Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists are experts in doing. We prescribe therapeutic occupations, including everyday life activities to support a person's performance and function in the multiple life roles they engage in at home, school, work, and community environments. Occupational therapists are trained to address physical, cognitive, psychosocial, sensory-perceptual, and other aspects of performance. Occupational therapy interventions can be designed to develop skills, prevent illness and promote health and wellness. Interventions can also rehabilitate when an illness, injury or disease results in impairment, disability, activity limitation, or a restriction in a person's ability to participate in their daily occupations. Occupational therapists work with people of all ages and ability levels in many settings. Occupational therapy services may be provided in individual or group sessions, or on a broader scale at the system or population level.
The Department of Occupational Therapy at Â鶹ֱ²¥ has a 27-year history of preparing practice scholars. The occupational therapy faculty are excellent teachers and scholars. Collectively, our teaching philosophy emphasizes active and transformative learning experiences. Community engaged learning and a wide array of excellent clinical fieldwork and doctoral experiential placements are standard teaching practices in our program and students know that they will be expected to immediately transform classroom learning into practice competencies. Our programs equip graduates who exhibit competencies as a generalist as well as in depth knowledge and skills to lead in practice and professional settings.
Program Information
Â鶹ֱ²¥'s Occupational Therapy program prepares students to be skilled and compassionate practitioners, improving lives through meaningful interventions.
Program Type
Major
Degree
Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate
Academic Department
Occupational Therapy
Duration
Masters - 4.5 calendar years, Doctorate - 5.5 calendar years
Required Credit Hours
Masters - 156, Doctorate - 183
First OT in the United States to be accepted! Department Chair and Associate Professor Program Director and Clinical Associate Professor Professor Associate Professor Associate Professor Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor Doctoral Capstone Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor Associate Professor Community Engaged Learning Coordinator and Clinical Assistant Professor Associate Professor Clinical Assistant Professor
"OT continues to inspire me every day and I am excited to continue my education
and start my career!"
" I choose to be an occupational therapist to help individuals of all ages gain
independence in the activities that are most meaningful to themselves, to live their
lives to the fullest potential."
" I love OT because of how fulfilling it is to see lives change and people grow,
along with being a big part of that. I’m so excited to be an ambassador this year
and help to spread the word about Duquesne occupational therapy!"
"I chose Duquesne because it allowed me to combine my passions in ways, I thought
weren’t possible before."
Occupational Therapy Student is awarded a Tom Fellowship!
Meet the OT Faculty
Dr. Amy Mattila, Ph.D., OTR/L
Dr. Elizabeth DeIuliis, OTD, OTR/L
Dr. Jeryl Benson, Ed.D., OTR/L
Dr. Meghan Blaskowitz, DrPH, OTR/L
Dr. Elena Donoso Brown, Ph.D., OTR/L
Dr. Retta Marie Martin, Ed.D., OTR/L
Dr. Michelle McCann, OTD, OTR/L
Dr. Richard Simpson, Ph.D.
Dr. Ann Stuart, OTD, OTR/L
Dr. Kimberly Szucs, Ph.D., OTR/L
Dr. Kasey Stepansky, CScD, OTR/L, C/NDT, CBIS
Occupational Therapy Student Testimonials
More in this program
Admission Pathways
Duquesne offers multiple admission pathways to earn your occupational therapy degree. The majority of our students begin their OT journey with us as freshmen, however, there is always room for transfer or post-baccalaureate students to join along the way!
Our accelerated pathways to the MSOT and OTD degrees provide you with a BS in Health Sciences after 4 years of full-time study.
If you chose the MSOT pathway, you will receive your MS degree after an additional 9 months of full-time, post-baccalaureate study.
If you chose the OTD pathway, you will receive your OTD after an additional 19 months of full-time, post-baccalaureate study. Students who pursue the OTD program do not earn a Master's Degree.
All freshmen admitted to Â鶹ֱ²¥'s Occupational Therapy program enter the Master's of Occupational Therapy degree tract. In the Fall of the 4th year, students are given the option to declare their intent to earn an Occupational Therapy Doctorate. No additional application to enter the professional phase for either degree is required for students who have declared occupational therapy as their major. Students in the accelerated programs who achieve a a ‘C' or better in all courses and a 3.0 cumulative GPA in the math and science courses by the end of the pre-professional phase are guaranteed a place in the professional phase of the occupational therapy curriculum beginning in January of the third year of study.
This graphic reflects the progression through our program for a freshman.
Find out more information about the freshmen admission pathwayOur accelerated pathways to the MSOT and OTD degrees provide you with a BS in Health Sciences after 4 years of full-time study.
If you chose the MSOT pathway, you will receive your MS degree after an additional 9 months of full-time, post-baccalaureate study.
If you chose the OTD pathway, you will receive your OTD after an additional 19 months
of full-time, post-baccalaureate study. Students who pursue the OTD program do not earn a Master's Degree.
