Occupational Therapy (Castleton+Clarkson University 4+2) (MS-OT)

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Contact: Associate Professor Justin Carlstrom, Natural Sciences Department

Castleton offers this program in conjunction with Clarkson University (Potsdam, NY). Students will complete a Bachelor's degree from Castleton, including the courses specified below, and two students per year will be offered reserved places in the Master's program in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) at Clarkson.

Specific program requirements:

1. Complete a baccalaureate degree program at Castleton

Students may choose from any of Castleton's baccalaureate programs, but we recommend that pre-OT students consider Biology, Exercise & Sports Science, Health Science, or Psychology.

2. Complete these Pre-Occupational Therapy courses (40 cr)

All courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Overall GPA in these courses must be 3.20 or better.

BIO 2011 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I 4 cr
BIO 2012 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II 4 cr
BIO 2125 - Fundamentals of Microbiology 4 cr
ENG 1061 - English Composition 3 cr
MAT 2021 - Statistics I 3 cr
PHY 1051 - General Physics I 4 cr
PSY 1012 - Introduction to Psychological Science 3 cr
PSY 3070 - Abnormal Psychology 3 cr
PSY 2265 - Child and Adolescent Development 3 cr
And complete 1 of these courses (3 cr)
SOC 1010 - Introduction to Sociology 3 cr
SOC 1030 - Social Problems 3 cr
And complete 2 of these courses (6 cr):
PED 3060 - Women’s Health Issues 3 cr
PHI 3020 - Medical Ethics 3 cr
SOC 2230 - Death And Dying 3 cr
SOC 3070 - Medical Sociology 3 cr
SWK 2130 - Introduction to the Study of Aging 3 cr

3. Complete a course or project demonstrating 3D skills

Students must complete one of the following courses (grade of C or better):
ART 1020 - Introduction to Studio Arts 3 cr
ART 2251 - Sculpture I 3 cr
THA 1111 - Stagecraft 3 cr
Or complete an independent project demonstrating equivalent 3D skills

(see Dr. Carlstrom for more information).

4. Attain an overall GPA of 3.00 or better

Admission to Clarkson University:

To qualify for a reserved place in Clarkson's MSOT program, Castleton students agree to the following:

To remain at all times in good academic standing with Castleton University and to avoid disciplinary or legal action on or off campus.
During the student's sophomore year: to contact Clarkson University's OT faculty/staff and indicate an interest in pursuing the MSOT at Clarkson. This may be done by telephone, e-mail, or in person.
During the student's junior year: to meet with Castleton's Pre-Health Professions Committee to discuss the student's progress. (A representative of Clarkson's OT program will be invited to attend this interview.)
During the student's senior year: to complete the OTCAS (Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service) application, meeting all deadlines and requirements. To be considered for the fall semester, the applicant must complete a verified application by September 20 of their senior year.
To complete a minimum of 40 hours of clinical observation or related experience with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant.
To obtain three letters of recommendation: one letter must be from an occupational therapist or COTA and one must be from Castleton's Pre-Health Professions Committee.

If more than two Castleton students apply to the Occupational Therapy program in the same year, the students with the strongest applications will be admitted to the two reserved places in the Clarkson University MSOT program. Castleton faculty will rank student applicants when more than two apply to the MSOT program and provide this ranking to the Clarkson University MSOT program. The Clarkson University MSOT program admissions committee will make the final decision based on the overall strength of the applications using the program admission standards. Other applicants from Castleton, beyond the two granted reserved places, will be considered for admission in the same way as other applicants.

-The above requirements and procedures are reviewed every two years and subject to change without notice-