Academic Catalog 2025-26 > Graduate Degree Programs > Occupational Therapy (MS, OTD)

Occupational Therapy (MS, OTD)

Occupational Therapy Overview

Occupational therapy (OT) is a dynamic health and human service profession that assists people of all ages and abilities engage in meaningful activities to promote well-being, independence, and quality of life. Occupational therapists are licensed health professionals who work in hospitals, clinics, homes, schools, businesses, and communities, addressing physical, developmental, and psychosocial challenges, as well as addressing physical and social barriers to participation. They also contribute to health promotion and disease prevention through occupation-centered interventions and adaptive strategies.

Occupation is a universal human process with physical, social, temporal, and spiritual dimensions. Through active engagement in valued activities, humans evolve, change, and adapt to injury, illness, developmental delay, or less-than-optimal social and physical contexts. These challenges may result in the need to modify daily occupations to support meaningful engagement in life. Occupational therapists help people regain function through occupation-based interventions tailored to their unique needs.

Dominican University of California offers three pathways to becoming an occupational therapy practitioner: the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD), the Accelerated OTD (BA/BS to OTD), and the Accelerated Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT). Each program prepares students for clinical OT practice. The OTD program provides additional training in research, advocacy, program development, and leadership, and culminates in a 14-week doctoral capstone experience. Upon satisfactory completion of the occupational therapy curriculum and all required fieldwork experiences, graduates of the OTD and MSOT programs are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Occupational therapy is licensed in all states and qualified individuals may contact the state licensing board for information on obtaining licensure. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. 

Program Accreditation

Dominican University of California’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program is fully accredited through 2033 by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Initially accredited in 1991, the MSOT program has consistently maintained the longest accreditation cycle awarded by ACOTE in each subsequent reaccreditation.

The entry-level occupational therapy doctoral degree program has applied for accreditation and has been granted pre-accreditation Status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. The program must complete an on-site evaluation and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be 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). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure. 

Prerequisites and Recommended Coursework for MSOT and OTD Students

All students in the MSOT and OTD programs must complete prerequisite coursework before beginning their occupational therapy studies. The timing of prerequisite completion varies by program pathway:

• OTD students must complete all prerequisite courses before entering the program.
• Accelerated OTD students (those completing a combined undergraduate and OTD pathway) must finish their prerequisites before starting the OTD program in their senior year.
• Accelerated MSOT students (those completing a combined undergraduate and MSOT pathway) must finish their prerequisites before starting the MSOT program in their junior year.

Prerequisite Coursework

The following Dominican courses are required for all applicants to the Accelerated MSOT and OTD programs:

Admissions Requirements for MSOT and OTD Programs

In addition to completing prerequisite coursework, applicants to all OT program pathways must meet the following criteria:

Fulfill one of these two requirements:

• Complete the following three OT courses:
  • OT 1002 – Occupation and Others (1 unit)
  • OT 1003 – Occupation and Community (1 unit)
  • OT 1004 – Occupation as Therapy (1 unit)

OR

• Complete at least 40 hours of volunteer work in human services, with a minimum of 20 hours under the supervision of an occupational therapy practitioner. The non-OT-specific volunteer hours may be fulfilled through a service-learning experience.
• Pass each Pre-requisite with a grade of at least a 'C'
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 is recommended in both:
  • The last 60 units of coursework
  • Prerequisite courses (average GPA of 3.0 or higher)

Admissions Review Process

For detailed application requirements and deadlines, visit the program website and catalog pages for the MSOT and OTD programs. Admission decisions are based on a holistic review of GPA, volunteer experience, prerequisite coursework, letters of recommendation, and the interview. As part of the application process, applicants will submit the following documents for review:

• Two letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Interview
• Resume

Dominican University of California (DUOC) does not consider a student’s criminal background or the results of background checks during the Occupational Therapy program admissions process. However, applicants should be aware that a criminal record may affect their ability to sit for the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapists, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). A felony conviction may also limit access to required clinical fieldwork, impact NBCOT exam eligibility, and affect state licensure. Applicants with concerns are encouraged to consult an OT Academic Advisor for guidance on degree completion and licensure requirements.

Additional Requirements

Students must meet the following health requirements throughout their time as an MSOT or OTD student: continuous health insurance coverage, a current health examination, CPR certification, and documented immunization or immunity for Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis B, Mumps, Rubella, Rubeola (Measles), Varicella, and COVID-19, along with a clear tuberculin test. All required documents must be submitted and updated annually on CastleBranch.com, with initial compliance required by September 1st of the first year in the program and all consecutive years. Students who do not meet these requirements will not be able to participate in required aspects of the curriculum, including fieldwork and Community Practice Labs, which may result in delayed progression or graduation. Please contact the OT Department prior to admissions if you are unable to meet the background check or health requirements.