Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences: Dr. Tara L. Underwood
Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Fitness: Ms. Betsy McDaniel
Program Director, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy: Dr. Traci Swartz
(478) 934-3057, office
(478) 934-3418, FAX
(800) 272-7619, toll-free
Email: traci.swartz@mga.edu
School of Health and Natural Sciences
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
1100 Second Street, S.E.
Cochran, Georgia 31014
Accreditation Statement
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Bridge Program at Middle Georgia State University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. For more information, please visit the ACOTE website. Graduates of the program will be eligible 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). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT® Certification Examination. All graduates must pass the NBCOT® exam in order to become licensed to practice. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® certification examination or attain state licensure.
Felony Conviction
A felony conviction may affect a student’s ability to complete Level II Fieldwork or a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® Certification Exam and attain state licensure. All students will be required to complete a background check upon admission to the MSOT Bridge Program. If you have been convicted of a felony, you will be required to complete the Early Determination Review process with NBCOT® to determine eligibility to take the National Certification Exam and provide the MSOT Bridge Program with documentation from NBCOT® indicating that you will be eligible to take the certification exam once all other eligibility requirements are met. For more information on the Early Determination Review process, please see the NBCOT® website.
Mission Statement
The Middle Georgia State University Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Program is supportive of the mission of MGA, as well as the University System of Georgia (USG), by educating lifelong learners whose scholarship and careers will enhance the region, as well as providing accessible and affordable, high-quality education in the field of occupational therapy. The MSOT Program seeks to enable individuals to create healthy and productive lives through occupational and community engagement, by producing graduates who are competent, compassionate, ethical, and reflective practitioners, and who become leaders in the field.
Program Format and Degree Requirements
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is a rigorous full-time 2.5 year program (seven sequential semesters), including fieldwork experiences, offered in a hybrid format (online, with on-campus attendance required approximately 4-5 times per semester). The 74-hour (not including prerequisites) curriculum includes coursework in three components: foundational knowledge, courses related to the occupational therapy process, and fieldwork experience.
MSOT Program Progression
All MSOT courses must be taken in sequential order, and graduate students must earn a grade of "B" or better in all MSOT courses. All courses listed in a semester must be taken together.
Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
Admission Requirements
Students must apply to the MSOT Program through OTCAS* and will be required to submit the following:
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 or above, both cumulative and the average of prerequisite courses
- All prerequisite courses completed with a grade of "C" or higher
- Minimum of 84 semester equivalent credits (includes OTA courses and prerequisite courses) from an institution that is accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency
- Proof of a minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience as a licensed COTA (or a minimum of 1,500 hours as a licensed COTA)
- Current resume or curriculum vitae
- Personal statement as prompted by OTCAS
- Three letters of recommendation (professional and/or academic)
- Copy of current U.S. occupational therapy assistant license and NBCOT certification
- An interview may be required at the discretion of the Admissions Committee
*Please visit the MSOT Program homepage on the MGA website for more information on starting your application in OTCAS.
Core Course Requirements
The MSOT Program requires 4 prerequisite courses at the undergraduate level that are not traditionally included in most OTA Programs. If a student has not completed the following courses with a grade of "C" or better, they must be completed prior to the MSOT Program application deadline in order to be eligible for admission to the program:
Note: Equivalent transfer courses may be accepted upon review.
OTMS Semester 1 (Fall)
The following courses may only be taken after formal admission to the MSOT Program. They are taught as co-requisites and must be taken together. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in the following courses:
| OTMS 5000 | Occupational Therapy Foundations | 3 |
| OTMS 5010 | Clinical Kinesiology with Lab | 3 |
| OTMS 5020 | Clinical Pathophysiology for Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| OTMS 5110 | Assessment and Documentation Process | 2 |
| OTMS 5030 | Leadership, Ethics, and Professionalism | 2 |
*Note: Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
OTMS Semester 2 (Spring)
The following courses may only be taken once all courses in the previous semester have been successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better. The following courses are taught as co-requisites and must be taken together. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in the following courses:
| OTMS 5100 | Occupation Based Assessment and Intervention with Lab and FW-IA: Pediatrics | 7 |
| OTMS 5120 | Neuroscience Foundations for Occupational Therapy with Lab | 3 |
| OTMS 5130 | Occupational Analysis and Performance | 2 |
| OTMS 5140 | Evidence Based Practice and Research I | 3 |
*Note: Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
OTMS Semester 3 (Summer)
The following courses may only be taken once all courses in the previous semester have been successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better. The following courses are taught as co-requisites and must be taken together. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in the following courses:
| OTMS 5200 | Occupation Based Assessment and Intervention with Lab and FW-IB: Biopsychosocial Influences | 5 |
| OTMS 5210 | Evidence Based Practice and Research II | 2 |
*Note: Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
OTMS Semester 4 (Fall)
The following courses may only be taken once all courses in the previous semester have been successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better. The following courses are taught as co-requisites and must be taken together. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in the following courses:
| OTMS 5300 | Occupation Based Assessment and Intervention with Lab and FW-IC: Adults to Geriatrics | 7 |
| OTMS 5040 | Administration, Management, and Policy | 2 |
| OTMS 5340 | Evidence Based Practice and Research III | 2 |
*Note: Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
OTMS Semester 5 (Spring)
The following courses may only be taken once all courses in the previous semester have been successfully completed with a grade of "B" or better. The following courses are taught as co-requisites and must be taken together. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in the following courses:
| OTMS 5220 | Emerging and Nontraditional Practice | 3 |
| OTMS 5310 | Assistive Technology, Environmental Assessment, and Intervention | 4 |
| OTMS 5320 | Service Delivery and Educational Methods | 2 |
| OTMS 5330 | Clinical Review Seminar | 1 |
Note: Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in any course in the semester will delay progression to the next semester. Students will be allowed a second attempt of the failed course the following year when the course is offered again. Failure to earn a grade of "B" or better in the second attempt of the course will result in dismissal from the MSOT Bridge Program.
OTMS Semester 6 (Summer)
Students must successfully complete all didactic MSOT courses with a letter grade of "B" or better, complete all clinical requirements as necessary, and be in good standing with the MSOT Faculty before they will be allowed to register for Level II Fieldwork courses. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in all Level II Fieldwork courses. Students may not take any additional courses while taking a Level II Fieldwork class.
Students must successfully complete all Level II Fieldwork courses with a grade of "B" or better as determined by the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Fieldwork Educator at the assigned site in order to progress. Failure of a fieldwork course with a letter grade of less than "B" on the Level II Fieldwork Performance Evaluation may result in dismissal from the MSOT Program.
OTMS Semester 7 (Fall)
Students must successfully complete OTMS 5400 (Level II Fieldwork A) with a letter grade of "B" or better, complete all clinical requirements as necessary, and be in good standing with the MSOT Faculty before they will be allowed to register for OTMS 5402, Level II Fieldwork B. Students must obtain a letter grade of "B" or better in all Level II Fieldwork courses. Students may not take any additional courses while taking a Level II Fieldwork class.
Students must successfully complete all Level II Fieldwork courses with a grade of "B" or better as determined by the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Fieldwork Educator at the assigned site in order to progress. Failure of a fieldwork course with a letter grade of less than "B" on the Level II Fieldwork Performance Evaluation may result in dismissal from the MSOT Program.