Occupational Therapy Health Science

Degree(s): Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Health Science
Master of Science (M.S.) with a major in Occupational Therapy

(a minimum of 120 credits at the undergraduate level)
(a minimum of 56 credits at the graduate level)

This is a five and a half year program in which students earn a bachelors of science degree in Health Science and a master of science degree in occupational therapy upon successful completion of the program. The program is divided into two phases: a preprofessional phase in which students complete the General Education Program, core health science, occupational therapy, and related requirements, and the professional phase, which includes five semesters of graduate-level professional education and six months of level 2 fieldwork experience. Students enter the program as first-year students, or may be able to transfer in as sophomores. (Students who wish to apply to occupational therapy in their junior year should see the description of the advanced senior program below.)

For the first four years of the program, students engage in courses required for their undergraduate degree in health science, the General Education program, and their occupational therapy degree. Students are advised by an occupational therapy faculty member from the beginning of their Springfield College experience. At the end of the fourth year, students graduate with a bachelor’s degree in health science, already having completed more than a third of their required professional level occupational therapy coursework. They then continue in graduate occupational therapy courses and fieldwork experiences that begin this fourth summer and are completed in May of their fifth year. It is a challenging, accelerated program that prepares students well to enter a growing and vibrant profession at the required post-baccalaureate level.

Throughout the occupational therapy program, students engage in a mix of classroom, laboratory, group project, and fieldwork experiences. Students become practiced in entry level occupational therapy theory, evaluation and treatment techniques, clinical reasoning, research, teaching skills, management skills, and teamwork. Fully encompassing the College’s humanics philosophy, the occupational therapy program emphasizes that health and learning are best gained through an approach that unifies spirit, mind, and body. The typical Springfield College-trained occupational therapist displays both the unique empathy and the strong interpersonal skills necessary to be understood by clients, their families and healthcare professionals alike.

The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.¹ and will qualify the student to sit for the examination given by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.² Passing this examination is required to practice occupational therapy.

Admission to the Program

Candidates must have a rigorous background in the sciences with coursework in psychology, sociology or anthropology recommended. Grades in these courses along with English course work should be a minimum of 3.0. Documentation of experience in occupational therapy or other human service endeavors is also expected. January 15 is the deadline for the application, and February 1 is the deadline for all supporting documents. Later applications will be reviewed on a space available basis. Transfer students from other colleges, as well as internal transfers, may also be accepted to the Occupational Therapy Health Science program on a space available basis.

For more information about the Occupational Therapy Health Science program, please contact the Occupational Therapy Department at (413) 748-3581 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257. More information can also be found on our web site at www.spfldcol.edu/ot.

¹The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.; 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O.Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220; (301) 652-2682.

² National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc., 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150, (301) 990-7979, www.nbcot.org.

CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS

I. General Education Program (40 - 46 credits)

The General Education program at Springfield College is informed by its century-old Humanics tradition of educating the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, for leadership in service to humanity. These requirements have the goal of developing literate, thoughtful, socially responsible students, and instilling in them a spirit of inquiry into the nature of humankind and the universe. Towards those ends, the requirements emphasize and encourage: the acquisition of knowledge, understanding, and competency essential for the improvement of the human condition in a diverse society; a search for personal and spiritual values; and the development of an understanding and appreciation of physical well-being. For specific requirements, see the General Education Program section or the Program Checksheet for this major.

II. Major Requirements

F. Occupational Therapy Graduate Course Requirements (see Graduate Catalog for more information)

OCTH 550 - Occupational Therapy Management Credits: 3
OCTH 582 - Graduate Seminar Credits: 3
OCTH 584 - Clinical Education I Credits: 3
OCTH 620 - Research in Occupational Theory Practice Credits: 2
OCTH 631 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults I Credits: 3.sh.
OCTH 632 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults II Credits: 3
OCTH 633 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults III Credits: 4
OCTH 634 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults IV Credits: 4
OCTH 635 - Development and OT Adaptation for the Older Adult Credits: 3
OCTH 641 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults I Lab Credits: 0
OCTH 642 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults II Lab Credits: 0
OCTH 643 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults III Lab Credits: 0
OCTH 644 - Occupation, Dysfunction, and Adaptation in Adults IV Lab Credits: 0
OCTH 684 - Clinical Education II Credits: 10
OCTH 685 - Clinical Education III Credits: 10
OCTH 686 - Specialty Clinical Education Credits: 3
RSCH 610 - Fundamentals and Methods of Research Credits: 3
RSCH 612 - Proposal Design Credits: 2
RSCH 615 - Qualitative Research Methodology Credits: 3
or
RSCH 620 - Educational and Psychological Statistics I Credits: 3
RSCH 626 - Research Project Credits: 2-4
(note: must be taken for a minimum of three credits to meet program requirements)

III. Electives (to complete a minimum of 120 credits)

The Occupational Therapy Health Sciences program requires 5 credits of electives to reach the minimum 120 credits required too earn the bachelor’s degree. For most of the semesters during the first 4 years of the program, students may enroll in an additional elective, allowing the opportunity to complete a minor in another department. Students with an interest in a minor should discuss this with their academic advisor to plan the selection and timing of courses as early as possible.

