The School of Occupational Therapy is committed to providing an educational program that both challenges and enhances your ability to learn. The MSOT Weekend Program consists of six consecutive semesters (including summers). Classes are conducted online through Blackboard and every third weekend in-person on Belmont’s campus.
The academic program is based upon problem solving and collaborative learning. Through the integration of classroom experiences and clinical observation, the program blends theoretical understanding with the practical application of occupational therapy intervention, developing professional behaviors in the process.
- Curriculum
- Course Schedule
- Fieldwork Education
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
The curriculum is delivered through a variety of lecture, lab and seminar formats, fieldwork experiences, and web-based instruction. As a student, you will be required to demonstrate proficiencies in problem solving, psychomotor, behavioral and clinical competencies as you progress through the program.
High-speed internet access is strongly recommended since you must be able to download large files and view videos in this program. Access to a scanner is also strongly recommended as students will need to submit program materials to faculty and staff throughout the program. A distance learning platform, Blackboard, is used for on-line coursework. Since technology is constantly evolving, students should contact the program assistant for technology requirements needed to participate in the program before purchasing new computer software or hardware.
During your first weekend on campus you will receive a comprehensive orientation to the Weekend MSOT Program. The first semester of the program provides course work in kinesiology; neuroscience; and physiology and clinical pathophysiology to ensure that you and your peers, regardless of professional background, have a firm understanding of client factors (body functions and body structures).
During the second semester, the study of occupation is intensified by examining occupational issues that are relevant from birth through adolescence. You will also begin formal preparation for your research project. In the first summer semester, you will focus on the roles of the occupational therapy practitioner in the assessment and treatment of adults and initiate your research project under the supervision of a faculty member.
In the fall semester of the second year, you will focus on occupational performance issues and use of therapeutic occupation related to older adults. You will also engage in a Level I fieldwork experience, actively participating in a setting under the direct supervision of an occupational therapist or other health care professional, and complete your research project.
Upon successful completion of you academic course work, research project, and Level I fieldwork, you are then prepared to begin the Level II fieldwork to be completed during the final two semesters. The program consists of three (3) Level I field placements and two (2) Level II placements. Our students may choose from over 800 clinical sites, or they can work closely with the fieldwork team to develop sites in their own geographic region.
The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is offered in an accelerated format combining intensive, in-person weekend classes in Nashville, held approximately every 3 weeks, with an online component supplementing classroom activities. This is a demanding full-time program that builds on the education and skills that OTAs and PTAs have already accomplished.
Master of Science of Occupational Therapy
Weekend Course of Study
Fall Semester Year 1: 14 Hours
OTW 5000 Physiology and Clinical Pathophysiology, 3 Hours
OTW 5010 Neuroscience in Occupational Therapy, 3 Hours
OTW 5011 Neuroscience in Occupational Therapy Lab, 1 Hours
OTW 5030 Kinesiology in Occupational Therapy, 3 Hours
OTW 5031 Kinesiology in Occupational Therapy Lab, 1 Hours
OTW 5040 Foundations of Occupational Therapy, 1 Hours
OTW 5050 Developmental Influences on Living, 2 Hours
Spring Semester Year 1: 17 Hours
OTW 5130 Research Methods, 3 Hours
OTW 5150 Occupational Performance I, 4 Hours
OTW 5151 Occupational Performance I, Lab 1 Hours
OTW 5152 Clinical Studies I, 1 Hours
OTW 5153 Level I Fieldwork I, 1 Hours
OTW 5154 Seminar I, 1 Hours
OTW 5250 Occupational Analysis, 2 Hours
OTW 5260 Assistive Technologies for Human Performance I, 2 Hours
OTW 5270 Mental Health in Occupational Therapy, 2 Hours
Summer Semester Year 1: 13 Hours
OTW 5160 Occupational Performance II, 4 Hours
OTW 5161 Occupational Performance II Lab, 1 Hours
OTW 5162 Clinical Studies II, 1 Hours
OTW 5163 Level 1 Fieldwork II, 1 Hours
OTW 5164 Seminar II, 1 Hours
OTW 5230 Research Project, 2 Hours
OTW 5370 Contemporary Practice Issues, 3 Hours
Fall Semester Year 2: 14 Hours
OTW 5170 Occupational Performance III, 4 Hours
OTW 5171 Occupational Performance III Lab, 1 Hours
OTW 5172 Clinical Studies III, 1 Hours
OTW 5173 Level I Fieldwork I, 1 Hours
OTW 5174 Seminar I, 1 Hours
OTW 5320 Professional Issues, 3 Hours
OTW 5360 Assistive Technologies for Human Performance II, 2 Hours
OTW 5420 Professional Portfolio Seminar, 1 Hours
