MSOT General Information

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

The registered occupational therapist works in a variety of settings, including hospitals, out-patient clinics (adult and pediatric), skilled nursing facilities, schools, mental health programs, and community-based programs.  The occupational therapist will plan, organize, and conduct occupational therapy programs in hospital, institutional, or community settings to help rehabilitate those impaired because of illness, injury or psychological or developmental problems.  As part of their responsibilities, occupational therapists test and evaluate patients` physical and mental abilities and analyze medical data to determine realistic rehabilitation goals for patients; select activities that will help individuals learn work and life-management skills within the limits of their mental and physical capabilities; evaluate patients` progress and prepare reports that detail progress; complete and maintain necessary records; train caregivers how to provide for the needs of a patient during and after therapy; recommend changes in patients` work or living environments, consistent with their needs and capabilities; develop and participate in health promotion programs, group activities, or discussions to promote client health, facilitate social adjustment, alleviate stress, and prevent physical or mental disability; consult with the rehabilitation team to select activity programs and coordinate occupational therapy with other therapeutic activities; and plan and implement programs and social activities to help patients learn work and school skills and adjust to handicaps.

Upon satisfactory completion of the program, Stanbridge University will confer the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree on graduates.

Faculty to Student Ratios

For the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program, the faculty-student ratio for laboratory courses is 1 to 20 and the faculty-student ratio in lecture courses is 1 to 64 maximum.

Mission Statement of Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program

The mission of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is to support the mission of Stanbridge University and to provide a transformative learning experience where deep learning empowers students to become engaged, innovative, and ethical practitioners with the capacity to build an occupational therapy career based on excellence. The balanced curriculum is founded on the ideals of occupational justice and occupational engagement and recognizes the importance of a sound knowledge base, caring attitude, and the practical skills needed to serve a complex, diverse, and changing society.  Through the allocation of high-quality resources, the overarching goal of the program is to produce graduates confident in the use of occupation to increase participation in meaningful activities. Students also recognize the importance of psychosocial aspects of care and psychological support with strong clinical reasoning skills. This is accomplished by combining rich, inter-professional connections on campus and in the community with academic rigor so that our graduates are highly valued and recognized by the profession and society.

The Philosophical Base of Occupational Therapy

The development of human beings is influenced by the use of purposeful activity. Using their capacity for intrinsic motivation, human beings can influence their physical and mental health and their social and physical environment through purposeful activity. Human life includes a process of continuous adaptation. Adaptation is a change in function that promotes survival and self-actualization. Biological, psychological, and environmental factors may interrupt the adaptation process at any time throughout the life cycle. Dysfunction may occur when adaptation is impaired. Purposeful activity facilitates the adaptive process.

Occupational therapy is based on the belief that purposeful activity (occupation), including its interpersonal and environmental components, may be used to prevent and mediate dysfunction and to elicit maximum adaptation. Activity, as used by the occupational therapist, includes both an intrinsic and a therapeutic purpose.

Program Curricular Framework

The curriculum framework of the MSOT program is student-centered and prepares students to use meaningful occupation with individuals, communities, and organizations to promote occupational justice, occupational enrichment, and participation. The MSOT program prepares students for employment as a generalist qualified to work in physical rehabilitation, geriatrics, pediatrics, or mental health settings. These educational goals are accomplished through the use of a graduate curriculum framework blending the best of both the traditional and narrative models of curriculum design. See Figure 1 for the student’s experience in the MSOT program.

Figure 1.  Student Experience, Stanbridge MSOT

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation from Stanbridge University, the occupational therapy master’s student will:

PLO1. Demonstrate excellent clinical reasoning based on their commitment to transformative and lifelong learning and through applying therapeutic use of self, psychosocial aspects of care, theoretical approaches, occupational therapy frames of reference, assessment, intervention, and health care ethics.

PLO2. Apply knowledge of the history and philosophy of occupational therapy and occupational science that addresses the impact of occupational injustice and diversity on engagement in meaningful occupations and demonstrate the role of occupation across the lifespan in supporting health and participation in life.

PLO3. Analyze and implement current evidence-based assessments grounded in occupational therapy theory and research, and design and deliver best practice interventions after gathering information regarding factors that influence occupational performance.

PLO4. Model exemplary professional and ethical behavior with effective oral and written communication through engagement in interdisciplinary and community relationships, fieldwork, advocacy, and professional organizations.

PLO5. Pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination and become an employable generalist who can practice in all areas of occupational therapy safely, effectively, and efficiently applying current technology.

Program Threads

The following threads are elements of occupational therapy practice valued by the program and aligned with the mission and philosophy of the program. They are introduced in the first two terms of the curriculum and emphasized in increasing complexity as students move through the curriculum.