interprofessional
OT students at D'Youville learn to work as part of a collaborative healthcare team through Interprofessional Education Labs.
learn moreBecome an occupational therapist in as few as 5 years with our combined bachelor's and master's program in occupational therapy.
Overview and Distinctions
Overview
As an occupational therapist you'll help individuals regain and build skills that are important for their health, well-being, safety and daily living.
Occupational therapists are in demand in nearly every healthcare setting and are poised to take on an even larger role as our population ages and the number of individuals with disabilities or limited function who require therapy services increases.
Upon graduation from our ACOTE-accredited BS+MS program, you'll be prepared to take the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists.
If you're interested in a career that is both fulfilling and has opportunities for growth, becoming an occupational therapist might be exactly what you've been looking for.
Why Choose D'Youville?
- Enter as a freshman and gain direct admission into the master's program. No need to re-apply.
- As a student in our combined degree BS+MS program, you'll pay undergraduate tuition for graduate studies.
- Studies show that teamwork across clinical specialties improves patient outcomes. D'Youville's unique interdisciplinary education lab offers the opportunity for you to practice treating patients (played by actors) alongside a team of students from 7 other healthcare majors at DYC - all under the supervision of a skilled instructor.
- Enjoy small classes, labs and seminars where you get individual attention.
- Gain practical experience through our strong focus on clinical field experience. D'Youville has developed relationships with over 400 clinical fieldwork sites in a wide array of settings, facilities, and treatment protocols.
- Expand your intellectual skills by learning about the arts, humanities and sciences in addition to your occupational therapy professional studies.
- Join a degree program with consistently high career placement rates.
- Eligible OT students can apply to the Alpha Rho Chapter of Pi Theta Epsilon, a National Honor Society for Occupational Therapists and Students. Our Chapter is active and hosts a fall and spring event each year.
AUTOMATIC MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIP CONSIDERATION
When you apply for admission at D’Youville, we’ll automatically consider you for our merit scholarships. Undergraduate scholarships can cover as much as 50% of your tuition, and there is no need to fill out a separate application! Transfer students can qualify for scholarships, as well. Unlike other schools, maintaining your scholarship is easier at D'Youville, because we use realistic GPA requirements to determine your eligibility each year.
Check out the chart below to see if you qualify:
| Scholarship | GPA / SAT (M & EBRW)* / or ACT⁺ | Tuition Waiver Amount | Dorm | GPA required to retain scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honors | 88/1170 /or 24 | 50% off | 25% off | 2.75 |
| Distinction | 80/1080 /or 21 | 25% off | 50% off | 2.5 |
| Achievement | 80/980 /or 19 | $3,000 | 2.25 | |
| Transfer | 3.5 | $5,000 |
2.5 |
|
| Transfer | 3.0 | $4,000 |
2.5 |
|
| Transfer | 2.75 | $3,500 | 2.5 | |
| Dillon | 93/1360 /or 29 | 100% off | 25% | 2.75 |
| Buffalo Say Yes | No GPA minimum requirement/1080 /or 21 | 100% off | 2.75 | |
| Alumni Kinship | $300-$2,000 | Must reapply each year. Only open to relatives of D'Youville alumni. |
*Scores are based on the new SAT score format which went into effect in March 2016.
⁺D'Youville only requires that you submit the results from one test.
More information can be found on our scholarships page.
Curriculum
Curriculum Sequence
First-Year
Fall Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 101 | Occupational Therapy Process and Theoretical Foundation I | 2 |
| ENG 111 | English Communication I | 3 |
| SOC 101 (or) SOC 102 | Principles of Sociology (or) Social Problems | 3 |
| PSY 101 | General Psychology | 3 |
| HIS | History | 3 |
| Total | 14 | |
Spring Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 112 | English Communication II | 3 |
| BIO 107 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| MAT 101 (or) FE | Elementary Algebra (or) Free Elective | 3 |
| OT 215 | OT Delivery Systems | 2 |
| HUM #1 | Humanities | 3 |
| Total | 15 | |
Second-Year
Fall Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 106 | Occupational Development I | 4 |
| OT 109 | Medical & Social Conditions I | 2 |
| OT 214 | Interpersonal Skills | 2 |
| PSY 206 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| BIO 108 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| Total | 15 | |
Spring Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 210 | Medical & Social Conditions II | 2 |
| OT 212 | Occupational Development II | 4 |
| OT 217 | Group Process | 2 |
| PHI 201 (or) RS 201 | Ethics (or) Religious and Social Responsibility | 3 |
| MINOR #1 | Minor | 3 |
| CSC 110 | Computers and Computing | 3 |
| Total | 17 | |
Third-Year
Fall Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 319 | Functional Anatomy | 5 |
| MAT 123 | Applied Statistics | 4 |
| MINOR #2 | Minor | 3 |
| HUM #1 | Humanities | 3 |
| OT 321 | Fieldwork Seminar I | 0 |
| Total | 15 | |
Spring Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 320 | Neuroscience for Rehabilitation | 5 |
| HUM #3 | Humanities | 3 |
| PSC (or) ECO | Political Science (or) Economics Elective | 3 |
| FE #1 | Free Elective | 3 |
| MINOR #3 | Minor | 3 |
| Total | 17 | |
Fourth-Year
Fall Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 425 | Occupational Therapy Process and Theoretical Foundation II | 2 |
| OT 427 | Methods of Evaluation and Documentation I | 2 |
| OT 429 | Child & Adolescent Intervention | 4 |
| OT 524 | Research Seminar | 3 |
| OT 602 | Research Methods in Occupational Therapy | 3 |
| FE #2 | Free Elective | 3 |
| Total | 17 | |
Spring Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 432 | Fieldwork Seminar II | 0 |
| OT 433 | Methods of Evaluation and Documentation II | 2 |
| OT 434 | Adult & Geriatric Intervention | 4 |
| OT 612 | Research Development - Project | 3 |
| OT 635 | OT Process and Theory III | 2 |
| HUM #4 | Humanities | 3 |
| FE #3 (or) MINOR #4 | Free Elective (or) Minor | 3 |
| Total | 17 | |
Fifth Year
Fall Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 640 | Clinical Fieldwork I | 4 |
| OT 641 | Clinical Fieldwork II | 4 |
| OT 643 INT | Management of OT Services | 3 |
| Total | 11 | |
Spring Semester
| Course Number | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| OT 629 | Research Advisement | 3 |
| OT 689 | Professional Issues | 2 |
| OT 690 | Community Practice | 2-3 |
| MINOR #5 | Minor (if needed) | 3 |
| HUM #5 | Humanities | 3 |
| Total | 10-14 | |
Total Credits
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate major requirements | 73-75 |
| Other academic areas required for OT | 30 |
| Elective OT 605 Clinical Fieldwork III (optional) | variable |
| College core requirements | 45 |
| Total | 148-150 |
Curriculum is subject to change based on New York State Education Department and/or American Occupational Therapy Association requirements.
