Graduate Studies in Occupational Therapy
Debra B. Wollaber, Dean, College of Health Sciences - Scott D. McPhee, Associate Dean, School of Occupational Therapy - Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld, Coordinator, Post-Professional Graduate Degree Programs - Yvette Hachtel, Coordinator, Weekend Entry-Level Degree Program

Scott D. McPhee (associate dean), Anne K. Brown, Roxie Brunetti*, Mary Dietrich*, Debra M. Gibbs, Yvette C. Hachtel, Raylean Henry*, Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld, Peggy Newsham, Heather Patton*, Teressa Plummer*, Gayle Sloan*, Jim Tesi.

*Part-time

Vision:

The School of Occupational Therapy's vision is to offer a comprehensive education to graduate students in a Christian environment, preparing them to become and continue to be occupational therapy practitioners who are committed to life-long learning.

Professional Entry-Level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

Belmont University offers two education alternatives for individuals to achieve their professional degree in occupational therapy. The traditional, weekday degree program is designed for students who have no prior experience in health care or occupational therapy. There are two admission options available in the traditional program: post-baccalaureate admission and 3 + 3 admission. The post-baccalaureate admission avenue is for individuals who have already received (or are about to receive) their undergraduate degree in a field other than occupational therapy (biology, psychology, exercise science, etc.). The 3 + 3 admission avenue is for individuals who have complete three years of undergraduate studies and want to enter into the occupational therapy program in their senior year. These individuals will not have completed requirements for an undergraduate degree at the time they begin their studies in occupational therapy. Both groups of applicants must have completed all admission requirements and completed the prerequisite coursework as listed.

The non-traditional, weekend program is designed for individuals who are currently licensed as health care providers and have at least one year of experience in their profession (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Nurse, Physical Therapy Assistant, etc.). Requirements for admission will be similar to that of the traditional, weekday degree program (either post-baccalaureate or 3 + 3 program). Refer to the admissions section for specific criteria.

The occupational therapy curriculum is designed in such a way as to reflect the values and intent of the profession. Based upon the profession's philosophy, the university's vision and the program's mission, the curriculum, which includes both didactic and clinical fieldwork components, provides a learning experience that will prepare Belmont University graduates to enter various service delivery arenas. Students follow a structured, integrated sequence of learning experiences that prepares them for entry-level practice as occupational therapists. Building upon a student's liberal arts education, the School of Occupational Therapy's main objective is to provide a professional entry-level master's program that meets the following goals:

1. To provide a graduate-level education in conjunction with a professional occupational therapy course of study.
2. To provide a solid knowledge base to prepare the professional occupational therapist to competently fulfill the health service responsibilities and roles of the profession.
3. To teach and promote skills of inquiry and critical reasoning.
4. To instill and nurture those attitudes, values and behaviors that exemplify professional leadership, integrity and social consciousness.
5. To embrace the vision and values of the university and integrate the concepts of excellence, caring, honesty and respect in all aspects of the education process.

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

Transitions to a Clinical Occupational Therapy Doctorate Degree The Belmont University Senior Leadership Team has approved the School of Occupational Therapy's transition from awarding the current professional Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) degree to awarding a clinical Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) degree. The process of transition to the OTD degree requires coordination and approval by Belmont University Faculty, Belmont University Board of Trustees, Tennessee Baptist Convention, and the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and School (SACS). This process has reached the level of approval by SACS. The transition does not affect the current accreditation status of the School of Occupational Therapy. The faculty expects to initiate the implementation of this degree in the 2002 academic year.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited 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. AOTA's phone number is (301) 652-AOTA.

Graduates are able 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). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Phi Theta Epsilon

Pi Theta Epsilon is the national academic honor society for occupational therapy students and alumni. This society recognizes and encourages superior scholarship among students enrolled in professional entry-level occupational therapy programs at accredited schools across the United States. The honor society chapter on Belmont University's campus is Beta Upsilon.

