(effective June 1, 2006)
Admissions to the Entry Level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Degree
Weekend Program (OTW)
School of Occupational Therapy Goals for the OT Weekend Program:
By the end of the program students will have had:
1. A comprehensive, student centered, entry level masters program in occupational therapy that builds upon the students' liberal arts and science foundational knowledge, their understanding of issues related to globalism and diversity as preparation for entry level practice
2. A Christian learning environment that promotes and assists in developing professional behaviors that incorporate the values and attitudes of excellence, caring, honesty and respect that are consistent with the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for the American Occupational Therapy Association
3. Didactic, laboratory, and clinical experiences that provide exposure to a broad range of traditional and emerging healthcare and human service delivery models
4. Exposure to basic skills associated with the potential varied roles of an occupation therapist as a practitioner, consultant, educator, manager, researcher and advocate.
5. Opportunities to prepare the student to be a self-directed life long learner by encouraging independent inquiry, critical thinking, clinical reasoning, self-reflection, and self- assessment.
6. To provide a foundation in occupational therapy research allowing the student to be an effective consumer of the latest research and knowledge bases that undergird practice and contribute to the growth and dissemination of research and knowledge.
The master of science in occupational therapy degree weekend program is specifically designed for occupational therapy assistants (OTA) who want to transition to the master level occupational therapist. Preference will be given to occupational therapy assistants and physical therapy assistants and other health care professions. Other candidates should consider the OTD program that allows for additional clinical fieldwork and added curriculum to educate the student about occupational therapy. The weekend format is designed for those with work experience in occupational therapy.
Applicants who do not already have a bachelor's degree must:
1. Have a minimum of one year's experience in their profession (preference given to Occupational Therapy Assistants (OTA) although others are invited to apply and will be considered on an individual basis).
2. Non-health care professional must complete OTW 5040 prior to the start of the second semester of enrollment in the MSOT program.
3. Submit a completed application form along with a $50.00 non-refundable application fee.
4. 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.
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 Associate Dean to determine an alternate method of demonstrating competency in a particular area.
a. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Statistics
b. 9 credits of social science courses to include Human Growth and Development
c. 6 credits of communication courses. Recommended courses include English, Writing, or Public Speaking
d. 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. Non-OTAs who are admitted to the program must 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.
Applicants who already have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in another discipline, must:
1. Have a minimum of one year's experience in their profession (preference given to OTA although others are invited to apply and will be considered on an individual basis).
2. Non-health care professional must complete OTW 5040 prior to the start of the second semester of enrollment in the MSOT program.
3. Submit a completed application form along with a $50.00 non-refundable application fee.
4. Have a recommended cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
5. 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.
6. 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.
a. 6 credits of Human Anatomyand Human Physiology
b. Option #1: 3 credits of human anatomy and 3 credits of human physiology or
c. Option #2: 3 credits of Human anatomy and physiology I and
d. 3 credits of human anatomy and physiology II
e. 3 credits of Statistics
f. 9 credits of social science courses. To include Human Growth and Development
g. 6 credits of communication courses. Recommended courses include English, Writing, or Public Speaking
h. Be computer literate
7. 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.
8. Non-OTAs who are admitted to the program must 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.
9. 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. Applications are not acted upon until all required materials have been received.
The MSOT Weekend Program has a rolling admissions process and will accept applications up until class is filled. A maximum of 32 students are admitted into the MSOT Weekend Program each year. It is in the best interest of prospective students to complete their application early because of the limited number of positions in the class. Completed applications will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and a written determination of their status will be mailed to the student. Competitive applicants who are still in the process of completing their admission requirements (pre-requisites, observation hours, etc) may be eligible for conditional acceptance however the conditional acceptance will be rescinded if all requirements are not completed by August 1 prior to the fall semester for which the student is applying.
