Contents
Catalog Links
Share

2016-2017 Undergraduate Catalog

Pre-Occupational Therapy Major

Pre-Occupational Therapy preparation is a three- or four-year course of study leading to the baccalaureate degree and the completion of required Occupational Therapy program prerequisite courses, followed by two years of graduate study in Occupational Therapy. Pre-Occupational Therapy in itself is not an undergraduate major at Sacred Heart University. Graduate study in Occupational Therapy requires two calendar years, including summers, of graduate-level coursework and supervised clinical fieldwork education beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students may complete their undergraduate degree in a discipline of their choice; however, the Health Science major leading to the Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) is preferred as it offers students a solid foundation in aspects specific to healthcare. Pre-Occupational Therapy preparation can be accomplished in any undergraduate major but the 3 + 2 plan can only be completed in the Health Science major. The Health Science major must be declared by the end of the freshman year and requires summer and winter intersession courses to complete the baccalaureate degree in three years (see Health Science major for specific plans of study). Students must successfully complete all required prerequisites by the end of the summer prior to enrollment. A 3.2 cumulative and 3.2 prerequisite GPA, with no prerequisite grade below a C, is required, and only one prerequisite course may be retaken only one time. All of the following prerequisite courses must be completed with grades entered with the University Registrar by the June 30 application deadline to determine admission status and eligibility for enrollment in the program: psychology, statistics, biology with lab, human anatomy & physiology I with lab, and human anatomy & physiology II with lab. For details regarding the Graduate Occupational Therapy program, program accreditation, admission, and application information, see the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Faculty

JODY BORTONE, EdD , OT/L

Chair and Director of Graduate Occupational Therapy Program and Clinical Associate Professor

LENORE FROST, PhD, CHT, FAOTA, OTR/L

Clinical Associate Professor

LOLA HALPERIN, MA, OTR/L

Clinical Assistant Professor

MARY-ELLEN JOHNSON, OTD, OTR/L

Clinical Assistant Professor

SHARON M. MCCLOSKEY MBA, OTR/L, DipCOT

Clinical Assistant Professor

HEATHER MILLER-KUHANECK, PhD, FAOTA, OTR/L

Associate Professor

SHEELAGH SCHLEGEL, MPH, OT/L

Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor

Freshman Admission Decision

A freshman admission decision application option is available to outstanding incoming Sacred Heart University freshmen. Freshman admission requirements include:

  • Successful completion of four years of high school science
  • High school GPA of 3.2 or higher in academic courses (math, science, history, English, modern foreign language)
  • SAT scores of 1050 or higher (SAT required)

Sacred Heart University students accepted to the Occupational Therapy program as freshmen must meet the following Occupational Therapy graduate program criteria as a condition for keeping their seat and enrolling in the graduate Occupational Therapy program. Students admitted into the program as freshmen who do not meet all of the following criteria at the time of application will forfeit their seat and admission status in the Occupational Therapy program and will be ineligible for continued enrollment in the graduate Occupational Therapy program.

Prior to enrollment:

  • Successful completion of the baccalaureate degree in an undergraduate major.
  • Successful completion of all prerequisite course requirements with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C, with a 3.2 prerequisite and 3.2 cumulative GPA. Only one prerequisite can be retaken only one time. Required prerequisites are: statistics*, biology with laboratory, human anatomy & physiology I with laboratory*, human anatomy & physiology II with laboratory*, psychology, abnormal psychology, lifespan development with content covering the entire lifespan, and sociology or anthropology or multicultural/diversity studies (*must have been taken within the most recent five years).

At the time of application:

  • Successful completion of the following prerequisites: biology with lab, human anatomy & physiology I and II with labs, statistics, and psychology (see GPA requirements above).
  • Completion of the online graduate application with all official transcripts for all undergraduate work submitted by June 30 following the junior year for 4 + 2 students and following the sophomore year for 3 + 2 students.

All Sacred Heart University students must submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores with the application. GRE Analytical Writing scores of 3.5 or above are required, combined Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning scores of 300 or above are desired.

Occupational therapy students must be able to perform the essential functions consistent with occupational therapy practice. Student must meet the requirements for the essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations. Please see the occupational therapy program’s website for the policy regarding and complete list of the essential functions.

Early or Regular Admission Application

External students and Sacred Heart University undergraduates who were not directly admitted into the Occupational Therapy Program as freshmen may apply competitively for early or regular decision. Applicants must meet or exceed all of the admission standards and application deadlines (see the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog for admission standards and application deadlines).

Program Accreditation

The Occupational Therapy program is fully accredited through 2016–2017 under the “Standards for an Accredited Educational Program for the Occupational Therapist – 2006” by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The faculty have refined the curriculum to meet the revised 2011 ACOTE standards that went into effect July 31, 2013. The Program is scheduled for its ACOTE reaccreditation site visit in 2017. For information about accreditation, contact ACOTE c/o American Occupational Therapy Association, 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. Tel: 301-652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org or www.aota.org

Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT); www.nbcot.org. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states, including Connecticut, require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Note: A criminal or felony background or conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or attain state licensure. The graduate Occupational Therapy program requires the successful completion of all required coursework and level I and level II clinical fieldwork. Both level I and level II fieldwork experiences must be successfully completed within 24 months of completion of coursework. The majority of clinical sites require students to complete a criminal background check (CBC), fingerprinting, and/or drug screening prior to participating in clinical education placements. Students with criminal convictions or backgrounds may not be able to obtain required clinical education experience(s), thus failing to meet the academic requirements of the Occupational Therapy program. It is therefore the Occupational Therapy program’s policy that prior to enrolling in the professional graduate phase of the program, all admitted students must consent, submit to, and satisfactorily complete a criminal background check (CBC) within six (6) weeks of registration for courses as a condition of matriculation. Matriculation will not be final until the completion of the criminal background check with results deemed acceptable to the program director or academic fieldwork coordinator. All expenses associated with the CBC and/or fingerprinting and/or drug screening are the responsibility of the applicant/student. Students who do not consent to the required background check, refuse to provide information necessary to conduct the background check, or provide false or misleading information in regard to the background check will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including refusal of matriculation or dismissal from the program. Please refer to the Occupational Therapy program’s webpage for the CBC policy and procedures.

Students are admitted to the program on a competitive basis. Admission is based on successful completion of admission requirements, including completion of a baccalaureate degree in a field other than occupational therapy, and completion of all prerequisite courses by the end of the summer semester prior to enrollment.

If students require the summer prior to enrollment to complete prerequisites or the baccalaureate degree, any acceptance for admission into the program will be provisional to successful completion of the baccalaureate degree, all prerequisite coursework, maintenance of GPA and GRE requirements, and group interview and PBL experience with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee. See the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for admission criteria, application procedures, and program information.