Why Mount Mary?

Be part of an exceptional legacy of occupational therapy practitioners who are passionate and compassionate leaders in the field. Our graduates practice in almost every state in the U.S. and worldwide, including Canada, Germany, Japan, Ireland, Korea, Trinidad, and the United Kingdom!

Be part of a program that uses hands on learning and cutting edge technology as part of your education.

Learn more about our Health Sciences Simulation Center:

 

Mount Mary offers two degree paths to match your professional goals.

The M.S. in Occupational Therapy features:

  • The largest occupational therapy program in the state of Wisconsin
  • On-campus coursework and individual attention from faculty to support you to achieve success
  • A faculty-arranged, 6-month fieldwork experience where you can put textbook knowledge into practice
  • Online distance learning during your fieldwork that connects classroom knowledge to fieldwork practice
  • Faculty who have exceptional practice expertise, preparing graduates to navigate complex practice in diverse settings
  • Graduates who work in diverse practice settings, including hospitals, schools, community centers, home health care and behavioral care

The entry-level OTD program features:

  • interprofessional collaboration to develop policies and systems
  • synthesis of theory and relevant literature to design solutions for practice challenges
  • exploration of challenges that go beyond conventional practice boundaries
  • Specialty practice focus, including physical rehabilitation, children and youth, emerging practice, wellness, and aging

Comparison of Entry-Level Master of Science (M.S.) and Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Programs

 
M.S.
OTD
Total Program Length:
28 months
33 months
Total Credits:
69
87
Features:
Culminating Project Portfolio
Doctoral Capstone Project

 

Degree Requirements & Completion Time

Can you be a full-time student and attend classes just two days per week? At Mount Mary, you can! Our O.T. classes are block scheduled for two days each week, either Tuesdays & Wednesdays, or Wednesdays & Thursdays.

The Master of Science (M.S.) in Occupational Therapy requires a minimum of 69 credits and 28 months to complete (if attending full-time). The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) requires a minimum of 87 credits and 33 months (if attending full-time). For degree requirements and a listing of courses, please refer to the Academic Catalog and Curriculum Sheet.

Towards the end of the program, students complete Level II fieldwork, which is traditionally completed full-time, either 4 or 5 days per week, though this can be completed part-time. Completing Level II fieldwork part-time does extend the length of the program.

Transfer Credits

All transfer credits must meet the minimum grade requirements for OT admission, and must be documented with official transcripts. Credit earned prior to admission will be evaluated during the admission process only. Read more about our admission policy.

Accreditation

Master of Science (M.S.):

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by 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-AOTA and its Web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program 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, all 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 or attain state licensure.

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork. Level II fieldwork must be completed by two years from the time the student is eligible to begin Level II fieldwork.

Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD):

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program is accredited by 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-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of the program 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, all 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 or attain state licensure.

Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork as well as an individual 14-week capstone experience. Level II fieldwork must be completed by two years from the time the student is eligible to begin Level II fieldwork. The doctoral capstone experience must be completed by one year from the time the student is eligible to begin the doctoral capstone experience. The doctoral capstone experience must be started after completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork as well as completion of preparatory activities defined in 2018 ACOTE OTD Standard D.1.3.