Occupational Science, B.S.

Program Handbook

Saint Louis University's occupational science and occupational therapy program offers a five-year, freshman-entry master’s program. Students earn a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science (B.S.O.S.) after the completion of four years, including one summer, and then a Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) degree after successful completion of an additional post-baccalaureate year. Students may also enter the program as transfer students or as post-baccalaureates. The occupational science and occupational therapy program has a focus on interprofessional care and occupational justice.

Occupational therapists work with people of all ages across the entire lifespan to improve the quality of their everyday lives and allow people to live life to its fullest. For an occupational therapist, this means focusing on a person’s “occupations,” including anything a person wants, needs or has to do. Occupational therapists practice in a variety of settings, ranging from the traditional (schools, hospitals, home health, skilled nursing facilities, etc.) to the non-traditional (prisons, homeless shelters, primary care clinics, etc.). Occupational therapists partner with the client to plan interventions that promote health, focusing on activities that are important and meaningful to the individual or the community.

The post-professional doctorate program (O.T.D.) is available for individuals with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in occupational therapy interested in continuing their education.

Saint Louis University Occupational Therapy Program Cost of Attendance

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: 

• Undergraduate students in the occupational science program have a seamless, direct entry to the graduate-level occupational therapy master's program if all of the academic and professional behavior requirements of the undergraduate program are successfully completed.
• The curriculum is divided into the pre-professional (years 1-3) and professional phase (years 4-5). Once accepted, a student will progress through the entire program without the need for re-applying or taking a graduate entrance exam, provided the student meets the program's academic and professional behavior standards.
• Applied experiences are an integral and complementary part of the occupational therapy curriculum. Occupational science and occupational therapy students participate in several levels of clinical experiences and fieldwork, beginning in year 3 and culminating in the completion of two 12-week full-time fieldwork experiences in a variety of settings beginning in the spring semester of year 5.
• Upon graduation with the M.O.T. degree, students must pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy examination to obtain a license to practice occupational therapy.
• The curriculum is carefully planned to form students holistically and includes: a liberal arts education in the Jesuit tradition with an emphasis on interprofessional health collaboration, a foundation in occupational science, occupational therapy coursework and field experiences in research and service.
• Most students elect to study abroad in the spring semester of their sophomore year.
• The undergraduate program (B.S.O.S.) is one of a select few U.S. programs focused on the discipline of occupational science — the underpinnings of the occupational therapy profession.
• Students are assigned to a faculty mentor who supports the student's professional development.
• Undergraduate students have the option to conduct research and produce projects/papers acceptable for publication and presentation at professional conferences.

Clinical and Research Opportunities

Clinical Fieldwork is an integral and complementary part of the occupational therapy curriculum. Through classroom and fieldwork experiences, students develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors that allow for occupation-centered and evidence-driven occupational therapy practice. Occupational science and occupational therapy students participate in several levels of clinical experiences and fieldwork.

Applied Community Service Experiences take place during year 3 and are aligned with students' engagement in occupational science courses. Students are expected to complete a minimum of 20 hours of experiences throughout the fall and spring semesters.

Level I Fieldwork is the applied experience that is coordinated with coursework during the fall and spring semesters of year 4, and the fall semester of year 5 in the program. Level I Fieldwork provides occupational therapy students with opportunities to develop professional behaviors, establish relationships with clients/patients and staff, identify the role of occupational therapy in various treatment settings, formulate goals and objectives in the therapeutic process, and demonstrate emerging occupational therapy skills. Course instructors design assignments to be completed during Level I Fieldwork to assist students with meeting the learning objectives of the fieldwork experience, while also addressing the learning objectives of the course.

Level II Fieldwork takes place during the spring semester and part of the summer of year 5.  Level II Fieldwork is the in-depth practical experience in the delivery of occupational therapy services that focuses on the promotion of clinical reasoning and reflective practice skills, the application of the treatment process including evaluation, intervention, and discharge, and professional behavior development with the ultimate goal of preparing our graduates for entry-level occupational therapy practice. Level II Fieldwork can take place in either traditional or emerging practice settings.

Students complete two 12-week Level II Fieldwork experiences following the successful completion of all didactic coursework. Fieldwork objectives for these experiences are collaboratively established by fieldwork sites and the academic program. During each Level II Fieldwork experience, students participate in weekly assignments in order to maintain close contact with the academic program, track the progress of learning and skill development, and assist with the achievement of Level II Fieldwork learning objectives. The M.O.T. program is affiliated with approximately 300 fieldwork sites across the United States.

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.

Research

Occupational therapy students who choose to pursue a master's project are matched with a faculty member who mentors their development of a comprehensive project that is closely associated with the faculty member's scholarship. Through this process and concurrent applied research seminars, you’ll have opportunities to gain an understanding of the research process in a practice setting or the academic environment.

Careers

Upon completion of 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. After successfully completing this exam and obtaining licensure, students will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR).

