MSOT Course Descriptions

APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2025-2026 ACADEMIC YEAR ARE NOW OPEN!

Applications received during this cycle (October 29, 2024 – March 3, 2025) will be reviewed as they arrive.

MSOT Course Descriptions

Fall Semester, Year 1

OTH 500 Human Capacities I (w/lab): This course utilizes a top-down and bottom-up approach to address the structures, functions, and processes of the human body that support participation in and performance of various occupations. Student learning begins with an analysis of movement and documentation of meaningful activities and occupations using professional terminology from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process (4^th ed.). Analysis of activity and occupation is followed by an examination of the functional movement patterns that underlie performance. Students continue by exploring the anatomical structures and functions of the musculoskeletal, peripheral nervous, integumentary, fascial, cardiopulmonary, and digestive systems that support occupation across the life course. Students also apply goniometry for the assessment of joint flexibility and apply manual muscle testing for assessment of isometric contraction. Knowledge generated through occupational analysis is then generalized to related occupations in a stepwise approach that gradually expands students’ understanding of the transaction between client factors, activity demands, and contexts. Students learn though a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, cased-based scenarios, small group activities, laboratory activities, and patient simulations. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess skills in occupational analysis, movement assessment, goniometry, manual muscle testing, knowledge of body structures and functions, and mastery of related course content. The course includes a lab. (6 credit hours: 3 in-class didactic, 3 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 505 Foundations of Inquiry I: This course exposes students to the concept of the clinician-scholar and the process of inquiry in science and practice. Topics covered include principles of evidence-based practice, the scientific method, the structure and development of scientific literature, where and how to identify sources of evidence and how to critically evaluate sources of evidence. The course also introduces students to different qualitative and quantitative methodologies and research designs. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, reflections, and small group activities. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credit hours)

OTH 510 Introduction to Occupation and Occupational Therapy: This course provides an overview of the domain and process of occupational therapy practice as well as the history and philosophy of the profession and introduces students to the concept of occupation and occupational science. Through use of the official documents of the American Occupational Therapy Association, including the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (4^th ed.), the Occupational Therapy Code of Ethics, and other evidence-based sources, students are introduced to practice definitions, the legal, ethical, fiscal, and regulatory factors that shape and guide contemporary practice, requirements for credentialing and licensure, responsibilities for supervision of occupational therapy assistants and non-occupational therapy personnel, health policy, and payment and reimbursement systems. Theories, models, and frames of reference that support occupational therapy research and practice are also compared and applied to scenarios. This course includes a mandatory client-safety module covering universal safety precautions and personal protective equipment. Students also expand their understanding of occupational sciences through a semester-long exploration of an occupation common within rural communities. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn though a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, case-based scenarios, small group activities, and interactions with community members. OTH 510 is a designated writing course. Students will practice and receive feedback on scholarly writing and American Psychological Association (APA) in the context of class assignments. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (4 credit hours)

OTH 515 Psychosocial Processes Across the Life Course: This course introduces students to frames of reference, theories, and models drawn from occupational therapy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the behavioral sciences to address psychosocial issues affecting participation in occupations and in society across the life course. Students explore the experiences of people living with mental health conditions, including the challenges they face engaging in occupation, participating in life situations, and accessing behavioral health care. Students are introduced to evaluation and intervention approaches to promote participation in daily life for individuals with psychosocial conditions. This course also introduces students to the basics of client-centered communication, therapeutic use of self, motivational interviewing techniques, and client advocacy. The course includes a lab which provides opportunities for students to practice and begin developing clinical skills in assessment, intervention planning, treatment strategies, documenting and billing of treatments and outcomes, and developing discharge, referral, and transition plans in practice with individuals with psychosocial conditions. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credits: 2 in-class didactic, 1 hands-on skills lab).

