Callie Victor, PhD, OTR/L, CLA, Associate Professor and MSOT Loudoun Program Director, cvictor@su.edu

The mission of Shenandoah University’s Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Loudoun program is to produce occupational therapists who promote the health and well-being of individuals and communities to enable participation in meaningful life occupations.

MSOT Loudoun Program Graduates will:
●  Lead and serve in diverse local and global settings to provide ethical, compassionate, and culturally sensitive occupation-based services to persons, groups, and populations.
●  Employ critical thinking and reflection to promote clinical excellence as lifelong learners.     

●  Honor curiosity and discovery through commitment to scholarship and evidence-based practice.

Occupational Therapy Program

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Ave., Suite 510E Bethesda, MD 20814-6519, 301-652-6611, email: accred@aota.org, website:  https://acoteonline.org/. AOTA’s phone number is (301) 652-AOTA.

Admission Requirements

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy offers a graduate program delivered in a hybrid format, meaning much of the content is delivered online. Students come to campus one day per week for the Weekend program, for the face-to-face portion of their courses and all fieldwork experiences are completed on non-campus days and during normal working hours. Additionally, students are expected to engage in community based learning in the Northern Virginia area. The learning model requires students to think critically and act professionally in independent, interpersonal and community-based problem-solving experiences.

The Division of Occupational Therapy offers three avenues for admission into the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy-Loudoun Program: 1) traditional pathway, 2) articulation agreement pathway, and 3) Shenandoah Undergraduate Early Assurance Pathway. Regardless of the route of application, processing for the MSOT Loudoun program is through the Occupational Therapy Central Application Services (OTCAS) at www.OTCAS.org. Although applications are processed through OTCAS, they are held to the same standards as Shenandoah University’s other graduate programs. All offers of admission into the MSOT Loudoun program are determined by the Division of Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee.

Admission requirements include: a 3.0 grade point average, a bachelor’s degree, completion of prerequisite courses with minimum grade of “C,” personal essay and three letters of recommendation from current/recent academic and/or professional contacts. Recommenders will complete an evaluation form via OTCAS and upload a recommendation letter. No personal references will be accepted. In order to obtain an understanding of Occupational Therapy, we recommend shadowing a licensed occupational therapist, preferably in multiple settings. While this is not mandatory, it is highly recommended in order for applicants to demonstrate knowledge of the profession. For additional information, check the website at www.su.edu/ot.

Applications must be completed through the OTCAS system and qualified applicants will be contacted for interviews with faculty.

In the case of nationally accredited (vs. regionally accredited) institutions with program accreditation from ACOTE, we will transfer in ONLY those courses under the program accreditor’s umbrella, such as OT courses.  We will not transfer in other courses, such as English, math, etc., that are not from a regionally accredited institution.  

OTAs coming from nationally accredited institutions will need to show that they have their non-OT course credits to reach 90 from a regionally accredited institution.

Criminal Background Checks

Prior to beginning health professions courses, a student is required to authorize and submit to a criminal background check, including sex offenses and crimes against minors and fingerprinting. Some students may also be expected to submit to random drug testing required by clinical practice sites. Non-compliance with the criminal background checks and/or drug testing policies may be cause for dismissal from the program. See Academic Policies section for details.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) requires a minimum of 75 credit hours of occupational therapy courses for graduation. Students must begin coursework in the fall semester of the year they gained acceptance into the program. Full-time students must progress through the program within four and a half years including fieldwork. Progression is based on the following: satisfactory completion of all course prerequisites before beginning coursework each semester; completion of all coursework with grades of “C” or better; maintenance of a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average (GPA); satisfactory evaluation on Competency Based Assessment of Professional Behaviors in each semester; payment of all university tuition and fees; maintenance of health, clinical safety and security requirements, including CPR, physical examinations and criminal background checks.

Students who receive grades of “D” or “F” in a course are not permitted to take any new courses in the program and are placed on academic probation. Students may petition the faculty for the opportunity to complete course work in order to continue progression through the program. Courses may be repeated only once. Failure to successfully complete the designated requirements within two semesters results in termination from the program. Students who receive grades of “D” or “F” in more than two courses are dismissed from the program.

OT 628 Basic Level One Fieldwork  and OT 638 Bridge Level One Fieldwork  experiences are completed on non-campus days and during normal working hours. OT 640 Level Two Fieldwork  and OT 641 Level Two Fieldwork  are full-time experiences completed during normal working days and hours. Either OT 640 Level Two Fieldwork  or OT 641 Level Two Fieldwork , may be repeated once. Students who fail Level Two Fieldwork more than one time are dismissed from the program. All admitted students are required to review the Fieldwork Handbook regarding specific policies.

In addition to policies and procedures of the university as identified in this catalog and the Student Handbook, occupational therapy students are responsible for reading, understanding, and implementing the policies and procedures found in the MSOT  Programs’ handbook.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be a registered occupational therapist. Most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. In addition, fieldwork placements may be limited or unattainable in out-of-state locations due to varying state restrictions.