Program Description

The Health Science/Pre-Occupational Therapy program is a five-and-a-half-year program in which students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Science and either a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy or a Doctor of Occupational Therapy upon successful completion of all degree requirements. The program is divided into two phases: a pre-professional phase, in which students complete the Core Curriculum requirements as well as essential 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. 

For the first four years of the program, students engage in courses required for their undergraduate degree in Health Science, the Core Curriculum requirements, 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 of Science in Health Science: Pre-Occupational Therapy, having already completed one-third of their required professional level occupational therapy coursework.  They continue in graduate occupational therapy courses that begin in the fourth summer and complete the pre-fieldwork portion of the program in May of their fifth academic year. Students then complete six months of full-time fieldwork and a post fieldwork seminar course to help prepare them for taking the Board exam, licensure, and acquiring their first job in the field. 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, experiential, and fieldwork experiences. Students become practiced in entry-level occupational therapy theory; evaluation and treatment techniques; clinical reasoning; evidence-based practice; client education skills; management skills; and interprofessional collaboration 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 a combination of inter and intrapersonal skills, as well as technical and clinical skills necessary for successful practice with clients, their families and healthcare professionals alike.

The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc., 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, telephone (301) 652-AOTA (2682) and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. 

Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam (National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 12 South Summit Avenue, Suite 100, Gaithersburg, MD 20877, telephone 301-990-7979, www.nbcot.org). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All states also require licensure in order to practice. Students are eligible for licensure upon successfully passing the Board exam. 

Admission to the Program
Candidates for admission to the Health Science / Occupational Therapy Program must provide evidence of a rigorous background in biological and physical sciences and mathematics, with a strong recommendation of additional courses in psychology, sociology or anthropology. Grades in these courses along with English course work should be a minimum of 3.0, with biology/physical science grades with a minimum of 3.2. Documentation of experience in occupational therapy or other human service endeavors is also expected. The candidate’s personal statement or essay should reflect an understanding of the field of occupational therapy and a personal fit with the profession.  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 Health Science / Occupational Therapy program on a space available basis.

Undergraduate Curriculum Overview

The Academic Advising Center provides the following repositories of sequencing and curriculum guides for all undergraduate majors and minors to assist with course planning:  

• Sequencing Guides - Majors (Traditional Population)  
• Sequencing Guides - Minors (Traditional Population) 
• Curriculum Guides (Regional and Online Population)

Additional Notes:

• There may be circumstances where credit totals do not reflect coursework that is eligible to count towards Core Curriculum and Major Requirement sections of a major simultaneously.
• Degree requirements are subject to change. 

I. Core Curriculum (40 credits)

This Core Curriculum is faithful to the Springfield College mission and further strengthens the Humanics philosophy of educating students in spirit, mind, and body. It is a cornerstone of a Springfield College education. Regardless of one’s major, it provides a strong, developmental, and holistic foundation for leaders in service to humanity. Upon completion, all graduates will be prepared to learn, lead, and serve in diverse, multicultural, and global contexts as well as in any career path they may choose. They will have the knowledge, habits of the mind, skills, and abilities to face unexpected situations and challenges, the values and attitudes for self-motivation and a vision of service that stems from hope, optimism and making a difference, as well as the self-determination to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

View the Core Curriculum Requirements (40 credits)  section for a complete list of the domains and courses therein.

II. Major Requirements (79 credits)

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

IV. Additional Coursework

Students in the Health Science: Pre-Occupational Therapy major will also take the following coursework during their senior year that will be transferred to their graduate record after conferral of their Bachelor’s degree. Specifically, these courses do not contribute to the 120-credit minimum required for the Bachelor’s degree but must be taken during the student’s senior year to maintain the accelerated timeline associated with the Health Science: Pre-Occupational Therapy to either Master of Science in Occupational Therapy or Doctor of Occupational Therapy program.   

• OCTH 650 - US and Global Healthcare Systems: Occupational Therapy’s Role Credits: 3