OTH 520 Professional Seminar: This seminar focuses on socially responsible practice. Students use an occupational justice lens to explore the needs of clients and the communities they serve, with an emphasis on rural and underserved communities. Students are introduced to the concepts of diversity, equity, inclusion, cultural responsiveness, effective communication, and occupational justice. Students interrogate multiple modes of advocacy for recipients of occupational therapy services, socially disadvantaged communities, and the profession and develop a deeper understanding of how advocacy efforts intersect with legislative and policy making processes. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, small group activities, case-based scenarios, and applied civic engagement. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (2 credit hours)

Interprofessional Education (IPE) Passport: Students are required to complete a minimum of four learning events during the first three semesters of the program. The events are guided by the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies and foster students’ awareness of interprofessional education, collaboration and practice, the basic skills needed to be an effective part of an interprofessional team, their professional identity in the context of interprofessional teams, and professional responsibilities in such teams. Students also learn to articulate the distinct value of occupation and to become leaders who advocate for the profession and the individuals, communities, and populations served by occupational therapy. Students learn through interprofessional education activities. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (NC: required, no credit)

Spring Semester, Year 1

OTH 525 Human Capacities II (w/lab): This course continues the work started in the Human Capacities I course. It addresses the structures, functions, and processes of the human body that support participation in occupation. Student learning begins with analysis and documentation of meaningful activities and occupations using professional terminology from the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain & Process (4^th ed.). Analysis of activity and occupation is then linked to an exploration of the nervous system (with a focus on neurosensorimotor, neurocognitive, and neurobehavioral functions) and how those functions influence occupational performance and participation across the life course. Knowledge generated through occupational analysis and examination of anatomical structures is then generalized to related occupations in a stepwise approach that gradually expands students’ understanding of the transaction between client factors, activity demands, and contexts. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, cased-based scenarios, laboratory activities, small group activity, and standardized patient simulations. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess skills in occupational analysis, movement assessment, neurological and sensory assessment, and mastery of related course content. The course includes a lab. (3 credit hours: 2 in-class didactic, 1 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 530 Occupation-based Interventions I (Infants, Children, and Adolescents): This course provides students foundational knowledge of occupational engagement and human development in early life. Students interrogate the transactional relationship of capacities, personal factors, and contexts that shape occupations in early life. The course also introduces students to the most common mental and physical health conditions treated by occupational therapists in children and adolescents. Drawing on occupational science literature as well as literature from the biological sciences and humanities, students explore the phenomenological experience of occupation, illness and disability for children, adolescents, and families. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. The course includes a lab that provides opportunities for students to begin developing clinical skills and implementing the occupational therapy process. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, reflections, small group activities, laboratory activities, interprofessional education activities, and standardized patient simulations, and interactions with community members. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of content. (6 credit hours: 3 in-class didactic, 3 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 535 Environment, Technology, and Occupation: This course focuses on the environmental dimensions of occupational performance. Students examine a range of environmental and assistive technologies used in contemporary occupational therapy practice. Environments include, but are not limited to, home, school, work, community, and virtual environments. The course explores theoretical frameworks that influence the application of technology. Students develop clinical reasoning skills to assess the need for assistive technologies and design appropriate intervention strategies. A wide range of available technologies include, but are not limited to, user interfaces, information acquisition and communication, visual compensations, cognitive augmentation, organization and learning, electronic aids to daily living, and wheelchair handling and seating and positioning systems. Funding and letters of medical necessity related to technology acquisition are also covered. Students examine the transaction among environmental characteristics and occupational performance to adapt or modify environments to enhance performance and participation, including home safety assessment and home modifications. As part of the course, students complete required competencies in the use of telehealth in traditional and non-traditional settings. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, laboratory and small group activities, case-based scenarios, and standardized patients. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credit hours: 2 in-class didactic, 1 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 540 Foundations of Inquiry II: This course continues the work started in the Foundations to Inquiry I course. Each student will apply the principles of inquiry through developing an initial research question, conducting a literature search, and developing a research proposal, complete with a critical review of the literature. Students begin to learn and engage in the research processes by participating in faculty-led research. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, reflective discussion, and small group activities. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credit hours)

OTH 545 Level IA Fieldwork (Infants, Children, and Adolescents): This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in skilled observation and selective participation in various aspects of the occupational therapy (OT) process during a full-time, one-week Level I Fieldwork experience. Students will participate in prebriefing and preparatory learning activities prior to the clinical experience, as well as debriefing after clinical experiences.  Students will learn to be part of interprofessional teams and how to appropriately interact with individuals/groups/populations, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply theories and evidence to inform clinical decision making, as well as translate their professional behavior, observation skills, performance skills, and clinical application of their knowledge into practice environments serving infants, children, and adolescents. Experiences may take place in a variety of settings (medical, educational, role emerging, non-traditional) and provide students with the means to apply learned content from previous and concurrent courses. (1 credit hour)

