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The School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies > Occupational Therapy > Undergraduate Entry
Undergraduate Entry
The Occupational Therapy Dual Degree Program is a unique option. It allows students to complete both a master’s degree in occupational therapy and a bachelor of science or arts degree in a field of study related to occupational therapy in just five years. It is a challenging, accelerated path to take, but one that enriches students’ background experiences and provides them with two different degrees, a striking advantage in today’s job market.
Program Options
Students choose from the following undergraduate majors:- Art Therapy
- Biology
- Dance
- General Studies--OT Concentration or Child Life Specialization
- Psychology
- Rehabilitation and Disability Studies
Program Description
Students enter the Dual Degree Program as first-year occupational therapy students and are simultaneously enrolled in a related major. For the first four years, students engage in courses required for their occupational therapy degree, their undergraduate degree, and the College’s general education requirements. The professional component of the OT program begins in the student’s fourth year and continues into the fifth, or graduate, year and includes two summers, where students attend professional level courses with graduate students in the entry-level master's program. Throughout their academic experience, dual degree students are advised by both an OT faculty member and an adviser from their undergraduate major.Students in the program engage in a mix of classroom, laboratory, group projects, and various levels of fieldwork experiences, becoming practiced in entry level OT theory, evaluation and treatment techniques, clinical reasoning, research, teaching skills, management, and teamwork. The interdisciplinary nature of the dual degree program design is enhanced by opportunities to share courses and activities with other students in the School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies, including physical therapy, communication disorders, rehabilitation counseling, emergency medical services management, and physician assistant studies.
Fully encompassing Springfield College’s Humanics philosophy, the Occupational Therapy Programs emphasize 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 effective with clients, families and health care professionals alike.
The more than 300 fieldwork sites affiliated with the Springfield College OT Department extend across the country and offer a wide range of experiences with people with differing disabilities and conditions, with different treatment approaches, and in various practice settings.
Requirements for Admission
Candidates for admission to the Dual Degree Program must have a rigorous background in the sciences and mathematics, along with course work in psychology and sociology or anthropology. Documentation of experience in occupational therapy or other human service endeavors is mandatory. The deadline for applications is January 15, with all supporting documents due by February 1. Later applications will be reviewed on a space available basis. Applicants may apply for admission at the first year level or as transfer students.Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants
COTAs with associates degrees may apply to enter the Dual Degree Program as transfer students. Careful advisement during the application process will help ensure appropriate credit for the applicant’s previous course work.COTAs who have earned bachelor’s degrees in other majors may apply directly to the entry level master’s degree program as graduate students.
Additional OT Programs
In addition to our Dual Degree Program, Springfield College offers graduate admission to the entry level master’s degree program, and a new post-professional program which grants practice certificates, or master’s degrees for baccalaureate-trained occupational therapists, and certificates of advanced study (CAS) fro OTs with entry-level master's degrees. The Graduate Admissions Office may be contacted at (413) 748-3225.Accreditation
Our entry level master’s program in occupational therapy is accredited by the 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.Certification
Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination required to practice occupational therapy, offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, 800 S. Frederick Avenue, Suite 200, Gaithersburg, MD 20877-4150; (301) 990-7979.Since 1992, our graduates have:
- Worked in schools, universities, government agencies, hospitals, rehab centers, and community-based settings, all over the United States and Canada
- Published articles in professional journals like The American Journal of Occupational Therapy
- Presented at state and national conferences
- Enrolled in doctoral programs at universities from Florida to California
