OCC 6002 | Professionalism in Occupational Therapy Seminar I | 1 |
| OCC 6003 | Evidence-Based Practice | 3 |
| OCC 6004 | Health and Equity Disparities | 1 |
| OCC 6005 | Community Practice Seminar I | 1 |
| OCC 6006 | Case-Based Learning Seminar I | 0 |
| OCC 6007 | Human Occupations Across the Lifespan | 3 |
| OCC 6008 | Applied Human Movement | 3 |
| OCC 6010 | Research Methods I | 3 |
| OCC 6011 | Mental Health Conditions, Assessments, and Interventions | 4 |
| OCC 6012 | Case-Based Learning Seminar II | 0 |
| OCC 6013 | Level I Fieldwork A - Mental Health Conditions | 1 |
| OCC 6014 | Group Process | 2 |
| OCC 6015 | Case-Based Learning Seminar III | 0 |
| OCC 6016 | Healthcare Systems and Professional Documentation | 3 |
| OCC 6017 | Interprofessional Seminar | 0 |
| OCC 6018 | Assistive Technology | 3 |
| OCC 6019 | Patient Skills Management | 2 |
| OCC 6020 | Childhood Conditions, Assessments, and Interventions | 5 |
| OCC 6021 | Adolescent Conditions, Assessments, and Interventions | 3 |
| OCC 6022 | Case-Based Learning Seminar IV | 0 |
| OCC 6023 | Level I Fieldwork B - Pediatric/Adolescent | 1 |
| OCC 6024 | Research Methods II | 2 |
| OCC 6025 | Community Practice Seminar II | 2 |
| OCC 6026 | Orthopedic Adult - Older Adult Conditions, Assessments, and Interventions | 5 |
| OCC 6027 | Neurologic Adult - Older Adult Conditions, Assessments, and Interventions | 5 |
| OCC 6028 | Management in Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| OCC 6029 | Case-Based Learning Seminar V | 0 |
| OCC 6030 | Level I Fieldwork C - Adult/Older Adult | 1 |
| OCC 6031 | Professionalism in Occupational Therapy Seminar II | 1 |
| OCC 6032 | Level II Fieldwork A | 6 |
| OCC 6033 | Level II Fieldwork B | 6 |
| OCC 6034 | Professionalism in Occupational Therapy Seminar III | 0 |
| Total Units | 81 | |
Graduation Requirements
To earn and receive a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree, a student must satisfy all of the following:
- Successful completion of all requirements, exams, and have all grades posted prior to degree posting.
- A completed application for degree candidacy conveyed to the Office of Records. Note: Students may participate in Commencement convocations with an approved plan of six or fewer units remaining to complete their degree in the following semester.
- Payment in full of all tuition, fees, and other financial obligations owed to the university, including a degree processing fee, and
- All requirements completed within thirty-nine (39) months from the time of initial enrollment.