The Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies major is part of an intensive, 5-year program that leads to both the BA in Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies and the Master's of Occupational Therapy (MOT). It combines a strong liberal arts foundation with professional courses in the theory and practice of occupational therapy. The first three years of this program are at the undergraduate level and the last two at the graduate level. Students must meet specific program requirements to advance and continue in the MOT program. Students earn their BA in Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies after year 4, and their MOT after year 5.

Bay Path University’s Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which is located at:

7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814

ACOTE's telephone number is (301) 652-6611 and email address is accred@aota.org. ACOTE's website is www.acoteonline.org.

Bay Path University’s Occupational Therapy graduates will be able to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT); contact NBCOT at www.nbcot.org. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Students with felony records should get pre-approval from NBCOT prior to application to the Occupational Therapy Program.

Note: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a B.A./M.O.T. entry-level degree in February 2002.

Program Schedule

The B.A./M.O.T. program follows the traditional two-semester academic year with approximately six weeks of summer coursework between the first and second graduate years. The program includes a total of 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork in active clinics at the graduate level. OTP 500-level coursework is taken in the senior year. Students are recommended to view the Graduate Programs Academic Catalog for a full list of courses required to complete the Master of Occupational Therapy portion of their degree program. 

As the Occupational Therapy Program is an active program with strong community ties, OT students will need to arrange their own transportation off campus, for level I and II fieldwork experiences in their senior and graduate years, and may have to meet special requirements. These requirements may mean, but are not limited to, criminal checks, health screenings such as TB, or professional dress codes. Students with felony records should check with NBCOT for additional screening.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Pre-Occupational Therapy Studies program, graduates will be able to:

• Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of databases to find and analyze evidence related to a health topic and write a review of the evidence in APA format.
• Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of safe play application in designing a play environment for children with and without disabilities.
• Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of the role of culture in the delivery and receipt of health care services.
• Graduates will demonstrate a commitment to service learning and understand the role a health care practitioner/provider plays in community engagement.
• Graduates will demonstrate how positive and negative communication impacts client outcomes.
• Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of client/patient rights in the health care setting.
• Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of ethical practices and problem solving solutions to ethical dilemmas within health care.
• Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of health and leisure across the lifespan and program effectively for different populations.

Students in the Pre-OT Studies, Master of Occupational Therapy program are expected to meet additional student learning outcomes, determined by the Master of Occupational Therapy program (see Graduate Programs Academic Catalog for a full description of the MOT program).

The following educational outcomes reflect the expectations of the Department of Occupational Therapy for students who have completed the advanced level of occupational therapy:

• Graduates will demonstrate understanding of the OT process through development of a client centered occupational profile to determine interventions based on client needs and adapt, and or modify the occupation, environment and outcomes communicated through skilled documentation.
• Graduates will integrate models of practice, frames of reference, and theory into client centered treatment plans to address occupational limitations through the use of meaningful occupations to meet established goals of a specific population.
• Graduates will articulate the importance of cultural humility, problem solving, professional reasoning and uphold professional standards and responsibilities to promote ethical practice appropriate to the role of the occupational therapist while advocating for the profession and client.
• Graduates exemplify competence in effective communication of occupational therapy services (written, virtual, and verbal) with the interdisciplinary team, client, family, and third-party payers.
• Graduates will establish a sense of personal awareness through the reflection of professional experiences and develop the skills of a lifelong learner, change maker, leader, and administrator.
• Graduates will evaluate, acquire and interpret qualitative and quantitative data from scholarly research to select and implement evidence-informed assessment and intervention strategies, in order to effectively analyze, evaluate, develop and report scholarly work.