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.

Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase by 18% between 2018 and 2028, much faster than the average occupation according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

As of 2015, 66% of occupational therapists worked in hospitals, schools and/or nursing facilities. The remaining 34% worked in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, home health, academia, early intervention and/or 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 2018 median annual salary for an occupational therapist was $84,270, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Admission Requirements

Freshman Applicants

• High school seniors applying for admission are reviewed on an individual basis. The best-qualified students are selected from the application pool with a required minimum high school GPA of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale.  Standardized test scores are now optional. When evaluating whether to apply test-optional or with a test score, applicants should note that students accepted in previous years had an average composite 26 ACT or an average total 1230 SAT.
• 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.
• The application deadline is Dec. 1. Late applications are not considered. Admission decisions will be made Feb. 1.

Transfer Applicants

• 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 a minimum 20 hours of experience in a variety of occupational therapy practice settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools or community organizations.
• Per university policy, courses with grades of C or above may be eligible for transfer credit.
• Students with fewer than 75 earned credits when entering the program are eligible for transfer admission.
• All prerequisite courses must have been completed with the previous five years.
• It is recommended that science courses be taken at a four-year university; however, community college coursework will be accepted.
• Science courses taken online are not accepted.
• In progress coursework must be completed by the semester of entry.
• Students must have their 20 hours of experience documented in the Journal of Experiences.
• Students should apply no later than the last day of February for fall entry. For further information, contact the undergraduate program coordinator at ot@slu.edu.
• Current students interested in declaring this major should make an appointment with their academic adviser to review coursework and eligibility. Students will also need to schedule a meeting with an occupational therapy academic adviser, Tara Ernst at tara.ernst@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 the program, as well as discuss admission procedures to the University.

Post-Baccalaureate

Post-baccalaureate applications are not currently being accepted. Please check back periodically for updates.

Post-baccalaureate applicants to the OT program are required to have completed nine prerequisite courses (listed below), earning a minimum cumulative 3.20 GPA:

• Biology with lab (4 credits)
• Chemistry with lab (4 credits)
• Basic anatomy (3 credits)
• Physiology (3 credits)
• Physics (3 credits)
• Lifespan human development (3 credits)
• Abnormal psychology (3 credits)
• Research methods (3 credits)
• Medical terminology

All nine prerequisite courses must have been completed within the last 10 years. Grades below a "C" will not be accepted. It is recommended that science courses be taken at a four-year university, but community college coursework will be accepted. Science courses taken online will not be accepted.

All prerequisite coursework must be completed by the application deadline. Transcripts must be submitted to the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy system and will not be accepted by SLU.

Application Requirements

Freshman

Freshmen or undergraduate transfer applicants from the U.S. or abroad can begin the application process online through the SLU Admissions page. SLU also accepts the Common App.

Post-Baccalaureate

Apply through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy (OTCAS). The OTCAS is a centralized service that enables prospective occupational therapy students to submit all application materials electronically. Application materials that must be submitted to OTCAS include:

• Official transcripts
• Two professional letters of reference
• Personal essay up to 500 words, which should be a discussion of experiences in the field and reasons why you are interested in pursuing a degree in occupational therapy

Post-Baccalaureate International Students

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Post-Baccalaureate Deadline

Students should apply by January 15. The application period for the Occupational Therapy program begins in mid-July. All applications are due by January 15. Interviews will be conducted throughout February and all final decisions will be made and communicated by March 1.

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)
6116 Executive Boulevard
Suite 200    
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
(301) 652-2682
http://www.aota.org

For more information about the SLU Occupational Therapy program outcomes, matriculation rate, graduation rate, certification exam pass rate and employment rate, please see Program Outcomes.

Program Outcomes

The total number of program graduates, to date, from the Saint Louis University Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) program during the three-year period of 2016-2018, was 166 with an overall graduation rate of 96.0%.

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

Bachelor of Science in Occupational Science

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.

Master of Occupational Therapy

1. Graduates will be able to apply theories that underlie the practice of occupational therapy.
2. Graduates will be able to demonstrate skills in assessment and intervention practice in the implementation of occupational therapy with clients across the lifespan.
3. Graduates will be able to demonstrate skills in research designs.
4. Graduates will be able to effectively interact through written communication in a professionally acceptable manner.
5. Graduates will be able to construct a professional sense of self as an occupational therapist.

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

Continuation Standards

Required grade point average (GPA) minimum for freshman is 2.70, for sophomores is 2.80, and for juniors is 2.90. 

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.

Freshman Entry 

Post-Baccalaureate Entry

Program Notes

 Please note: Due to the large number of students currently enrolled in our program, we are not currently admitting post-baccalaureate students. Please contact the department to discuss the next possible start date for post-baccalaureate admissions.

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions please contact:
Julie Miller
Recruitment Specialist
314-977-2570
dchs@health.slu.edu