Master of Occupational Therapy Program - Governors State University

History of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program
Governors State University began offering an entry-level Master of Occupational
Therapy (MOT) degree curriculum in the Fall Trimester of 1996. From its inception, the
GSU MOT program has advanced the highest standards of the profession. It was not
until January of 2006 that the Accreditation Council of Occupational Therapy Education
(ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) implemented the
mandated policy change to make the entry into the occupational therapy profession in
the United States at the post baccalaureate degree. This mandate affected all
occupational therapy academic programs that were preparing students for entry-level
practice. The GSU MOT program leaders had anticipated important changes in the
future delivery of health and human services in the United States and were part of the
leadership in the ACOTE changes, not responders to a mandate.
The first cohort of GSU MOT graduates completed the program in December, 1998.
This program has maintained full accreditation since initial accreditation was granted in
1998. The graduates of the program pass the national certification examination at the
national average. Admission to the MOT program is competitive and class size has
varied but continues to grow as the program’s reputation becomes established. The
MOT degree requires 97 credit hours taken over 2 ½ years. The credit hour total is an
extensive commitment for a Master’s degree program; however, all credits are
necessary to meet ACOTE accreditation standards.
The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree is the entry-level professional
degree in occupational therapy which focuses on preparing a therapist as a generalist.
The characteristics of entry-level practice require the occupational therapist possess
basic skills as a direct care provider, consultant, educator, manager, researcher, and
advocate for the profession and the consumer. Occupational therapists work in a wide
variety of health and human service organizations that include hospitals, outpatient
medical facilities, rehabilitation programs, hospice, industry, public school systems,
community mental health and the justice system providing services for those individuals
and groups in the areas of rehabilitation, education, prevention and wellness.