Rita Daly, Chair of Graduate Studies

Vision:

The Ithaca College Department of Occupational Therapy will lead the profession in developing engaged practitioners who meet the needs of a diverse society by facilitating access to health, wellbeing, and occupational participation for all.

Mission:

The mission of the Department of Occupational Therapy is to prepare ethical practitioners who are lifelong learners, leaders, and advocates in the field of occupational therapy.  We meet this mission by:   

• Promoting the centrality of occupational participation to support health, quality of life, occupational justice, and resilience of individuals, communities and populations.  
• Emphasizing theory and evidence driven practice and professional reasoning through experiential learning.
• Creating diverse and integrative learning experiences to develop breadth and depth of student perspectives. 
• Fostering collaborative engagement in interprofessional scholarship and service that extends beyond campus to include local and global communities. 
• Exploring traditional and emerging areas of knowledge and practice.

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers two entry points to meet this mission:

1. A five-year combined B.S./M.S. program or a six-year combined B.S./O.T.D. program
2. A professional entry-level M.S. program or a professional entry-level O.T.D program

Note: Students admitted to the Fall 2024 undergraduate catalog and beyond will have a choice to pursue the MS or OTD program. Questions regarding this choice should be directed to the Chair of Graduate Studies.

The occupational therapy 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 501E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Contact the AOTA's Accreditation Staff at (301) 652-6611 x2042 or at www.accred@aota.org for more information.

Graduates of the program, regardless of their entry point, are eligible to take the national certification examination administrated by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate is a registered occupational therapist, or OTR. In addition to certification, a professional license is also required for practice in all states. While the NBCOT certification is accepted as the licensing exam, specific requirements vary by state. Graduates are obligated to abide by state laws and are required to apply for and obtain state licensure before entering clinical practice. For more information, visit National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (www.nbcot.org) and the American Occupational Association (www.aota.org).

ACADEMIC STANDARDS

Combined B.S./M.S. Students must earn a C or better in required courses. A student who fails to complete a required course with a grade of C or better must repeat the course for it to count toward the completion of the M.S. degree. This may delay progression in the program and result in additional tuition or fees. Combined B.S./M.S. students who fail to meet these standards in any semester will be placed on program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning must earn a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to be removed from program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning for any two semesters during the graduate program will be dismissed from the program.

Professional entry-level students must earn a C or better in required courses. A student who fails to complete a required course with a grade of C or better must repeat the course for it to count toward the completion of the M.S. degree. This may delay progression in the program and result in additional tuition or fees. Professional entry-level students who fail to meet these standards in any semester will be placed on program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning must earn a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to be removed from program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning for any two semesters during the graduate program will be dismissed from the program.

Combined B.S./OTD Students must earn a C or better in required courses. A student who fails to complete a required course with a grade of C or better must repeat the course for it to count toward the completion of the OTD degree. This may delay progression in the program and result in additional tuition or fees. Combined B.S./OTD students who fail to meet these standards in any semester will be placed on program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning must earn a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher to be removed from program academic warning. Students on college and/or program academic warning for any two semesters during the graduate program will be dismissed from the program.

If any graduate student receives a grade of "U" for a level II fieldwork course, they will be placed on academic warning by the Chair of Graduate Studies. The student must register for and successfully complete an alternate fieldwork assignment as scheduled by the academic fieldwork coordinator. The faculty may require remedial work or apply special conditions that the student must meet before they are allowed to repeat this class. If the student successfully completes this course, they may continue in the program; however, no one will be allowed to repeat a level II fieldwork course more than once.

These policies, as well as academic, clinical, and professional behavior standards, are published on the Department of Occupational Therapy website.

Occupational Therapy B.S./M.S. Program 

The five-year combined B.S./M.S. degree curriculum is designed to provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts, sciences, and humanities; to offer a comprehensive and rigorous professional education; and to develop attitudes and skills for lifelong learning and leadership. Included in the academic instruction are 24 weeks of required full-time clinical fieldwork experiences that are typically scheduled for the summer preceding the graduate year (12 weeks), in the late spring (12 weeks) after their final semester on campus, and an optional specialty placement in the summer following the graduate year (8 weeks). Coursework at the graduate level is organized into two academic and three clinical experiences time blocks. 

Combined B.S./M.S. students enter their first year as occupational therapy majors and progress through the curriculum to earn a master's degree. Combined B.S./M.S. students are admitted only from the Ithaca College undergraduate occupational science program and must complete the graduate (fifth) year to be eligible to take the national certification examination. The undergraduate component of this program is described in the Ithaca College undergraduate catalog. 

Combined B.S./M.S. students take a required 40 credits of graduate courses, both on campus in Ithaca and at clinical fieldwork sites across the country. Graduate students may also take an optional four credits of specialty fieldwork or an elective internship. Students enroll in either group research or individual thesis, along with a variety of other graduate courses that are designed to provide depth and breadth of education. Please refer to the combined B.S./M.S. degree section for curriculum information. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for graduation for the combined BS/MS occupational therapy degree, students must complete the following:

1. Completion of the B.S. degree in occupational science at Ithaca College;
2. Completion of the major department requirements as stated in the combined B.S./M.S. degree section of the academic catalog.

