Entry Level Master's Program

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Due to the decision by AOTA and ACOTE to support dual entry into the field of occupational therapy, the Occupational Therapy Program at Puget Sound decided to maintain the MSOT Program while adding an entry-level OTD as well. This will allow students who want to finish in 2.5 years to complete their degree and start working 6-9 months earlier.

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number is 301.652.6611, email address accred@aota.org, and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

MSOT graduates will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) after completion of their coursework and fieldwork. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice and state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

The entry level Master’s Program in Occupational Therapy is for college graduates who wish to become occupational therapists (but do not have work experience in the field of occupational therapy). The program, which requires completion of 14.75 units of occupational therapy coursework, is two and a half academic years in length which includes a minimum of six months of full-time fieldwork experience.

Puget Sound has had an Occupational Therapy Program for more than 75 years and is one of the top ranked programs in the Pacific Northwest. Situated in a liberal arts environment, the MSOT Program has several unique factors, such as the onsite clinic, experiential learning in context, and community engagement. The MSOT Program is designed to provide the skills for becoming an entry level therapist, who is able to analyze and verify the theoretical foundations and practical techniques of occupational therapy. Contemporary practitioners work in diverse health, social, educational, and other community settings requiring new graduates to be able to have skills in life-long learning, critically appraise their work, take initiative and to be able to respond to the ongoing changes within the system. Additionally, the evidence of effective therapeutic outcomes, and the need to promote evidence-based practice is stronger than ever before. Puget Sound graduates will have exceptionally strong abilities to use current best-practices, to be able to articulate their professional reasoning, to take leadership roles, and to implement a worthwhile research study that contributes to the professional literature.

There are three phases to the Master's of Occupational Therapy course of study: pre-professional, professional, and fieldwork experience.

The pre-professional phase occurs prior to enrollment in the program. During this phase, applicants complete Occupational Therapy program prerequisites.

During the professional phase, students complete the required Occupational Therapy coursework.

The fieldwork experience phase consists of completion of at least six months of full-time practice under the supervision of a registered occupational therapist in diverse health, social, educational, and other community settings.

Application Instructions

Tour Weyerhaeuser Hall

In 2011 the university completed Weyerhaeuser Hall, housing several health science departments including the School of Occupational Therapy.

Tour Weyerhaeuser Hall

Profile of Recently Admitted Class

Average overall GPA: 3.81 (range 3.21 – 4.0)
Average overall prerequisite GPA: 3.43 (range 3.00 – 4.0)
Average score on Verbal GRE: 68th percentile
Average score on Quantitative GRE: 46th percentile
Average score on Analytical GRE: 67th percentile

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)

Puget Sound participates in the WICHE Program. WICHE's Professional Student Exchange Program enables students from certain states to enroll in selected out-of-state professional programs usually because those fields of study are not available at public institutions in their home states. Students who qualify and receive funding through WICHE will have tuition costs offset by the WICHE support fee. Please review their website to see if you qualify and to start the application process.

Accreditation

The MSOT Occupational Therapy Program is accredited through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The MSOT program was initially awarded a Certificate of Accreditation in 2012. In compliance with the 2018 Accreditation Standards for Master’s-Degree-Level Educational Program for Occupational Therapy, the program’s next on-site evaluation is to be scheduled within the academic year 2031/2032.

Puget Sound's entry-level OTD was awarded a Certificate of Accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) in December 2022. The OTD program's next onsite evaluation is to be scheduled for the academic year 2029/2030. Puget Sound OTD graduates are eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist.

For information regarding accreditation, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE®) at 301.652.AOTA (301.652.2682), www.acoteonline.org, or ACOTE, c/o Accreditation Department, 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. All basic professional programs must comply with the Standards for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist, 2018.