Programs
Undergraduate Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science Program
The WMU Occupational Therapy Department offers undergraduate students an academic program leading to the completion of the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Health Services with a dedicated track in occupational therapy which is then followed immediately by an 18 month, 30 credit hour, Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. The undergraduate program includes the required pre-requisite courses, the professional core courses, and the occupational therapy concentration courses which are all listed below. The undergraduate occupational therapy program is only offered at Westerns’ Kalamazoo Campus.
The Occupational Therapy department provides a strong, integrated, curriculum which will provide you with the skills and competencies needed to enter the profession. We have developed a variety of learning activities for each of our courses that will guide your learning and development into an occupational therapy professional. These learning activities will be presented through a variety of instructional formats. These formats will provide opportunities for the faculty to bring in materials and presentations from national and regional experts and provide flexibility in learning environments for students. The learning formats will include traditional face-to-face classroom learning with faculty and other students, WEB-enhanced learning (such as WebCt), face-to-face interaction via audio and video technologies (distance education technology), and combinations of these formats. WMU OT department faculty has extensive experience with the “blended learning” format, with these efforts supported by the WMU Academic Technology and Instructional Services (ATIS) department. Each semester of the program will include a combination of these learning formats in the Kalamazoo undergraduate and graduate programs and in the Grand Rapids graduate program.
The department provides undergraduate admission opportunities to freshmen, current WMU undergraduate students, and to transfer undergraduate students. Students interested in admission to the undergraduate occupational therapy concentration should contact the College of Health and Human Services advisor - (269) 387-2656 - well in advance of applying to the program.
The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program at the Kalamazoo campus is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. 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, most 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.
NBCOT Certification Results
For the three most recent calendar years (2006, 2007 and 2008) the performance of the graduates of the occupational therapy program at Western Michigan University were as follows:
Total number of program graduates: |
131 |
Total number of first-time test takers of the NBCOT certification exam: |
131 |
Total number first-time test takers who passed the NBCOT certification exam: |
114 |
First time test taker percentage pass rate: |
87% |
|
|
Prerequisites for Admission:
Incoming Freshmen
- Minimum high school GPA of 2.8
- ACT/SAT scores as required by WMU
- Submission of correct information required on WMU OT department application
Current WMU and Transfer Students
- Minimum GPA of 2.8 from WMU transfer institution
- WMU OT department application
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be sent to the University Admissions Office in time to be processed prior to the department deadline.
- All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- You may apply for admission prior to completion of all pre-requisites.
- All pre-requisite courses must be completed prior to the first enrollment starting date of the OT program.
The Pre-Requisite Courses and WMU equivalencies
Intro to OT |
OT 2020 |
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Intro to Biology |
BIOS 1120 |
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Human Growth & Dev. |
OT 2250 at WMU |
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Functional Anatomy |
OT 2000/2010 & Bios 2400: Physiology, |
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General Psychology |
PSY 1000 |
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Abnormal Psychology |
PSY 2500 |
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English Composition |
ENGL 1050 |
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The Professional Core Courses:
ANTH 3470: Ethnicity and Multi-Culturalism or
COM 4740: Intercultural Communication or
SOC 3140: Ethnic Relations or
SWRK 3330: Culture, Ethnicity, and Institutionalized Inequality in SWRK Practice
COM 1700: Interpersonal Communication I
HSV 4810: The Health System and Its Environment
HOL 4700: Relationship-Centered Skills
OT 4700: Functioning of the Older Adult
OT 4780: U.S. Policy in H&HS (Baccalaureate-Level Writing Course)
OT 4800: Health Services Practice Management
PHIL 3340: Biomedical Ethics
Any one of the following:
COM 3320: Group Problem Solving
PSY 3440: Organizational Behavior
SOC 2100: Modern Social Problems
The Occupational Therapy Concentration Courses:
OT 3700: OT Process
OT 3740: Disabling Conditions
OT 3750: Applied Neurology
OT 3760: Functional Assessment
OT 3810: OT Practice I
OT 3820: OT Practice II
OT 3830: OT Practice Through the Life Course
OT 3840: OT Practice and Therapeutic Interaction Skills
OT 4720: Occupational Analysis and Adaptations
OT 4750: OT Practicum I
OT 4790: Occupational Therapy in Mental Health
OT 4820: OT Practicum II
Approved Elective
Program Application - Undergraduate
Programs
Graduate
Western Michigan University now offers the professional masters program at Westerns’ Kalamazoo campus and Westerns’ Downtown Grand Rapids site. The Grand Rapids program is an equivalent program to the Kalamazoo campus.
Our Kalamazoo Campus has been the home base for the occupational therapy program since 1922. The Kalamazoo campus has some 28,000 students including undergraduate and graduate students. The Kalamazoo Occupational Therapy program is housed in the new College of Health and Human Services (CHHS) building on Oakland Drive. All of our occupational therapy classes and labs are housed within the CHHS building. The CHHS building includes library resources, an extensive computer lab, academic advisors, student lockers, and student parking. The Kalamazoo Campus has graduate student dorm living, married housing, campus bus services, a large number of student services and the opportunities for a university experience.