The group research sequence is a faculty supervised research project where students collect and analyze data, interpret results, and present findings in both oral and written formats. Students who select the group research sequence will register for OTMS 67100 and OTMS 67120.

Individual thesis is conducted under the supervision of a faculty thesis adviser and with a thesis committee.  Students are required to have a faculty approved thesis proposal to enroll in this option. The quality of work for individual thesis projects is expected to meet professional publication standards. Students who select individual thesis will register for OTMS 67200 and OTMS 67300.

Individual thesis students, who have completed all coursework except the thesis, will be required to maintain active student status through the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance until completion. These students will work with their adviser to plan an appropriate course and credit schedule. 

Professional Entry Level M.S. Program 

Professional entry-level M.S.  students take a required 86 credits of graduate courses, both on campus in Ithaca and at clinical fieldwork sites across the country. Graduate students may also take an optional four credits of specialty fieldwork or an elective internship. First year coursework begins in summer and includes one winter intersession course. The second year is consistent with the combined B.S./M.S. curriculum, where clinical fieldwork experiences are typically scheduled for the summer following the first graduate year (12 weeks), in the late spring (12 weeks) after their final semester on campus, and an optional specialty placement in the summer following the late spring placement (8 weeks). Coursework at the graduate level is organized into two academic and three clinical experiences time blocks. 

Similar to the combined B.S./M.S students, professional entry-level students enroll in either group research or individual thesis, along with a variety of other graduate courses that are designed to provide depth and breadth of education. Please refer to the professional entry-level degree section for curriculum information. 

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

To be considered for graduation for the PEL M.S. Occupational Therapy degree, students must complete all of the major department requirements as stated in the professional entry-level degree section of the academic catalog.

ADMISSION 
Applications are available online through the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis, with the final application deadline of March 31st, annually. The following are admission requirements: 

• A completed bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00
• Completion of nine (9) prerequisites with a grade of C or higher within the past ten years. A minimum of six (6) of the following nine (9) prerequisites must be completed by the application deadline:
  • 3 credits of General Biology
  • 8 credits of Anatomy and Physiology
  • 3 credits of General Psychology
  • 3 credits of Developmental Psychology or Human Development Across the Life Span
  • 3 credits of Abnormal Psychology
  • 3 credits of Sociology or Anthropology
  • 3 credits of Statistics
  • 3 credits of Introduction to Research Methods
• A writing sample
• An in-person or remote interview, by invitation

Additional Admission Requirements:

• Completion of online application
• Official transcripts from all colleges attended
• Two letters of recommendation, one preferably from a health care practitioner

GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS

Each year the department awards a small number of Graduate Assistantships to select Professional Entry-Level students. Graduate Assistantships are competitive and offer both scholarship funding and a taxable salary. Students who are awarded Graduate Assistantships work with faculty and staff on scholarly, instructional, and administrative tasks depending on departmental needs. Students applying for Graduate Assistantships are required to submit two additional letters of recommendation with their application.

Combined B.S./O.T.D. Program

Vision:  

The Ithaca College Department of Occupational Therapy will lead the profession in developing engaged practitioners who meet the needs of a diverse society by facilitating access to health, well-being, and occupational participation for all.  

Mission: 

The mission of the Ithaca College Occupational Therapy program is to prepare ethical practitioners who are lifelong learners, leaders, and advocates in the field of occupational therapy. We meet this mission by: 

• Promoting the centrality of occupational participation to support health, quality of life, occupational justice, and resilience of individuals, communities and populations. 
• Emphasizing theory and evidence driven practice and professional reasoning through experiential learning. 
• Creating diverse and integrative learning experiences to develop breadth and depth of student perspectives. 
• Fostering collaborative engagement in interprofessional scholarship and service that extends beyond campus to include local and global communities. 
• Exploring traditional and emerging areas of knowledge and practice 

The Department of Occupational Therapy offers a six-year combined B.S./O.T.D. program to meet this mission:  

The combined B.S./O.T.D program is designed for students who enter Ithaca College as undergraduates and progress through the curriculum to earn an entry-level doctoral degree. Graduate students in this program are admitted only from the Ithaca College undergraduate occupational science major, which is designed to provide a strong foundation in the liberal arts, sciences, and humanities, and is described in the Ithaca College undergraduate catalog. Combined B.S./O.T.D. students take a total of 120 credits to earn the B.S. degree and 58 credits to earn their O.T.D. degree through didactic coursework, fieldwork (24 weeks full time), and a doctoral capstone experience (14 weeks/540 hours).  

Graduates of the doctoral degree program are eligible to take the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) upon completion of their degree. The graduate is considered a registered occupational therapist, or OTR, after successfully passing the NBCOT exam. National certification and professional licensure is required for practice in all states. While the NBCOT certification is accepted as the licensing exam, specific requirements vary by state. Graduates are obligated to abide by state laws and are required to apply for and obtain state licensure before entering clinical practice. For more information, visit National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). 