Student Organization

The Belmont Student Occupational Therapy Association promotes increased awareness of the profession and assists occupational therapy students in their development as young professionals by encouraging participation in research projects and working with legislators to impact health care at the local and national levels. Membership is open to all students enrolled in the occupational therapy program.

Admission to the Traditional, Weekday Entry-Level Master of Science Degree Program

Requirements for admission to the traditional, weekday entry-level Master of Science degree program are as follows. Applicants to the professional entry-level masters program in occupational therapy must have completed or shown evidence of substantial work toward the following in order to be considered for admission:

1. A completed application form.
2. A $50 non-refundable application fee.
3. The applicant must have at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade-point average on a 4.0 point scale for full admission. Note: 3 + 3 applicants must have at least 90 credits of undergraduate work completed at the time they begin the occupational therapy curriculum.
4. An acceptable score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the past five years. A combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE is recommended. Note: this requirement is waived for 3 + 3 applicants.
5. Two letters of reference with one letter from an occupational therapist or other health care provider.
6. Demonstrations of familiarity with occupational therapy in the form of a minimum of 50 hours of observational or volunteer experiences or prior work experience.
7. A one-page, hand-written statement explaining what becoming an occupational therapist means to the applicant, as a result of volunteer or work experiences in occupational therapy.
8. Students are required to complete a minimum number of courses before their admission to the occupational therapy program. Applicants must complete a minimum combination of coursework in each of the following areas:
1. 9-12 credits in Math/Science courses (statistics, human anatomy, human physiology, physics, chemistry, etc.)
2. 9 credits in Social Science courses (human growth and develop- ment, psychology, sociology, abnormal psychology, etc.)
3. 6 credits in communication skills (effective writing, public speak- ing, communications, etc.)
4. 3 credits in computer literacy skills (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.)
9. After an initial review of applications, selected individuals will be invited to continue in the admission procedure by participating in the interview portion of the admission process.

Decisions regarding the acceptability of applicants for this program will be made by the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee after evaluation of all pertinent application materials.

Admission to the Non-Traditional, Weekend Entry-Level Master of Science Degree Program

Requirements for admission to the non-traditional, weekend entry-level Master of Science degree program are as follows.

Applicants to the professional entry-level masters program in occupational therapy must have completed or shown evidence of substantial work toward the following in order to be considered for admission:

1. Applicants for the weekend program shall be certified or licensed health care providers who have a minimum of one-year experience in their profession (for example, a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant [COTA] who has worked in a rehabilitation setting for one year).
2. A completed application form.
3. A $50 non-refundable application fee.
4. The applicant must have at least a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade-point average on a 4.0 point scale for full admission. Applicants must have completed a minimum of 90 credits that includes all occupational therapy program specific prerequisite courses.
5. Two letters of reference with one letter from an occupational therapist.
6. Demonstrations of familiarity with occupational therapy in the form of a minimum of 50 hours of observational or volunteer experiences or prior work experience.
7. A one-page, hand-written statement explaining what becoming an occupational therapist means to the applicant and how experience as a health care provider prepared the applicant for this transition.
8. All prerequisite coursework must have been completed within six years prior to the semester for which a student applies. Applicants must have completed the courses with a grade of ŒB' or better. If courses were completed with less that a ŒB' or more than six years ago, the Coordinator of the Weekend Program needs to be consulted to determine an alternate method of demonstrating competency in a particular area. The following are the prerequisite courses required:
1. 9-12 credits in Math/Science courses (statistics, human anatomy, human physiology, physics, chemistry, etc.)
2. 9 credits in Social Science courses (human growth and develop- ment, psychology, sociology, abnormal psychology, etc.)
3. 6 credits in communication skills (effective writing, public speak- ing, communications, etc.)
4. 3 credits in computer literacy skills (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.)
9. After an initial review of applications, selected individuals will be invited to continue in the admission procedure by participating in the interview portion of the admission process.

Decisions regarding the acceptability of applicants for the weekend occupational therapy program will be made by the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee after evaluation of all pertinent application materials.