Careers
Careers
Our program prepares you for general occupational therapy practice.
An Occupational Therapist's Role
As an occupational therapist, you'll work with people of all ages who have various physical, developmental, social or emotional challenges. You will help them develop the skills to lead independent, productive and satisfying lives.
Occupational therapists work in a variety of healthcare settings, including: acute hospital, rehabilitation, and orthopedic settings.
Other major employers of occupational therapists are hospitals, offices of other health practitioners (including offices of occupational therapists), public and private educational services, and nursing care facilities.
Driver rehabilitation, training for the elderly, and ergonomic consulting are emerging practice areas for occupational therapy.
Career Outlook
Occupational therapists are in demand in nearly every healthcare setting and are poised to take on an even larger role. Employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 27 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations. For more information about the job outlook for occupational therapists, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.
Occupational therapists with specialized knowledge in a treatment area also will have increased job prospects.
The largest number of occupational therapist jobs was in ambulatory healthcare services, which employed about 29 percent of occupational therapists.
Most states, including New York, require licensure to practice. State licensure is typically based on the results of the NBCOT certification exam, but must be applied for separately in the state in which you plan to practice.
Fieldwork Education
Fieldwork Education
The Department of Occupational Therapy has clinical fieldwork agreements with over 400 hospitals, school systems, rehabilitation centers, mental health sites, nursing facilities, and community based centers in select states across the U.S.
The goal of fieldwork education is to prepare the students to be well-rounded, entry-level practitioners. Three levels of fieldwork education are integrated into the occupational therapy curriculum:
Site Visits
Visits to healthcare agencies are part of certain entry-level courses. These visits orient you to a variety of services provided in the local area, focusing on the context in which occupational therapy services are delivered or could be provided.
Level I Fieldwork
Experiences during the academic phase of the program enable students to apply classroom learning in the clinical setting. These experiences are associated with specific intervention courses and place students in various healthcare arenas with a variety of consumers/patients.
Level II Fieldwork
Consists of two full-time 12-week clinical training experiences, (Part-time options are available); two internships provide students with the opportunity to treat a wide range of disabilities and age groups. Emphasis is on applying knowledge through in-depth activities, tasks, and the responsibility for delivering healthcare to patients. Clinical experiences may include acute hospital settings, inpatient psychiatric settings, rehabilitation centers, day treatment centers, nursing homes, school systems, developmental centers, and community health initiatives.
Community Practice
An advanced placement in a community setting or educational environment allows you to explore non-traditional or specialty applications of occupational therapy. Community Practice occurs in the graduate year following Level II fieldwork.
Learn More
Visit the Metro Buffalo OT Fieldwork Consortium website to learn more about fieldwork opportunities: otfieldwork.net.
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements
The program accepts applicants for full-time study from the freshman year. Students are admitted directly into the program and do not have to reapply for admission to the upper division. Admission requirements reflect the structure of the program as a five-year bachelor of science and master of science degree program.
In order to be eligible for direct acceptance into this program, students must submit proof of the following criteria:
- Combined SAT scores of at least 1080 (or ACT score of 21).
- A high school average of at least 85 percent.
- High school rank in the upper half of the class.
Students who do not meet these criteria are encouraged to apply to the Career Discovery Program and apply to the Occupational Therapy program after successfully completing one full-time semester.
Although D'Youville does not mandate that letters of recommendation or a letter of intent to study a specific discipline be included with the application, students applying to O.T. are strongly advised to include these documents with their application.
Students must also demonstrate successful completion of the following high school
courses: two years of math, one year of biology, and one year of chemistry. Physics
is strongly recommended. Students who have not taken high school chemistry will be
considered for admission with the understanding that a college preparatory chemistry
course must
be taken before beginning the curriculum. Students are strongly encouraged to gain
competence in word processing before entering the program.
Approximately 36 students are admitted to the program each year as freshman. These students are selected from the pool of applicants on the basis of the above criteria. Late applications are processed on a space-available basis.
- Students who have been out of high school for more than five years need not submit SAT scores.
- Selection is based on high school average and class rank.
Transfer Students
- Transfer students are accepted on a competitive, space-available basis in either the first or second year of the B.S./M.S. program.
- A minimum G.P.A. of 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale) is required to apply.
In order to register for any OT courses, students must have been formally accepted into the program.
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