Occupational Therapy

Hope Martin, OTR, PhD, CHT
Program Director
ACU Box 28131
Abilene, TX 79699-8131
Hardin Administration Building Suite 204

Phone: (325) 674-2474
Fax: (325) 674-6568
Email: msot@acu.edu
Web: www.acu.edu/occupationaltherapy

Faculty

Samuel Brinkman, PhD, Adjunct Professor
Catherine Candler, OTR, PhD, BCP, Professor
Hope Martin, OTR, PhD, CHT, Associate Professor
Donna Walls, OTR, MS, CHT, Assistant Professor
Michelle Saska, OTR, DOT, Adjunct Professor
Kari Williams, OTR, MS Fieldwork Coordinator, Assistant Professor
Amy Gibbs, OTR, Clinical Lab Facilitator
Lillie Thomas, MOT, Assistant Professor
Dina Warren, OTR, MA, Adjunct Professor

Introduction

The Mission of Department of Occupational Therapy is to prepare occupational therapy students to think and act critically, missionally, and globally in Christian service and leadership throughout their respective communities. The goal of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is to prepare students to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. and to become licensed Occupational Therapists. The 69-hour program consists of two years of graduate education, including two 12-week fieldwork education rotations.

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA 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). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all 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.

NOTE: It is our department policy that all students complete graduation and fieldwork requirements in a timely manner. All fieldwork and course work must be completed in a total of 36 months. Students must complete Level II fieldwork within 18 months of completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Admission Requirements

A cohort of 25-31 students will be accepted from a pool of applications submitted by recent graduates of accredited undergraduate programs. These positions will be determined based on the level of qualification of each student. The admission requirements are:

A completed application for admission with a nonrefundable application fee.
An official transcript(s) in English (or translated to English) of all previous colleges attended. The transcript must indicate an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university or equivalent.
A minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.20
Two letters of recommendation (one must be from an occupational therapist who has observed the student). Recommendation forms should be submitted through the online application.
Applicants must have performed a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer/observation activity in an OT setting. 80-100 hours is preferable. Applicants are encouraged to complete observation hours in more than one clinical setting. Applicants should download and complete the Occupational Therapy observation hours form.
Applicants must complete an essay as part of the application process. ACU requires occupational therapy applicants to submit a 2-3 page, double-spaced personal essay regarding your interest in and journey towards the field of occupational therapy. Your essay should include: spiritual and/or life experiences that influenced your decision to apply to occupational therapy school, and clinical experience or observation that evoked passion about occupational therapy.

*Note: The acceptance threshold may be higher due to the competitive nature of acceptance. Students who are admitted to the MSOT program must have access to a computer throughout the entirety of the program.

Progression

In addition to the graduate academic standards outlined by University, the Department of Occupational Therapy has specific academic policies and procedures. To progress in the professional curriculum, students must:

Maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all Occupational Therapy program courses. If a student falls below a 3.0, the student goes on probation for one semester.
Receive grades of C or better in all professional courses.
Complete all courses and fieldwork in a total of 36 months.
Complete the program within 18 months of completion of didactic coursework, i.e. the program must be completed within 18 months of initiating Fieldwork Level II.
If a student fails the first Fieldwork Level II, they will be allowed to continue to the second Fieldwork Level II rotation if there is a plan in place to repeat the first Fieldwork Level II.
Maintain academic integrity and professional behavior in classroom, laboratory, fieldwork sites, and in the community.
Maintain the standards of affiliating fieldwork facilities.
Exhibit affective behaviors consistent with the Professional Behaviors for the 21^st Century and AOTA Code of Ethics.

Programs

Master of Science

Occupational Therapy, MS (MSOT)

Courses

Occupational Therapy