IV. Program Standards

Students are expected to maintain performance standards outlined in the Occupational Therapy Student Manual, which include both academic requirements and professional behaviors. Academic requirements for the first 3 years include the following:

A 3.200 minimum average in the physical & biological science requirements
A 3.000 minimum average in the social science requirements
A 3.000 minimum average in the Occupational Therapy preprofessional requirements.
A 3.000 minimum overall GPA.
A grade of C or better is required in all courses.

Review of a student’s academic standing is conducted at the end of each semester. Students who do not meet these standards are placed on academic probation, which allows them to continue in the program with the goal of reaching all standards within 1 or 2 additional semesters. After five semesters or 75 s.h., each student’s academic record is reviewed by the Occupational Therapy Review Committee to determine his or her eligibility to continue into the professional phase of the program. This is not meant to be a secondary application process, but a way of ensuring that all students have achieved the minimum standards necessary to complete a rigorous graduate level program. During the professional phase of the program (beyond 75 s.h.), students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 across all professional-level courses. Students may not proceed to Level 2 fieldwork or earn the master’s degree without a minimum overall graduate GPA of 3.000.

Clinical Education Courses

Fieldwork experiences are included within courses during each year of the program, allowing students numerous opportunities to work with occupational therapy clinicians and clients throughout the greater Springfield area. In addition, the Occupational Therapy Department has fieldwork contracts with over 300 sites throughout the United States where students may engage in the 3-week and 3-month long fieldwork experiences during the professional component of the program. It is the responsibility of the student to absorb expenses and plan logistics related to these experiences, including travel, living arrangements, uniforms or appropriate professional attire, health insurance, and any needed health certifications, background checks, and/or drug testing.

Minimum Competencies

It is also the responsibility of the student to meet the requirements of the Occupational Therapy Program Minimum Competencies as described in the Occupational Therapy Student Manual, which is available upon request from the Admissions Office. These standards include, but are not limited to, skills in observation, communication, sensory and motor coordination and function, cognition, and behavioral and social attributes. All standards must be met for the student to continue in and complete the program. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be addressed on an individualized basis, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

V. Dual Degree Option

The occupational therapy dual degree program is a unique plan, allowing students interested in occupational therapy to complete, in five years, a bachelor’s degree in a related field other than health science and a master’s degree in occupational therapy. The selection of undergraduate majors approved for the dual degree program includes art therapy, dance, and psychology. General studies is also an option for the student transferring into the college after having completed 30 semester hours of college credit at another institution. Applicants must have earned a 3.3 grade point average in their high school English and social and physical science courses for acceptance into this challenging program. They must also maintain a 3.2 grade point average in their Springfield College social and physical science and occupational therapy related coursework. If interested in this option, please contact the Occupational Therapy Department at (413) 748-3581.

VI. Advanced Senior Option

The Occupational Therapy Department offers an advanced senior program for students who discover their interest in occupational therapy later in their program of baccalaureate study. Qualified students in other undergraduate majors may apply to the program in the second semester of their junior year. Students must complete an application packet, including a resume, references, and a personal statement. To be eligible for the advanced senior program, students must document that they have completed or will complete the following before the start of their senior year:

1. All requirements for a related undergraduate major.
2. A minimum of 97 credits including General Education Program courses.
3. The occupational therapy prerequisites (see below).

A 3.000 minimum overall GPA and a 3.000 average for the occupational therapy prerequisites are also required, but acceptance is competitive and dependent on space in the program. If accepted, students begin taking occupational therapy courses in their senior year. They graduate in May of their senior year with an undergraduate degree in a related major and an accelerated start to their graduate requirements. The same academic standards for program continuation and completion as described in section IV apply to students in the Advanced Senior program.

The prerequisites for the advanced senior program include the following courses or equivalents:

BIOL 130 - Anatomy and Physiology Concepts I Credits:3
BIOL 131 - Anatomy and Physiology Concepts II Credits:3
BIOL 132 - Anatomy and Physiology Concepts I Lab Credits:1
BIOL 133 - Anatomy and Physiology Concepts II Lab Credits:1
Physical science elective Credits: 4 Chemistry or Physics strongly recommended
PSYC 101 - Introduction to Psychology Credits:3
PSYC 211 - Introduction to Statistics Credits:3
Or MATH 215* - Probability and Statistics Credits: 3 s.h.
PSYC 221 - Abnormal Psychology Credits:3
SOCI 101 - Contemporary Society Credits:3
Sociology, anthropology, or psychology elective Credits: 3 Developmental Psychology strongly recommended
OCTH 101 – OT Survey Credits: 3 is strongly recommended
A 3 credit fieldwork in a human service setting is strongly recommended

Academic Catalog