Occupational Therapy

Bachelor of Science / Master of Science
Help people engage in what makes life meaningful to them.

Occupational therapists work with individuals with impairments or disabilities to develop or regain the “occupations” that are important in their lives. You may help people better perform daily living tasks, learn in school, engage in social relationships and community activities, or resume job duties impacted by illness or injury. As a student in the OT program, you learn how to develop or improve a person’s sensory, physical, cognitive/perceptual, and/or psychosocial abilities. You learn to modify the environment to help the person to be as self-sufficient and productive as possible.

Course curriculumStudent outcomesCost of attendance

occupational therapist passing a ball to a patient

Highlights

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Begin OT classes and be involved with clients in clinics from the first semester

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Five community-based fieldwork experiences

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B.S.-M.S. direct entry

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Consistently high pass rates on the certification exam and 100% graduation rates

student helping a child write
collection of differently sized rubber balls
occupational therapist helping patient with pill sorting

Career Paths

  • Occupational therapist in elementary and high schools
  • Special needs settings
  • Hospitals
  • Clinics
  • Home care
  • Medical equipment firm
  • OT schools and research laboratories
  • Long-term care
  • Private practice
Is a doctorate required?

No. The American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), which oversees occupational therapy education, determined with the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) that people can enter the field as an occupational therapist with either a master's degree or a doctoral degree. If AOTA ever decides to mandate doctoral degrees for entry, all OTs with their master's degree will be grandfathered in and will not require additional education.

Internships and Field Experiences
  • Rochester Psychiatric Center
  • Heritage Christian Services
  • Jewish Senior Life
  • Strong Memorial Hospital
  • ARC of Monroe
  • Canandaigua VA Medical Center
  • CP Rochester
  • Mary Cariola Children’s Center
  • Rush-Henrietta School District
  • Greece School District
  • E. John Gavras Center

100%

OT students consistently have 100% graduation rates and high pass rates on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam.

17.9%

OT jobs are expected to grow 17.9% (adding 23,700 jobs nationwide) through 2028, much faster than average, according to The Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Top 20

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked occupational therapists among the top 20 health care jobs and #28 overall among The 100 Best Jobs.

Program Details

  • The curriculum offers you a wide range of interprofessional academic and clinical experiences, including an on-campus OT clinic, clinical outreach activities, and fieldwork opportunities. 
  • All occupational therapy majors take a gross anatomy course that includes dissection of a cadaver.
  • Five rigorous practice courses in the senior year provide opportunities for hands-on clinical experience evaluating, planning and implementing and documenting interventions. Unlike other colleges, you'll do ongoing work with the same clients for 7-10 weeks.
  • You will have the opportunity to engage in collaborative research with faculty and OT clinicians.
  • You can prepare to work with young children and their families in early intervention and preschool by choosing the Developing Child and Families minor.
  • You have the option to get specialized preparation in working with school-age children with autism through Nazareth's Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism (I-SPAN) specialization.
  • You have the option to include an early-intervention interprofessional concentration (track): Rochester Scholars for Early Intervention helps you develop specialty knowledge and skills to be a strong advocate for young children and their families.
  • Most courses are offered in person, with interaction with professors and peers. The courses offered online (OTR 516, OTR 518, OTR 501, OTR 551 and a summer online option for OTR 101 and 102) also include in-person sessions for a portion of the course. You need access to a device with an internet connection; Nazareth students can use computers in Nazareth's library and computer labs.

Admissions standards for occupational therapy »
 

Become a Changemaker

  • You will learn to take action and help people engage in what makes life meaningful to them.
  • You will learn to persevere by addressing change through skill development and environmental modifications. Example: All OT students complete a certification program focused on learning how to assess the physical and social inclusion of all people at local recreation facilities. You then complete a community assessment and work with Rochester Accessible Adventures to make meaningful suggestions for change.
  • You learn how to take a holistic approach with clients — such as working with faculty and OTs at Rochester Psychiatric Center to create and implement group activities to address psychosocial challenges.
  • You will learn and have experiences that will help you engage in interprofessional practice in various health care settings, such as through medical case simulation with other health and human service students.
  • You will learn to advocate, especially for underserved populations, including through meetings with New York state congressional members along with faculty to promote legislative changes that support health and wellness for underserved and marginalized populations.

Outcome details

Graduation and NBCOT Exam Data

Degrees granted by year:

Graduation Year

# graduating / # of students entering Master's program

Graduation rate

2020

20/20 100%

2021

23/23 100%
2022 25/25 100%
3-year TOTAL 68/68 100%

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) pass rates by year:

Graduation Year Number of Graduates Students who passed the NBCOT exam
2020 20 100%
2021 23 100%
2022 25 100%
3-year TOTAL 68 100%

Also: Program results from NBCOT are online.

Accreditation

The occupational therapy program is accredited 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. ACOTE's phone number c/o AOTA is 301-652-2682. For more information, visit acoteonline.org. The occupational therapy program at Nazareth University received initial accreditation as a new program in 2014 and was re-accredited in April 2023.

Professional licensure disclosure

As an ACOTE-accredited program, the Nazareth University B.S. in Occupational Science and M.S. in Occupational Therapy program satisfies all requirements for students to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) certification exam. Satisfactory performance on this exam allows students to be eligible for licensure in all U.S. states.

Full-time cost of attendance

The following are estimated tuition, fees, and expenses for Nazareth's Occupational Therapy combined bachelor's and master's degree program. The tuition rates included here are estimates based on the 2024-25 academic year rates and are subject to change. See the Student Accounts website for current tuition and fees information. Financial aid information is on the Financial Aid website.

Undergraduate Academic Year 2024-25
Tuition (12-19 credit hours per semester)  $40,300
Mandatory fees  $1,910
Estimated books and supplies  $1,226
   $43,436
Undergraduate Academic Year 2025-26
Tuition (12-19 credit hours per semester) $41,509
Mandatory fees $1,967
Estimated books and supplies $1,226
  $44,702
Undergraduate Academic Year 2026-27
Tuition (12-19 credit hours per fall and spring semester & 6 summer credits) $48,865
Mandatory fees $2,392
Estimated books and supplies $1,226
  $52,483
Undergraduate Academic Year 2027-28
Tuition (12-19 credit hours per semester) $44,037
Mandatory fees $2,087
Estimated books and supplies $1,226
  $47,350
Graduate Academic Year 2028-29
Tuition (27 credit hours) $33,883
Mandatory fees $777
Estimated books and supplies $1,226
  $35,886
Total Cost of Program
Tuition $208,594
Mandatory fees $9,133
Estimated books and supplies $6,130
  $223,857

NOTE: Above amounts do not include financial aid. Illustration based on a 3% increase annually, however fees are subject to change.

occupational therapy degree program, occupational therapy major at Nazareth College Rochester, NY

Alumni Spotlight

Morgan Monahan ‘17G, shown in the campus clinic helping a child build muscle tone, improve posture, encourage attention, and develop his skills using both hands.

“The strengths of the OT program include building close relationships with OT professors over five years and gaining more hands-on experience than is required by the profession. We do three week-long, and two 3-month fieldwork placements, which allow us to participate in providing OT in schools, long-term care facilities, hospitals, home care, and rehab centers. Each OT 'practice' course is connected to a clinical experience working with clients on campus and off-site. As a student OT, I’ve had so many opportunities to build a network.”