Occupational Therapy

Douglas M. Mitchell, Chairperson and Graduate Program Coordinator
Cynthia L. Creighton, Director of Clinical Education
Graduate Faculty
See Graduate Faculty list at:
http://gradcollege.asp.radford.edu/faculty.html

Graduate Program

The Master of Occupational Therapy program prepares students for professional careers as occupational therapists. Occupational therapy enables people with special needs to participate in the occupations of daily life; that is to care for themselves and their families and homes, to work or study, and to enjoy rest and play activities. Occupational therapists are employed in hospitals, schools, nursing homes and community settings to assist clients of all ages whose developmental or medical conditions affect their independence and productivity. Because there is a shortage of occupational therapists in Southwestern Virginia, Radford University’s program emphasizes rural health care.

Students are admitted to the M.O.T. program once each year, and begin their course work in the fall. Completion of the degree normally requires seven consecutive terms (including Summer Session III) of full-time didactic and clinical study.

Accreditation, Certification and Licensure

The M.O.T. program was approved in 2008 by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. It is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association. ACOTE can be contacted by mail at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-1220 or by telephone at (301) 652-AOTA.

Graduates of an accredited M.O.T. program are eligible to sit for the Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Upon successful completion of the national certification examination, graduates who wish to practice occupational therapy in Virginia are required to apply for a license from the state Board of Medicine.

Students should be aware that fieldwork facilities may deny a student’s participation in the clinical experience because of a felony or misdemeanor conviction, failure of a required drug test, or inability to produce an appropriate health clearance, which would result in delayed graduation or the inability to graduate from the program. A felony conviction may also affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Examination or attain state licensure.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisite requirements for admission to the M.O.T. program are as follows.

Minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.25
Grades of “B” or better in the following courses:
- English Composition (3 credits)
- Health and Wellness Ethics (3 credits)
- Ethics (3 credits)
- Analytical Thinking (3 credits)
- Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
- Introductory Statistics (3 credits)
- Human Biology (3 credits)
- Human Anatomy (3-4 credits)
- Human Physiology (3-4 credits)
- Introductory Sociology (3 credits)
- Introductory Psychology (3 credits)
- Life Span Growth and Development (3 credits)
- Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)
- Evidence of completion of a college or community course to learn a new occupation

Application materials and information about tuition and fees can be obtained by contacting the Graduate College at http://gradcollege.asp.radford.edu/index.html. Specific program requirements and instructions for application are described in the Department of Occupational Therapy website. Individuals interested in application to the M.O.T program should ensure that the following materials are received by the deadline date of May 15:

Radford University Application for Graduate Admission;
Official transcripts of all undergraduate course work;
Official scores from the GRE General Test;
A professional resume describing past and current educational and employment experiences;
A two-page Statement of Purpose;
Two letters of recommendation from instructors or employers;
A letter from a supervisor documenting a minimum of 40 hours of observation, volunteer work or employment with people with special needs.

Applications for admission to the M.O.T. program are reviewed by the Admissions Committee of the department. Candidates who have submitted a complete application and meet prerequisite requirements are scheduled for an interview on campus. When there are more qualified applicants than seats in a class, those with higher cumulative GPAs are admitted first. Admission decisions are announced by June 15.