The Grand Rapids program is an urban program located in the state of the art facilities of the WMU Downtown Graduate Center in the downtown historic Cherry Street district. Students have access to a downtown urban life style. Grand Rapids is home to a several colleges and universities and has many resources for the education, arts, entertainment, and medical services. Students in the program have access to housing within walking distance and employment opportunities in both traditional graduate student jobs and within the medical community. All of the same training and professionalism that students have come to value from our Kalamazoo based program will be available to you in Grand Rapids. More information on the Grand Rapids program may be found at http://gr.wmich.edu/programs/OccupationalTherapy
Professional Master's Program
The entry-level program for non-therapists is designed for students who hold a bachelors’ degree in an area other then occupational therapy. Graduates of the Master of Science degree are eligible for certification as an occupational therapist. The program is twenty-eight month long. Upon completion of the academic program, the student participates in six months of internship, which leads to the award of the Master of Science degree and eligibility to take the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy examination. Entry is in the fall semester of each year, and full-time study is expected. The professional component provides a solid preparation for entry-level (generalist) clinical practice as an occupational therapist.
The Occupational Therapy department provides a strong, integrated, curriculum which will provide you with the skills and competencies needed to enter the profession. We have developed a variety of learning activities for each of our courses that will guide your learning and development into an occupational therapy professional. These learning activities will be presented through a variety of instructional formats. These formats will provide opportunities for the faculty to bring in materials and presentations from national and regional experts and provide flexibility in learning environments for students. The learning formats will include traditional face-to-face classroom learning with faculty and other students, WEB-enhanced learning (such as WebCt), face-to-face interaction via audio and video technologies (distance education technology), and combinations of these formats. WMU OT department faculty has extensive experience with the “blended learning” format, with these efforts supported by the WMU Academic Technology and Instructional Services (ATIS) department. Each semester of the program will include a combination of these learning formats in the Kalamazoo undergraduate and graduate programs and in the Grand Rapids graduate program.
Accreditation Status
The Kalamazoo 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 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. 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, most 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.
The Grand Rapids entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted Developing Program Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. The Grand Rapids program will have an onsite accreditation review by ACOTE in January 2010. Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, 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, most 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.
NBCOT Certification Results
For the three most recent calendar years (2006, 2007 and 2008) the performance of the graduates of the occupational therapy program at Western Michigan University were as follows:
Total number of program graduates: |
131 |
Total number of first-time test takers of the NBCOT certification exam: |
131 |
Total number first-time test takers who passed the NBCOT certification exam: |
114 |
First time test taker percentage pass rate: |
87% |
Prerequisites for Admission:
- An earned bachelors degree from an accredited college or university.
- A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better in the most recent 60 hours of undergraduate and graduate academic course work.
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be sent to the University Admissions Office in time to be processed prior to the department deadline.
- All prerequisite courses must be complete with a grade of “C” or better. You may apply for admission without all prerequisites being completed. However, all prerequisite courses must be completed prior to the first enrollment starting date of the OT program.
Prerequisite Courses: The following courses (with WMU equivalent noted in parentheses) are required prerequisites for enrollment in the professional occupational therapy courses.
- Human growth and development through the life span (OT 2250 or equivalent, available online or as class)
- A course in orientation to occupational therapy (OT 2020, available online or as class)
- A course in social/behavioral science.
- English composition.
- Eight credit hours of biological sciences, including human anatomy and physiology (BIOS 1910 or Bios 2110 and 2400)
Courses in the Graduate Program
Students in the Graduate program complete 40 hours of undergraduate professional courses:
OT 3700 - Occupational Therapy Process in Physical Disabilities Credits: 3 hours
OT 3740 - Disabling Conditions Credits: 4 hours
OT 3750 - Applied Neurology Credits: 4 hours
OT 3760 – Functional Assessment Credits: 3 hours
OT 3810 - Occupational Therapy Practice I (Birth to 18 Years) Credits: 3 hours
OT 3820 - Occupational Therapy Practice II (19 Years to Geriatrics) Credits: 3 hours
OT 3830 – Occupational Therapy Practice (Through Life) Credits: 3 hours
OT 3840 – Occupational Therapy Practice (Therapeutic techniques) 3 hours
OT 4720 - Occupational Analysis and Adaptation Credits: 3 hours
OT 4750 - Occupational Therapy Practicum I Credits: 4 hours
OT 4790 - Occupational Therapy in Mental Health Credits: 3 hours
OT 4820 - Occupational Therapy Practicum II Credits: 4 hours
Students in the graduate program then complete 30 hours of Graduate Courses:
OT 5730 - Assistive Technology Credits: 3 hours
OT 5800 - Advanced Clinical Application of OT Clinical Reasoning Credits: 3 hours
OT 6330 - Administration of Occupational Therapy Credits: 3 hrs.
OT 6400 - Theory in Occupational Therapy Credits: 3 hrs.
OT 6600 - Research in OT I Credits: 3 hrs.
OT 6610 - Research in OT II Credits: 3 hrs.
OT 6860 - Graduate Seminar Credits: 3 hrs.
OT 6900 - Fieldwork Level II Credits: 3-12 hrs.
OT 6910 - Fieldwork Level II Credits: 3-12 hrs.
Elective Credits: 3 hours
Master's Program Mock Schedule
Master's Program Application