Occupational therapists help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations). Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.
To become a licensed OT, students MUST attend a professional OT Program at the master’s or doctoral level. These are commonly 2-3 year programs. Students should be most concerned about achieving the pre-requisite requirements for admission to the OT program of their choice. The pre-requisite requirements for all programs can be found on the American Occupational Therapy website.
The most common course pre-requisites are Anatomy & Physiology I & II, Lifespan Development, Abnormal Psychology and Statistics.
Current Heidelberg students who have a strong background in health sciences, anatomy & physiology and psychology are eligible for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) at Wilmington College through a post-graduate affiliation agreement. Wilmington is offering guaranteed early admission to up to three Heidelberg graduates who meet the prerequisite criteria for the MSOT program. Students from any undergraduate major are eligible as long as they have completed the seven prerequisite courses and have maintained a minimum 3.0 GPA. The program runs for 24 months, with the first two semesters on campus and the third and fourth semesters in the field. Wilmington’s MSOT program has a unique emphasis on rural health.
Wilmington College Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program
Students from Heidelberg that have attended Occupational Therapy programs have majored in Biology, Chemistry, and Health Science. However, students can choose any major - admission to OT graduate programs is based on overall GPA, prerequisite course GPA, experience/knowledge of the field, and leadership/involvement.
