Master's in Occupational Therapy

Concentrations

Students will have the opportunity to pursue one of three Clarkson occupational therapy specialty tracks of study, which will allow them to become immersed in advanced study in their area of interest.

• Technology for Health-Related Quality of Life Track: Students will become clinicians who can design and implement new products utilizing cutting edge technology to assist with client participation in desired activities.

• Occupational Therapist as a Researcher Track: Students will become clinicians who can design and implement research studies that enhance the profession.

• Innovative Practitioner Track: Students will become clinicians who can use innovative principles and inter-professional collaboration to design new products, new programs, or a new way of delivering occupational therapy services.

Curricular Threads

• Professional Identity
  Students will value and assume an identity of service and contribution, by promoting occupation and participation in multiple contexts through the identification of barriers to and providing supports for occupational roles and performance patterns.
• Innovation
  Students will develop the ability to meet the needs of local, regional and global society, including a focus on rural communities, through research and scholarship.
• Technology
  Students will learn to engineer solutions through technology including telehealth, assistive technology and virtual contexts.
• Education & Research
  Students will develop problem-solving abilities through science-driven practice and the use of practice-based evidence, with a focus on occupation as both intervention and outcome.
• Interprofessional Practice
  Students will exhibit strong leadership and collaborative skills as they assume roles of advocacy and activism for both clients and the profession.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork provides an opportunity for students to synthesize didactic coursework with clinical skills by applying theoretical and scientific constructs throughout the occupational therapy process, understanding and integrating the occupational needs of various client populations, refining clinical skills through evidence based practice and establishing professional collaborative relationships with supervisors and future colleagues.  

Students engage in two Level I fieldwork experiences. The first is a 2-week full-time rotation and the second is embedded during the fall or spring semester of the second academic year to allow simultaneous classroom and clinical education opportunities. This fieldwork experience runs one day per week for 10 weeks. Students will enhance their understanding of occupation across the lifespan and explore factors, including psycho-social, that influence occupational performance. Students begin to cultivate not only professionalism but their professional identity. 

Level II fieldwork experiences occur at the end of all academic coursework. Students are required to complete two 12-week fieldwork experiences. Level II fieldwork experiences are designed to promote practice skills reflective of current evidence, enhance clinical reasoning skills and to develop entry-level competence.

Cost (2020-2021)

Scholarships

Clarkson University’s Lewis School of Health Sciences is pleased to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of Presidential Scholarships to attract the best, brightest, and most promising students who wish to enter the field of healthcare. The Scholarships total $20,000 and are spread equally across the terms of enrollment. Eligibility for these scholarships is competitive and assessed after acceptance into the program. For more information, please contact otadmissions@clarkson.edu.

Graduate Assistantships

The occupational therapy program offers two graduate assistantships. Students who are awarded a graduate assistantship will receive a 15% reduction in current tuition each semester, and will be required to work 5 hours per week for the occupational therapy department. Applications for GA positions will be considered in the order they are received. To be considered, please contact otadmissions@clarkson.edu.

*Tuition and Fees are subject to change without notice based on the University’s needs and/or discretion.

**Health Insurance coverage is required during the academic and clinical portions of the curriculum. This insurance is mandatory, but CU health insurance may be waived with proof of other current coverage.