Summer Semester, Year 1

OTH 550 Occupation-based Interventions II (Adults): This course provides students foundational knowledge of occupational engagement and human development in adulthood. Theories of behavior are applied to age-normative occupations and roles and students critically interrogate differing representations of occupational engagement and role fulfillment in adulthood. The course also introduces students to the most common mental and physical health conditions treated by occupational therapists working with adults. The course includes a lab that provides opportunities for students to further develop clinical skills in assessment, intervention planning, treatment strategies, treatment modification, documenting and billing of treatments and outcomes, and developing discharge, referral, and transition plans with adults. Pharmacology is discussed in relation to specific conditions and the impact on the patient and therapeutic process. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussions, readings, reflections, small group activities, laboratory activities, interprofessional education activities, and standardized patient simulations, and interactions with community members. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of content. (6 credit hours: 3 in-class didactic, 3 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 555 Occupation-based Health Promotion and Chronic Condition Management: This course introduces students to the role of occupation in public health, health promotion, and chronic physical and mental health condition management and prevention, especially among rural and medically underserved communities. Course content emphasizes key chronic conditions of the 21^st century. Students inquire as to how historical, geographical, political, socioeconomic, demographic, and policy related factors shape health promotion and chronic condition management and health management occupations. Key concepts introduced in the course include, rurality, health disparities, social determinants of health, public and population health, health promotion, health education, health literacy, and health behavior. Theories of occupation and health behavior are introduced and interrogated. Evidence-based models of rural healthcare delivery and health promotion and disease prevention are examined with an emphasis on applying concepts and models to develop individual, community, and population-based approaches for meeting the health needs of individuals and communities across the life course. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn though a combination of lectures and discussion, reflective discussion, small group activities and community-based outings, and interactions with community members. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credit hours)

OTH 560 Level IB Fieldwork (Adults and Older Adults): This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in skilled observation and selective participation in various aspects of the occupational therapy (OT) process during a full-time, one-week Level I Fieldwork experience. Students will participate in prebriefing and preparatory learning activities prior to the clinical experience, as well as debriefing after clinical experiences.   Students will learn to be part of interprofessional teams and how to appropriately interact with individuals/groups/populations, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply theories and evidence to inform clinical decision making, as well as translate their professional behavior, observation skills, performance skills and clinical application of their knowledge into adult and older adult practice environments. Experiences may take place in a variety of settings (medical, educational, role emerging, non-traditional) and provide students with the means to apply learned content from previous and concurrent courses. (1 credit hour)

OTH 565 Level IC Fieldwork (Non-traditional): This course provides an opportunity for students to actively participate with faculty members and/or community partners in innovative community-based experiences that will improve the health needs of diverse, medically underserved, rural communities. Students will gain experience by examining how their professional skills may be harnessed to respond to public and population health needs of the community. Fieldwork experiences may take place in a variety of community and role-emerging settings across the life course, as well as simulation, reflection, preparatory activities, and community projects, to give students the means to apply learned content from previous and concurrent courses. This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply theories and evidence to program development and projects. (1 credit hour)

Fall Semester, Year 2

OTH 605 Occupation-based Interventions III (Older Adults): This course provides students foundational knowledge of occupational engagement and human development in older adulthood. Theories of aging are applied to age-normative occupations and roles and students critically interrogate differing representations of occupational engagement and role fulfillment in later life. The course also introduces student to death and dying as well as the most common mental and physical health conditions that predominantly affect older adults. The course includes a lab that provides opportunities for students to further refine clinical skills in assessment, intervention planning, treatment strategies, documenting and billing of treatments and outcomes, and developing discharge, referral, and transition plans, including hospice and end of life care. Treatment of visual, perceptual, and cognitive dysfunction is especially emphasized as well as skills necessary to design interventions and programs that enhance community mobility, and support transportation transitions, including community access, driver rehabilitation, and driving cessation. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, readings, reflections, small group activities, laboratory activities, interprofessional education activities, standardized patient simulations, and interactions with community members. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of content. (6 credit hours: 3 in-class didactic, 3 hands-on skills lab)

OTH 610 OT Management and Entrepreneurship: This course is designed to foster students’ knowledge of the business aspects of occupational therapy service management, entrepreneurship, and community program development, including, but not limited to, ethics and advocacy in promoting socially just and responsive practice, the development of needs assessments, business plans, staffing plans and staff evaluation, financial management, marketing, program evaluation, and strategic planning. Students work with community stakeholders on a semester-long community program development project. As part of the project, students learn and apply the principles of teaching and learning and health literacy educational approaches to design activities, clinical trainings, and/or caregiver and stakeholder education for persons, groups, communities, and populations. The roles of key stakeholders and contextual factors on the delivery of occupational therapy services are emphasized. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, small group activities, case-based scenarios, and face to face interactions with clients, service organizations, business owners, and representatives from the financial industry. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (4 credit hours)

