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The School of Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Studies > Occupational Therapy > Occupational Therapy Post-Professional Degree Program
Occupational Therapy Post-Professional Degree Program
Program of Study
The Occupational Therapy post-professional degree program is for OT practitioners who wish to further their study in the field. The program requires a minimum of 32 semester hours of credit and may culminate in the master’s degree for students who enter with a baccalaureate degree. Full-time students may complete the post-professional master’s or CAS programs in one year, including two academic semesters and one summer term. Choosing a research project or thesis option may require one additional semester.
The post-professional degree program is comprised of three curricular components: professional, research, and practice. Students complete nine semester hours of academic course work in the professional component, at least five semester hours in the research component, and the remaining credits in the practice component of the program.
The professional component consists of three Occupational Science and Clinical Practice seminars which form the foundation of the program. These seminars:
- Address important issues in OT theory and practice, reviewing the most current and relevant professional and popular literature;
- Focus on optimizing the effectiveness of advanced level practitioners in their roles as consultants, direct service providers, educators, trainers, research or clinical team members, advocates, and administrators.
- Engage students in active learning and critical thinking through the use of case studies, stories and simulations, based on students’ and faculty’s own experiences.
- Complete RSCH 610: Foundations and Methods of Research, and Participate in a research endeavor
The practice component, the most flexible component of the program, allows students to direct their study toward a particular practice area in which they wish to expand their knowledge. Working closely with an adviser, each student assembles a career development plan that includes 11 to 18 semester hours of focus on a specialized area of practice. This plan may include:
- Selected coursework within the entry level program (for those making a shift to a new area of practice);
- Related courses from other professional programs at Springfield College (such as education, health care administration, movement science, physical therapy, psychology, rehabilitation and disability studies, therapeutic recreation);
- Independent study, which may incorporate approved professional educational workshops or materials with focused assignments;
- Preparation for nationally-recognized specialty practice certification;
- Supervised fieldwork; and/or New advanced and special topics courses offered by the OT Department.
Requirements for Admission
Complete application packets may be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office. Applicants must include evidence of the following:
- Graduation from an entry level OT program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the AOTA or approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapy (program must have been accredited at the time of the student’s graduation);
- Completion of an introductory course in statistics, with a grade of B or better;
- At least one year (or its equivalent) of full-time experience as an occupational therapist at the professional level;
- Initial certification by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (may be inactive, but must not have been revoked), or evidence of eligibility to sit for the NBCOT examination as a foreign-trained graduate;
- Three letters of reference, including one from a recent professional supervisor;
- A personal statement describing how one’s understanding and philosophy of the profession have evolved with experience in the field, and what he or she hopes to achieve in pursuing advanced study.
- Fall semester, submit by July 20
- Spring semester, by November 1
- Summer semester, by April 1
Since 1992, graduates of our Entry Level Master’s Program have:
- Worked in schools, universities, government agencies, hospitals, rehab center, and community-based settings, all over the United States and Canada.
- Published articles in professional journals such as the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
- Presented at state and national conferences
- Enrolled in doctoral programs at universities from Massachusetts to California!
