Occupational Therapy

Program Overview

The Occupational Therapy Master's program at Mercy University prepares graduates as generalists for diverse practice settings. Through a combination of lectures, hands-on experiences, and problem-based learning, students develop clinical reasoning and inquiry skills. The program emphasizes a "learning by doing" philosophy, with Level I and II fieldwork experiences connecting theory to practice. Graduates are equipped to work with individuals across the lifespan, addressing a wide range of conditions and illnesses.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This Occupational Therapy Program is a Master of Science program that prepares graduates as generalists, enabling them to work in a variety of practice settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and regional schools. The program incorporates various learning methods, including lecture, discussion, small group problem solving, hands-on experiences, problem-based learning (PBL), and a "learning by doing" philosophy.

Outline:

The program's curriculum is organized around the life-span stages of childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and geriatrics. Each life span module is linked to a PBL course where students meet in small groups with a faculty facilitator to discuss clinical cases. The case context drives learning, requires students’ active participation and involvement in the learning process, and reflects the actual process occupational therapists engage in within practice. The cases require students to call upon previous learned knowledge from prerequisite courses, engage in independent and self-directed learning, and use various learning resources. PBL allows students to learn the content specified for the course by applying clinical reasoning and inquiry skills. Each life-span module is also linked to a Level I Fieldwork course designed to connect theory to practice. Students are assigned to various clinical and community settings for a minimum of seven weekdays each fall and spring trimester. The Master of Science Degree Program in Occupational Therapy is a full-time weekend program that takes 7 trimesters to complete. The student is required to take nine - eleven credits per trimester. Classes are completed in 5 trimesters and are followed by twenty-four weeks of full-time clinical fieldwork.

Teaching:

The program's faculty are occupational therapy practitioners with various specializations, providing Mercy students with first-rate, well-rounded instruction. Most faculty members have published within the field and are nationally recognized for their expertise.

Careers:

Graduates are prepared as generalists, enabling them to work in a variety of practice settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and regional schools. The Mercy University Occupational Therapy program prepares graduates to work with people of varying diagnosis, including people living with spinal cord injuries, cancer, stroke, autism, cerebral palsy, developmental delay, and many other conditions and illnesses. Many of the program's alumni hold leadership roles where they work and have returned to the OT program as PBL facilitators, teaching associates, guest lecturers, and lab assistants. There are expanding opportunities for occupational therapists in the areas of health promotion and prevention within private practices, industry, social and public or community agencies.