Occupational Therapy

Programs Offered: M.S., O.T.D., Certificate
http://ase.tufts.edu/bsot
617.627.5720

The Master of Science (M.S.) program in occupational therapy is for those looking for an entry-level or a postprofessional master's degree. The entry-level program is for students with an undergraduate degree in a field other than occupational therapy, while the postprofessional program is designed for practicing occupational therapists looking to advance their education and expand their knowledge in specific areas.

Students in the full-time, entry-level program are required to complete between sixteen and eighteen course credits. The courses range from human physiology and kinesiology to more advanced studies in group theory and community-based practice. Students also take courses covering occupational therapy practice in areas such as physical rehabilitation or mental health. The fieldwork requirement for the entry-level program includes successful completion of six months of unpaid internships. Fieldwork occurs in a variety of settings, including clinics, hospitals, school systems, and nonprofit organizations.

The postprofessional program is designed for occupational therapists seeking specialization in areas such as administration and management, aging, education, mental health, childhood and adolescence, and upper extremity rehabilitation. Therapists enrolled in the postprofessional program may work with their faculty adviser to design a self-directed course of study based on their career development needs. Courses in research and clinical reasoning are core components of the postprofessional program.

Both the entry-level and the postprofessional programs offer the option to complete a thesis. Students in the postprofessional program who do not pursue the thesis option are required to complete a practicum. An M.S. with thesis is awarded to those who write a thesis, while those who do not write a thesis are awarded an M.S. in occupational therapy.

The Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.) prepares students to assume leadership roles that will have an impact in areas such as health functioning, wellness, and quality of life. Because the O.T.D. is a postprofessional doctorate, all applicants must have a bachelor's or master's degree in occupational therapy.

The O.T.D. consists of eight credits, with courses covering topics ranging from outcomes measurement and monitoring to clinical reasoning. The program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

A key component of the program is developing and implementing a community-based or practice-based leadership project, which focuses on an area of need or specialty within occupational therapy practice. As part of this requirement, students are expected to perform a needs assessment and feasibility study; interface with potential organizations, stakeholders, and service recipients; and develop the appropriate methodology for evaluation and implementation of the project. Examples of past O.T.D. student leadership projects include, Long-Term Community Integration Needs of Survivors of Traumatic Brain Injury, Inclusion of Students with Learning Differences in Higher Education, and Ethics Education in the Occupational Therapy Curricula.

The culmination of the O.T.D. program is an integrative paper, through which students reflect on what they have learned, synthesize coursework with a critical examination of the literature, and articulate how the project demonstrates leadership and expertise in the chosen specialty. The integrative paper must be approved by a committee of occupational therapy faculty members before the degree is awarded.

The certificate program provides occupational therapists and occupational therapy students a means of acquiring increased specialization to meet the growing need in the profession for continuing education in rapidly expanding areas.

The certificate program consists of four course credits and is offered in advanced professional study; pain research, education, and policy (in collaboration with Tufts' School of Medicine); school-based practice; and hand and upper extremity rehabilitation (in collaboration with specialists from Mass General Hospital).

The advanced professional study specialization is for occupational therapists who wish to enhance their careers through a substantive exploration of policy and management, assistive technology, aging, or early intervention.

Occupational Therapy: Full-Time Faculty

Gary Bedell
Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, New York University
Outcomes measurement, pediatric and community-based rehabilitation, promoting participation and health across the lifespan

Tracy Chippendale
Ph.D., OTR/L, New York University
Geriatrics, life review through writing workshops, the neighborhood environment and falls

Janet Curran Brooks
Ed.D., OTR/L, University of Massachusetts Lowell
Upper extremity rehabilitation, physical disabilities

Margaret L. Morris
O.T.D., OTR/L, Tufts University
Pediatrics, school-based services, collaborative consultation

Michael Roberts
M.S., OTR/L, Tufts University
Wii-habilitation

Sharan L. Schwartzberg
Ed.D., OTR, FAOTA, Boston University
Group theory, research, and practice; interactive reasoning; leadership

Linda Tickle-Degnen, Chair
Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Harvard University
Evidence-based practice; health-related quality of life in Parkinson's disease and expressive disorders; social psychological aspects of health, disability, and intervention

Occupational Therapy: Part-Time Faculty

Jennifer Connors Buxton
M.A., OTR/L, ATP, Tufts University
Assistive technology, physical disabilities

Jean Lyons Marten
M.S., OTR/L, Boston University
Neurological and sensory processing across the lifespan

Jennifer Kaldenberg
MSA, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA, Central Michigan University
Vision impairment, the impact of the environment on visual function

Paul Leavis
Ph.D., Tufts University
Cancer, embryo, and chemical messengers; immune response; biochemistry of muscle contraction and regulation

Monica A. Pessina
Ph.D., M.Ed., OTR, Northeastern University
Outcome studies in acute care, quantitative analysis of hand function after injury

Sarah Everhart Skeels
B.S., University of Virginia; MPH, George Washington University
Community services, rehabilitation and health promotion for neurological disabilities

Stephen N. Sarikas
Ph.D., Boston University School of Medicine
AIDS/HIV awareness among college students

Scott A. Trudeau
Ph.D., OTR/L, Boston College
Factors contributing to successful aging, issues of adaptation for elders with chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease

Elizabeth Ratcliff Whitney
Ph.D., Boston University School of Medicine
Examining the cerebellar pathology in infantile autism