College of Education and Rehabilitation

Occupational Therapy Department

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)

Master’s-Degree-Level Occupational Therapy Program
with Developing Program Status

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree (MSOT) program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Developing Program Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. 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 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 Overview

Our Master of Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree program gives Salus students the basic skills they need as a direct care provider, consultant, educator, manager, researcher and advocate for both the profession and the consumer.

Students with a bachelor’s degree may apply for entry into either the master’s (MSOT) or doctoral (OTD) degree programs. Once enrolled, students have the option to change their degree program selection.  A student who enters the program as an MSOT candidate may request admission to the doctoral program (doctoral students also have the opportunity to request a change to the master’s program). 

During the first two semesters of study, all students take the same classes.  All qualified students (in both programs) are awarded a Master of Science (MSOT) degree after successful completion of the first five semesters of coursework (56 credit hours).  These 56 hours include two Fieldwork Level II experiences and a Capstone project.

04/06/2012