Adventist University of Health Sciences announces the start of its newest graduate program, a Master's in Occupational Therapy. The first class will begin in Fall 2011 and the admission deadline for this start date is April 1, 2011. More information on prerequisite and admission requirements is available on our website.

"The Master's in Occupational Therapy fills a crucial need in the Central Florida area," said Tia Hughes, Chair of the Occupational Therapy Department at FHCHS. "We are excited to be able to provide this opportunity to our community." The MOT degree will allow students to participate in 8 clinical fieldwork experiences, a hybrid of instruction methods, and a curriculum that will prepare them to meet even the most challenging needs of their future clients. The final 6 months of the 27-month program are spent only in internships which may be completed locally or out of town based on the students' preference.

The entry-level Occupational Therapy Master's degree program has applied for accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. ACOTE's telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA. Once accreditation of the program has been obtained, its 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, most 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 of attain state licensure.

Check back for more information on this new degree as it becomes available!