Occupational Therapy (MS)

Institutional Accreditation

Information on FGCU institutional accreditation is available at www.fgcu.edu/accreditation

This entry-level Occupational Therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, Bethesda, Maryland, 20852-4929, ACOTE's telephone number is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Graduation Rate

The total number of graduates from the FGCU Master of Occupational Therapy program during the 3-year period of 2018-2020 was 94 with an overall graduation rate of 98%.

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 .  Student performance on the NBCOT exam 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.

Getting Started

Applicants must submit an application online at apply.fgcu.edu. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.

See program website URL listed above.

Fall 2022 Masters in Occupational Therapy Process (two-part process)

Part One: The Occupational Therapy Program at Florida Gulf Coast University  participates in the Occupational Therapist Centralized Application Service, known as OTCAS. Applicants applying to the Master of Occupational Therapy Program will apply online using the OTCAS application (https://otcas.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login). Students manage their applications online and may apply to more than one school at a time. Application process opens July 21st.  Deadline for completed FGCU application on OTCAS is December 1st. Click the link for OTCAS frequently asked questions (https://help.liaisonedu.com/OTCAS_Applicant_Help_Center).  It can take up to four weeks before an application is verified by OTCAS and released to us for review.  We recommend that you submit your OTCAS application at least four weeks prior to our deadline. All application materials, including official GRE score reports, must be received in order for your application to be reviewed by FGCU.  GRE FGCU OT test code: 4149.

Part Two: Follow above instructions under "Getting Started".

Program Admission Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree in any field. An official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university must be submitted; degree may be pending completion at time of application. GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• GPA of 3.2 or higher in prerequisite courses (listed below).
• Completed Documentation of Volunteer/Shadowing Hours forms documenting at least 10 hours of volunteer or shadowing experience in at least two (2) OT practice environments in accordance with Guidelines for Volunteer/Shadowing Hours.  Must be signed by an OT or COTA including credentials.  If you are having pandemic-related challenges in finding volunteer/shadowing hours in OT settings, please contact: fgcuotprogram@fgcu.edu  
• A competitive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within the last 5 years: Verbal (minimum score of 143), Quantitative (minimum score of 143), Analytical Writing (minimum score of 3.5).  Test scores are evaluated based upon one test date and must include all three sections.  GRE FGCU OT test code: 4149.
• Completed Graduate Studies application submitted online with $30.00 application fee.
  Personal statement in accordance with Personal Statement Guidelines.
• Interview (arranged by invitation when all other application materials have been received and reviewed).
• The following prerequisite courses or the equivalent must be completed with a grade of C or better (a grade of C- or less is not acceptable). Students may complete three prerequisites in the Summer session after provisional acceptance into the program.  All requirements must be completed before beginning the graduate level of study. Courses noted in parentheses are FGCU courses that meet the requirement:
• Two courses in human anatomy & physiology w/lab (BSC 1085C & BSC 1086C).  It is highly recommended that labs not be completed online.  Must be completed before taking OTH3417C & OTH3429C
• Any approved abnormal psychology or psychopathology course (CLP 3140/3147)
• Any approved lifespan human development course (DEP 2004)
• Research course with health professions or behavioral research focus (IHS 4504)
• Any approved musculoskeletal anatomy course w/lab (OTH 3417C)
• Any approved neuroanatomy/neurophysiology course (OTH 3429C)
• Any approved introductory physics or qualified physical science course [covers mechanics, heat, electricity, magnetism] (PHY 2020, PHY 2048C or PHY 2053C)
• Any general psychology course (PSY 2012)
• Any statistics course (STA 2023 or STA 2037)
• Any sociology or anthropology course with a multicultural theme (SYG 2000, SYG 2010, SYG 2250, ANT 2000, or ANT 2410)

Accepted students are expected to complete a Medical Terminology class by November 15th of their first semester in the program.

Applicants to the Occupational Therapy Program submit all required documentation through OTCAS, but will be required to submit additional documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions following an offer of admission. 

Admission to the program is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.
(Please note: When selecting these documents below, they will download for you to view or print)

• Admissions Checklist
• Guidelines For Volunteer/Shadowing Hours
• Documentation of Volunteer/Shadowing Hours
• Guidelines For Personal Statement

MOT vs. OTD: Should you get your OTR (master’s) or OTD (doctorate) to start practicing?

• Both degrees earn the same pay.
• Both degrees require you to pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Exam.
• Both degrees have the same continuing education requirements.
• The OTD degree is not mandated, but should it be in the future, you will be grandfathered in with an MOT degree.
• The MOT degree is shorter in length than the OTD degree and will save you time and money!

Official Course Descriptions

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

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, 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

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

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

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, 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.)

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 Summer	MS OT Program 2nd Fall	MS OT Program 2nd Spring	Total Cost of Program
Tuition*        In-state	$5,227.32	$5,227.32	$4,107.18	$4,853.94	$4,480.56	$23,896.32
Tuition** Out of state	$18,209.24	$18,209.24	$14,307.26	$16,908.58	$15,607.92	$83,242.24
Equipment Fees	$129.00	$129.00	0	$129.00	$129.00	$516.00
Course Fees	$132.00	$141.00	$90.00	$165.00	$10.00	$538.00
Textbooks (Hard bound, new)	$785.00	$313.00	$135.00	$474.00	0	$1,707.00
				In-state		$26,657.32
				Out of state		$86,003.24

* 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 FGCU 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 Documentation Management: $35.00

  Level 1 Criminal Background Check ($60.75)

  Level 2 FBI Fingerprinting ($49.25)

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

Students must provide own transportation to fieldwork sites.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment. Visit https://www.fgcu.edu/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 FGCU.
• 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 FGCU Foundation/Scholarship.

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