Occupational Therapy
About This Program
You’re a people person. You love helping others, even when that requires patience, empathy, and hard work. You want a career that can take you places. Occupational therapy may be the program for you.
Department
Why Utica University
Building on a liberal arts foundation, the mission of Utica University's occupational therapy is to facilitate learners' transformation into autonomous thinkers, competent therapists, and innovative leaders through scholarly, professional, and community-oriented educational experiences. Taught by Utica’s accomplished faculty, students learn the skills to help people across the lifespan to fully engage in everyday occupations and live life to the fullest.
The program offers both undergraduate and graduate entry options.
OT Entry-Level Doctorate Program
OT Post-Professional Doctorate Program
Master of Science OT Program
Accreditation Information
The Utica University Occupational Therapy program has been approved by the New York State Education Department. The masters and entry-level doctorate programs are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E. Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE's telephone number, c/o AOTA, is 301-652-6611 x2042. AOTA can be reached at 800- SAY-AOTA (800-729-2682) or local calls: 301-652-2682; Fax: 240-762-5150. The ACOTE website is www.acoteonline.org ; AOTA’s website is https://www.aota.org
Contact Information
Office of Admissions
Office of Graduate Admissions
Dr. Colleen Sunderlin
General Information
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Occupational Therapy at Utica
I chose OT because we focus on what is important to an individual in their life. Our practice is client-centered and we guide what we do in therapy based on the clients desires, necessities, and what they want to get back to doing in their everyday life.
Median Salary for Occupational Therapists
Job Growth by 2032
Career Opportunities
Options
What You'll Learn
Utica’s occupational therapy program is distinctive in its collaborative community alliances that enable faculty and students to meet the needs of society while promoting critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and skill development. The Occupational Therapy program is approved by the New York State Education Department and fully accredited through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE).
Full Curriculum for B.S. to M.S. OT Program
Full Curriculum for Graduate Level OT Program
For more information about the Graduate Level OT program, read our current Occupational Therapy Information Guide, including application information.
Occupational Therapy Faculty
- Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy
- POP-OT/Fieldwork Coordinator
- Professor of Practice-Occupational Therapy/Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
- Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Adjunct Professor of Occupational Therapy
- Adjunct Professor of Health Studies
- Adjunct Lecturer of Occupational Therapy
A Degree That Works
Our graduates work in a variety of arenas of health care including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, schools, nursing homes, and community programs and private practice. Students and graduates have presented at national and state conferences and many have published in occupational therapy journals and health related journals.
Why Choose OT?
Want to help people live their best lives? Occupational therapy (OT) is all about helping individuals—whether they have disabilities, injuries, or illnesses—gain independence and do the things that matter most to them. OT professionals use creative problem-solving, cool technology, and hands-on strategies to help people reach their goals. If you love making a difference, OT might be the career for you!
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The Sensory Room
Located in Gordon Science Center, The Sensory Room, also known as a Multi-Sensory Environment (MSE), is a place used for teaching, research, and also for open use, where people can engage in a variety of sensory activities and where their senses—including sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, and movement—can be gently stimulated in a controlled manner. Multisensory environments provide various equipment that can be calming or alerting to a person’s sensory system.
School-Based OT with Utica Alum Jaime Spencer
Occupational Therapy alum Jaime Spencer is known by many today as simply "Miss Jaime, O.T.," - a nationally-recognized speaker, entrepreneur, author, and advocate for equal rights for school-based occupational and physical therapy practitioners.
When popular digital series OT Miri wanted to discuss school-based Occupational Therapy to her nearly 3 million viewers, she had to look no further than Utica's own Miss Jaime, O.T.
Student Voices: Melanie Carlson
Melanie Carlson talks about her experience in Utica University's 3+2 Occupational Therapy masters program.
Dive Deeper
The Interprofessional Education (IPE) program at Utica University helps you develop a deeper understanding of a broad range of roles in the health professions so that you can effectively team up with practitioners in other disciplines to deliver outstanding patient care.
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Kristen Sellars '24
"My favorite things about the Utica Occupational Therapy program include the extensive hands-on opportunities we are given during labs and clinics. The professors being so passionate made me excited to learn!"
Real-World Experience
A strength of the OT program is its connections with the local community. OT students are involved in faculty-mentored Level 1 fieldwork experiences at various sites such as the Rescue Mission, ARC, Kelberman Center, Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center, The Center for New Americans, Upstate Family Health Center, etc. These collaborative opportunities allow our students to gain critical skills while fostering occupational engagement and participation of individuals receiving services through these agencies.
Student Voices: Tessa Lamper
Occupational Therapy major Tessa Lamper discusses how she found Utica University to have something for everyone and, though reserved in high school, found the warm environment and people of Utica helped bring her out of her shell.
Involvement
The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) is a student-led professional organization affiliated with the student organization of the American Occupational Therapy Association and supports local service organizations, fundraises for students to attend local and national conferences, and offers students first-hand lessons of the value of professional relationships.
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Alumni Voices: Katherine Kerr
Katherine Kerr is a 2013 alum of the Utica University M.S. program in occupational therapy. In early 2015, she organized a wheelchair basketball league in her hometown of Belleville, Ontario, Canada. According to Katherine, the idea was inspired by her experience working with Utica’s Sitrin STARS adaptive sports program, part of her fieldwork while attending Utica.
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ACOTE Accredited
The Occupational Therapy program is fully accredited through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The entry level doctoral program has been denied pre-accreditation status by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). The program continues to have candidacy status and will continue with its planned site visit in January 2025. ACOTE is located at: 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. The phone number for ACOTE is (301) 652-AOTA [301-652-2682]. The web address of ACOTE is www.acoteonline.org.
NBCOT Accredited
All Utica University MS/OT program graduates are eligible to apply and sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapists administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), located at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD 20878; phone (301) 990-7979. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/or obtain a state license as an occupational therapist.
Program results from the National Board for Certification in Occupational Thera…
Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity
Utica University is proud to have an official chapter of the Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD), a student-led organization that promotes awareness and activism around diversity issues on campus and community. Visit the Utica Chapter of COTAD on Instagram.
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Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA)
The Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) exists to create a community and support system among members, advocating for community-based and special needs causes in the way of outreach and service promoting Occupational Therapy (OT). Visit the Utica Chapter of SOTA on Instagram.
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