Mission
Program Description
Program Objectives
Accreditation
Greetings
from the Program Director
Thank you for your interest in our Program!
The Midwestern University Occupational Therapy
Program is a dynamic, graduate program designed to prepare occupational
therapy practitioners and leaders to work in diverse and progressive
settings. Our Program has had a strong focus on preparing confident
and competent occupational therapists who assume the many dimensions
of occupational therapy practice. Midwestern University graduates
have easily attained employment in a wide variety of clinical and
leadership positions throughout the United States.
Our Program offers a balanced combination of
foundational, clinical, and research coursework designed to foster
therapists who are self-directed, thoughtful, and caring professionals.
The bulk of our curriculum consists of clinical courses which are
unique in that each major content area is constructed with both
an introductory course, in which essential theoretical perspectives
and strategies for evaluation and intervention are presented, and
then a sophisticated critical analysis course or advanced seminar,
in which the application of content is emphasized. In addition to
such preclinical learning opportunities, our fieldwork program is
extensive and rich in the types of experiences offered to our students.
Such a strong curricular framework succeeds in preparing graduates
who are ready – and able – to enter the profession of
occupational therapy and to make a difference in the world.
The Occupational Therapy Program also provides
students with a unique opportunity to learn and collaborate with
students enrolled in other health-related professional programs
(e.g., physical therapy, biomedical science, behavioral medicine).
We believe that the combination of collaborative learning, extraordinary
educational curriculum, and meaningful fieldwork experiences provide
an excellent foundation on which to build a career in occupational
therapy. Please call for additional information on our Program and
visit our beautiful campus located west of Chicago.
Kimberly Bryze, Ph.D., OTR/L
Director, Occupational Therapy Program
Mission
The mission of the Occupational Therapy Program is to educate and
graduate highly competent and dedicated occupational therapists
who possess the skills and expertise to embrace the occupational
needs of individuals and communities. The Program develops self-directed,
responsive occupational therapists who are eager to advocate for
their clients and the profession as a whole. To this end, the Occupational
Therapy Program will:
- Support the university through teaching, scholarship, and service
- Serve others through academic, scholarly, and experiential
opportunities
- Foster innovative and empathic practitioners devoted to holistic
and ethical practice
Program Description
The Occupational Therapy Program offers a curriculum leading to
the Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) degree for qualified
students. The full-time, continuous, 27-month, entry-level master’s
curriculum is designed to deliver the academic and clinical education
required to prepare students for their professional role as key
members for the health care team and as integral practitioners in
the health care delivery system. The general education, professional
training, experience, and personal character development of occupational
therapists uniquely prepare them to respond to the needs of individuals
who face challenges participating in their daily lives.
The Master of Occupational Therapy Program offers a balanced combination
of foundational, clinical, and research coursework designed to foster
therapists who are self-directed, thoughtful, and caring professionals.
The Program provides students with a balanced complement of coursework.
Approximately half of the course credits are obtained from foundational
courses in the sciences, occupational therapy theory, and research.
The remaining credits focus on courses related to client evaluation
and interventions appropriate for various client populations (e.g.,
children, the elderly, etc.), specialized coursework in upper extremity
intervention, and many opportunities for experiential (hands-on)
learning. Our critical analysis and seminar courses facilitate students'
application of content related to client evaluation and intervention
using community-based and case-based learning opportunities. In
addition to such preclinical learning opportunities, our fieldwork
program is extensive and rich in the types of experiences offered
to our students. Such a strong curricular framework succeeds in
preparing graduates who are ready – and able – to enter
the profession of occupational therapy and to make a difference
in the world.
The Occupational Therapy Program is open on a competitive admission
basis to applicants who have received a bachelor’s degree
in any field but who have not completed an accredited occupational
therapy program. The curriculum is designed to prepare entry-level
practitioners to provide occupational therapy services in the home,
community, and clinical practice settings that require independent
judgment, leadership, and self-directed practice. The educational
experience provides the foundation for graduates to identify and
contribute to effecting solutions to the major emergent health issues
of our society and contribute to the academic and clinical education
of future practitioners. It also is designed to prepare graduates
for leadership and management roles in the profession. The graduate
will be prepared to make meaningful, ongoing contributions to society,
health care, and the profession through leadership activities and
collaborative efforts with others in occupational therapy and interdisciplinary
education, practice, and research.
Program Objectives
The Occupational Therapy Program–Glendale is guided by the
following educational objectives:
- To integrate liberal arts and science foundations and professional
coursework to prepare graduates to provide and manage a wide range
of professional occupational therapy services in a competent,
responsive, and caring manner for clients from diverse backgrounds
in a wide range of health care settings;
- To instill an appropriate professional sensibility and response
to the impact of altered health and occupational performance on
clients and their significant others;
- To cultivate the fundamental ethical and moral attitudes, principles,
and behaviors that are essential to acquiring and sustaining the
confidence of clients and their significant others, colleagues,
and other health care personnel in the professional or practice
setting, and the support of the community at large;
- To learn and apply clinical reasoning and critical thinking
skills consistently to the occupational therapy process (receiving
appropriate client referrals, performing appropriate client evaluations,
establishing goals and client outcomes, developing treatment plans,
providing appropriate treatments based on these plans and outcomes,
re-evaluating the client and course of therapy, and client discharge
planning);
- To provide theoretical, analytical, and experiential foundations
that prepare students to perform tasks, functions, and duties
commensurate with the dynamic nature of occupational therapy and
the changing role and responsibilities of the occupational therapist
in a wide range of professional settings;
- To educate practitioners who will assume leadership roles in
the development and/or implementation of new and innovative approaches
intended to minimize the severity and impact of physical and psychological
conditions on occupational performance;
- To develop clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills
that will prepare students to design and implement beginning research
studies that evaluate clinical practice and/or service delivery;
- To prepare practitioners who will engage in systematic and
comprehensive planning of client care services leading to more
cost-effective care and more efficient utilization of health care
resources;
- To provide theoretical and experiential constructs for expanded
professional contributions, including enhanced management skills,
advocacy, and leadership roles in occupational therapy and interdisciplinary
education, practice, and research;
- To integrate and coordinate occupational therapy skills with
those of other health care service providers to meet the needs
of clients within an increasingly more complex and diverse health
care delivery system;
- To instill the desire for continued personal and professional
growth through the development of and active participation in
continuing educational experiences; and
- To cultivate the fundamental ethical and moral attitudes and
behaviors so that graduates are knowledgeable and adhere to the
occupational therapy professional code of ethics and the profession’s
rules, regulations and scope of practice.
Accreditation
Midwestern University's Occupational Therapy Program on the Glendale
Campus has full accreditation from the Accreditation Council for
Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American
Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery
Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220; phone: 301/652-AOTA.
Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification
examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National
Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
