Occupational Therapy, M.O.T. (CIP 51.2306)

Occupational Therapy Program

Robin Steed, PhD, LOTR
Program Director

The Program of Occupational Therapy offers a graduate degree leading to a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT). The Master of Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449.  ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is 301.652.AOTA. For more information please visit www.acoteonline.org.

Occupational therapy enables people to do the day-to-day activities that are important to them despite impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions. Occupations are another name for these day-to-day activities. Occupations are goal-directed pursuits that typically extend over time, have meaning to the performer, and involve multiple tasks. Occupational performance areas consist of activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, rest/sleep, education, work, play, leisure and social participation activities. In therapy, a holistic philosophy is employed to assist individuals across the life span whose function has been impaired by disease, injury, or disorders of a physical, mental, or social nature. Occupational therapists, through their interventions, enable people to regain health as well as function. Intervention involves therapeutic use of meaningful and purposeful occupations, adaptation of environments and processes, promotion of health and wellness, and use of assistive technology and ergonomic principles. Employment opportunities for occupational therapists are available in a variety of institutional, (e.g., inpatient hospitals, nursing facilities), outpatient (e.g., outpatient clinics, partial hospitalization), and home community settings (home care, schools, day-care centers, wellness centers).

Completion of the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program prepares a graduate to practice occupational therapy. Twenty-seven months is needed to complete a total of 90 semester hours of coursework on-campus at the Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, and off-campus at practice sites within and out of the state. Included in these semester hours are six months of Level II Fieldwork. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months following completion of didactic course work. The student must satisfactorily complete all requirements for graduation in no more than four calendar years.

Graduates of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Following successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). This national certification is a prerequisite to obtaining a license to practice occupational therapy in most states, including Louisiana. Felony conviction may affect graduates’ ability to sit for NBCOT certification examination or attain licensure. Any history of substance abuse, regardless of legal consequences, may affect graduates’ eligibility for Louisiana licensure.

The LSU Health Shreveport Master of Occupational Therapy program has had a 100% pass rate on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy for the past eight years. Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://secure.nbcot.org/data/schoolstats.aspx

According to our graduate surveys, 100% of graduates who are seeking employment are employed within 6 months of graduation.

The total number of graduates from the LSU Health Shreveport Master of Occupational Therapy program during the 3-year period of 2014-2016 was 76 with an overall graduation rate of 90%

Application for Admission

Application Instructions

Application to the program is made through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy (OTCAS) at www.portal.otcas.org

            For questions contact OTCAS at:

            617.612.2860
            OTCASinfo@OTCAS.org

The Program in Occupational Therapy website has further instructions.

Admission Requirements

1.  Completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. We recommend majors in the social or physical sciences, but any major is acceptable.

 2.  Applicants must have a minimum overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (based on a 4.0 scale) for their undergraduate degree, and a GPA of 3.2 for prerequisite courses (effective 2014 application year).

 3.  Completion and submission of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) by October 31 of your application year. Applicants may only submit GRE scores that are from tests taken within the last five (5) years. The Minimum GRE requirements are a Verbal Reasoning score of 146, Quantitative Reasoning Score of 140 and 4.0 on the Analytical Writing.

 4.  Completion of all prerequisite courses prior to enrollment in the program.

•Abnormal Psychology (3 credits)

•Human Anatomy/Lab (4)

•General Chemistry (3)

•Developmental Psychology (lifespan) (3)

•Inferential Statistics (3)

•Motor Development (3)

•General Physics or Bio-mechanics/Lab (4)

•Human Physiology (3)

•Introduction to Sociology (3)

5.  Eighty percent (80%) of the prerequisite courses must be completed by December 31st of the year of application.

6.  Applicants must acquire a minimum of 40 hours of verified contact with one registered occupational therapist (OTR). Additional observation hours in other areas of clinical practice are strongly recommended. The Document of Experience form is available on the program website.

7.  Completion of an application is required through the centralized process at OTCAS.

8.  Applicants must be able to meet the MOT Program Technical Standards prior to admission and during enrollment.

Academic Progression Requirements

The following requirements pertain to the status of academic progress for students enrolled in the Occupational Therapy Program.

1. A minimum cumulative LSUHSC-S GPA of 3.0 is required for graduation.
2. Any student falling below a cumulative GPA of 3.0 will be placed on scholastic probation.
3. Students on scholastic probation are not eligible for financial aid.
4. Students on scholastic probation are not eligible for graduation from the program.
5. Academic progression is reviewed at the conclusion of each semester.  Students successfully reestablishing a cumulative GPA of 3.0 will be reinstated as a student in good academic standing.
6. The minimum scholastic requirement for course work is a grade of C.  However, no more than 9 credit hours of C grades may be counted toward a degree.
7. Students dismissed from the program may reapply to the program to be considered for competitive readmission.  
8. All didactic courses must be taken in sequence.  All didactic course work must be successfully completed before the student begins Level II Fieldwork.
9. According to the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®), students must successfully complete 24 weeks of full-time Level II Fieldwork.
10. If the student does not meet the expectations of the Level II fieldwork placement, they will earn a grade of “F”. Students who receive a failing grade or withdraw from a fieldwork placement (per student, AFWC, or fieldwork educator request) in one Level II experience may be given permission to take the course for a second time.  Students failing more than one fieldwork placement will be terminated from the program.  All fieldwork experiences must be completed within 24 months of fulfillment of didactic coursework.
11. Students must complete the entire program within forty-eight months of the student’s start date.
12. All Level II fieldwork (FW) experiences must take place at two separate sites.  This can be either one FW in state and one FW out of state, or both FW’s out of state.
13. In order to achieve the status of satisfactory academic progress, the student must meet the following minimum requirements:
    1. Satisfy the scholastic requirements listed above and in the SAHP general section of the catalog/bulletin.
    2. Successful completion of the required number of credit hours per semester established by the Program.

