Master of Occupational Therapy

Entry-Level Program

B.S. in Occupational Studies and Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)

This program of study has been designed to provide students with skills necessary to work as an Occupational Therapist in a range of possible settings. Upon completion of this course of study, students will be eligible for the national OT certification examination. KU’s Master of Occupational Therapy Program is located at the University of Kansas Medical Center and is a three-year program – one year of undergraduate study and two years of graduate course work. The core OT/professional course work must be taken at the KU Medical Center campus and includes two, 3-month, Level II fieldwork experiences at varied site locations. Graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Studies and the entry-level degree of Master of Occupational Therapy.

A GPA of 3.0 minimum is required and the 90 prerequisite credits may be taken at any accredited college, university of community college. At least six semester hours must be junior-senior level hours and a maximum of 64 credit hours will transfer from an accredited community college. All courses taken for a letter grade and earning a “C-” or higher will be considered as eligible prerequisite hours and course work must be transferable to the University of Kansas to fulfill the prerequisite requirements. Remedial and technical courses will not be accepted.

The entry-level Occupational Therapy Education Program at the University of Kansas Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Address: 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220; tel: (301) 652-2682. Details regarding the accreditation process may be obtained through AOTA's website.

One practical means of demonstrating a program's quality is the success rate of a program's graduates when they take the National Certification exam. This exam is offered independently through the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy.

NBCOT certification examination outcomes
2003 - 2006

Here's a preivew of our program:

• A list of key questions we will ask our students to consider repeatedly as they progress through the curriculum (here's a hint - we expect the answers may change each time they are asked!), and a few of the characteristics we believe are essential for OT practice.
• Information about prerequisites and admissions procedures for the next academic year (classes begin in June).
• Summary of the course work sequence for the MOT program.
• Course descriptions are available for those courses taught in the MOT curriculum.
• Timetables for the current and future academic years, tuition and fees information, and other helpful details are available on-line, through the Office of the KUMC Registrar.
• We've posted a summary of the scholarships available for qualified students enrolled in the MOT curriculum.

You may also browse the Polices and Procedures Handbook for incoming BS/MOT students. This material includes polices related to retention of students at academic risk, and downloads as a 28-page .pdf document.

Students in the program earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Studies after the first year, and a Master of Occupational Therapy degree after the third year of the program. Only those who have completed the entire three-year sequence successfully are eligible for the registration exam administered by the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Individuals who earn passing scores on that exam may then seek employment as registered occupational therapists.

Academic courses are offered only at the KU Medical Center campus. Practicum and fieldwork experiences are offered throughout the Kansas City community, the state of Kansas and, in some cases, in states other than Kansas. Campus housing is not available, but many apartments are located within walking distance of KU Medical Center.

If you are not familiar with Kansas City, the kansascity.com and the mapquest.com websites may prove helpful in orienting you. The KU Medical Center website provides an on-line campus map. The street address of KU Medical Center is 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, KS 66160-7602, and the OT Education Department is located on the 3rd floor of the Robinson building.