Occupational Science, B.S.

Program Handbook

Occupational therapists work with individuals and their families to improve the quality of their everyday lives. Services are provided to individuals who are at risk for or have disabling conditions that limit their ability to participate in everyday activities.

Common diagnoses include developmental and learning disabilities, autism, arthritis, head trauma, spinal cord injury, amputation, stroke and behavioral illness. Occupational therapists evaluate the impact of the disability and partner with the client to plan interventions that promote health, focusing on activities that are important and meaningful to the individual or the community.

Saint Louis University’s Student Occupational Therapy Association’s (SOTA) purpose is to enhance students’ understanding of occupational therapy through professional, educational, community and social activities. SOTA facilitates opportunities for camaraderie among students, and it provides meaningful, productive interaction with faculty.

SLU occupational science students have seamless entry into the graduate-level occupational therapy master’s program if all the requirements of the undergraduate program are successfully completed. The post-professional doctorate program is available for individuals with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy interested in continuing their education.

Curriculum Overview

The occupational therapy program at Saint Louis University provides students with the coursework, faculty and resources to graduate as competent and caring health care professionals. Highlights of SLU's program include: 

• One of only four U.S. programs focused on occupational science (the occupational therapy profession’s foundation) as well as occupational therapy.
• Undergraduate students have guaranteed entry into the Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) program if the entrance standards are maintained.
• Students are matched with a faculty mentor who supports the student’s professional development.
• Curriculum emphasizes learning with exposure to practice, research and service both locally and nationally as well as internationally.
• Undergraduate students have opportunities to conduct research and produce projects/papers acceptable for publication and presentation at professional conferences.
• The core curriculum contains an interprofessional focus that emphasizes a team approach to health care.
• Students with a declared occupational therapy major who successfully complete the requirements for the B.S.O.S. are guaranteed entry into the Master of Occupational Therapy program.
• The curriculum is carefully planned to form students holistically and includes: a liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition with an emphasis on inter-professional health collaboration, a foundation in occupational science, occupational therapy coursework and field experiences in research and service to prepare students for practice as a health care professional with heart, and the ability to minor in any area of interest, study abroad for a semester and/or participate in regional/ national/global service opportunities.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Fieldwork experiences in community and clinical practice settings are required in occupational therapy education. Regulations require all students to complete a criminal background check and a drug test at least once during the Program, either or both of these may be repeated as agency requirements demand. Positive results from the criminal background check or drug tests may result in ineligibility to graduate from the program. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s eligibility for professional certification and licensure.

Careers

Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase by 27 percent between 2014 and 2024, adding 30,400 more professionals to the 114,600 existing jobs in this field according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As of 2014, 48 percent of occupational therapists worked in hospitals, schools and nursing facilities. The remaining 52 percent worked in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, home health, academia, early intervention, community and mental health. Additional opportunities include consultation to industry, community settings, teaching and research.

The salary of an occupational therapist varies based upon geographic location, years of experience and type of employment. The median annual wage for occupational therapists was $81,910 in 2016 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Upon completing an accredited educational program and receiving a master’s degree or entry-level clinical doctorate degree in occupational therapy, graduates are required to successfully pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination. In most states, practitioners must hold a current license or limited permit in order to work. Typically, therapists must fulfill continuing education requirements in order to maintain certification and/or licensure.

Admission Requirements

Freshman

Admission criteria includes a minimum GPA of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale and an ACT composite score of at least 24, with no subsection lower than 22 (or equivalent SAT scores). Four years of high school science, including chemistry, biology and preferably anatomy or physics, is also required, along with four years of math and four years of English. Admitted OT students have an average GPA of 3.70 and average ACT composite score of 26.

In order to qualify for early OT admission consideration, students must have an ACT composite score of 30 or higher with no subsection lower than 28 (or equivalent SAT scores), a 3.85 GPA (weighted) or higher on a 4.00 scale, and have satisfied the curriculum requirements listed above.

The application deadline is Dec. 1. Late applications are not considered. Admission decisions will be made Feb. 1.

Transfer

The program reserves up to 10 seats for qualified sophomore and junior transfer students with entry beginning at the fall term. Transfer students must have a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA, write a 500-word personal essay and have minimum 20 hours of experience in a variety of occupational therapy practice settings, such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools or community organizations. Students must have their 20 hours of experience documented in the journal of experiences.

Students should apply by Feb. 15 for fall entry. Essays and the journal of experience should be sent to the department at ot@slu.edu.

Current students interested in declaring this major should make an appointment with their academic advisor to review coursework and eligibility. Students will also need to schedule a meeting with an occupational therapy academic advisor, Tara Ernst at tara.ernst@health.slu.edu.

External transfer students should contact the Transfer Admissions Office at 314-977-2500. A transfer advisor will review your coursework and eligibility for OT, as well as discuss admission procedures to the University.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need. In addition to University scholarships, the Doisy College of Health Sciences offers a scholarship to sophomores, juniors and seniors.
• Financial Aid: provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, applicants should apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.

Accreditation

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, (ACOTE), American Occupational Therapy Association, (AOTA)
4720 Montgomery Lane
Suite 200    
Bethesda, MD 20814-3449
(301) 652-2682
http://www.aota.org

Additional Accreditation Information

The total number of program graduates for the last three years, 2014-2016, is 160 out of 173 students admitted to the program during that period, for a three-year graduation rate of 92.5 percent. Learn more about program outcomes and technical standards.

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 graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however, 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.

Occupational Therapy NBCOT Pass Rates

1. Graduates will be able to describe the scope of the discipline of occupational science.
2. Graduates will be able to apply occupational science knowledge in practice.
3. Graduates will be able to describe the relationship between situational factors and opportunities for occupational engagement, with an emphasis on identifying injustices.
4. Graduates will be able to analyze disciplinary concepts of humans as occupational beings.
5. Graduates will be able to employ discipline-specific methods of scholarly and clinical inquiry.

Students in Saint Louis University's occupational science major take the following courses. 

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a minimum 2.50 grade point average (GPA).

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.