Degree Requirements
The following degree requirements are not covered by prerequisite courses. The requirements must be met by all occupational therapy applicants unless the student has (or will have) completed a bachelor's degree prior to entrance in the professional program:
Mathematics - 3 semester hours. Proficiency at a basic level is required. This can be demonstrated by a sufficient score on the mathematics test given to entering students, by completion of a course equal to Mathematics 121 at Pacific University, or by completion of a statistics course.
Foreign Language - 6 semester hours or proficiency. A proficiency in a language other than English must be demonstrated by the successful completion of a 102-level course or its equivalent. A student may satisfy this requirement by passing a proficiency test administered by the World Languages department. Students who have two years of high school study in a single language will be advised to take the 102-level course. The instructor for the 102-level course can approve a shift to a 101-level course, if required to meet the best educational achievement. A student whose native tongue is not English can be exempted from the Foreign Language Core requirement by obtaining approval from his/her advisor, and the Chair of the World Languages and Literatures department.
The Curriculum
Because the design or framework of our curriculum evolves out of the mission and philosophy of the School of Occupational Therapy, it shapes the sequence and content of coursework and reflects our mission and philosophy. We encourage applicants to explore the design of the curricula of any schools they are considering to make sure that the mission and philosophy reflected in any given curriculum is one that fits with their beliefs and values.
Read individual course listings and descriptions for the School of Occupational Therapy
We have organized our coursework to decrease compartmentalization of curricular content and to facilitate greater integration and generalization of material. The faculty model the provision of occupational therapy in their teaching strategies, engaging the students and adapting to their needs as required. Encouraged to cultivate an attitude of inquiry, students develop critical reasoning skills by applying conceptual thinking to practice throughout their coursework.
Integral to the curriculum and woven throughout it, fieldwork experiences provide students with opportunities to integrate and apply academic learning at progressively higher levels of performance and responsibility.
There are three fieldwork components:
- Practicum (81 hours)
- Level I Fieldwork (240 hours)
- Level II Fieldwork (1152 hours).
We require a total of 1474 contact hours of fieldwork experiences by completion of the curriculum and prior to graduation.