Pre-Occupational Therapy

Pre-Occupational Therapy preparation is a three- or four-year course of study leading to the baccalaureate degree and 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. Sacred Heart University undergraduates interested in completing their undergraduate study in three years may consider the 3 + 2 plan of study, if they major in Health Science, Sociology, Psychology, or Exercise Science, providing that they complete all required prerequisites and meet all enrollment criteria by the end of the summer prior to enrollment. Refer to the respective Sacred Heart University program websites for the 3 + 2 plan of study. Students must successfully complete all required prerequisites by the end of the summer prior to enrollment. A 3.0 cumulative GPA, 3.0 prerequisite GPA and a 3.0 prerequisite science GPA, with no prerequisite grade below a C, are required. Two 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 30th application deadline to determine admission status and eligibility for enrollment in the program: 2 out of the 3 prerequisite sciences (biology with lab, human anatomy & physiology I and II with labs), psychology, and statistics. For details regarding the Graduate Occupational Therapy program, program accreditation, admission, admission criteria, and application information, see the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Faculty

SHARON M. MCCLOSKEY, EdD, MBA, OTR/L, DipCOT

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

JODY BORTON, EdD, OTR/L

Clinical Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs

LOLA HALPERIN, EdD MA, OTR/L

Clinical Assistant Professor

JAIMEE HEGGE, OTD, OTR/L
Clinical Assistant Professor

MARY-ELLEN JOHNSON, OTD, OTR/L

Clinical Assistant Professor

ELLEN MARTINO, OTD, OTR/L

Clinical Assistant Professor

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

Associate Professor

JOAN SAUVIGNE-KIRSCH, EdD, OTR/L
Assistant Fieldwork Education Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor

SHEELAGH SCHLEGEL, DrHSc, MPH, OTR/L, CHES, CAPS
Academic Fieldwork Education 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).
Note: Advanced Placement (AP) courses may meet prerequisite requirements ONLY if grades are entered on a college or university transcript.

Sacred Heart University students accepted to the Occupational Therapy program as freshmen must meet all of the Occupational Therapy program's admission 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.
Cumulative GPA of 3.0
Successful completion of all prerequisite course requirements with no individual prerequisite course grade below a C and a 3.0 prerequisite GPA and a 3.0 prerequisite science GPA. Two prerequisite courses may be retaken only one time. Required prerequisites are: biology with laboratory, human anatomy & physiology I with laboratory*, human anatomy & physiology II with laboratory*, statistics*, 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 last 10 years).
At the time of application:

At the time of application:

Successful completion of the following prerequisites: Two out of the three prerequisite sciences (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 official transcripts for all undergraduate college and university work submitted by June 30th following the junior year for 4 + 2 students and June 30th following the sophomore year for 3 + 2 students.
Earned bachelors' degree in any major and successful completion of all prerequisites prior to enrollment.

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

Early or Regular Admission Application

Sacred Heart University undergraduates who were not directly admitted as freshman may apply competitively, submitting their completed application to the Office of Graduate Admissions by June 30th following their junior year for 4 + 2 students, and by June 30th following their sophomore year for 3 + 2.
Applicants external to Sacred Heart University may apply through a rolling admissions process. The deadline for all applications will be November 1st, however, applications will be accepted until the class is filled.

Program Accreditation

Sacred Heart University’s Graduate Occupational Therapy Program leading to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) is fully accredited through 2026/2027 under “The Standards for an Accredited Educational Therapy Program for the Occupational Therapist - 2018” 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. Telephone: 301-625-AOTA.

The program is responsible for complying with all ACOTE accreditation standards and policies and interacting with ACOTE with integrity and honesty. The program will inform ACOTE of all major changes in curriculum, site locations, online/onsite formats, and the program director in a timely manner. The program will honestly and accurately represent the program and its ACOTE accreditation status in all its publications and web page available to the public.

More Information about Accreditation:

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy (ACOTE)
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200,
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929.
Tel: (301) 652-AOTA
Web address: www.acoteonline.org

Note about ACOTE's New Mandate

On April 4, 2019, AOTA’s Representative Assembly determined that occupational therapists may enter the profession at the master’s or doctoral level. Sacred Heart University’s Graduate Occupational Therapy students will be eligible to sit for the NBCOT certification exam and obtain state licensure and will not be required to obtain a doctoral degree to practice.

Students must complete all fieldwork requirements within 24 month of completion of the didactic portion of the program. 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). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states, including Connecticut, require licensure in order to practice; however, most initial state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

Please note that a felony conviction might affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT exam and/or attain state licensure.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements

Sacred Heart University has been approved by Connecticut to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of post-secondary distance education.

For information regarding professional licensure by state, visit Disclosures and Student Complaints.

Felony Convictions

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 within 24 months of completion of coursework as a graduation requirement. 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 group interview and PBL experience with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee upon invitation. See the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for admission criteria, application procedures, and program information.