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Graduation Rate

The total number of graduates from the Ä¢¹½TV Master of occupational therapy program during the 3-year period of 2023-2025 was 95 with an overall graduation rate of 97%.

National Certification Examination Requirements:

The National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1987 to protect the public from incompetent and unethical occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants.  There are two primary mechanisms that the board uses to carry out their mission.  One is by requiring that an individual make a minimum passing score on the National Certification Examination for Occupational Therapist.  After successfully passing the certification examination, an individual may use the initials OTR (Occupational Therapist Registered) after his/her name.  However, in many states with licensure, an individual cannot identify themselves as an OTR unless they are also licensed in the state. 

An occupational therapist is certified for five years.  After five years, an occupational therapist may apply for recertification by NBCOT.

Specific information regarding the application process for taking the exam will be provided during the final year of the student's program. For more information on the recertification program, please contact NBCOT.  Telephone: 301-990-7979, email: 'Info' info@nbcot.org .   by program can be found by selecting the state, program level, and year.

IMPORTANT:  A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the certification exam required by the National Board for Certification in occupational therapy and/or affect the graduate's ability to obtain a license to practice.  Increasing numbers of clinical placement sites are requiring criminal background checks before accepting students for class or fieldwork experiences.  The program therefore requires that accepted students obtain an approved criminal background check while in the program. Information regarding criminal background checks will be provided during the first semester by the Fieldwork Coordinator.

The For the Next Ä¢¹½TV Application Cycle Will Open for Applicants in Late June for Matriculation the Following Year  

Thank you for your interest in the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at Florida Gulf Coast University. Follow the steps below to complete your application.

Step 1: Review Admission Requirements

Before applying, review Ä¢¹½TV OT. Applicants must meet all admission criteria. 

Step 2: Complete Required OTCAS Application

Complete and submit your application through the . Help using OTCAS can be found . OTCAS must receive the application and transcripts by the application deadline. Once your application is complete, OTCAS will verify your documents before releasing them to Ä¢¹½TV. Ä¢¹½TV cannot access unverified applications; applicants should confirm their verified status with OTCAS. Required application materials also include:

1. 1. Shadowing/ volunteer hours are required elements of the application for our program. We expect a minimum of observational experiences in 2 different client population settings for at least 20 hours total, verified by an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, including credentials. Submission of our form is not required; you may use another university/clinic letterhead if needed.
      • Guidelines for Shadowing/Volunteer Hours
      • Documentation of Shadowing/Volunteer Hours
   2. Personal statement. Applicants must submit a personal statement addressing "Why Occupational Therapy." Describe how your personal factors, background, and/or life experiences will support the development of your professional identity and contributions to the profession of occupational therapy and the persons, groups, and populations who receive our services. The occupational therapy personal statement is your opportunity to help the admissions committee understand who you are, what experiences have shaped your interest in occupational therapy, and how you will contribute to the profession and our learning community.

• • • Guidelines for Personal Statement

Step 3: Application Review and Interviews

After the application deadline, the Ä¢¹½TV OT Admissions Team will review completed applications. Applicants selected for further consideration will receive an interview invitation through the email associated with their OTCAS application. 

Step 4: Admission Decisions

Following interviews, applicants may receive one of the following decisions:

• Offer of Admission
• Placement on the Waitlist
• Denial of Admission

Admission offers are extended on a rolling basis as seats become available in the incoming Fall cohort. Applicants offered admission must notify the Department of their intent to enroll by the deadline provided in their offer letter. Applicants placed on the waitlist may receive an offer of admission at any time before the cohort is finalized. We will notify waitlisted applicants if their status changes.

Step 5: Complete the Ä¢¹½TV requirements for admission to the Graduate School 

1. Ä¢¹½TV Graduate Admissions will forward communication to the accepted applicant.  With the information will be a link to complete the Ä¢¹½TV graduate admissions information requirements.  Accepted applicants will be able to claim their student accounts and provide documentation of immunizations, outstanding transcript(s) if needed and provide other needed documentation from the University including pay their deposit.

Application Checklist

✅ Meet admission requirements
✅ Submit OTCAS Application including:
     ✅ Upload shadowing documentation
     ✅ Submit personal statement
✅ Complete interview (if invited)
✅ Accept admission offer (if offered)

✅ Complete Graduate School admissions information

Visit the Ä¢¹½TV Academic Catalog to review specific and .

