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 500Theories of Occupational Therapy4 hours
OT 501Occupational Performance in Adults and Adolescents3 hours
OT 502Medical Conditions: A Self-Paced Self-Study Course1 hour
OT 506Development of a Therapeutic Self3 hours
OT 507Introduction to Occupational Therapy Practice2 hours
OT 510Research in Occupational Therapy4 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 502Medical Conditions (continued from Fall)
OT 511Occupational Performance in Children4 hours
OT 512Human Structure and Function5 hours
OT 515OT Practice: Psychosocial Aspects of Occupational Performance3 hours
OT 516Synthesis I: Case Discussions1 hour
OT 519Fieldwork Level IA1 hour
Optional Elective (in OT or other department)2-4 hours

Example electives

OT 563Disability and Global Health3 hours
OT 571Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation3 hours
OT 594Special Topics in Occupational Therapy: Pediatric Processes of Care2 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 502Medical Conditions (continued from Fall)
OT 524Contexts of Occupational Therapy Practice2 hours
OT 526Assistive Technology and the Environment3 hours
OT 529Fieldwork Level IB1 hour
OT 539Fieldwork Level IC1 hour

Courses

OT 522OT Practice: Functional Movement and Mobility5 hours
OT 523OT Practice: Cognition and Perception in Action4 hours
OT 535Synthesis II: Case Studies Across Practice Context2 hours
OT 538Intro to Advanced OT Practice1 hour
OT 564Leadership and Management in OT3 hours
OT 595Seminar in Occupational Therapy

Credit awarded for attendance at colloquia and seminars across 3 semesters
1 hour

Example electives

OT 553Program Evaluation: Documenting the Impact of Human Services (alternates every other fall)3 hours
OT 561Disability and Community Participation: Policy, Systems Change, and Action Research (offered in the fall in odd numbered years)4 hours
OT 568Learning, 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 548Fieldwork Level II-A (Jan – Mar)8 hours
OT 549Fieldwork Level II-B (April – June)4 hours

Congratulations! If you’ve completed all your coursework and fieldwork on schedule, you’ll graduate in late July!

Courses

OT 549Fieldwork Level II-B (April – June)4 hours
OT 555Synthesis III: Post-Fieldwork Advanced Clinical Reasoning Seminar/Intensive Case Study Sessions2 hours