University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program provides students the education they need to sit for the board licensing exam. Once you pass the board exam, and meet additional requirements set forth by the state in which you seek licensure, you will be eligible to work as a licensed occupational therapist (OT).

The mission of the program is to educate students to become occupation-based clinicians capable of competently and independently evaluating, treating and/or consulting with clients of diverse cultural backgrounds in a variety of settings. In addition, it is the mission of the program to educate those who might not have access to traditional forms of higher education through a mix of online learning technologies and face-to-face instruction. The program strives for excellence in teaching, service, scholarly activity, and leadership while supporting the professional growth of faculty and students, instilling a commitment to lifelong learning, and responding to the needs of the region that it serves.

Occupational therapy is an allied health profession that promotes optimal health and function through facilitating successful and satisfying participation in the roles and everyday activities (occupations) that individuals want and need to do. Occupational therapists are client centered healthcare practitioners that use a holistic perspective, in which the focus is on adapting the environment to fit the person, and the person is an integral part of the therapy team. Consideration of an individual’s physical, cognitive, psychological, social, and emotional abilities, as well as environmental impacts, are central to the occupational therapy evaluation and intervention process.

Occupational therapy services typically include:

• an individualized evaluation, during which the client/family and occupational therapist determine the person’s goals,
• customized intervention to improve the person’s ability to perform daily activities and reach the goals, and
• an outcomes evaluation to ensure that the goals are being met and/or make changes to the intervention plan

The University of Cincinnati Occupational Therapy program is a two-year, full time program featuring a unique blended instructional design involving a mix of on-campus and online coursework.

The MOT program has a six-semester curriculum—four semesters of blended instruction and the final two semesters (24 weeks) include full-time clinical fieldwork. This intensive program is designed to prepare students for all areas of OT practice including pediatrics, rehabilitation, gerontology, mental health and more. UC’s MOT program has partnerships with over 150 fieldwork sites including Cincinnati Children’s Medical Hospital, UC Health, Veterans Medical Center, TriHealth and more.