If you are interested in applying as a transfer student and have not earned your baccalaureate,
please visit the Rangos School of Health Sciences transfer page. Please be advised that space in our program is extremely limited and in most semesters
we do not offer admission to transfer students. Prospective transfer students must
also have a minimum GPA of at least a 3.0, a composite math and verbal SAT score
of at least 1,170; or a composite ACT score of at least 24.
Our MSOT and OTD programs afford post-baccalaureate students the opportunity to jumpstart their program with prerequisites and foundational courses in the Rangos School of Health Sciences beginning in the Fall. Following that semester, students immediately articulate into the occupational therapy program in the Spring.
Please note, the overwhelming majority of our students enter our program as freshmen; however, we do accept a few transfer and post-baccalaureate students via OTCAS each year as space allows. The post-baccalaureate programs are rolling admission - we accept qualified applicants throughout the year, and until the class is filled. The sooner you apply, the better your chances will be of gaining admission. Only complete applications can be reviewed. We seek applicants who have demonstrated strong academic performance, active engagement in their community, and a solid record of servant leadership.
It is recommended that you submit your application by our priority deadline of June 30 each year. After that, applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, based upon availability.
Find out more about the post-baccalaureate admission pathway
Our Mission, Philosophy, and Curriculum Design
It is our mission to:
Our three pedagogical approaches serve as the foundation for the department's philosophy and curriculum design:
Engaged learning, transformative learning and professional identify formation. A variety of interactive teaching methods are utilized including active learning approaches, self-reflection, interprofessional activities, community engaged learning, and experiential learning. Alongside structured faculty mentorship, students are expected to be intrinsically motivated acting as agents of their own learning and professional identity development through full engagement in the curriculum. These core pedagogical approaches of the Department of Occupational Therapy guide key instructional practices throughout our curriculum. These include:
- an intentional use of engaged, active learning educational pedagogies that embeds learning in context and seeks to establish opportunities for transformative learning experiences that promote critical thinking and reflection.
- concentration on professional identity formation as a practice scholar with the values, ethics, and professional behaviors associated with being an occupational therapist.
- a graded developmental approach to acquiring the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be a practice scholar who reflects on and engages in the scholarly application of occupational therapy and has a skill set to deliver person-centered, evidence-based occupational therapy.
- a central focus on occupation, on humans as occupational beings, and on the complex processes by which people find meaning and health through the interactive person-environment process of ʻdoingʼ or engagement in occupations.
- a comprehensive understanding of both personal factors and context or environmental influences on occupational performance and function in the areas of occupation.
The Department of Occupational Therapy designed a schematic using a "bridge" to illustrate the curriculum design, pedagogical approaches and curricular threads of our programs.
Our practice-scholar initiative and outcomes are demonstrating an energizing, leading force that bridges practice, education and research agendas. Given that Â鶹ֱ²¥ is in a region with over 2,000 bridges more than 8 feet long, it is a symbol that fits our environmental context. The symbolic representation of a bridge is an effect way to signify how the components of our curriculum work together to create entry-level professionals in occupational therapy. Further, the symbolism of the bridge also represents an important goal of our curriculum: "to bridge the gap between education, practice and research."
The curriculum is designed to ensure that students develop their professional philosophy and requisite practice knowledge, skills and attitudes to enter practice in the profession of occupational therapy. Students in the MSOT program are prepared as generalists, while students in the OTD program develop in-depth knowledge and skills, which may allow the pursuit of advanced roles or future specialization in practice.
This curriculum is sequenced to challenge our students to integrate knowledge and skills from the pre-professional phase into the professional then advanced profession phases. The sequence for the curriculum is organized into six major curricular threads that reflect the "pillars" of our curriculum design. You can also read detailed explanations of each curricular thread.
- Practice Foundations
- Person-Occupation-Environment Interaction and Performance Across the Life-Span
- Health Care Delivery Systems and Equitable Population-Focused Services
- Practice-Scholarship
- Community Engaged Learning, Fieldwork Education and Doctoral Capstone Experience
- Servant Leadership, Advocacy and Occupational Justice.
