Build potential and access to full participation with an MS in Occupational Therapy
Built on the Mercy principles of hospitality, discovery, sacredness of creation, and service, Carlow’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) will help you develop deep roots in humanistic theory, emphasizing a balance of physical, emotional, and social health and wellness. Our OT program is intentionally integrated with interprofessional experiences and faculty that help prepare you for your future as an occupational therapist.
Upon graduation, you will be prepared to transform the future of practice using an occupational justice-informed approach to health and well-being.
Quick facts
- Learn interprofessionally (alongside other aspiring healthcare professionals)
- Become a powerful citizen of justice in society and healthcare
- Be eligible to sit for the OT national certification exam
▸ Read about the Carlow difference [pdf]
Lock in your tuition!
If you plan to start your occupational therapy (MSOT, OTD) degree in Fall 2024, you are eligible to lock in your per-credit tuition rate for your whole program duration as long as you are continually enrolled in the program.
Credits required:
73 credits
Cost per credit:
$950/credit
Time to degree:
As few as 6 semesters
Delivery:
On campus
Master’s in occupational therapy curriculum
Throughout the curriculum, we have integrated interprofessional experiences into course-based learning activities and community-based experiences. Shared spaces and faculty create daily interprofessional interactions, while critical thinking and ethics courses provide interprofessional discussion and reflection. You will participate in fieldwork experiences (Level I & II) that allow you to bridge your knowledge between classroom and practice using an occupational justice-informed approach.
- Level I fieldwork (3 required): discover and develop your professional identity, apply your classroom knowledge to your experiences, and complete experience on campus and in the surrounding Pittsburgh, Pa community
- Level II fieldwork (2, 12-week required): apply clinical skills in a variety of supervised practice settings, complete experience in traditional or innovative practice settings, and focus on environment and community concepts, and interprofessional and evidence-based practice
▸ View or download our program’s mission and outcomes [pdf]
The OT curriculum is taught through a whole-health perspective that works to develop your whole person for innovative practice in healthcare, dedicated to optimizing health and well-being as a path to occupational justice.
Career opportunities for Occupational Therapists
Occupational therapists, as defined by the American Occupational Therapy Association, are skilled health care professionals who use research and scientific evidence to ensure their interventions are effective. With strong knowledge of a person’s psychological, physical, emotional, and social makeup, occupational therapy practitioners can evaluate how your condition (or risk for one) is affecting your body and mind, using a holistic perspective.
Ranked one of the best jobs by U.S. News & World Report, OT is slated to grow 14% over the next 10 years (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
▸ View or download the occupational therapy information sheet [pdf]
Admission requirements and application process
At Carlow University, our Occupational Therapy program, uses a holistic admissions process. In this process we evaluate you as a whole person and acknowledge a student’s lived experiences, work, and service initiatives. These areas are specifically given credit during your application process. We look forward to meeting you and guiding you throughout the process.
Applications are open for Fall 2023 on the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application System (OTCAS).
▸ View the full list of admissions requirements and application process.
Early assurance (conditional admission) for High School students to apply: View our helpful fact sheet [pdf] that offers guidance on the process and requirements.
Apply now!
Application deadline: April 1, 2024
Start term:
Fall
Program Director Erin Phillips
“I invite you to discover the new Occupational Therapy program at Carlow University! We would love to have you join us as a part of your graduate educational journey toward a career in OT. Through the lens of Catholic social teachings, guided by the Sisters of Mercy, we will discover what it means to work for and thrive in a “just and merciful world.” As part of the OT program, it is our desire to help you transform into a person-centered health care provider and socially conscious citizen. Today, as you investigate this career, you take the first step toward a lifetime of meaningful work.”
– Erin Phillips, OTD, MSOT, OTR/L, DipACLM, Associate Professor & Founding Program Director for Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy faculty
Elizabeth Sherman, PhD, OTR/L Assistant Professor / Doctoral Capstone Coordinator
Blythe Westendorf, OTD, MS, OTR/L Assistant Professor
Alyssa Kuster, OTD, OTR/L Field Coordinator/Assistant Professor
Ainsley Dillon, PhD, OTR/L Assistant Professor
Jessica Durci, MOT, OTR/L, CPAM Adjunct Instructor
Contact Admissions
If you are interested in this graduate program, our Admissions team is available to help you with the next steps, including scheduling an on-campus visit or attending an upcoming event.
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Accredited Master’s-degree-level Occupational Therapy Program
The Carlow University 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.
To be eligible to take the NBCOT certification exam, OTR candidates must graduate with an entry-level occupational therapy degree from an ACOTE accredited occupational therapy (OT) program. Per USDE regulations, all credits and degrees earned and issued by a program holding Candidate for Accreditation status are considered to be from an accredited program. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. The Carlow University OT Program meets the educational requirements for certification in all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
ACOTE lists programs by accreditation status — feel free to take a look: https://acoteonline.org/schools/
- View or download the Program Goals and Outcomes [pdf]
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes with regard to graduation rates and NBCOT certification exam results are updated and posted yearly. See the results on NBCOT for School Performance Home page.
Carlow University’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program admitted the first cohort in Fall of 2022. Carlow offers both entry level MSOT and entry level OTD programs. Our graduation rate is calculated by comparing the total number of students who began the program in either the MSOT or OTD degree program the total number of students who graduated from those programs. We allow students the opportunity to switch degree programs at the start of second semester. There may be some fluctuation in the number of students within each degree. In addition, these numbers may include students who graduated out of sync due to medical or personal leave.
The following table represents final MSOT degree candidates and graduation rates by year:
| Graduation Year | # of students started | Withdrew for non-academic reasons | # of students graduated | Graduation rate* | NBCOT Exam New Grad Pass Rate |
| 2024 | 11 | 2 | 9/9 | 100% | TBD |
| 2025 | 11 | — | — | ||
| 2026 | — | — | — | ||
| 3-year Total/Average |
*Graduation rate is minus those who withdrew for reasons other than academic performance.
Program results from the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) can be found online at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.
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