Accelerated Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
The MSOT is an in-person, daytime program at Dominican’s San Rafael, CA campus. The program consists of 70 total units, with 32 units completed while students complete their major/minor undergraduate studies and 38 units as full-time graduate students.
Eligibility and Program Structure:
Students from any undergraduate major at Dominican University of California can participate in the accelerated MSOT program. However, psychology and kinesiology majors will find it easier to integrate OT prerequisites due to overlapping coursework, making these pathways more efficient without the need for additional summer coursework.
Students must complete all OT prerequisites within their first two years of undergraduate studies. Depending on their major, some students may need to take summer courses to fulfill all prerequisite requirements before beginning professional OT coursework in their junior year.
During their junior and senior years, students take professional OT coursework part-time while also completing their major and core requirements. After earning their bachelor’s degree, students transition into one additional year of full-time graduate-level OT coursework, followed by six months of full-time Level II fieldwork.
Declaration of Interest and MSOT Program Admission Process
- Declaring Interest: Students interested in the accelerated BA/BS to MSOT program should declare their intent to apply and schedule a meeting with an OT advisor to discuss program requirements and the application process.
- Application to the MSOT Program: Students apply for progression into the professional MSOT program in the second semester of their second year. All accelerated MSOT admission requirements must be met, and application materials must be submitted to the OT advisor. Qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.
- Starting MSOT Coursework: In junior and senior undergraduate years, accelerated MSOT students complete OT coursework alongside their undergraduate coursework, fulfilling both core and major requirements.
- Admission and Waitlist: If the number of eligible applicants exceeds available seats in the accelerated MSOT program, admission will be determined based on the department’s holistic admission criteria. Current Dominican University of California (DUC) students who are not admitted may request to be placed on the waitlist. The occupational therapy department will maintain a waitlist as needed. If space becomes available, students will be admitted from the waitlist.
Program Overview and Curriculum
Dominican’s MSOT program prepares students from diverse backgrounds to become skilled occupational therapy practitioners who enhance the health and well-being of individuals and communities through occupation-based interventions. Grounded in active and experiential learning, the program fosters clinical reasoning, professional identity, and resilience while embodying Dominican’s values of study, reflection, community, and service.
This entry-level master’s program provides a strong foundation in occupational therapy practice, with coursework emphasizing evaluation, intervention planning, evidence-based practice, and ethical decision-making. Students develop essential competencies through a robust fieldwork curriculum, which includes three Level I fieldwork experiences in clinical and community-based settings and two 12-week Level II fieldwork placements in clinical environments.
The MSOT curriculum integrates a professional identity course sequence that supports students in developing reflective skills, resilience, and readiness for the transition to professional practice. Graduates are well-equipped to enter the workforce as occupational therapy practitioners prepared to deliver client-centered care across a variety of healthcare and community settings.
Dominican MSOT Vision and Mission
OT Department Mission: The Dominican University of California OT programs educate students to become resilient occupational therapy practitioners who use occupation to advance the health and well-being of themselves, individuals, communities and populations through a culture of mentorship and collegiality. The OT students are co-creators of knowledge through active and experiential learning and embody the Dominican values of study, reflection, community, and service.
MSOT Vision: Empower and educate the next generation of diverse occupational therapists to advance the profession by becoming engaged practitioners and advocates.
MSOT Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of the MSOT program will:
- Develop and articulate a distinct professional identity as an occupation-centered practitioner
- Demonstrate a commitment to health, wellbeing, and resilience of self and others
- Utilize reflective practices and critical thinking skills to powerfully serve individuals, communities and populations
- Practice and advocate within diverse social, cultural, and political settings
- Effectively utilize evidence in practice
MSOT Curricular Tracks
Students in the accelerated MSOT program will progress through a curriculum structured around four tracks that support their development from foundational knowledge to applied practice and professional growth. These tracks align with the program's goal of preparing students to become skilled and engaged practitioners, and advocates in the field of occupational therapy.
Foundational Knowledge and Skills – Introduces essential knowledge for occupational therapy practice and scholarship, including essentials for evidence-based practice.
Clinical Practice – Covers psychosocial aspects of occupation, OT principles for individuals and groups, and OT application across the lifespan. Learning integrates didactic instruction, experiential practice, and reflection.
Professional Development – Strengthens professional identity, leadership, advocacy, resilience, and self-care through structured coursework.
Fieldwork Education – Provides external experiences to develop clinical competence and apply professional skills in diverse practice settings.
Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Courses, Progression, and Graduation Requirements
Enrollment in occupational therapy courses requires admission to the program. Courses are sequential and must be taken in order. Exceptions require permission from the academic advisor, instructor, and Department Chair.
