Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Master of Occupational Therapy Curriculum

The Residential MOT path can be completed in 6 trimesters (2 years), and the Flex MOT path can be completed in 9 trimesters (3 years). For both Mast of Occupational Therapy paths, students must complete 93 credit hours- with virtual didactic coursework, hands-on clinical labs, and Level I and Level II Fieldwork.

Upon successful completion of the MOT program, you’ll be eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination.

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Master of Occupational Therapy Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the following Master of Occupational Therapy admissions requirements in order to be considered for either the Residential or Flex MOT path.

Bachelor’s Degree: Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. You can apply while you are still enrolled in an undergraduate degree program or while you are completing prerequisite coursework. You should submit a plan of study with your application that indicates all remaining courses that will be completed prior to program enrollment.

GRE: The GRE requirement is suspended for admission into the first professional occupational therapy programs for the Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 term.

Resume: Include a current resume with your application.

Statement of Purpose: Include a short statement of why you wish to pursue occupational therapy as a career and what attracts you to the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences.

Prerequisites: Admissions recommends that all prerequisite course work be no more than 5 years old. This is a recommendation and is preferred, it is not a requirement to apply. You will be asked to provide official transcripts during the application process.

Prerequisite Check

You can find our MOT prerequisite form here. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better.

Misrepresentation of Academic Credentials

Misrepresentation of academic credentials includes presenting information known as false and with the intent of obtaining employment or admission to an educational program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Statements made and documents supplied by University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences applicants and students must be complete and accurate. The university will not tolerate any misrepresentation by a student or applicant of past or current academic programs, degrees, or professional accomplishments. If unexplained discrepancies appear between statements or documents provided to University of St. Augustine and information obtained otherwise, except in the case of misspellings and other such inadvertent errors, applicants may be rejected for admission and enrolled students may be dismissed.

Additional Requirements – MOT Program

• A minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 calculated on program prerequisites is preferred; however, the grade trend of the applicant will be considered.
• A total of two (2) references from the following: Two licensed Occupational Therapists (preferred) or one Occupational Therapist and one faculty member or academic advisor.
• A minimum of 40 volunteer or observation experience hours (volunteer hours, work hours, observation hours, etc.) in two different occupational therapy settings (20 in one setting and 20 in another) is required.
• A comprehensive background check requiring fingerprints and drug screen will be administered during the admissions process. A felony charge and or conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or to attain state licensure.
• This is a hybrid program requiring both virtual (distance education) and face-to-face class participation. Online learners need access to/use of a computer/word processor and basic technical skills to succeed. These skills include the ability to create new documents, use a word processing program, navigate the Internet, and download software. Attendance requirements are enforced.

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Before you apply

Step 1: Review program and application requirements

• Check to make sure you have met all programmatic requirements
• Check your prerequisites here

Ready to apply 

Step 2: complete your application.

You may either:

• Apply online through our free application here or
• Create a profile and submit application through otcas.org. GRE code for OTCAS: 7352
• Have questions on your CAS application? Email us at [email protected]

Step 3: Fill out Supplemental Application

When your OTCAS application is in verified status, an enrollment advisor will be in touch to schedule an application review appointment by phone.

Additional Resources

• RSVP to VIS events or campus tours (San Marcos (CA), St. Augustine (FL), Miami (FL) & Austin (TX)
• FAQ’s – usa.edu online application
• FAQ’s – OTCAS
• Deadlines
• COVID-19 Updates

Tuition

The Residential MOT program can be completed in 6 trimesters or about 2 years and our Flex MOT program can be completed in 9 trimesters or about 3 years. Total program tuition and cost of attendance for the 2021-2022 academic year are as follows. Tuition estimates are based on the assumption that a student goes straight through the program, without breaks or repeating academic work.

Cost of Attendance

Choose your program and the campus you are interested in attending to see cost of attendance estimates. All tuition and expense numbers are subject to change.

Financial Aid

Student loans may be available to assist with funding your MOT program. USAHS has financial aid counselors who are available to explain your options.

Financial aid counselors can be reached by email, phone, or on campus. Regular office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday in each time zone. If you are unable to meet during regular office hours, after-hours appointments are available by request.

Please visit our Financial Aid Contact page for more information.

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Accreditation

Please click on the following menus for the MOT program accreditation status of each USAHS campus:

MOT Program Accreditation Status

Master of Occupational Therapy - San Marcos Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree (MOT) program at the San Marcos, California campus is accredited 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. 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, 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 complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, 301-652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Master of Occupational Therapy - St. Augustine Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree (MOT) program at the St. Augustine, Florida campus is accredited 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. 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, 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 complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, 301-652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Master of Occupational Therapy - Miami Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree (MOT) program at the Miami, Florida campus is accredited 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. 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, 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 complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, 301-652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

Master of Occupational Therapy - Austin Campus

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree (MOT) program at the Austin, Texas campus is accredited 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. 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, 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 complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of all prior didactic portions of the program. For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, 301-652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org. Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

For more information about the occupational therapy accreditation process, contact the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929, 301-652-AOTA or visit www.acoteonline.org.

Complaints about the program that cannot be resolved after following the University’s procedures must be submitted electronically to the ACOTE Chairperson, c/o the AOTA Accreditation Department. The complaint must be submitted as an attachment to an e-mail addressed to [email protected] and must include a signed complaint form, “Complaint Against a Program Subject to ACOTE Accreditation”.

State Approvals

MOT

USAHS currently is accepting applications for enrollment in the Master of Occupational Therapy (San Marcos, St. Augustine, Miami and Austin campuses) for residents of the following states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. USAHS has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following locations:  American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

For states denoted with clinical field experience restrictions, USAHS does not have the necessary state authorization approvals to offer on-the-ground activities of this kind in those states at this time. However, these restrictions should not impact a graduates’ eligibility for professional licensure in his/her state, provided all other requirements are met.  As such,  the MOT program prepares students for licensure in all 50 states.

MOT (Flex)

USAHS currently is accepting applications for enrollment in the Flex Master of Occupational Therapy for residents of the following states:  Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. USAHS has not made a determination that its curriculum meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the following locations:  American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau.

USAHS is not accepting applications from prospective students residing in states where the institution does not have state authorization. However, prospective students are encouraged to check back in the near future as the program may be offered in additional states.  Additionally, for states denoted with clinical field experience restrictions, USAHS does not have the necessary state authorization approvals to offer on-the-ground activities of this kind in those states at this time. However, these restrictions should not impact a graduates’ eligibility for professional licensure in his/her state, provided all other requirements are met.  As such,  the MOT program prepares students for licensure in all 50 states.

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MOT Student Outcomes

Graduation Rate

Graduation rate is the percentage of students in a cohort that graduated within 150% of the expected completion time. The total number of graduates and graduation rates from the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program during the 3 years of 2018-2020 by campus are as follows:

San Marcos, CA

Miami, FL

St. Augustine, FL

Austin, TX

NBCOT Exam Pass Rate

Graduates of the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences Master of Occupational Therapy program are eligible to take the certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

Program performance data from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://www.nbcot.org/en/Educators/Home#SchoolPerformance.

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Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

Click the campus/program below to view the program data:

San Marcos, CA – Residential | Flex
St. Augustine, FL – Residential | Flex
Miami, FL – Residential | Flex
Austin, TX – Residential | Flex

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Visit the ACOTE Website for more information on the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education.

Visit the NBCOT website for more information on NBCOT examination results.