Occupational Therapy

Degrees Offered: M.A., M.S., O.T.D., Certificate
http://ase.tufts.edu/bsot
617-627-5720

Tufts' Department of Occupational Therapy (Boston School of Occupational Therapy) offers Entry-level and Post-professional Master's degree programs, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program, as well as a certificate. There also are semester abroad programs in Oxford, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; and Stockholm, Sweden.

The entry-level program prepares students for occupational therapy careers as practitioners. The post-professional master's program offers therapists who have bachelor's degrees in occupational therapy an opportunity for specialization. The occupational therapy doctoral program (OTD) prepares occupational therapists for leadership roles in programs that serve individuals, groups, and the world in such areas as health functioning, wellness, and quality of life.

The certificate program gives students the option of focusing on three different subject areas: advanced professional study, school-based practice, hand and upper extremity rehabilitation, and pain topics.

The advanced professional study (CAPS) specialization is for occupational therapy practitioners with bachelor's or master's degrees who want to enhance their careers. It requires completion of three courses in and individualized area of concentration and a department approved research course. Opportunities for concentration include policy and management, assistive technology, aging, and early intervention.

The school-based practice specialization is for occupational therapists who practice in schools or intend to practice in schools. It requires completion of four courses, two courses in the areas of school-based practice, a department approved research course, and an elective related to specific specialty in school practice. Occupational therapists who complete this program will become advanced practitioners in the area of school-based practice. They will gain expertise in practicing under the guidelines of federal and state regulations governing educational practice and the mandates of the profession of occupational therapy, they will gain increased competency in areas such as: managing workload, the use of entrance/exit criteria, participation in the early intervening, referral, and IEP process, assessment, service provision in least restrictive environment, effective documentation, and the occupational therapy role within the collaborative team process.

The hand and upper extremity rehabilitation specialization is intended for practicing occupational therapists who want to gain expertise in this specialty. It requires the completion of four courses; three courses on topics in hand and upper extremity rehabilitation and one department approved research course. The courses are team-taught by specialists from the Massachusetts General Hospital and Tufts University faculty. Therapists who complete this course series are eligible to apply for a hand therapy clinical fellowship at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

A joint certificate of Advanced Study in Pain Topics is available through the Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, call (617) 636-3631 or visit http://www.tufts.edu/med/education/phpd/msprep/cert_aspt/.

FACULTY/SPECIALTY

Diana Bailey
Ed.D., OTR, Northeastern University
Health care policy, health care management, research methods

Gary Bedell
Ph.D., OTR, FAOTA, New York University
Outcomes research and measurement; Promoting participation of children with disabilities and addressing environmental factors to support their participation

Janet Curran-Brooks
Ed.M., Harvard University
Physical dysfunction

Regina F. Doherty
MS, OTR/L, OTD - Tufts University
Clinical reasoning, ethics, physical dysfunction

Sharon A. Ray
Sc.D., OTR, Boston University
Pediatrics, kinesiology

Deborah L. Rochman
M.S., OTR, Boston University
Pain management

Sharan L. Schwartzberg
Ed.D., OTR, Boston University
Group theory, practice, and research; psychosocial rehabilitation

Linda Tickle-Degnen
Ph.D.,OTR, Harvard University
Evidence-based practice, health quality of life, social psychological aspects of health and health care.

Scott A. Trudeau
OTR, Tufts University
Functional needs of persons with advanced dementia in community and institutional settings, psychosocial rehabilitationn