Master of Occupational Therapy

The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is an entry-level program for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) with bachelor’s degrees who would like to become registered Occupational Therapists (OTRs). 

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program at UT Tyler has applied for accreditation and has been granted Preaccreditation Status 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. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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.

Students admitted to the program will attend five semesters of blended instruction, combining online with on-campus delivery, followed by two, twelve-week fieldwork experiences. These courses and fieldwork experiences allow the student to graduate with the MOT degree, and to sit for the National Board of Certification for Occupational Therapy registration exam. Students who obtain a passing score on the exam will become registered occupational therapists (OTRs), eligible for state licensure.

Students will be admitted to the COTA-to-MOT hybrid program once a year in the Fall semester. Admissions are limited.

Admission Requirements

• Completed online application to UTT graduate school
• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution completed prior to application
• One year full-time experience as licensed COTA (or 1500 hours) completed prior to application
• Overall GPA of 3.0/4 calculated on last 60 credit hours
• Completed Recommendation Form from two licensed OTs with documented supervision of applicant
• Current resume
• Current COTA licensure
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with a grade of B or higher prior to  application
• Prerequisite Form
• Documented acceptable Graduate Record Exam score within previous 7 years (GRE scores not required if applicant has an earned graduate degree from a regionally accredited academic institution)
• Successful completion of on-campus interview

Important Dates

• Applications for Fall  2021 will open in mid-October, 2020
• Application deadline: March 1, 2021
• Decision deadline: May 1, 2021

Degree Requirements

Total credits required = 68

Semester 1 - Fall

Foundations of Occupational Therapy Practice	2 hrs.
Applied Neuroanatomy	3 hrs.
Contextual Movement for Occupational Therapists	3 hrs.
Art & Science of Occupational Therapy Practice	3 hrs.
Professional Development Seminar I	1 hrs.
TOTAL	12 hrs.

Semester 2 - Spring

Occupation & Evaluation I	3 hrs.
Occupation, Conditions, & Interventions I	3 hrs.
Assistive Technology in Pediatric Practice	2 hrs.
Research & Knowledge Translation I	3 hrs.
Professional Development Seminar II	1 hrs.
TOTAL	12 hrs.

Semester 3 - Summer

Occupation, Evaluation, Conditions & Interventions II	3 hrs.
Health & Wellness in Community-Based OT Practice	2 hrs.
Professional Development Seminar III	1 hr.
TOTAL	6 hrs.

Semester 4 - Fall

Occupation & Evaluation III	3 hrs.
Occupation, Conditions, & Interventions III	3 hrs.
Research & Knowledge Translation II	3 hrs.
Advanced UE  Rehabilitation: Splinting, Assistive Technology, & Modalities	2 hrs.
Professional Development Seminar IV	1 hr.
TOTAL	12 hrs.

Semester 5 - Spring

Occupation & Evaluation IV	3 hrs.
Occupation, Conditions, & Interventions IV	2 hrs.
Teaching, Learning, & Educational Leadership	2 hrs.
Leadership & Management	2 hrs.
Professional Development Seminar V	1 hr.
TOTAL	10 hrs.

Semester 6 and 7 - Summer and Fall

Fieldwork II A	8 hrs.
Fieldwork II B	8 hrs.
TOTAL	16 hrs.

Graduation Requirements

• All academic courses must be completed within no more than 36 months.
• All fieldwork experiences must be completed within 24 months of academic coursework completion.