Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (M.S.)

Program Director

Dr. Debbie Waltermire, DrPH, OTR/L

Esbenshade Hall, Room 365B

717-361-1173

Occupational Therapy Website

Dr. Waltermire joined Etown’s OT department in 1997 as the full-time fieldwork coordinator. She subsequently served the department as a part-time lecturer from 2005-2018. In 2018, she was appointed as a full-time assistant professor, and in 2022, Dr. Waltermire was promoted to associate professor and appointed as the B.S./M.S. program director.

Her primary clinical background is in adult psychiatry, especially adults with schizophrenia and other severe and persistent mental illnesses. She also has worked as a consultant and manager in an acute care medical center with a physical rehabilitation program. Her experience also includes coordinating clinical fieldwork programs for OT students as well as supervising many fieldwork students.

Faculty: Carlson, Dennehy, Ericksen, Fox, Friguglietti, Hample, Martin, Panchick, Walker, Waltermire, Wentzel

Student Learning Outcomes for Master of Science in Occupational Therapy:

Students will be able to:

Demonstrate the ability to effectively collaborate with others (colleagues, professional contacts, clients, faculty, etc.).
Engage with clients in a manner that demonstrates skillful application of concepts related to client-centered care, culturally responsive care, and therapeutic use of self.
Identify/diagnose occupational performance and participation and construct plans to influence change and enhance occupational performance for individuals, populations, and organizations.
Design and implement evaluations and interventions that are occupation-centered and theory-based, with entry-level competence.
Contribute to the body of evidence that supports traditional and emerging occupational therapy practice and/or the understanding of human occupation.

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy requires two years or four semesters (this includes one summer semester/session) of graduate academic study and six months of clinical Level II Fieldwork with the requirements listed below. Students may take up to 18 credits in a semester at Elizabethtown College without paying a credit overload fee. To begin the master’s program in occupational therapy, students must have successfully completed all prerequisites, including earning a 2.9 overall GPA by the end of their junior year and earning a minimum of a C- in all required courses. Successful completion of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy affords the student the opportunity to take the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam and to become licensed to practice occupational therapy as an individual jurisdiction requires. Please note: a felony conviction may affect an individual’s qualification to take the NBCOT certification exam and/or obtain professional credentials.

Admission to the Occupational Therapy Program:

Students are typically accepted into the OT program (BS in Health Sciences, MS or Doctorate in Occupational Therapy) as first year students. Students must complete and submit all requirements through the Admissions office and complete an interview with the admissions staff by the established due date set by the college. Students may apply for Advanced Standing during the application process.

Students, whether intending to complete the MS in OT degree or the OTD, will take pre-professional Health Sciences (HE) courses in the first three years before starting the OT professional courses in the senior year. Students are admitted to the fourth year/ professional portion of the program by completing the Graduate Essay, earning an overall GPA of a 2.9 or higher, and earning a C- or above in all required courses. All students, whether MS or OTD take the same OT required courses in the 4th year.

Advanced standing students are those students who are admitted into the Health Science degree and who have earned 60 credits by the start of the sophomore year. Students interested in Advanced Standing will meet with the Program Director in the first year and assess the viability of completing the required credits for the HS degree and plan their course of study. Students must complete all HE and pre-OT required courses within the first 2 years and meet all of the requirements to progress to the professional-level portion of the program. The number of students accepted for Advanced Standing is dependent on the number of seats available in the respective cohort.

Currently, Elizabethtown College, non-Health Science major students are accepted into the program when space is available. Students should apply during their first year if they intend to complete the undergraduate degree (Health Sciences) within four years. Students who are interested in entering the OT program should contact the Program Director for information about the application process.

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy requires:

OT 505 - Occupational Therapy Evaluation: Adult Populations 4.00 credits.
OT 515 - Occupational Therapy Evaluation: Pediatric Populations 4.00 credits.
OT 525 - Occupational Therapy History and Theory 4.00 credits.
OT 532 - Occupational Therapy Intervention: Adult Populations 4.00 credits.
OT 533 - Occupational Therapy Intervention: Pediatric Populations 4.00 credits.
OT 534 - Scholarship I: Analysis of the Literature 4.00 credits.
OT 550 - Advanced Occupational Therapy Theory and Application 4.00 credits.
OT 554 - Scholarship II: Methods and Analysis 4.00 credits.
OT 556 - Analysis and Application: Therapeutic Relationships 4.00 credits.
OT 558 - Occupational Therapy Practice in Context 4.00 credits.
OT 560 - Analysis and Application: Functional Movement 4.00 credits.
OT 562 - Management of Occupational Therapy Services 4.00 credits.
OT 564 - Scholarship III: Analysis, Application, and Discussion 4.00 credits.
OT 571 - OT Fieldwork Level I 0.00-1.00 credit.
OT 590 - Graduate Project Practicum 1.00 credit.
OT 595 - Level II Fieldwork Variable credits.

Additional requirements to attain the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy degree:

Students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in the professional/graduate portion of the OT Program, and they must earn grades of at least a C- in all OT courses at the 500-level or higher. Students who fail to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA at the end of any semester will be placed on academic probation. Students on academic probation will have one semester in which they are registered to return to good academic standing. Students who fail to meet the conditions of their academic probation can expect dismissal from the program. Students must successfully complete all didactic coursework before moving onto Level II Fieldwork. College policies on repeating courses apply to graduate study.

Students who have withdrawn from the College must petition the graduate program for readmission. To be eligible for readmission, applicants must be in good standing and the academic program must have the capacity to accept additional students. Additional conditions of readmission may be imposed by the specific graduate program for which the applicant seeks readmission.

It is up to the discretion of the student’s major program to determine if undergraduate and graduate courses may be taken concurrently. Graduate courses may count toward undergraduate programs; however, undergraduate courses may not count toward graduate programs. Undergraduate program courses taken by graduate students to complete credit deficiencies are free elective credits only and do not fulfill any major requirements. Graduate courses may not be met via Challenge Tests.

The occupational therapy curriculum requires both Level I and Level II fieldwork experiences. Level I fieldwork is an integral part of the didactic portion of the educational program. Students are exposed to diverse settings to increase their understanding of occupational therapy and/or the health care arena. Level II fieldwork is the culminating clinical experience for the MS Elizabethtown College occupational therapy student. Students are required to complete 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork or its equivalent of Level II fieldwork within 18 months of completing graduate didactic coursework.

Students must pass both Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences. Only one Level I fieldwork placement may be repeated due to a student’s failure or withdrawal from placement. If a student does not pass Level I fieldwork, they may repeat it once; a second failed Level I fieldwork will result in dismissal from the program. Only one Level II failure may be repeated; student withdrawals from Level II fieldwork will be reviewed by the program on a case-by-case basis and may be considered a failure based on the student’s fieldwork performance prior to the withdrawal. If a student withdraws from or fails a Level II Fieldwork, a decision to repeat the experience will be made by the program director in collaboration with the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. If a student fails the repeated Level II fieldwork experience, the student will be dismissed from the OT program. Students may appeal to repeat Level II fieldwork.

Students need access to and competence in using e-mail and CANVAS platform.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy program has maintained accredited status since 1976 by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The BS/MS Occupational Therapy degree program is fully accredited. The organization can be contacted at ACOTE, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue - Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814; phone (301) 652-6611; email: accred@aota.org; www.acoteonline.org.