The faculty will review students’ academic progress at the conclusion of each Semester reporting results to the SAHP administration.

Student Employment Statement

Due to the demands of the curriculum, students are discouraged from seeking outside employment.

Transfer of Credit

In general, graduate credit earned in another recognized institution will not be accepted. The student may petition the program director for consideration of transfer credit. If granted, the student will be required to complete satisfactorily an independent study on material related to the course topics.

Applicant Advising

Informational sessions are conducted for individuals interested in applying for admission. These group sessions include an orientation to the Occupational Therapy Program and information on admissions procedures. Persons interested in attending an informational session should consult the Program of Occupational Therapy website for specific dates and times.

Technical Standards for Master of Occupational Therapy

Applicants seeking admission to the LSU Health Master of Occupational Therapy Program must be able to meet (and maintain throughout the program) the physical, cognitive, perceptual, psychosocial and professional demands of an entry level occupational therapist. The occupational therapy faculty have determined that the following skills are essential to the successful completion of the academic and clinical portions of the program.

Intellectual Ability and Problem Solving

Ability to:

• Understand, remember and synthesize information from a variety of sources and to make logical decisions based on that information, often in the moment, resulting in effective and efficient solutions
• Apply complex theoretical concepts to real world problems, adapting solutions according to environmental feedback
• Generate numerous alternative solutions to problems
• Guide one’s own learning through reading and other forms of self-instruction
• Write coherently, objectively and succinctly without spelling and grammatical errors consistent with APA guidelines

Sensation/Observation

• Hearing and vision within functional range (ability to hear soft voices, attend to signs of distress in client, to read small print, etc.)
• Ability to regulate tactile, vestibular and olfactory input from the environment
• Ability to attend to details consistently with distractions
• Comfortable with being touched and touching others
• Ability to perceive proprioceptive, tactile, and sensory input from clients in order to complete evaluations and treatment

Body Function

• Sufficient strength and endurance for moderate to strenuous activity 8 hours a day
• Ability to lift 20 lbs. independently from floor to overhead
• Ability to perform 50% of a physical transfer of client up to 200 lbs. with assistance or assistive device, from bed, tub seat or wheelchair
• Sufficient motor planning skills to navigate complex healthcare environment safely
• Sufficient manual dexterity to use evaluation tools, splinting materials, adaptive equipment, etc.

Emotional Regulation and Communication

Ability to:

• Manage and monitor own behaviors through self-reflection
• Organize and manage time in order to complete educational and clinical responsibilities
• Cope with stressful situations including assignment deadlines, constructive feedback from faculty and peers, public speaking, changing environments and schedules, emotionally laden interactions with clients, etc.
• Willingly to work with a diverse client population including persons of various ages, disabilities, sexual preferences, ethnic, racial, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Identify and interpret emotional affect, nonverbal cues, and response to intervention by individual clients and groups of clients.
• Communicate (verbally, non-verbally, and in writing) professionally in English with clients/patients, family members, caregivers, faculty, and colleagues.Acknowledge and respect individual values and opinions to foster harmonious working relationships.

Professional

Ability to:

• Abide by the American Occupational Therapy Association Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice. www.aota.org
• Maintain CPR certification
• Abide by the Program’s professional dress code and professional development policy motshreveport.pbworks.com
• Comply with Program requirement to complete one three month fieldwork out of state and to arrange transportation and living accommodations for all fieldwork assignments in a timely fashion, accept all fieldwork placements as scheduled by the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, abide by all policies in the LSU Fieldwork Manual motshreveport.pbworks.com
• Comply with the full tuition of fieldwork courses http://www.lsuhscshreveport.edu/Education/registraroffice/index

Upon acceptance to the program students may request reasonable accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act by contacting the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the School of Allied Health Professions. Accommodations will be considered reasonable if they a) do not substantively change the content or quality of instruction and b) do not compromise the safety of others, including clients. Students must arrange for accommodations prior to each semester and each fieldwork placement. All students, regardless of disability status, must meet the minimum essential requirements to safely, efficiently and effectively practice as a professional occupational therapy student.

Students requiring exemption from any of the activities included in these technical standards on a temporary basis should immediately notify the Occupational Therapy Program Director in writing.

Curriculum

• Master of Occupational Therapy Curriculum