The program offers a dual BS/MS degree in Occupational Therapy, approved by the New York State Department of Education, and accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).

The division successfully received reaccreditation from ACOTE through 2011.

Occupational Therapy is an upper division professional program spanning three years of full-time academic course and clinical work integrated with several community service learning experiences. The professional phase of the program may also be completed on a part-time basis over four years. Students must complete a 60-credit core curriculum with a rich base of liberal arts, sciences, and humanities prerequisites prior to entering the professional phase of the program.

The program is designed to educate entry-level occupational therapists whose skills and training prepare them to practice competently in the rapidly changing urban health care environment and to equip patients and clients with skills for the job for living.

The occupational therapy curriculum offers students the opportunity to:

• Focus on individual professional growth
• Participate in community-service learning
• Refine cultural sensitivity and practice skills
• Use health promotion in community settings
• Use activity to promote health and independence
• Develop skills to treat the whole person

Occupational Therapy Curriculum

The Occupational Therapy program curriculum includes 122 credits in the professional phase of the program. Occupational Therapy course offerings provide 23 credits of basic and medical condition classes, 72 credits in occupational therapy theory and practice, 18 credits of clinical education, and 9 credits of research. The enriched clinical component includes several part-time experiences with clients and patients of all ages, located in a variety of medical, educational and community-based organizations, in addition to 7 months of full-time fieldwork. Students also have the unique opportunity to design and implement a 4 credit Research Project based on current and emerging practice areas.

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Course content

Course description

Application Process top 

Both high school graduates and college transfer students may apply for admission to the Occupational Therapy Program, to which the following criteria apply:

1. High school students must have a minimum high school average of 85 and a minimum combined Scholastic Aptitude Test score of 1000 to apply as a pre-Occupational Therapy candidate.
   
2. College students wishing to transfer into the program must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale. A 3.00 minimum cumulative grade point average is also required in both liberal arts and sciences courses.
   
3. In order to maintain status as a pre-Occupational Therapy candidate and to apply to the professional phase of the program, students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 in liberal arts and sciences courses. Grades below a C- are not acceptable in prerequisite courses.
   
4. Science grades more than 10 years old are not accepted.
   
5. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended are required.
   
6. Three letters of recommendation on divisional forms are required. The recommendations should be provided from academic background and volunteer or community experience.
   
7. Prospective students should be knowledgeable about the focus of occupational therapy interventions across the life span. Fifty hours of volunteer work are required.
   
8. An interview with a graduate advisor from the Occupational Therapy faculty will be requested of all qualified individuals.
9. External applicants must apply for admission to the University before their occupational therapy admission application can be considered. Please complete the undergraduate application for admission. Students are admitted to the university as undergraduates. Since it is a professional program, candidates will also be considered for admission to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Follow this link to complete the university admission process:http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/bbut02/apply/fresh/index.html
10. All applicants, internal or external, must also complete an occupational therapy specific admissions application. The application must be completed, official transcripts received, official documentation of any pre-existing degrees awarded, personal essay attached and 3 letters of recommendation on the official form received, in orde for any candidate to be considered for admissions to the Program

    1. Occupational Therapy Specific Admission Application
    2. Reference Letter Form

Transfer Students top

Transfer students with 2-year associate or 4-year bachelor degrees must have completed a minimum of 64 acceptable liberal arts and sciences credits, including 6 credits in English Literature and/or English Composition; 3-credits introductory sociology or anthropology; 3-credits in mathematics (pre calculus), statistics, 3-credits each in general psychology, abnormal psychology, and life-span psychology, and the designated prerequisite science courses before beginning the professional phase of the program.

Program Model

Academic Standards top 

Once accepted into the Occupational Therapy Program, students must maintain a cumulative professional-phase average of at least 2.50 on a scale of 4.00 each semester. During the final year, students must maintain a cumulative average of 3.00. Students must also meet standards of professional behavior with faculty, peers and clinical instructors. Upon completion of the curriculum, students are awarded a dual Bachelor of Science-Master of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy.

Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy program has received full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, Maryland 20824-1220.
Phone: 301-652-2682

Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this examination, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure .

Passing Rate on the NBCOT Exam

The aggregate pass rate for the 3 more recent calendar years (2006-2008) is 65.33%. During these years there has been a significant improvement of the students' performance in the NBCOT exam: in 2006 the pass rate was at 40%, in 2007 the pass rate was at 62% and in 2008 at 78.79%. The faculty has undertaken initiatives to better prepare students for the test and we expect the pass rate to continue to improve in future years to be compliant with increased national standards.
As of the spring of 2007, the faculty began giving the students comprehensive, computer based exams for finals at the completion of each semester. The results indicate that the familiarity with taking longer, computer based multiple choice exams has improved students' comfort with the format of the exam. A language enrichment program has also been developed to enhance students' comprehension and writing skills. The program has significantly improved language abilities in students who have English as a second language. Students in the program also are all members of the American Occupational Therapy Association and are encouraged to take Board review courses (offered on campus) as well as the National Board for the Certification of Occupational Therapists (NBCOT) on-line practice examination and review material. All these efforts have significantly improved our students clinical performance and their performance in the NBCOT exam.
The NBCOT reported that most recent graduates take the test within the first 11 months, 20 % take it within 4-6 months of completion of degree requirements. Several OT contractual employers report to us that new graduates are opting to work for a year on temporary licenses before sitting for the exam. Obviously, this trend could benefit from further research and the need for such has been communicated in forums at national OT meetings. LIU Brooklyn is a Minority institution. 56% of all occupational therapy students speak a language other than English at home.

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Required Course of Studies
Preprofessional Phase

Completion of all courses in the preprofessional phase listed below (offered through Richard L. Connolly College or transfer equivalencies) is required before beginning the professional phase of the program. This includes the Brooklyn Campus liberal arts core requirements and prerequisite courses for Occupational Therapy. For some students, completion may require more than four semesters. *

*Registration in mathematics and English courses is dependent upon performance in placement examinations. If additional courses are required, the preprofessional phase will be extended.

First Year top

* All students are required to take OT 119 Cadaver Lab and OT 140 Neuroscience Lab.

Second Year top

*These courses are designated as writing intensive courses and fulfill the University’s requirement for writing across the curriculum.

Third Year top

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