MS in Occupational Therapy

About the Program

Occupational therapists (OTs) work with people of all ages, helping them overcome health challenges to live active, independent lives. They may assist young children who have physical or mental disabilities, individuals who have sustained a brain injury, or older adults recovering from a stroke. OTs work in a variety of settings including schools, homes, outpatient clinics, mental health facilities, and hospitals.

The fully accredited MSOT program prepares students for OT careers through a series of foundational science courses, clinical skills laboratories, and current theories in practice. Our expert faculty, curriculum and supervised learning experiences assure that students are educationally prepared and clinically competent to provide optimal care, as well as implement therapeutic approaches to improve quality of life of their patients/clients.

During the program, students will have several integrated experiences with specific populations from pediatrics to adults. There will be integrated fieldwork experiences in the first spring, second summer, and second fall semester. The culminating fieldwork experiences are full-time fieldwork during the last semester of the professional program.

Occupational Therapy at UHart

As a student in the MSOT program, you will benefit from:

• Small class sizes with personal attention, mentoring and career advising from our expert faculty
• Strong fieldwork partnerships 
• Research opportunities with faculty
• Inter-professional education with students in our physical therapy, prosthetics/orthotics, and related health programs
• State-of-the-art OT labs and facilities in the Hursey Center, our new academic building (see more below)
• Competitive tuition rates compared to other area MSOT programs

Learn more about occupational therapy at UHart in this short video with Program Director Sarah Psillas:

Want to learn more?

• Questions? Contact Program Specialist Heather Johnson at hejohnson@hartford.edu.
• Interested in learning more about the MSOT program? Register for an upcoming Virtual Information Session or Open House event. 

Why Study Occupational Therapy?

• A rewarding career: Occupational therapists make a big difference in people’s lives, whether helping someone get back to a favorite hobby, maintain their independence, return to work or school, overcome a cognitive disability or simply lead a normal life. Getting to see your clients’ progress and celebrate their victories is an immensely rewarding experience.
• Strong job outlook: The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects OT jobs to grow 12 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than average.
• High salaries: Salary.com reports that the national average salary for a certified occupational therapist with a master’s degree was $97,360 in 2023; in Connecticut the average was $104,700.
• Top career: Occupational therapy is consistently ranked as one of the top careers and best recession-proof jobs. Read more.

What can occupational therapists do?

Occupational therapists help people with health challenges participate in life to the fullest.  They may help them learn or re-learn skills like dressing, eating, bathing, preparing meals, driving, and work and leisure activities. From a child with autism to a wounded warrior with a double amputation, this video from our national occupational therapy association AOTA shows the different ways OTs help their clients achieve their goals:

Degree Requirements

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) is a 76-credit program. The following is a sample of courses; for the full list of requirements and course descriptions see the course catalog.

Career Outlook

Occupational therapists are in demand.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects jobs for occupational therapists to grow 12 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all jobs. Occupational therapy will continue to be an important part of treatment for people with various illnesses and disabilities, such as Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral palsy, autism, or loss of a limb. The need for occupational therapists is expected to remain strong as the U.S. population ages and people with disabilities desire to remain physically active, productive and independent.

The Hursey Center

Admission

Applicants for the MSOT program should apply through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS) or through the University's Graduate Admissions Office here. The program begins in May. The priority deadline is December 1 and rolling until filled thereafter. The materials listed below must be submitted with your completed application.

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program at the University of Hartford requires the following:

• A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.

• 10 hours of observation at two occupational therapy-related settings with proper documentation of logged hours.
  • Observation Hours (as called in OTCAS) should be used to explore different settings and populations within the field of occupational therapy. You must complete and provide documentation of at least 10 hours from at least two qualifying experiences.
  • Observation Hour Criteria (must meet both criteria)
    • Direct Interaction: There must be direct interaction with one or more individuals with a disability, illness, and so forth; thus, administrative experiences do not qualify.
    •  Completed within the Past Year: The hours used toward this requirement must have been completed in the past calendar year of the application deadline.
• Two letters of recommendation, including one from a course instructor or academic advisor and one from a supervisor in a professional or other work capacity.

• GRE scores: Although GRE (Graduate Record Exam) scores are not required, we suggest submitting scores as they may strengthen your application. Official GRE scores should be forwarded to the University of Hartford using school code 3436. Visit www.ets.org. Accepted students generally have GRE scores of 300 combined (verbal/quantitative) and 3.5 or higher in analytical writing.

• TOEFL or IELTS (for students who are not native speakers of the English language): Average TOEFL scores for students range from a minimum of 80 (Internet Based Total) and 550 (Paper Based Total). IELTS minimum score for graduate students is a 6.5. The University of Hartford is not able to support F-1 student visas for international students pursuing the MSOT program. International students who do not require a F-1 visa are able to apply. Please contact the graduate admissions office with questions.

• One personal statement addressing the specific question specified within OTCAS.

• Official transcripts for all collegiate coursework.

• Applicants may apply with up to two prerequisites in progress. All prerequisites must be completed with a minimum grade of B- and overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 prior to the start of the program.

Advanced Placement Test Policy: The University of Hartford generally grants credit to students who have earned scores of 3 or higher (4 for English Composition) on the appropriate Advanced Placement (AP) examination. Please see the AP Credits from Testing form here for additional details.

Transfer Credit Policy: Transfer credits from other programs or institutions are not accepted toward the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program requirements.

Work Experience/Experiential Learning: No credit will be given for work experiences or experiential learning.

PLEASE NOTE: A felony conviction may delay or prohibit certification through NBCOT and could prevent state licensure. For more information, refer to www.nbcot.org

Prerequisites

The following are prerequisite courses/content areas that must have been completed at the college level in the past five years. This includes university, four-year college or community college courses. It does not include preparatory or Advanced Placement courses. Applicants may have two prerequisite courses in progress when you apply.

• Human Anatomy: (4 credits) one course with laboratory
• Human Physiology: (4 credits) one course with laboratory; Note: when anatomy and physiology are taken as a combined course, two semesters (i.e., 8 credits) are necessary to meet the requirements
• Physics*: (4 credits) one course with a laboratory
• Psychology: (9 credits) including general/introduction, developmental, and abnormal
• Sociology*: (3 credits) general/introduction
• Statistics: (3 credits) course to include descriptive statistics, correlation, and introduction to inferential statistics

Courses marked with an asterisk are content areas that may be fulfilled with other approved coursework. If you are unsure if you have the correct prerequisite courses to apply, we encourage you to reach out to the program at otprogram@hartford.edu.

Meet Your Success Counselor

We are Accredited!

Accreditation

The 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.

NOTE: Students must complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork within 24 months following completion of the didactic portion of the program.

Additional Information

Occupational Therapy Faculty

Program Contact

Heather Johnson
​Program Specialist, Occupational Therapy Program
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences
860-768-5207
hejohnson@hartford.edu

Graduate Admission Office
860.768.4371
gradstudy@hartford.edu