Occupational Therapy (MSOT), Master of Science Degree

Admission Requirements

1. Submit a completed application for admission with all admissions requirements through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy system (OTCAS) and pay $75 application fee through WCU.  
2. Meet the program admissions requirements.
3. Submit a copy of official transcripts through OTCAS.
4. Participate in a qualitative admissions interview arranged by the admissions department.  
5. Complete an enrollment agreement if accepted into the program. 
6. All requirements must be met by the application deadline in order to be considered.   

1. Have obtained a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.  Overall last 60 semester units must meet a 3.0 minimum GPA; post-baccalaureate coursework excluded.  
2. Application can be submitted during enrollment in an undergraduate degree program or during completion of prerequisite course work.  However, pending coursework/undergraduate degree along with and all other requirements must be completed, met, and verified through OTCAS by the deadline in order to qualify.  
3. Medical terminology course required. 
4. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree in a non-English speaking country must have verification of the following scores within two years of intended enrollment:  
5. An Internet Based TOEFL (iBT) score of 90 with no less than 20 on each sub-score; or 
   1. An IELTS of 6.5 with no less than 6 on each band score.  
   2. Students whose native language is English and/or students with a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college or university are exempted from this examination.  
6. Applicants must have obtained an overall 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) of program prerequisite courses (from accredited universities) within the last ten years and with a grade of a C or better.  
   1. Required prerequisite courses:

• Two (2) courses in the humanities or social sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Humanities, Anthropology; Philosophy; Religion; Ethics; Cultural studies; Group Dynamics - 3 semester units each).
• One (1) Statistics course. (3 semester units)
• One (1) course in Human Anatomy plus Lab (3 semester units).
• One (1) course in Physiology plus Lab (3 semester units).
• One (1) course in Human Development or Lifespan (Human Growth & Development, Developmental Psychology, Lifespan Psychology (3 semester units).
• One (1) course in Abnormal or Behavioral Psychology (Abnormal Behavior, Abnormal Psychology, Psychopathology, Behavioral Disorders) (3 semester units).

b. Student should have:

• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.
• Three (3) references: Two (2) occupational therapists; one (1) faculty member/advisor/employer.
• A minimum of 40 volunteer or observation hours obtained from an occupational therapy setting of choice or multiple settings.

c. Full-time devotion to this program is highly recommended; any employment can interfere with the successful completion of this program. 

d. In order to be considered, all program specific admissions requirements and prerequisites must be met by the deadline posted on OTCAS:  

• The University reserves the right to deny admission to applicants if the admissions requirements are not successfully met.  The denial of admissions is final and may not be appealed.

• Candidates - Once the applicant becomes an eligible candidate, a $500 deposit (Cashier’s Check or Money Order only) is required as part of the acceptance to the MSOT program offered at WCU.  This requirement will also be mentioned in the acceptance letter from the Occupational Therapy Department. 

  Health Insurance Requirement - Students enrolled in the MSOT program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork.  Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program. 

Please refer to OTCAS (www.otcas.org) for additional details about admissions requirements.  

MSOT Candidate Deposit

Applicants that are conditionally accepted to the MSOT program will be required to submit a $500.00 good faith payment for a Seat Deposit. The Seat Deposit will be credited to your program costs. The University will retain a maximum of $175.00 of this deposit should you cancel your enrollment within seven calendar days (excluding holidays) of enrollment or by the seventh calendar day of the first term, whichever is later. The seat deposit is fully refundable if you are not admitted as a result of your background check. Deposits may be paid by money order or cashier's check made out to West Coast University.

For specific graduation requirements, please see the MSOT Graduation Requirements.

Program Information and Disclosures

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program Accreditation Disclosure

The entry-level MSOT Program at WCU received accreditation in December 11, 2014 from 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 301-652-2682, and their web address is acoteonline.org. Program 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,  states require licensure to practice; however, state licensure is 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.

More information about the NBCOT examination process is available at: www.nbcot.org.

California Board of Occupational Therapy (CBOT) Disclosure

Graduates who wish to practice in California must apply with the California Board of Occupational Therapy to be issued licensure to practice in the state of California.

For more information about OTR license application requirements, please visit the California Board of Occupational Therapy at www.bot.ca.gov/.

Health Insurance Requirement

Students enrolled in the MSOT program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance prior to participation in fieldwork.  Participation in fieldwork is required to complete the program. 

MSOT Curriculum

Core Occupational Therapy Courses