Occupational Therapy

The Occupational Therapy program at Alvernia University is dedicated to promoting the health, well-being, and quality of life of persons experiencing disability.

Our program provides outstanding preparation for roles in both traditional settings and newly emerging areas of need. The programs’ distinctive evidence-based, occupation-focused, and client’ centered approach combines challenging coursework, diverse clinical placements, and the opportunity to collaborate with faculty who are leaders in their fields.

Our program focus is simple.

To prepare excellent practitioners who are prepared to provide occupation-focused, client-centered, and evidence-based services and are committed to leadership in practice.

Three distinct tracks in Occupational Therapy.

Alvernia University offers three MSOT tracks based upon a student's previous coursework.

• The five-year Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program, grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation, is designed to prepare graduates for entry into professional level occupational therapy practice.
• The Entry Level Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree program is designed for students who have earned a baccalaureate degree in another area of study and wish to become qualified as an occupational therapist.
• Our Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Completion degree program is designed for the currently practicing occupational therapy professional holding either a Bachelors degree in Occupational Therapy or a Bachelors degree with a certificate in occupational therapy desiring a Masters degree.

Work in a variety of occupational therapy fields.

Gain the knowledge and skills needed to:

• Practice as an occupational therapist in schools, rehabilitation centers, homes, community agencies, mental health facilities, general hospitals, and private practice
• Provide consultation to other healthcare professionals, schools, agencies, and businesses
• Work with the well elderly to maintain their independence in the community
• Teach in occupational therapy professional programs
• Advocate for at risk populations
• Provide services for international non-governmental organizations
• Conduct research

Teaching excellence - a hallmark of the MSOT program.

Alvernia University faculty are actively engaged in research and scholarship to further build and apply the knowledge base of OT. As faculty share their expertise in classes, MSOT students benefit from hearing about cutting edge developments in theory and practice. Innovative clinical learning experiences (Practicum II Fieldwork) are woven through all Alvernia University courses in the educational program.

Up-to-date curriculum.

The MSOT curriculum reflects the commitment of the Alvernia University occupational therapy faculty to high-quality, rigorous, up-to-date preparation for practice. The MSOT curriculum is designed to provide integrated preparation for diverse professional roles as an occupational therapy practitioner in traditional settings as well as in areas of newly identified need. The curriculum follows a development sequence that integrates academic courses and clinical learning experiences (Practicum II Fieldwork) throughout the program.