Post-Baccalaureate Master of Occupational Therapy

Post-Baccalaureate MOT

Master of Occupational Therapy

On Campus

Engaging in the activities we enjoy is essential for a fulfilling life. Occupational therapists assist individuals to improve and regain meaningful involvement in important activities that might be hindered by health issues, aging, injury or various life circumstances. By facilitating this engagement, occupational therapists fill a vital role in healthcare, encouraging healthy and active participation for individuals throughout their lives.

Analena Holihan, OT Graduate Student ’21 practices different scenarios in the OT Lab with standardized patient John Hill

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Program Overview

Our Post-Baccalaureate Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program provides an innovative educational experience that prepares you to thrive as a holistic clinician and make an impact on healthcare and the community. Our nationally-ranked program has equipped healthcare leaders with the tools and insights to become more than just practitioners for over 50 years, striving to lift communities and embrace inclusive excellence throughout our entire history.

Our curriculum focuses on real world, hands-on transformative learning. Evaluation and intervention courses are uniquely tied to fieldwork with our diverse clinical and community partners, labs, innovative interprofessional learning opportunities, standardized patients and simulation. The program is designed to be completed in just over 2 full-time years, including summer sessions, for a total of 82 credits.

The MOT curriculum consists of 3 integrated tiers:

OT Foundations: Dynamic lectures and a community seminar focus on theoretical, philosophical and scientific foundations of practice
Professional Practice: Didactic components integrate with experiential learning in clinical labs and immersive clinical experiences in healthcare and community settings
Fieldwork or Clinicals: Two 12-week, full-time fieldwork experiences prepare students for entry-level practice

Our Reputation

Named a Best Grad School for Occupational Therapy

U.S. News & World Report

Ranked #3 - Best Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions Schools in the New England Region (2022)

College Factual

Mission and Learning Outcomes

Quinnipiac University School of Health Sciences occupational therapy student Kaitlin Muehlberger interacts with toddler Steven Tilke during Baby Day Observation and Play in the Movement Lab at the North Haven Campus

The mission of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Quinnipiac University is to provide high-quality education to develop occupational therapy practitioner-scholars as well as OT scholar-leaders at both entry and advanced practice levels. In all programs, students will gain the broad-based knowledge and skills needed to influence meaningful change in the health and functioning of individuals, populations and communities.

We are recognized for programs that are models for innovative occupational therapy education; faculty who are role models of excellence in practice, service leadership, teaching and clinical scholarship; and graduates who are forward thinking, compassionate, inclusive and competent occupational therapists. We strive for excellence and endeavor to educate our students to meet and exceed our program learning outcomes.

Graduates of the occupational therapy program will demonstrate competency in:

Synthesis of Occupation: Articulate in-depth knowledge of occupation with health and participation to guide the practice of occupational therapy.
Professional Identity and Role Competence: Demonstrate professionalism and competent role performance.
Advocacy: Advocate for the distinct value of occupational therapy for individuals, groups and populations.
Professional Reasoning: Apply occupation- and client-centered principles and professional reasoning as part of the occupational therapy process to produce positive outcomes with individuals, communities and populations within systems.
Evidence-Based Practice and Knowledge Translation: Evaluate, synthesize, translate and contribute evidence to inform practice and support the delivery of OT services.
Occupational Therapy Roles in Systems and Practice Contexts: Demonstrate knowledge of systems and occupational therapy roles in order to work collaboratively in intra/interprofessional teams within traditional and role emerging settings.

Profession Statistics

$93K Well Compensated

The media annual salary for occupational therapists in 2022 was $93,180. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

+11% In Demand

The projected percent change in employment for occupational therapists from 2022 to 2032. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023)

#4 Best Healthcare Jobs

U.S. News and World Report ranked occupational therapist the fourth-best job in the healthcare field. (2024)

National Board Certification

100% Pass Rate

Percentage of 2023 graduates who passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam. Information about the program's performance in the NBCOT exam may be accessed through the NBCOT website.

Graduation Outcomes

Graduating Year	Students Graduated/Entered¹	Graduation Rate
2023	91/104	88%
2022	81/90	90%
2021	86/99	87%

Graduation Rate from the past 3 years (2021-2023): 88%*

Total number of students graduating: 258
Total numbers of students entering: 293

¹The denominator represents students who entered the professional phase of the Dual-Degree Bachelor of Health Science Studies / Master of Occupational Therapy pathway in senior/graduate 1 year and will include students who enter the Post-Baccalaureate Master of Occupational Therapy pathway moving forward.

*Based on students in the Dual-Degree Bachelor of Health Science Studies / Master of Occupational Therapy program

Student Experience

Campers, counselors and families of Camp No Limits participate in energizers and pilates in the Rocky Top Student Center on Quinnipiac University’s York Hill campus

Within our environment of support and respect, you will grow into forward-thinking, compassionate, inclusive and competent occupational therapists who shape the future of our profession. Our North Haven Campus is home to the School of Health Sciences, School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and School of Education — offering a wide range of interprofessional opportunities.

As a part of our program, students have the opportunity to:

Join faculty mentors who are recognized as role models in practice, service leadership, teaching and clinical scholarship
Learn in state-of-the-art facilities including Human Anatomy Lab, Standardized Patient Assessment Center, Motor Lab and high-tech clinical practice labs.
Earn micro-credentials and certificates in Community & Civic Engagement, Interprofessional Healthcare Education, Interprofessional Relationship-Centered Leadership and more.
Participate in short term faculty led global learning opportunities to address needs in underserved communities in South and Central America and the Caribbean Islands as well as those in the United States.
Get involved in initiatives such as Lions Low Vision Center, CarFit, Camp No Limits, Skiers Unlimited adaptive skiing, Dementia Friends and more.
Conduct faculty-mentored research and present at state and national venues such as the American Occupational Therapy Association Annual Conference.

Student Spotlight

Students talk with a resident at Masonicare.

Unique partnership matches students-in-residence with Masonicare community

August 17, 2023

When Annemarie Allen, ’23, MOT ’25, and Elise Maiorano, ’23, MOT ’25, learned they could provide effective strategies to help the elderly remain independent and active, while spending an academic year residing at Masonicare’s assisted living community, they immediately had the same thought.

Our Students in Action

Two health sciences students smile with a skiing camp participant, starts video — Do you like to ski? Are you interested in helping others? Follow Annemarie Allen ’22, MOT ’24, an occupational therapy major, as she volunteers with the Skiers Unlimited program.

An occupational therapy student smiles, starts video — Each year, Quinnipiac University’s occupational therapy and physical therapy programs host Camp No Limits, an overnight camp for children and adolescents with limb loss and their families. Follow Nicole Moran ’17, MOT ’19, as she takes you through what it’s like to take part in the camp.

Contact Us

Courtney G. Richards

Clinical Professor of Occupational Therapy

Program Dir, Dual-Degree Bachelor of Science/Master of OT

Occupational Therapy

Accreditation

The Quinnipiac University Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree program 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. ACOTE’s telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-6611, and its web address is acoteonline.org. The MOT received its 10-year reaccreditation on August 2019 and will undergo another accreditation review through a self-study and on-site visitation during AY 2028-2029.

Graduates of the MOT program are 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 the NBCOT exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All states require licensure in order to practice; and 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.