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Occupational Therapy Application Information

Shenandoah University’s Occupational Therapy graduate programs prepare you professionally for diverse clinical positions.

 

Occupational therapists help people of all ages regain their quality of life through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, help individuals recovering from injury to regain skills, and provide support for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes. Shenandoah’s graduate programs in occupational therapy prepare you to help clients reach their greatest level of quality of life and independence by serving as a caring and effective occupational therapist. 

As you may be aware, Shenandoah University’s Division of Occupational Therapy is in the process of examining a change from the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy to an entry-level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program. This change stems from the American Occupational Therapy Association’s (AOTA) recent determination that occupational therapists may enter the profession at the master’s or doctoral level. For AOTA’s full statement, and more details about careers in Occupational Therapy, please visit the their website. The admission information below provides details for our current MS degree, as well as a post-professional program for practicing, registered occupational therapists who have already obtained a master’s degree. If the SU Division of Occupational Therapy does change their MS program to an OTD degree and receives full approval from their accrediting agency, details will be provided on this page as soon as possible.

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

Shenandoah University’s 75-credit Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is delivered in a flexible, hybrid format, with much of the content delivered online.

Our program prepares you to become a skilled and compassionate occupational therapist, serving a diverse range of patient populations in a variety of health care and community-based settings.

Degree

All students, upon graduation from the Shenandoah University’s Division of Occupational Therapy (SUDOT), will receive a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.  The SUDOT is in compliance with the Standards for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist from  the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).  Our next full accreditation review is in 2020-2021. Please note, a prior felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Exam or attain state licensure.  Please also be aware that fieldwork placements may be limited or unattainable in out of state locations due to varying state restrictions.

We recommend that all potential students attend an Open House

Who Can Apply

Students who can apply to the SUDOT: (either campus)

  • SU undergraduate juniors who are guaranteed accepted to SUDOT as a freshman
  • COTA’s (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants)
  • Applicants that hold a Bachelor’s Degree or higher

Program Prerequisites

Program Specifics PDF

How to Apply

SUDOT requires potential students to go through OTCAS for the application process.  This is an online centralized application service located at www.otcas.org which has a thorough and accurate list of all required documents and prerequisites for the program.  For a list of the prerequisites, please go to Shenandoah University that can be found on the list of participating programs located on OTCAS.  The application process is:

 

PROGRAM START TERM APPLICATION OPENS APPLICATION DEADLINE

M.S. in Occupational Therapy

 Fall 2020
 
July 2019
 

October 15, 2019

11:59pm EST time is firm

Shenandoah’s Occupational Therapy Program is accredited through AOTA

ACOTE
c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200
Bethesda, MD 20814-3449
(301) 652-2682 or 301-652-AOTA
http://www.acoteonline.org/

Nat’l Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.
12 S. Summit Ave., Suite 100
Gaithersburg, MD  20877-4150
Phone (301)990-7979 Fax (301)869-8492

Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Doctorate

Degree

The Post-Professional OTD program is designed for practicing, registered occupational therapists who have obtained a master’s degree and want to advance in leadership and develop as evidence-based scholars. Applicants can choose Track I to pursue the program in one year, or Track II to complete the degree in two years.
 
Learn more about the Post-Professional OTD program by visiting the program website.

Who Can Apply

Applicants to this program must have a master’s degree and current National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification. The master’s degree can be an areas of study in a related field if the applicant also received a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Applicants must also have at least six months of employment as an occupational therapist in the U.S. before applying.
 

How to Apply

All applicants must submit a completed application, transcripts, current NBCOT certification, and a resume. Unofficial transcripts, resume, and certification can be uploaded directly to the application form for initial admission. If admitted, official transcripts will be required before enrolling in the program. All non-U.S. educated occupational therapists will need to submit an academic credential evaluation with transcripts. Non-native speakers of English must demonstrate language proficiency. Please see our International Student Admission Page for more details.
 

Post-Professional OTD applicants must have a completed application, including all required documents, by the application deadlines listed below:

Apply Now

Deadline Dates

PROGRAM START TERM APPLICATION OPENS APPLICATION DEADLINE

Post-Professional OTD

 Summer 2020
 
Application opens Fall 2019
 
 May 1, 2020
 

Learn more by attending an Open House