PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Approximately 30 to 35 students are admitted to the program each September. The occupational therapy program is a 73-credit program designed to provide education for entry-level occupational therapists. Four semesters of required academic courses and a minimum of six months of supervised fieldwork in approved clinical settings are required.

There are two ways to enroll in the program: as a dual degree student or as an entry-level master’s student. Students successfully completing the program will be eligible to sit

for the national certification examination, administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be credentialed as a registered Occupational Therapist (OTR). Most states, including New Jersey, require licensure in order to practice after passing the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) Exam.

The Occupational Therapy Program at Kean University is accredited by 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.  Their phone number is (301) 652-AOTA.

FIRST YEAR OF ACADEMIC STUDIES

During the first year, students are enrolled in fundamental courses in science, occupational therapy theory and practice providing a solid foundation of information. Courses include activity group process, clinical conditions I & II, gross anatomy, kinesiology, neuroscience, occupation across the lifespan, research and theory I & II. During the Service Learning component of the program, students will have their first experience working with people with disabilities.

SECOND YEAR OF ACADEMIC STUDIES

In the second year, students complete seminar courses in physical disabilities, psychosocial practice and pediatrics. Level I fieldwork experiences occur within the domain of these three seminar courses. Fieldwork is completed off-campus in various settings including: camps, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, schools, sub-acute rehabilitation facilities. During the second year, students also complete coursework in administration & supervision, orthotics, and continue with the research sequence that had begun in the first year.

LEVEL II FIELDWORK EXPERIENCE

Upon completion of academic studies, students are able to enroll in level II fieldwork experiences, with emphasis in various areas of practice. These experiences are mandatory components of the program, one with an emphasis on psychosocial practice and one in physical disabilities. A third optional level II fieldwork experience is also possible in a discipline of the student’s choice (under the supervision of their academic advisor).

Fieldwork experiences are completed on a full-time basis in a clinical setting under the supervision of an occupational therapist. All fieldwork experiences are unpaid 3-credit courses. Each of the two mandatory experiences runs for a duration of 12 weeks. (This time period may be extended if the clinical instructor believes that the student needs more time.) The optional experiences vary in time from 8 to 12 weeks and will be either a 2 or 3-credit course as applicable.

NATIONAL EXAMINATION

Upon successful completion of academic preparation and level II fieldwork experiences, students are eligible to take the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) exam.

*Please note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the certification examination or attain state licensure.

PROGRESSION, RETENTION, AND GRADUATION

Once qualified applicants enter the program the faculty is committed to seeing that students successfully complete the program in a timely manner. In the three academic years from 2004-2006 of the 67 newly admitted students 59 have successful completed the full-time two and one-half year sequence and graduated – a progression and graduation rate of 88%. When students are unable to meet the demands of a full-time program a part-time sequence can be negotiated as part of a retention plan. During those same three academic years approximately 7% of our students took longer than two and one-half years to finish (the part-time sequence is 3 ½ years). Occasionally, for a variety of reasons, students are unable to complete the program. During those three years approximately 8% of our students left the program and did not graduate.