Graduate Studies in Occupational Therapy
Debra B. Wollaber, Dean, College of Health Sciences
Yvette Hachtel, Interim Chair and 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, Roxie Brunetti*, Mary Dietrich*, Debra M. Gibbs, Yvette C. Hachtel, Pam Jones*, Lorry Liotta-Kleinfeld, Katherine Brown, Susan Masie*, Teressa Plummer*, Vicki Scala*, Gayle Sloan*, Anne Marie Speight*, Burns Rogers*, Beth Nabors*, Beth Connors*, Evelyn Sholar*.

*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 Graduate Studies in Occupational Therapy

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 graduate 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.

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 advocates to impact health care at the local and national levels. Membership is open to all students enrolled in the occupational therapy program.

Requirement for Admission to Occupational Therapy Graduate Programs

Admission to the Occupational Therapy entry-level Doctorate and Master of Occupational Therapy degree or the post-professional Master of Science degree programs is based on qualifications and space availability. Admission is awarded without regard to sex, race, color, age, religion, national origin, or handicap.

Admission to the Entry-Level Doctor of Occupational Therapy Degree Program

Applicants to the professional entry level Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree program must have completed or shown evidence of substantial work toward the following in order to be considered for admission:

1. Applicants who already have an undergraduate degree must have:
1. a. A baccalaureate degree in a field or major other than occupational therapy, from an accredited college or university. The recommended minimum grade point average is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
2. 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. GRE score reports should be forwarded to Belmont University from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Please specify Institution Code 1058 and School Code 0618 to the ETS.


2. Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree must:
1. a. Apply for admission during their junior year while pursuing a baccalaureate degree in a field of study other than occupational therapy from an accredited college or university. Applicants must have a minimum of 90 semester credits when they start the occupational therapy classes to qualify for this program. The recommended minimum grade point average is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
2. Note: applicants to the 3+3 program are not required to take the GRE.


3. Two letters of reference; at least one must be from an occupational therapist or health care provider. The person making the recommendation should mail these letters, using the forms provided.
   
   
4. Demonstration of familiarity with occupational therapy in the form of 50 hours of observational, volunteer experiences or prior work experience in occupational therapy. These hours do not have to be completed prior to the application process but must be completed before the start of occupational therapy classes.
   
   
5. A one page, handwritten essay explaining what becoming an occupational therapist means to you, based on your experience with occupational therapy.
   
   
6. Prerequisite course content areas are as follows:
1. a. Applicants are required to complete a minimum number of required courses before their admissions to the occupational therapy program. These are human anatomy, human physiology, and statistics. Note that grades less than "B" are unacceptable for required prerequisite courses.
2. Applicants are strongly recommended to have taken a class in human growth and development, and a class in abnormal psychology.
3. Other classes that have been found helpful to occupational therapy students include physics, sociology, effective writing, public speaking, and computer literacy.


7. After an initial review of applications, individuals meeting the requirements of the program will be invited to participate in the interview portion of the admission process.

A non-refundable $50.00 application fee must accompany all applications. Checks should be made out to Belmont University. The Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee will make decisions regarding the acceptability of applicants for the occupational therapy program after evaluation of all pertinent application materials. Applications cannot be accurately reviewed until all application materials have been received and requirements have been met.

Admissions to the Entry Level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Degree Weekend Program (OTW)

Applicants who do not already have a bachelor's degree must:

1. Be a certified or licensed health care practitioner who has a minimum of one year's experience in their profession (preference given to COTA).
2. Submit a completed application form along with a $50.00 non-refundable application fee.
3. Have completed a minimum of 90 semester credits from a regionally accredited college or university with a recommended cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Complete the following prerequisite courses with a grade of "B" or better. All pre-requisite coursework must have been completed within six years prior to the semester for which you are applying. If courses were completed with less than a 'B' or more than six years ago, please consult the Coordinator of the Weekend Program to determine an alternate method of demonstrating competency in a particular area.
1. a. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Statistics
2. 9 credits of social science courses to include Human Growth and Development
3. 6 credits of communication courses. Recommended courses include English, Writing, or Public Speaking
4. Be computer literate
5. Submit two letters of reference with one of the letters being from an occupational therapist. The person making the recommendation should use the forms provided.
6. Demonstrate familiarity with occupational therapy through completion of a minimum of 50 hours of observational, volunteer or work experiences. These hours do not have to be completed prior to the application process but must be completed by the start of the Program.
7. Submit a one page, hand written statement explaining what becoming an occupational therapist means to you. Applicants should discuss how their experience as a health care practitioner has prepared them for this transition.

Applicants who already have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in another discipline, must:

1. Be a certified or licensed health care practitioner who has a minimum of one year's experience in their profession
2. Submit a completed application form along with a $50.00 non-refundable application fee.
3. Have a recommended cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
4. Have 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. GRE score reports should be sent to Belmont University from the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Please specify Institution Code 1058 and School Code 0618 to the ETS.
5. Complete the following prerequisite courses with a grade of "B" or better. All pre-requisite coursework must have been completed within six years prior to the semester for which you are applying. If courses were completed with less than a 'B' or more than six years ago, please consult the Coordinator of the Weekend Program to determine an alternate method of demonstrating competency in a particular area.
1. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Statistics
2. 9 credits of social science courses. To include Human Growth and Development
3. 6 credits of communication courses. Recommended courses include English, Writing, or Public Speaking
4. Be computer literate
6. Submit two letters of reference with one of the letters being from an occupational therapist. The person making the recommendation should use the forms provided.
7. Demonstrate familiarity with occupational therapy through completion of a minimum of 50 hours of observational, volunteer or work experiences. These hours do not have to be completed prior to the application process but must be completed by the start of the Program.
8. Submit a one page, hand written statement explaining what becoming an occupational therapist means to you. Applicants should discuss how their experience as a health care practitioner has prepared them for this transition.

A non-refundable $50.00 application fee must accompany all application materials. Checks should be made out to Belmont University. Admission to the Program is based on qualifications and space availability. Individuals who meet the requirements for the Program will be invited to continue in the admission process by participating in an interview conducted by the Occupational Therapy Program Admissions Committee. Notification of admission decisions will occur in a timely manner following the completion of the process. All students accepted to the Program who are still completing the requirements at the time of application, must submit final transcripts, and other relevant documentation, prior to the start of the first semester of study in the Program.