Dec 07, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Occupational Therapy, M.O.T. (512306)


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Accreditation and Licensure


ULM’s Master of Occupational Therapy Program has been granted a Status of Accreditation with the next site visit scheduled in 2021/2022,  by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. The telephone number for ACOTE, care of AOTA, is 301-652-AOTA and the 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 Occupation Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be a Registered Occupational Therapist (OTR). Many states require licensure in order to practice; however, the majority of state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure, therefore, if you are concerned about an issue, the status of this must be determined prior to the application to the professional portion of the program through the state licensing board and NBCOT.

Admission to the Professional OTA to MOT Program


Applicants to the OTA to MOT bridge program must be certified as Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) with a minimum of one-year experience or 1,000 hours as a practicing COTA.

Applicants must maintain a minimum of 20 hours/month client contact throughout the program. Applicants also must have completed the following in order to be considered for admission:

  • A baccalaureate (bachelor’s) degree in a field or major other than occupational therapy, from a regionally accredited college or university. The minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 30 hours.
  • Applicants must be admitted to the ULM Graduate School, have met departmental admission requirements.
  • Applicants must meet the ULM Graduate School Admission Requirements included below:

                

Regular Status 

Applicants must meet one of the following minimum requirements to be regularly admitted:


Any graduate, terminal, or professional degree from a regionally accredited university

OR
a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) from a regionally accredited university

OR
a GPA of 2.75 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework from a regionally accredited university

 

Conditional Status

Applicants must meet one of the following minimum requirements to be conditionally admitted:

Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale) from a regionally accredited university

OR
a GPA of 2.5 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework from a regionally accredited university

OR
Minimum formula score of 622.6 (2.2 GPA x 283 GRE)
OR
With a GPA of 2.2 or higher, some candidates with 5 years of employment in a relevant field of study may qualify for a waiver of test scores.

Some programs only allow conditional status for undergraduate deficiencies. For applicants who are admitted conditionally because they do not meet GPA and/or GRE requirements, this status will be removed after a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework is completed at the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a 3.0 GPA, and with no grades of C or below.  If these requirements are not met, the student will be denied continuance in Graduate School.


Provisional and Non-Degree Status

Provisional status is given to applicants who are in the process of obtaining official transcripts or GRE/GMAT scores. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in provisional status is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale). No more than six credit hours of coursework may be completed under provisional status, and students admitted provisionally are not eligible for financial aid.

Applicants who wish to enroll in selected course offerings but not pursue a formal degree program may be considered for admission as non-degree students. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in non-degree status is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale). Some programs have additional requirements, and/or exceptions to requirement, for taking courses under non-degree status.

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit earned in provisional admission status, including credit earned at University of Louisiana at Monroe and approved transfer credit, may be counted toward master’s or doctoral degree. The six semester hours must be included on the student’s approved degree plan to be counted toward the hours required for completion of the degree. Applicants who are accepted provisionally are admitted until regular or conditional status requirements are met.

 

  Note: MOT program admission requirements include minimum GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 30   
            hours

  • Complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of “C” or better.
  • All prerequisite coursework must have been completed prior to the semester for which you are applying.
  • All prerequisite coursework must have been reviewed and approved by either Dr. Patti Calk (calk@ulm.edu) or Dr. Carolyn Murphy (cmurphy@ulm.edu).

 

Prerequisite courses include: Human Anatomy with lab, Human Physiology, Statistics, Human Growth and Development, Introduction to Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Introduction to Sociology or Introductory Anthropology, and pathology courses that address common conditions treated by occupational threapy in adult, pediatric, and mental health populations.

 

Applications must be submitted to the Occupational Therapy Department, located in Caldwell Hall 111, no later than March 1 by 12:00 noon. If March 1 falls on a weekend or holiday, the due date will be 12:00 noon on the last school day prior to March 1. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Students must have official copies of their transcripts submitted to the ULM Graduate School by the application deadline date, including any official transcripts from the current application semester.

Applications will be reviewed by the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. Questions regarding out-of-state candidates may be directed to the Occupational Therapy office.

Students accepted into OTA to MOT programs are required to fulfill the immunization requirements of ULM Student Health Services,  in addition to immunization requirements for fieldwork education.

Progression and Continuation in the Program


Once accepted into the OTA to MOT Program, the student has two academic years to successfully complete the didactic coursework of the program followed by six months of level II fieldwork. A student who fails to do so will be required to appear before the University of Louisiana at Monroe Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee for a hearing to determine continuation in the program.

To progress in the OTA to MOT Program, a student must complete all required didactic occupational therapy courses with a grade of “C” or better and a cumulative 3.000 on a 4.000 scale. The student must complete all courses in the sequence leading to a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy. All OTA to MOT professional program courses must be taken at ULM. Students who fail to successfully meet all requirements (due to not meeting competency or based on grade) will be dismissed from the program. Students may request to appear before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee to determine continuation in the program. Before going on Level II Fieldwork affiliations, students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.000 (uncorrected). The OT Academic Performance Committee has the right and responsibility to impose sanctions on a student who is not in compliance with ethical, professional behavior, or patient welfare guidelines of the program after following due process guidelines of the program. Sanctions can include dismissal from a course with a grade of “F” and may result in permanent dismissal from the program. The Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee will determine the re-application status of any student who does not successfully complete the program. In lieu of comprehensive final examinations, the Masters of Occupational Therapy Degree requires a passing score on the Fieldwork Performance Evaluation.

A student who does not receive a grade of “C” or better on any Level II Fieldwork placement shall be dismissed from the program. A dismissal may be appealed before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee to determine if repeated or additional coursework could justify readmission. All cases before the Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee will be reviewed on an individual basis. Students must complete all Level II Fieldwork requirements within 18 months following the completion of occupational therapy content courses.

The MOT curriculum will be delivered through a combination of distance technology and on-campus sessions making this degree ideal for the working professional. All coursework will have an online component through the use of ULM’s Moodle Internet-based Courseware and on-campus sessions for training and practical experience leading to skill development. On-campus sessions will consist of hands-on learning labs that will incorporate active learning methods.

Graduate Courses


Note: To receive graduate credit for a 4000-level course designated “For Undergraduate and Graduates,” a student must be in graduate admission status at the time credit is earned in the course. Credit earned in undergraduate admission status cannot be changed to graduate credit.

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