Undergraduate Course Requirements:
| OT 3010 | Functional Neuroscience in Occupational Therapy | 3.00 units |
| OT 3012 | Foundations of Occupational Therapy | 4.00 units |
| OTL 3012 | Foundations in Occupational Therapy Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3014 | Human Movement Analysis | 3.00 units |
| OTL 3014 | Human Movement Analysis Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3015 | Psychosocial Aspects of Occupation I | 3.00 units |
| OTL 3015 | Psychosocial Aspects of Occupation I Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3019 | Culture, Diversity and Ethics in Occupational Therapy | 3.00 units |
| OT 3028 | OT Fundamental Skills for Assessment and Intervention | 2.00 units |
| OTL 3028 | OT Fundamental Skills for Assessment and Intervention Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3115 | Psychosocial Aspects of Occupation II | 4.00 units |
| OTL 3115 | Psychosocial Aspects of Occupation II Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3027 | Occupations of Adults and Seniors I | 4.00 units |
| OTL 3027 | Occupations of Adults and Seniors I Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 3121 | Research in Occupational Therapy I: Evidence-Based OT Practitioner | 4.00 units |
| OT 3151 | Professional Identity I: The Reflective Practitioner | 1.00 unit |
| OT 3152 | Professional Identity II: The Resilient Practitioner | 1.00 unit |
| OT 5121 | Evidence Based Practitioner | 3.00 units |
| Total Credit Hours: | 32 |
Graduate Course Requirements:
| OT 5016 | Occupations of Children and Adolescents I | 4.00 units |
| OTL 5016 | Occupations of Children and Adolescents I Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 5101 | Health Policy, Leadership and Mangement in Occupational Therapy | 3.00 units |
| OT 5104 | Educational Principles and Practices in Occupational Therapy | 3.00 units |
| OT 5116 | Occupations of Children and Adolescents II | 5.00 units |
| OTL 5116 | Occupations of Children and Adolescents II Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 5117 | Occupations Adults and Seniors II | 5.00 units |
| OTL 5117 | Occupations of Adults and Seniors II Lab | 0.00 units |
| OT 5118 | Occupations of Adults and Seniors III | 2.00 units |
| OT 5130 | Level II Fieldwork Placement 1 | 6.00 units |
| OT 5131 | Level II Fieldwork Placement 2 | 6.00 units |
| OT 5155 | Professional Identity V: The Prepared OT Professional | 1.00 unit |
OT 52XX
| OT Special Topics 2 | 1.00 unit |
| Total Credit Hours: | 37 |
Total Credit Hours: 67
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Progression and Graduation Requirements
To graduate with an MSOT, students must successfully:
- Complete all required coursework in the curriculum with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Pass two 12-week full-time level II fieldwork placements or an approved part-time equivalent.
- Complete all Level II fieldwork requirements within 18 months following the completion of didactic coursework.
- The MSOT degree is awarded upon successful completion of all coursework and Level II fieldwork.
- Graduates are eligible to sit for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
Students are expected to complete the program in 3.5 years total, including part-time undergraduate OT coursework. Students have six years from the start of OT coursework in their junior year to complete all program requirements.
Academic and Professional Behavior Progression Standards
The OT Department is committed to preparing students to be effective and successful occupational therapy practitioners. This includes not only achieving academic excellence but also demonstrating the professional behaviors essential to occupational therapy practice. Developing a strong professional identity—encompassing ethical decision-making, communication, collaboration, initiative, time management, respect, and integrity—is critical for successfully navigating professional practice and providing high-quality, client-centered care.
Students are expected to meet both academic and professional behavior progression standards throughout the program. Academic progression requires maintaining a minimum grade of "B-" in all courses and a cumulative and term GPA of 3.0 or higher, while professional behavior expectations align with the OT Department’s values, AOTA’s Code of Ethics, and the behavioral standards expected of occupational therapy students. Failure to meet these standards may result in probation or dismissal from the program.
For detailed information on academic progression, professional behavior expectations, probation processes, and appeals, refer to the Occupational Therapy Student Handbook.
Professional Behavior Expectations
In addition to academic standards, students must demonstrate professional behaviors consistent with the OT Department’s values, AOTA’s Code of Ethics, and behavioral expectations for occupational therapy students. Professional identity development includes adherence to expectations in communication, collaboration, initiative, time management, respect, and integrity.
Professional behavior concerns, including but not limited to ethical violations, unprofessional conduct in classroom or fieldwork settings, failure to meet responsibilities, or interpersonal issues impacting learning environments, may result in formal feedback, professional behavior probation, or dismissal from the program.
Students placed on Professional Behavior Probation will receive a written notice outlining expectations for remediation. Failure to demonstrate sufficient improvement within the specified timeframe may result in dismissal from the program. Severe breaches of ethical or professional conduct may lead to immediate dismissal.
For detailed information on professional behavior or academic progression policies, probation processes, and appeals, refer to the Occupational Therapy Student Handbook.
Level II Fieldwork Requirements
Students may only begin Level II fieldwork in psychosocial/mental health, pediatric, or physical disabilities after successfully completing the corresponding clinical coursework:
- Psychosocial Aspects of Occupations → Psychosocial Fieldwork
- Occupations of Children and Adolescents → Pediatric Fieldwork
- Occupations of Adults and Seniors → Physical Disabilities Fieldwork
- Students must pass two full-time 12-week fieldwork placements or an approved part-time equivalent. Both Level II fieldwork placements must be completed within 12 months after finishing academic coursework
- If a student fails or withdraws from two Level II fieldwork placements, they may be dismissed from the OT program.
See the Occupational Therapy Student Handbook for other OT Departmental Policies