OT Fieldwork Educator 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.

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)  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.