Spring Semester Year 2: 9 Hours
OTW 5400 Fieldwork Level II (part 1), 9 Hours
Summer Semester Year 2: 9 Hours
OTW 5410 Fieldwork Level II (part 2), 9 Hours
Total: 76 Hours
Fieldwork is viewed as an integral part of the MSOT educational experience. Fieldwork provides opportunities for students to integrate and apply academic learning. It is during the fieldwork experience that the student can learn, practice and refine skills of observation, evaluation, treatment planning, implementation and communication. In the fieldwork setting the student begins to define his or her future roles as a practicing occupational therapist and can develop the necessary self-confidence and affective characteristics essential to meeting the demands for this challenging field. Fieldwork provides many opportunities for feedback which promotes professional behaviors and attitudes and clinical expertise.
Fieldwork is an integral part of the education of an occupational therapist and must occur in an environment that provides those experiences which reinforce previous learning and which challenge and motivate the student to develop professionally and adapt to clinic situations.
The School of Occupational Therapy coordinates fieldwork opportunities for students at locations in Tennessee and across the United States within regulatory guidelines established by each state. International opportunities may also be available. Belmont University is part of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) which guides placement in most states.
The curriculum design is based on an adult learning model. Thus, each student must be able to determine what constitutes "current” and “emerging” practice in his/her geographic region. While the MSOT program supports the definition and examples of emerging practice provide by AOTA, the geographic diversity of MSOT students requires that the program's definition of emerging practice is flexible based on a student's geographic location. Thus, community-based practice, rural practice, and school-based practice are “emerging” practice in some geographic areas and a student must be able to provide support for what he/she identifies as “emerging” in his/her geographic region.
The academic fieldwork coordinator is responsible for the planning and implementation of integrated and sustained fieldwork experiences. The experiences occur under the supervision of and with the support of occupational therapists or other qualified individuals. To ensure that the fieldwork activities support and enhance the goals of the program there is continual collaboration by clinical educators, academic faculty, and the academic fieldwork coordinator.
Level I Fieldwork
Level I fieldwork is highly integrated with the curricular framework and supports the two curricular themes of critical thinking and clinical reasoning and professional and leadership development through engagement. The three level I fieldwork experiences progress developmentally and support developmentally-focused coursework for each semester, beginning with pediatrics in the second semester, continuing on with adults in the third semester, and ending with older adults in the fourth semester. While all fieldwork rotations include psychosocial student learning objectives, the second level I experience specifically emphasizes the psychological and social factors influencing engagement in occupation.
In support of the ACOTE standards, all level I experiences support the overall curriculum design, reflect each semester’s developmental focus, and expose students to occupational therapy practice across the lifespan and in numerous areas of practice. In support of the MSOT “bridge” students’ existing professional healthcare experiences, level I experiences specifically highlight skills necessary to transition from an assistant to a therapist, with an emphasis on evaluative and clinical reasoning skills. Level I experiences include a mix of live and virtual simulations, with debriefing to support learning. These experiences are supported in the Seminar courses, where students participate in synchronous and asynchronous discussions, and additional didactic learning activities designed to support professional growth and development.
Level II Fieldwork
Students participate in two consecutive twelve-week level II fieldwork rotations following successful completion of the fourth academic semester. Students participate in online Blackboard discussion boards geared toward heightening their critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills, and their professional and leadership development throughout both level II fieldwork rotations. Through this platform, students support one another with resource sharing, and they are able to stay in close contact with the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. Successful completion of their Level II Fieldwork fulfills the requirement for graduation and enables students to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination.
Graduates are able 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). Most 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 be eligible to take the national certification examination or obtain state licensure.