Occupational Therapy

The mission of the Occupational Therapy Department at Misericordia University is to provide an educational environment that reflects values and attitudes of justice, mercy, service, and hospitality, in order to promote development of highly skilled professionals who are culturally competent, ethical, innovative, responsible, and involved occupational therapists serving diverse communities. We strive to emphasize quality graduate education through the use of evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning to achieve client-centered outcomes. Our graduates will be prepared as leaders to work interprofessionally and advocate for health maintenance and promotion within changing environments.

Entry Level MSOT Accreditation Status: The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD  20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program 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 successful completion of this exam the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, 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. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program. 

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral (ELOTD) Program Accreditation Status: The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD  20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its 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 successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, 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. Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork and doctoral capstone experiential requirements within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3. 

Occupational Therapy Graduation Rates for the past 3 years are presented in the table below. Graduation rates are based upon the number of students who complete the professional phase of the OT Entry Level Weekday BS/MS Program and the OT Entry level Weekend BS/MS Program. The professional phase of the Weekday program begins at the start of the Junior (third) year and continues through the end of the Graduate (fifth) year. The professional phase of the Weekend program begins at the start of Year 1 and continues until the end of Year 3.

Graduation rates for the past 3 years were:

Entry Level BS/MS in Occupational Therapy Program

 

The total number of graduates from the Misericordia University Entry Level Master of Occupational Therapy Program during the 3-year period 2021-2023 (most current) was 168, with an overall graduation rate of 93%.

 

Graduation Year	Students Entering/Graduating	Graduation Rate
2021	60/58	97%
2022	59/55	93%
2023	61/55	90%
Total	180/168	93%

Graduation rates for the Entry Level Doctoral Program are not yet available as the first ELOTD class has not graduated from this new program yet.

 

Click here or on the button below to view the BS in Occupational Science Graduation Requirements

BS in OS Graduation Requirements

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Click here or on the button below to view the MSOT Graduation Requirements

MSOT Graduation Requirements

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Click here or on the button below for the Entry Level OTD Graduation Requirements

ELOTD Graduation Requirements

Please see the attached documents for the costs associated with each program:  

Entry Level OTD program

MS traditional OT program 

Nontraditional MSOT weekend program

Please note that traditional OT students do not choose their graduate program until their junior year. Also, the cost of housing is not included but can be seen at the following link:

https://www.misericordia.edu/financial-aid/tuition-and-fees