Bachelor's-Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Dual Degree Program

Students apply to the dual degree program as an incoming freshman. Students applying for the Bachelor's-MSOT dual degree program progress on a defined pathway of study to move seamlessly from their undergraduate degree to a graduate degree. Dual degree students are guaranteed a place in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy provided they successfully progress as undergraduate students and meet the program-specific criteria to enroll in the graduate program. Dual degree students, therefore, have a space reserved for them in the graduate program beginning in their first year, with clear criteria and achievements required to progress into the graduate program.

Combined with advisement from their undergraduate academic advisor, students' engagement with the College of Health Professions, including the Occupational Therapy Program's Conversations that Matter series, provides strong support toward successful progression into graduate study.

Students may pursue one of two pathways to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program:

Accelerated 3+2 Bachelor's-MSOT Dual Degree

In the Accelerated 3+2 option, students complete three years of undergraduate coursework and two years of graduate coursework, earning both a bachelor's degree and an MSOT degree within five years. All requirements for the bachelor's degree are completed by the end of the third year. Students choosing the 3+2 option work closely with their undergraduate advisor to follow a specific sequence of study in their chosen undergraduate major. Students initially pursuing the 3+2 option may move to the 4+2 option by consulting with their academic advisor.

The bachelor's-MSOT option is available to students pursuing one of the following undergraduate majors:

Exercise Science
Health Science
Psychology

Sociology

4+2 Bachelor's-MSOT Dual Degree

In the 4+2 option, students complete the bachelor's degree in the traditional four-year time frame and complete two years of graduate study in the MSOT program, earning both the bachelor's degree and an MSOT degree within six years. This option is open to students in the following undergraduate majors:

Exercise Science
Health Science
Psychology

Sociology

Criteria for Admission as an Incoming Freshman

Students apply to the bachelor's-Master of Science in Occupational Therapy dual degree program by selecting the dual degree program on the Common Application. Admission to the dual degree program is competitive, with minimum criteria including:

Overall high school PA of 3.3 or higher
Four years of math and science academic coursework
Grade of a B or better in all math and science coursework
Note: Advanced Placement (AP) courses may meet prerequisite requirements ONLY if grades are entered on a college or university transcript.

Students admitted to the dual degree program must continue, as undergraduate students, to meet program-specific criteria to progress to enrollment in the MSOT program, as outlined below.

Criteria to Progress to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program

Successful completion of the bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Note that participation in the 3+2 or 4+2 dual degree program requires successful completion of the bachelor's degree in Exercise Science, Health Science, Psychology or Sociology
Successful completion of all required prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and no individual prerequisite course grade below a "C". Only one prerequisite course may be retaken. Note that high school-level advanced placement courses do not meet prerequisite course requirements.

Prerequisite courses include:

General/Introductory Biology with lab - 4 credits
Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II with lab - 8 credits
Abnormal Psychology or Psychopathology - 3 credits
Life Span Development or Developmental Psychology (must include the study of the entire lifespan, from birth to old age) - 3 to 9 credits
Sociology/Anthropology/Social Psychology - 3 credits
Statistics/Psychological Statistics/Biostatistics (must include descriptive statistics, probability, confidence intervals, correlation and hypothesis testing) - 3 credits

Science prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or better (General Biology with lab; Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab and Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab)
Participation in the Pre-OT club and attendance at all Pre-OT Club Conversations that Matter
Documentation of a minimum of 25 hours of observation in two different OT settings (e.g. outpatient, hospital rehabilitation, skilled nursing facility, school/pediatrics, etc.)
- SHU provides an Observation Form to document the experience, which must be submitted by September 15th one year prior to matriculation into the MSOT program.
Demonstration of an understanding of the role of the occupational therapy profession in the healthcare or educational environment as evidenced through a personal reflection statement. This statement is submitted after completing observation hours.
Demonstration of academic ability, interpersonal skills, and potential to be successful in the MSOT Program as evidenced by a letter of attestation from a SHU faculty member who has had the student in classes submitted by September 15 one year prior to matriculation in the MSOT Program.
Demonstration of strong work ethic and interpersonal skills as evidenced by a letter of attestation from an employer who can speak to work performance by September 15 one year prior to matriculation into the MSOT Program.

Early or Regular Admission Application

Sacred Heart University undergraduates who are not directly admitted as freshman may apply competitively, submitting their completed application to the Office of Graduate Admissions by June 30 following their junior year for 4+2 students, and by June 30 following their sophomore year for 3+2.

Students external to Sacred Heart University may apply competitively for Early or Regular Decision. Highly qualified applicants who meet or exceed the admission criteria are encouraged to apply by the October 30 Early Decision application deadline. Regular Decision applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through April 1, 2025. See the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog for admission standards and application deadlines.

Program Accreditation

Sacred Heart University's Graduate Occupational Therapy Program, leading to the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT), is accredited through 2026/2027. Accreditation is under "The Standards for an Accredited Educational Therapy Program for the Occupational Therapist - 2018" 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 telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org. Visit our accreditation page for more information.

The program is responsible for complying with all ACOTE accreditation standards and policies and interacting with ACOTE with integrity and honesty. The program will inform ACOTE of all major changes in curriculum, site locations, online/onsite formats, and the program director in a timely manner. The program will honestly and accurately represent the program and its ACOTE accreditation status in all its publications and web page available to the public.

Students must complete all fieldwork requirements within 24 months of completion of the didactic portion of the program. Graduates of the program are 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). Most states, including Connecticut, require licensure in order to practice, however, most initial state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination.

Please note that a felony conviction might affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT exam and/or attain state licensure.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements

Sacred Heart University has been approved by Connecticut to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. NC-SARA is a voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of post-secondary distance education.

For information regarding professional licensure by state, visit Disclosures and Student Complaints.

Felony Convictions

A criminal or felony background or conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or attain state licensure. The graduate Occupational Therapy Program requires the successful completion of all required coursework and level l or level ll clinical fieldwork within 24 months of completion of coursework as a graduation requirement. The majority of the clinical sites require students to complete a criminal background check (CBC), fingerprinting, and/or drug screening prior to participating in clinical education placements. Students with criminal convictions or backgrounds may not be able to obtain required clinical education experience(s), thus failing to meet the academic requirements of the Occupational Therapy Program. It is therefore the Occupational Therapy Program's policy that prior to enrolling in the professional graduate phase of the program, all admitted students must consent, submit to, and satisfactorily complete a criminal background check (CBC) within six (6) weeks of registration for courses as a condition of matriculation. Matriculation will not be final until the completion of the criminal background check with results deemed acceptable to the program director or academic fieldwork coordinator. All expenses associated with the CBC and/or fingerprinting and/or drug screening are the responsibility of the applicant/student. Students who do not consent to the required background check, refuse to provide information necessary to conduct the background check, or provide false or misleading information in regard to the background check will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including refusal of matriculation or dismissal from the program. Please refer to the Occupational Therapy program's webpage for the CBC policy and procedures.

Students are admitted to the program on a competitive basis. Admission is based on successful completion of admission requirements, including completion of a baccalaureate degree in a field other than occupational therapy and completion of all prerequisite courses by the end of the summer semester prior to enrollment.

If students require the summer prior to enrollment to complete prerequisites or the baccalaureate degree, any acceptance for admission into the program will be provisional to successful completion of the baccalaureate degree, all prerequisite coursework, maintenance of GPA and GRE requirements, and group interview and PBL experience with the Occupational Therapy Admissions Committee upon invitation. See the Sacred Heart University Graduate Catalog or contact the Office of Graduate Admissions for admission criteria, application procedures, and program information.