OTH 615 Foundations of Inquiry III: In this course, students continue to learn habits of inquiry and the process of contributing to building the professional evidence base though continued engagement in the research processes. Students collect, analyze, and interpret data, prepare a poster to disseminate findings, and complete a final research paper. Different sources of funding for scholarly work are also discussed. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, reflective discussion, and small group activities. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (3 credit hours)

OTH 620 Transition to Practice: This course focuses on (1) leadership, (2) supervisory and managerial roles and relationships, (3) professional development, and (4) transition to practice. Course topics include organizational leadership, leadership styles, effective communication and team dynamics, conflict resolution, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. An emphasis is placed on exploring leadership opportunities within the profession, professional opportunities in the academy, and mode of advancing professional knowledge through CEU and advanced certifications. Course content also covers the transition to fieldwork, including criteria for evaluating student academic fieldwork performance, supervision issues, fieldwork experience responsibilities and job search. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussion, case-based scenarios, small group activities, and face to face interactions with clients and advocates. An emphasis is placed on developing habits of thought and action central to effective leadership. Formative assessments are used to assess mastery of course content. (2 credit hours)

 OTH 625 Level ID Fieldwork (Mental Health): This course provides an opportunity for students to engage in skilled observation and selective participation in various aspects of the occupational therapy (OT) process  with individuals, groups, and populations.. The mental health rotation utilizes a blended approach of Level I fieldwork and structured learning activities, including simulation, to apply the OT process with emphasis on behavioral health and psychosocial factors. Students will learn to be part of interprofessional teams and how to appropriately interact with individuals/groups/populations, families, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This course will provide students with the opportunity to apply theories and evidence to inform clinical decision making, as well as translate their professional behavior, observation skills, performance skills and clinical application of their knowledge into mental health practice environments. The fieldwork experience may take place in a variety of settings (medical, educational, role emerging, non-traditional) across the life course and provide students with the means to apply learned content from previous and concurrent courses. (1 credit hour)

(Fall 2025) OTH 570 Professional Seminar II: This course provides students with the foundational knowledge and practice skills to address common health problems and their impacts on occupational participation and performance experienced by individuals across the adult life course. Students will learn about occupational therapy’s unique roles in different adult practice settings, which emphasizes evaluation and intervention approaches in these settings that align with the cornerstones, theoretical underpinnings, and principles of occupational therapy practice. Opportunities to practice evaluating common health problems and design, implement, and review the effectiveness of intervention plans are threaded throughout this course. Students will also have opportunities to refine their ability to document across the therapeutic process, including billing for services rendered, collaboratively planning for discharge, and making referrals. Opportunities for traditional and non-traditional occupational therapy practice are emphasized. Students learn through a combination of lectures and discussions, readings, reflections, small group activities, laboratory activities, interprofessional education activities, and standardized patient simulations, and interactions with community members. Formative and summative assessments are used to assess mastery of content. (6 credit hours: 3 in-class didactic, 3 hands-on skills lab) 

Spring Semester, Year 2

OTH 635 Level II Fieldwork A: The purpose of this Level II fieldwork experience is to provide students with an introduction to full-time occupational therapy practice within a treatment setting. Students gain experience in delivering occupational therapy services to individuals, groups, and populations across the life course in a variety of settings. This course allows application of previously learned skills and knowledge through clinical reasoning and reflective practice. Students will be prepared for entry-level practice in their assigned setting at the conclusion of the Level II fieldwork experience. (Part 1 of 2). (6 credit hours).

Summer Semester, Year 2

OTH 640 Level II Fieldwork B: The purpose of this Level II fieldwork experience is to provide students with an introduction to full-time occupational therapy practice within a treatment setting. Students gain experience in delivering occupational therapy services to individuals, groups, and populations across the life course in a variety of settings. This course allows application of previously learned skills and knowledge through clinical reasoning and reflective practice. Students will be prepared for entry-level practice in their assigned setting at the conclusion of the Level II fieldwork experience.  (Part 2 of 2). (6 credit hours).