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the , then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Supplemental Course Descriptions

The following course descriptions only provide information about the focus that an individual professor chooses to take for their course. These descriptions are not a replacement for the official course description. Use the Course Description Search page to find the official course description.

Occupational Therapy Curriculum Overview

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program at is designed to develop both clinical competence and professional confidence through an integrated sequence of classroom, laboratory, community-based, research, and fieldwork experiences. Grounded in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework 4th ed. (AOTA, 2020), henceforth referred to as the Framework or OTPF, as well as that specified in the Standards from an Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE, 2023), the curriculum follows a developmental process model in which students progress from foundational knowledge to applied clinical reasoning, leadership, community engagement, and independent practice. Research and fieldwork are not separate components of the curriculum; rather, they are integrated throughout the three curricular tracks that guide student learning and professional development.

Professional Identity

This track focuses on developing ethical, reflective, and competent occupational therapy practitioners. Students explore professional roles, leadership, communication, advocacy, management, supervision, and professional behaviors while learning to collaborate effectively with clients, caregivers, colleagues, and communities. Through interprofessional education, professional development planning, reflective practice, research participation, community engagement activities, and fieldwork experiences, students develop a strong professional identity aligned with occupational therapy values and standards.

Occupation-Centered Practice

This track emphasizes occupation as the core of occupational therapy practice. Students develop knowledge and skills related to occupational performance, evaluation, intervention planning, theory application, documentation, technology, and outcomes measurement across the lifespan. Learning experiences include case-based learning, simulation, guided laboratory activities, competency assessments, research projects, and fieldwork experiences that promote evidence-based, occupation-centered services for individuals, groups, and populations.

Community Engagement

This track connects classroom learning with real-world practice through service-learning, research, scholarship, community partnerships, and fieldwork. Students examine population health, occupational justice, social determinants of health, advocacy, program development, and community-based practice. Through collaboration with community organizations, students identify needs, develop innovative solutions, evaluate outcomes, and promote health, participation, and well-being across diverse populations.

Developmental Curriculum Progression

The curriculum follows a developmental sequence that builds knowledge, skills, confidence, and professional responsibility over time. During the first semester, students establish foundational knowledge of occupational therapy, human occupation, movement, research, and professional practice with individuals, groups, and populations through the lifespan. In the second semester, students begin applying occupational therapy processes through evaluation, documentation, pediatric and behavioral health practice, and their first integrated fieldwork experience. During the third semester, students further develop intervention planning, group leadership, theory application, research implementation, and psychosocial practice skills. The fourth semester emphasizes advanced practice areas, technology, community-based practice, leadership, scholarship dissemination, and program development. Throughout these semesters, integrated Level I fieldwork, research, and community experiences provide opportunities to apply learning in authentic contexts. The curriculum culminates in fifth and sixth semester Level II Fieldwork experiences, where students integrate knowledge from all three curricular tracks while progressing toward entry-level competence as occupational therapists.

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the , then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Course Matrix for the MSOT Program (6 Semesters of courses)

Graduates of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy will be able to:

1. Use clinical reasoning skills to determine appropriate assessments for a given client, conduct and interpret those assessments, and establish a treatment plan consistent with best practices in occupational therapy.
2. Utilize content knowledge and clinical reasoning gained in the program of study to determine appropriate practice responses to various challenges in clinical context.
3. Interact with clients, caregivers, other professionals, representatives of funding sources, and support staff in a respectful manner, using language appropriate for the context.

Tuition and Fees
Current Cost	MS OT Program 1st Fall	MS OT Program 1st Spring	MS OT Program 1st Summer	MS OT Program 2nd Fall	MS OT Program 2nd Spring	MS OT Program 2nd Summer	Total Cost of Program
Tuition*               In-state	$5,600.70	$5,974.08	$4,853.94	$5,227.32	$4,107.18	$373.38	$26,136.60
Tuition**         Out of state	$19,509.90	$20,810.56	$16,908.58	$18,209.24	$14,307.26	$1,300.66	$91,046.20
Equipment Fees	$129.00	$129.00		$129.00	$129.00		$516.00
Course Fees	$342.00	$51.00	$5.00	$90.00			$488.00
Textbooks (Hard bound, new)	$877.00	$438.00	$155.00	$233.00			$1,703.00
					In-state		$28,843.60
					Out of state		$93,753.20
							REV: 2026

* Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance also available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

**It takes one year to establish FL residency.

Fees are subject to change.