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Candidacy Status 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. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must have a preaccreditation review, 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 review and sign the Occupational Therapy Technical Standards annually to demonstrate that they are aware of the skills, abilities, and behavioral characteristics required to successfully complete the Department’s academic programs. Technical standards in occupational therapy include the areas of: (1) acquiring fundamental knowledge; (2) developing communication skills; (3) interpreting data and clinical information; (4) integrating knowledge to establish clinical judgment; and (5) developing appropriate professional behaviors and attitudes. https://www.ithaca.edu/academics/school-health-sciences-and-human-performance/occupational-therapy/technical-standards 

Admission Requirements 

Combined B.S./O.T.D 

Admission requirements for the graduate portion of the combined B.S./O.T.D. program includes a B.S. in occupational science from Ithaca College, with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.  

Academic Standards

Occupational therapy graduate students (students in their fifth and sixth years for combined B.S./O.T.D. students) are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.00 or higher during their graduate studies.  

Good Academic Standing: In alignment with college-wide policies stated in the Graduate Catalog, graduate students are required to maintain a minimum semester GPA of 3.00 each semester in order to remain in good academic standing at the college level. Graduate students must achieve a minimum cumulative, final GPA of 3.00 in order to graduate.

Course Grade Requirements: 

Students are expected to earn a C or better in all graduate level courses. In the event a student desires to repeat a course for grade replacement, they should follow the college guidelines for Repeating a Course. Per the college-wide policy, graduate students earning more than 3 credits of “F” are subject to dismissal. 

Fieldwork and Doctoral Capstone Experience Requirements: 

Occupational therapy graduate students are expected to meet fieldwork and doctoral capstone experience requirements to achieve a “S” (satisfactory) for each course. If a student receives a grade of “U” (unsatisfactory) for a Level II fieldwork or a Doctoral Capstone experience, they are permitted one make-up experience to demonstrate competency. The student must complete a remediation process developed in conjunction with a representative from the occupational therapy program before they are allowed to repeat the fieldwork or doctoral capstone experience. No student will be permitted to repeat a Level II fieldwork or the Doctoral Capstone Experience course more than once. 

Professional behaviors: Students are evaluated on professional behaviors using departmental procedures and standards. If a student has documented professional behavior concern(s), they will be placed on academic warning and a remediation plan with a timeline will be put in place. 

Program Warning and Dismissal  

A student who fails to meet any of the minimum requirements stated above may be placed on program warning, suspension, or dismissed from the program. Students who have been placed on program warning or suspension will be expected to meet department standards for all subsequent semesters. Students will remain on program warning until the issue that caused the warning is resolved.  A student may not be placed on a program warning for a new violation in a subsequent consecutive semester; should a new violation occur the student will be dismissed from the program.  

Graduate occupational therapy students will be placed on program warning if any of the following occur:  

1. A student earns less than a 3.00 semester GPA per the college-wide standard;  
2. A student has documented professional behavior concern(s); 
3. A student receives a grade of "U" for a Level II fieldwork or Doctoral Capstone Experience course. 

  
Graduate occupational students will be dismissed from the program if any of the following occur:  

1. A student on program warning violates the aforementioned departmental criteria for good standing in any subsequent semester;  
2. A student receiving more than 3 credits of “F” during the program; 
3. A student has a documented professional behavior concern(s) that has not been resolved within the specified timeframe;   
4. A student receives a “U” (Unsatisfactory) grade on a make-up Level II fieldwork or Doctoral Capstone Experience  
5. A student violates the American Occupational Therapy Association's code of ethics.     

A student who is subject to dismissal from the program may, under extenuating circumstances, be granted a suspension from the program in lieu of dismissal. For readmission to the program, the student may have to fulfill certain conditions, such as remedial coursework or fieldwork assignments prescribed by the faculty at the time of suspension. Readmission may be contingent on the availability of space in succeeding classes.    

In an exceptional case, a student who has been dismissed may be readmitted to the program upon satisfaction of conditions determined by the department faculty. Dismissal from the occupational therapy program does not always mean dismissal from Ithaca College. In some cases, students may be eligible to pursue other Ithaca College majors. Specifics with regard to these policies and the appeals procedures are available in the Department of Occupational Therapy Student Manual.  

Fieldwork and Doctoral Capstone Experience  

Fieldwork is an essential part of professional training and is required of all occupational therapy students. Students are assigned Level II fieldwork and Doctoral Capstone Experience sites locally, and at locations around the United States, based on a combination of student interest, setting type, and site availability. Students are responsible for all fieldwork site related expenses such as health requirements, background checks, and/or drug screenings. Students arrange their own housing and travel for fieldwork experiences.     

Level II fieldworks and the Doctoral Capstone Experience are standalone courses in the graduate program and tuition is billed to the student. For more information on student expenses, see “Graduate Occupational Therapy" costs under "Graduate Tuition & Fees" on the Tuition and Financial Aid website. 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 the relevant ACOTE standard. Students must complete all Level II fieldwork and Doctoral Capstone Experience requirements within 30 months from the completion of the academic portion of the curriculum. Students who fail to complete Level II fieldwork and the Doctoral Capstone Experience within this time frame are subject to dismissal from the program.