Occupational Therapy, M.O.T.

The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program develops entry-level occupational therapists who strive to be agents of change by understanding sociocultural, political, and economic factors that influence the nature of occupation in society as well as the profession of occupational therapy.

Graduates of this program will be prepared to succeed in the health and community care contexts as ethical, socially responsible life-long learners. Graduates will understand their capacities as leaders while employing skills of clinical reasoning, problem solving, and use of evidence to positively impact their clients, their communities, and their own lives.

Philosophy Statement

The MOT program at the University of Southern Maine is committed to excellence and the thorough academic preparation of entry-level occupational therapy practitioners. The program supports the development of reflective, skilled, evidence-based practitioners who can provide leadership and be a model for change. Learners construct knowledge based on the integration of academic content, active and engaged learning opportunities both in and outside of the classroom, life experiences within a sociocultural context, and the reflective analysis of all of the above. Learning and teaching is a collaborative process with peers and faculty, emphasizing respect for and value of critical thinking and clinical reasoning used to apply theory to practice. Learning is valued as a lifelong process.

Central to our curriculum is recognition that humans are occupational beings who engage in culturally meaningful activities (occupations) that are influenced by the context of their lives. Engagement in occupations is necessary for health and well being. It is the aim of this program to help students examine the meaning of occupation in healthy lives, as well as to understand how stress, trauma, disease, dysfunction, and environmental constraints impact occupational performance and participation. Students are encouraged to respect the uniqueness, dignity, and value of each individual, and to exemplify this by making the client and his or her needs central to the therapeutic process. In addition to working with individual clients, we recognize and support the stance of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Commission on Practice that clients include “groups, organizations, persons, caregivers, and communities.”

The MOT program recognizes and supports occupation-based practice, which includes the importance of examining interactions among the client, their multiple contexts, and the occupations in which they choose to engage. Through mutual respect, a strong theoretical and practice base, and collaborative and active teaching and learning, the MOT program at the University of Southern Maine graduates occupational therapy students who are well prepared to enter the occupational therapy profession.

For additional information, please visit Occupational Therapy - Academics at the USM website.

Program Requirements

Students in the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program will complete 68 graduate credits consisting of six semesters of coursework, including 24 weeks of full time fieldwork. Students will complete the equivalent of 21 months of instruction, excluding breaks. All courses in the curriculum must be completed with a cumulative average of B or higher to earn the MOT degree.

A majority of the required OT courses are held face to face on the Gorham campus. All courses utilize Brightspace as a learning platform. Some courses also utilize distance education (zoom) for both synchronous, asynchronous, and hybrid instruction. All course delivery models are included in the course registration information in Mainestreet. Students are required to access required technology (computer & Internet) to engage in all courses including face to face courses. Technology is available and may be accessed at all USM libraries.

Personal health insurance is not required to attend classes at USM, however it’s strongly recommended that OT students have health insurance prior to participating in fieldwork experiences. Students who choose to not have health insurance will need to sign a declination indicating their understanding that the university is not responsible for their health care while on fieldwork. In addition, students will be limited in their fieldwork site options.

Students must complete two Level I fieldwork experiences and two Level II fieldwork experiences. These experiences will be completed in pediatrics, adult physical disabilities, and mental health settings. One Level I fieldwork must be completed in a psychosocial setting concurrently with the psychosocial coursework. The other Level I fieldwork may be completed in a variety of settings in collaboration with the student. Level II fieldwork experiences are 12 weeks long and must be completed in two different practice settings.

As part of Level I and II fieldwork placements, students will be required to complete an annual criminal background check and fingerprinting. If a student has been convicted of a felony and is uncertain if that conviction may jeopardize potential board certification, they should participate in NBCOT’s Character Review Process and should complete the Early Determination Review to determine eligibility to sit for the NBCOT exam (required for licensure). Students should also check with the Maine State Licensure Bureau regarding eligibility for certification and licensure in the state.

Students are required to become members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) and maintain this membership throughout their time in the MOT program, including fieldwork.

Required Courses

Courses in the Master of Occupational Therapy program are integrative by design and so must be taken in a specific order.

OTH 501 - Foundations of Occupation (in-person)
OTH 502 - History and Theory of Occupational Therapy (in-person)
OTH 503 - Reflective Practitioner (in-person)
OTH 504 - Introduction to Evidence Based Practice (asynchronous online)
OTH 505 - Impact of Mental Health on Occupational Performance (in-person)
OTH 507 - Ethics and Occupational Justice (in-person)
OTH 508 - Impact of Mental Health on Occupational Performance Lab (in-person)
OTH 509 - Level I Fieldwork: Mental Health/Psychosocial Practice (in-person fieldwork/synchronous online seminar)
OTH 511 - Level I Fieldwork (in-person fieldwork/synchronous online seminar)
OTH 512 - Evidence Based Practice (asynchronous online)
OTH 514 - Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Movement (in-person and online)
OTH 515 - Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Movement Lab (in-person and online)
OTH 517 - Occupational Well-being (synchronous online)
OTH 518 - Group Process: Principles and Practice in Occupational Therapy (in-person)
OTH 520 - Neuroscience for Occupational Therapists (in-person)
OTH 521 - Neuroscience for Occupational Therapists Lab (in-person)
OTH 603 - Occupational Performance: Adulthood Part I (in-person)
OTH 604 - Occupational Performance: Infancy through Adolescence Part I (in-person)
OTH 605 - Management in Occupational Therapy (synchronous online)
OTH 606 - Occupational Performance: Adulthood Part I Lab (in-person)
OTH 607 - Occupational Performance: Infancy through Adolescence Part I Lab (in-person)
OTH 614 - Occupational Performance: Adulthood Part II (in-person)
OTH 615 - Occupational Performance: Infancy through Adolescence Part II (in-person)
OTH 616 - Transition to Occupational Therapy Practice (synchronous online)
OTH 617 - Occupational Performance: Adulthood Part II Lab (in-person)
OTH 619 - Occupational Performance: Infancy through Adolescence Part II Lab (in-person)
OTH 620 - Level II Fieldwork (in-person fieldwork/synchronous online seminar)
OTH 621 - Level II Fieldwork Experience (in-person fieldwork/synchronous online seminar)

Program Policies

In addition to the general policies described in the Academic Policies chapter, specific policies of this program are as follows.

Time Limit:

The program’s academic work is designed to be completed within six semesters (24 months) of being admitted to the program, including breaks. To ensure continuity of application of academic concepts and to meet accreditation standards, all fieldwork MUST be completed within 24 months following completion of academic preparation. The time limit for completion of the MOT program is dated from the date of first matriculation and ends at five years.

Grade Policy:

All courses in the occupational therapy curriculum must be completed with a minimum of B- (2.67) in order to carry graduate credit. If a student receives a grade below B-, the student must repeat the course in the next semester that it is offered. Because occupational therapy courses are not offered every semester, it may be necessary for the student to take a leave of absence from the program until the required course is offered again. A student is only permitted to repeat one course. A student may only repeat one level II fieldwork course (OTH 620 or OTH 621). If a student receives a grade below B- in a second repeated course, they may be dismissed from the program.

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in each semester in order to progress in the program. A student whose grade point average falls below a 3.0 in any semester will be placed on academic probation and will have one semester to bring the grade point average up to at least a 3.0. Students who fail to do this may be dismissed from the program. A student may not be placed on probation more than once.

The Master of Occupational Therapy program at USM is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, phone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611, and on the web at 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.