In addition to typical Ä¢¹½TV student cost, occupational therapy students can anticipate additional cost (estimated/subject to change) related to the following:

  CPR: (Infant, Child, & Adult): $48.00 or higher

  Medical Terminology: $95.00

  Medical Documentation Management: $35.00

  Level 1 Criminal Background Check: $62.74

  Level 2 FBI Fingerprinting: $68.76

  Professional Liability Insurance: $18.00

Fieldwork sites also require additional information including an annual physical, 2-step PPD, and influenza shot; medical insurance, TDAP, and titers (measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, & Hepatitis B); some fieldwork sites require additional requirements such as a Hepatitis C titer, urine/blood drug screenings and COVID vaccinations. Students will be required to obtain all site requirements before completing fieldwork. 

In the event of a negative titre, students will be required to obtain additional vaccines and will not be permitted to attend fieldwork until a positive titre is recorded. Additional costs for MMR : $87; Hepatitis B: $50.

Students must provide own transportation to fieldwork sites.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit Ä¢¹½TV's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment. Visit /graduatestudies/financinggradstudies#InStateISGraduateStudentTuitionSupport for information about Graduate Studies tuition support.

Scholarship Information

Occupational Therapy Advisory Council Endowed Scholarship Fund

• Recipients will be students who have been accepted into and are enrolled in the occupational therapy program at Ä¢¹½TV.
• Recipients will have a history of service to the community.  This can be through service-learning courses or direct service without credit.
• Awards will be based on academic merit and need.  Merit will be the first criterion, with financial need being the deciding factor when merit is similar (though not necessarily exact) amount candidates. Merit will be based on a combination of undergraduate GPA and GRE scores.

To apply for the Occupational Therapy Advisory Council Endowed Scholarship or to find information in regards to other scholarships please visit Ä¢¹½TV Foundation/Scholarship.

Click here to visit the

OT Fieldwork Educators' Resources

Fieldwork Education is a crucial part of professional preparation and is best integrated as a component of the curriculum design. The fieldwork experience is designed to promote professional reasoning and reflective practice, transmit the values and beliefs that enable ethical practice, and develop professionalism and competence in career responsibilities. Fieldwork experiences should be implemented and evaluated for their effectiveness by the educational institution. The experience should provide the student with the opportunity to carry out professional responsibilities under the supervision of qualified personnel serving as a role model.

Fieldwork Sites

The Occupational Therapy Program maintains a diverse network of fieldwork sites and community partners that provide students with opportunities to complete both Level I and Level II Fieldwork experiences. These partnerships encompass a broad range of practice settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health agencies, behavioral health and substance use programs, pediatric clinics, school systems, and other community-based settings.

The program currently maintains partnerships with more than 650 fieldwork sites and community organizations, providing students with access to varied learning experiences across populations, practice settings, and areas of occupational therapy practice. These partnerships are essential to supporting students’ professional development and preparing them for entry-level occupational therapy practice.

Level I and Level II Fieldwork Goals

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education  states the goal of Level I fieldwork is to introduce students to fieldwork, apply knowledge to practice and develop understanding of the needs of clients.

• The goal of Level II fieldwork is to develop competent, entry-level, generalist occupational therapists. Level II fieldwork must be integral to the program’s curriculum design and must include an in-depth experience in delivering occupational therapy services to clients, focusing on the application of purposeful and meaningful occupation and research, administration, and management of occupational therapy services. It is recommended that the student be exposed to a variety of clients across the lifespan and to a variety of settings.
  
  

  • Behavioral Objectives

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    Level I Behavioral Objectives

    Level II Behavioral Objectives

  • Fieldwork Educators Resources

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    FEAT Instrument (Fieldwork Experience Assessment Tool)

    Fieldwork Weekly Performance Summary (Student Complete)

  • Additional Resources

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    Curriculum Design/Description