Curriculum
View Course Descriptions
-
5-year, entry-level professional program awarding a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences followed by a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. (BS/MSOT)
-
2-year post-baccalaureate, professional program awarding a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)
-
6-year entry-level professional program awarding a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences followed by an Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree. (BS/OTD)
-
3-year post-baccalaureate, professional program, awarding an Occupational Therapy Doctorate degree. (OTD)
- BIOL 101/101L Into to Life Processes (4 credits)
- PSYC - 101 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
- OCCT - 150 Introduction to OT& Information Literacy (2 credits)
- BRIDG - 101 Writing Analysis (3 credits)
- BRIDG1-2 Writing & Literature (3 credits)
- CLSX-122 Etymology of Scientific Terms (3 credits)
- EQ Essential Questions Seminar (3 credits)
- Cultural Fluency Competency (3 credits)
- PHIL/THEO Elective (3 credits)
- BIOL- 2027/208 Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab (3/1 credits)
- OCCT -205 The Physics of Therapy (1 credits)
- Math-225 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 credits)
- OCCT-305 Foundations & Concepts of OT (3 credits)
- BIOL-209/210 Anatomy & Physiology II Lab (3/1 credits)
- OCCT -310 Occupational Performance Throughout the Lifespan (3 credits)
- Math 335 Biostatistics II (3 credit)
- HCE/PHIL/THEO Health Care Ethics (3 credits)
- PHIL/THEO Elective (3 credits)
- HLTS- 315/L Anatomy/Lab
- OCCT-416 Fundamental of Practice (3 credits)
- OCCT -422 Professional Seminar I (3 credits)
- English 316W Healthcare & Literature or ENGL 302W Scientific Writing (3 credits)
- HLTS-305 Neuroscience (4 credits)
- OCCT - 535 Occupational Performance Evaluation (3 credits)
- OCCT 537 Human Motion and Movement (4 credits)
- OCCT - 541W Evidence Based Practice (3 credits)
- OCCT 518 Humans, Groups & Occupations (3 credits)
- OCCT -545 Occupational Performance Perspectives (3 credits)
- OCCT -548 Medical Conditions in OT (3 credits)
- OCCT - 610W Research Project I - Prospectus (1 credit, optional)
- OCCT - 511W Clinical Reasoning I & Fieldwork I & II (3 credits)
- OCCT - 519 Neurological & Sensorimotor Function (4 credits)
- OCCT - 530 Biomechanical Functions (4 credits)
- OCCT - 531 Scholarship of Practice (3 credits)
- OCCT - 560 Community & Population Health (2 credits)
- OCCT -611W Research Project II- Engagement (1 credit, optional)
- OCCT - 561 OT Leadership & Admin Fieldwork III (3 credits)
- OCCT - 520 Neurological & Sensorimotor Function II (4 credits)
- OCCT - 525 Psychosocial Function & Fieldwork II (4 credits)
- OCCT - 532W Scholarship of Practice II (2 credits)
- OCCT -550 Environmental Adapt & Rehab Technology (3 credit)
- OCCT - 612W Research Project III - Dissemination (1 credit, optional)
- OCCT - 522 Intervention Seminar (3 credits)
- OCCT -512W Clinical Reasoning II (3 credits)
- OCCT - 565 Community & Population Programming (3 credits)
- OCCT - 555 Fieldwork IV (6 credits)
- OCCT - 575 Professional Seminar II (3 credits)
- OCCT - 556 Fieldwork V (6 credits)
- OCCT - 620 Applying Evidence to Practice I (2 credits)
- OCCT- 625 Designing Effective Programs (3 credits)
- OCCT- 635 Practice Scholar Capstone Project I (2 credits)
- OCCT - 621 Applying Evident to Practice II (1 credit)
- OCCT - 640 Doctoral Capstone Experience I (2 credits)
- OCCT - 642 Doctoral Capstone Experience II (6 credits)
- OCCT - 645 Practice Scholar Capstone Project II (1 credit)
- OCCT- 650 Instructional Learning Theory/Technology (1 credit)
- OCCT - 644 Doctoral Capstone Experience III (2 credits)
- OCCT - 660 Transformative Leadership (3 credits)
- OCCT - 655 Practice Scholar Project III (2 credits)
- OCCT- 651 Instructional Learning Theory/ Technology II (2 credits)
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate person-centered approaches to meet occupational performance and participation needs of individuals,groups,and populations.
- Synthesize information, problem solve, and use clinical and professional reasoning to select an appropriate theoretical basis, assessment and/or intervention strategies for individual, groups and populations across the lifespan and in diverse practice settings.
- Demonstrate skills to use and create evidence to support their practice setting and evidence-based practices.
- Demonstrate a strong worldly professional identity through analyzing the relationship between global health and development for individuals, communities, and populations.
Meet the DU OT Advisory Board
Amy Baez, MOT, OTR/L
Founder of Playapy
Chris Chovan, MOT, OTR/L, ATP, CAPS, ECHM
Occupational Therapist and Home Accessibility Specialist at UPMC
Courtney Walker, BASW
Director of Education and CPS Programs at CLASS
Emily Drnach, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist at Genesis Rehab Services
Erica Glaneman, BS, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist on the brain injury unit at UPMC Mercy
Ingrid Kanics, MOT, OTR/L, FAOTA, CPSI
President of Kanics Inclusive Design Services
Sierra Dollard, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist at Amedisys Home Health Care
Taylor Martin, OTD, OTR/L
Pediatric Fellow at Creighton University
Traci Herc, MOT, OTR/L
OT at UPMC Home Healthcare and Study Interventionist at the University of Pittsburgh
Christine Fryer, MOT, OTR/L
Senior Occupational Therapist Center Coordinator of Clinical Education Allegheny General Hospital
Gabriella Santacecilia, OTD, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist Goodwill Vision Enterprises, a division of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes in Rochester, NY
Nathan Pearson, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist UPMC Rehabilitation Institute - Presbyterian Hospital
Kelly Gregoire
Current 4th Year Occupational Therapy Student
Morgan Cargiulo, OTD, OTR/L
Director of Rehabilitation
Maggie Godwin, MS, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Contact us!
Still have questions? Reach out to one of our administrative assistants for answers!