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Occupational Therapy (MSOT), Master of Science Degree - California

Program Location Center for Graduate Studies
Program Credits 96 Credits
Program Length* 6 Trimesters, 90 Weeks
Time to Complete 24 Months

*Program length may vary.

Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) Code: 29-1122.00, 29-1122.01

Program Mission: Our mission is to develop caring and competent entry-level generalists who are lifelong learners and who can develop into advocates and leaders for the Occupational Therapy profession in diverse local and global communities. Through a student-centric and inter-professional curriculum, the students will be prepared to be reflective practitioners by applying principles of evidence-based practice, research, and critical thinking to facilitate the well-being of consumers through engagement in valued occupations and as it relates to health promotion, prevention, and wellness.

Program Objective: West Coast University’s Occupational Therapy Program is based on the belief that all humans are occupational beings in nature, and in the healing power of occupation whereby humans can influence their own health status. Occupational engagement and thus occupation-based interventions are therefore the central theme of the curriculum.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the program the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy students will be able to:

  1. Develop and implement client centered care that is inclusive of cultural values, beliefs and needs.
  2. Demonstrate effective communication skills to function effectively as a member of an inter-professional health care team.
  3. Support all clinical decision making with evidence based knowledge.
  4. Design interventions with a central focus on occupation as the means and end of therapeutic processes, in line with the profession's philosophy.
  5. Integrate health promotion and wellness in interventions with individuals, communities and populations.  
  6. Model leadership and advocacy for occupational therapy in the full range of service areas.  

Admission Requirements

A student applying for admission to a graduate program at West Coast University must:
  1. Submit a completed application for admission with all admissions requirements through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy system (OTCAS).  
  2. Meet the program admissions requirements.
  3. Submit a copy of official transcripts through OTCAS.
  4. Participate in a qualitative admissions interview arranged by the admissions department.  
  5. Complete an enrollment agreement if accepted into the program. 
  6. All requirements must be met by the application deadline in order to be considered.   
Program specific application requirements and prerequisites:

Traditional Admissions Pathway

  1. Have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.  Overall last 60 semester units must meet a 3.0 minimum GPA.  
  2. Application can be submitted during enrollment in an undergraduate degree program or during completion of prerequisite course work.  However, pending coursework/undergraduate degree along with and all other requirements must be completed, met, and verified through OTCAS by the deadline in order to qualify.  
  3. Medical terminology course required. 
  4. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-English speaking country must have verification of the following scores within two years of intended enrollment:  
  5. An Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90 with no less than 20 on each sub-score; or 
    1. An IELTS of 6.5 with no less than 6 on each band score.  
    2. Students whose native language is English and/or students with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university are exempted from this examination.  
  6. Applicants must have obtained an overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of program prerequisite courses (from institutionally accredited universities) within the last ten years and with a grade of a C or better.  
    1. Required prerequisite courses:
      • Two (2) courses in the humanities or social sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Humanities, Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Ethics; Cultural studies; Group Dynamics - 3 semester units each).
      • One (1) Statistics course. (3 semester units)
      • One (1) course in Human Anatomy plus Lab (3 semester units).
      • One (1) course in Physiology plus Lab (3 semester units).
      • One (1) course in Human Development or Lifespan (Human Growth & Development, Developmental Psychology, Lifespan Psychology (3 semester units).
      • One (1) course in Abnormal or Behavioral Psychology (Abnormal Behavior, Abnormal Psychology, Psychopathology, Behavioral Disorders) (3 semester units). 
      • One (1) course in Advanced Writing (3 semesters units)

b. Student should have:

      • Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
      • Three (3) references: (1-2) occupational therapists; 1 faculty member/advisor; 1 professional
      • A minimum of 40 volunteer or observation hours obtained from an occupational therapy setting of choice or multiple settings.

c. Full-time devotion to this program is highly recommended; any employment can interfere with the successful completion of this program. 

d. In order to be considered, all program specific admissions requirements and prerequisites must be met by the deadline posted on OTCAS.

