What to Expect
Admissions for the MS in OT program have been suspended as we launched the entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (OTD) degree program in August 2022. The final cohort of MS students was admitted in Fall 2021 and will graduate in 2023.
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) has granted UIC’s entry-level OTD program Candidacy Status. The second admission cycle is open for the entry-level OTD program, which is two years and 9 months in length, with enrollment starting in August 2023.
Our MS in occupational therapy program doesn’t require a thesis or project—just 72 credit hours of coursework. That includes four fieldwork placements, and the opportunity to take elective courses in and outside of our department. Our program is 23 months long. Enrolled students must complete the program within five years of enrollment.
Students should review this outline of the performance expectations for technical standards to decide if reasonable accommodations are needed due to a disability, and should plan to register with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) upon admission.
Each course utilizes the Blackboard Learning Management System to support course delivery. “Required Technological Competencies” for the distance education components of the MS program were provided to MS students in the Class of 2023 in advance of admission via many outlets (e.g., website, welcome letter.)
Our curriculum is designed to give students a strong theoretical base and advanced clinical reasoning abilities, as well as hands-on skills.
Courses
| OT 500 | Theories of Occupational Therapy | 4 hours |
| OT 501 | Occupational Performance in Adults and Adolescents | 3 hours |
| OT 502 | Medical Conditions: A Self-Paced Self-Study Course | 1 hour |
| OT 506 | Development of a Therapeutic Self | 3 hours |
| OT 507 | Introduction to Occupational Therapy Practice | 2 hours |
| OT 510 | Research in Occupational Therapy | 4 hours |
Cadaver lab
If you need to take a cadaver lab, you’ll take KN 496 as well. KN 496 begins in the fall semester and concludes in the spring.
Opportunities
Get involved and become a student leader!
Join the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) and register to attend the ILOTA conference.
Join the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). AOTA conference occurs in the spring.
Participate in AOTA Hill Day and advocate for your profession!
Student participation and attendance at national and local conferences and professional events is encouraged. All graduate students in the department including 1st and 2nd year MS students, OTD and PhD students are eligible to apply for a Student Travel Award. To be eligible for a travel award, students must be registered in any of the above OT academic programs when they apply and and must complete an application. More details will be provided at the start of the semester.
Courses
| OT 502 | Medical Conditions (continued from Fall) | |
| OT 511 | Occupational Performance in Children | 4 hours |
| OT 512 | Human Structure and Function | 5 hours |
| OT 515 | OT Practice: Psychosocial Aspects of Occupational Performance | 3 hours |
| OT 516 | Synthesis I: Case Discussions | 1 hour |
| OT 519 | Fieldwork Level IA | 1 hour |
| Optional Elective (in OT or other department) | 2-4 hours |
Example electives
| OT 563 | Disability and Global Health | 3 hours |
| OT 571 | Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation | 3 hours |
| OT 594 | Special Topics in Occupational Therapy: Pediatric Processes of Care | 2 hours |
Starting fieldwork
To begin clinical experiences and fieldwork, you must satisfy requirements including but not limited to drug screening and background checks for history of criminal offenses. Those results may affect your ability to participate in clinical and fieldwork experiences.
Opportunities
Courses
OT 524 and 526 are taught in a 5 week block before you start fieldwork. OT 529 and OT 539 are 2 – 2 week full time fieldwork experiences.
| OT 502 | Medical Conditions (continued from Fall) | |
| OT 524 | Contexts of Occupational Therapy Practice | 2 hours |
| OT 526 | Assistive Technology and the Environment | 3 hours |
| OT 529 | Fieldwork Level IB | 1 hour |
| OT 539 | Fieldwork Level IC | 1 hour |
Courses
| OT 522 | OT Practice: Functional Movement and Mobility | 5 hours |
| OT 523 | OT Practice: Cognition and Perception in Action | 4 hours |
| OT 535 | Synthesis II: Case Studies Across Practice Context | 2 hours |
| OT 538 | Intro to Advanced OT Practice | 1 hour |
| OT 564 | Leadership and Management in OT | 3 hours |
| OT 595 | Seminar in Occupational Therapy Credit awarded for attendance at colloquia and seminars across 3 semesters | 1 hour |
Example electives
| OT 553 | Program Evaluation: Documenting the Impact of Human Services (alternates every other fall) | 3 hours |
| OT 561 | Disability and Community Participation: Policy, Systems Change, and Action Research (offered in the fall in odd numbered years) | 4 hours |
| OT 568 | Learning, Teaching, Curriculum Design, Delivery and Evaluation (offered in the fall in even numbered years) | 4 hours |
Opportunities
Register and attend the Illinois Occupational Therapy Association (ILOTA) conference.
Participate in AOTA Hill Day and advocate for your profession!
Courses
Each Level II fieldwork is 12 weeks long, 40 hours per week, and 8 credits.
OT 549 is 4 credits and must be repeated in the summer. It’s one 12 week fieldwork rotation with the registration spread across spring and summer semesters (4 credits each).
| OT 548 | Fieldwork Level II-A (Jan – Mar) | 8 hours |
| OT 549 | Fieldwork Level II-B (April – June) | 4 hours |