OTA Pathway

  1. Must provide evidence of current certification and license as an OTA.
  2. Must provide evidence of one year of work experience as an OTA – fieldwork experience will be counted.
  3. Application can be submitted during completion of prerequisite course work. However, pending coursework along with all other requirements must be completed, met, and verified through OTCAS by the posted deadline on OTCAS in order to qualify.
  4. Applicants must have obtained an overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of program prerequisite courses (from institutionally accredited universities) within the last ten years and with a grade of a C or better.
    1. Required prerequisite courses (credits earned from an OTA program can be evaluated for acceptance):
      1. Two (2) courses in the humanities or social sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Humanities, Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Ethics; Cultural studies; Group Dynamics - 3 semester units each).  
      2. One (1) Statistics course. (3 semester units).
      3. One (1) course in Human Anatomy plus Lab (3 semester units).
      4. One (1) course in Physiology plus Lab (3 semester units).
      5. One (1) course in Human Development or Lifespan (Human Growth & Development, Developmental Psychology, Lifespan Psychology (3 semester units).
      6. One (1) course in Abnormal or Behavioral Psychology (Abnormal Behavior, Abnormal Psychology, Psychopathology, Behavioral Disorders) (3 semester units).
      7. One (1) course in Advanced Writing (3 semesters units).
    2. Student should have:
      1. Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
      2. Three (3) references: (1-2) occupational therapists; 1 faculty member/advisor; 1 professional
    3. Full-time devotion to this program is highly recommended; any employment can interfere with the successful completion of this program.
    4. In order to be considered, all program specific admissions requirements and prerequisites must be met by the deadline posted on OTCAS.
  • The University reserves the right to deny admission to applicants if the admissions requirements are not successfully met.  The denial of admissions is final and may not be appealed.  

  • Health Insurance Requirement - Students enrolled in the MSOT program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork.  Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program. 

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program does not allow transfer credit.  

Please refer to OTCAS (www.otcas.org) for additional details about admissions requirements.  

MSOT Candidate Deposit

Applicants are conditionally accepted to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program until a non-refundable $250.00 good faith payment for a Seat Deposit has been submitted. The Seat Deposit is not a separate charge but will be credited to the program costs should the student not cancel their enrollment. The University will retain the full amount of this deposit should the student cancel their enrollment at any time, for any reason. Seat Deposits may be paid by credit card, debit card, money order, or cashier's check made payable to West Coast University. A Seat Deposit will be collected for each enrollment and cannot be applied to or carried over to enrollments for other programs or start terms. At their discretion, the Executive Director may refund the full Seat Deposit for unusual or unexpected circumstances that would warrant a full refund.

For specific graduation requirements, please see the MSOT Graduation Requirements.

Program Information and Disclosures

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program Accreditation Disclosure

The entry-level MSOT Program at WCU received accreditation on December 11, 2014 from 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. ACOTE's telephone number is 301-652-6611, and their web address is acoteonline.org. Program 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, states require licensure to practice; however, state licensure is usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

More information about the NBCOT examination process is available at: www.nbcot.org.

California Board of Occupational Therapy (CBOT) Disclosure

Graduates who wish to practice in California must apply with the California Board of Occupational Therapy to be issued licensure to practice in the state of California.

For more information about OTR license application requirements, please visit the California Board of Occupational Therapy at www.bot.ca.gov/.

Health Insurance Requirement

Students enrolled in the MSOT program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork.  Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program. 

MSOT Curriculum

 

Core Occupational Therapy Courses

OCC 510Foundations of Occupation and Occupational Therapy

2.0
OCC 511Occupations Across the Lifespan

2.0
OCC 512Introduction to Fieldwork I

1.0
OCC 513OT Evaluation and Screening I

3.0
OCC 514Introduction to Research

2.0
OCC 515Basic Patient Care Skills

2.0
OCC 516Integrated Physiology and Anatomy

5.0
OCC 520AOccupational Performance in the Older Adult

4.0
OCC 520BSkills Lab: Older Adults

2.0
OCC 521Fieldwork I- Older Adults

1.0
OCC 522OT Evaluation and Screening II

2.0
OCC 523Brain, Behavior and Occupation

3.0
OCC 524Movement Analysis in Occupation

3.0
OCC 525Evidence-based Practice I

2.0
OCC 526Occupations in Practice

2.0
OCC 531AOccupational Performance in the Adult

4.0
OCC 531BSkills Lab: Adult

2.0
OCC 532Fieldwork I – Adults

1.0
OCC 533Evidence-Based Practice II

2.0
OCC 534Preparatory Methods I

3.0
OCC 535Assistive Technology

4.0
OCC 541AOccupational Performance in Children and Adolescents

4.0
OCC 541BSkills Lab: Children and Adolescents

2.0
OCC 542Fieldwork I – Children and Adolescents

1.0
OCC 543Introduction to Fieldwork II

1.0
OCC 544Preparatory Methods II

4.0
OCC 545Occupational Wellness

4.0
OCC 546Professional Management and Leadership

3.0
OCC 551Preparation for Professional Practice

1.0
OCC 552Fieldwork II-A

12.0
OCC 562Fieldwork II-B

12.0
Total Credit Hours:96.0

MSOT Program Costs

For program costs, please see the Graduate Tuition and Fees section.