Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy
Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy
Learn from leaders in the field.
Our nationally-ranked program combines science with the liberal arts to prepare you for a rewarding occupational therapy career.
Find your purpose helping others lead fuller lives.
Recognized as scholars and leaders in occupational therapy education for over 75 years, St. °µÍø½ûÇø provides the Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy (MAOT) program as one of two pathways to an entry level degree in occupational therapy. In addition, our network of occupational therapy alumni and former university leaders includes three AOTA past presidents.
The graduate OT occupation-based curriculum is interwoven with the University's liberal arts education, and provides you with a foundation in four major populations and practice areas, pediatrics, geriatrics, mental health, and rehabilitation. You will develop clinical reasoning, critical thinking, and ethical practice skills with an emphasis on occupational and social justice to serve diverse individual, group, and population health needs.
Opportunities for fieldwork in diverse communities allow you to deepen your understanding of the social determinants of health and their impacts on various populations, practice cultural fluency skills, and share caring strategies to improve lives locally and globally.
Graduates can expect to:
- Evaluate personal, environmental, and contextual factors that support or impact occupational performance and/or participation
- Develop and implement intervention plans to address the occupational performance and/or participation or persons, groups and populations
- Lead, influence, and advocate for system and practice change to promote health and wellness outcomes for diverse populations
The curriculum is offered in a weekday format with on-campus classes and extensive fieldwork. The program is open to students of all genders.
Program at a Glance
Format: On campus
Start: Summer
Time to completion:
2.5 calendar years (104 instructional weeks)
6 semesters (+24 weeks of fieldwork)
Credits required: 72
Tuition per credit: $995 (2025-26 rates)
Total tuition: $71,640
Rates are subject to change each June 1.
Accreditation
The occupational therapy programs at St. °µÍø½ûÇø are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. .
The Master of Arts in Occupational Therapy Program at St. °µÍø½ûÇø is accredited through the 2032-2033 academic year.
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-6611
accred@aota.org
Learn more about accreditation and outcomes here.
NBCOT Certification Exam
Following graduation, all students must pass the certification exam offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, .
Review .
Degree questions, answered.
Below are sample plans of study. For course descriptions and other details, consult the .
Summer
- OCTH 5010 Human Occupation (3cr)
- OCTH 5500 Neuroscience (3cr)
Fall
- OCTH 6000 Foundational Skills for Occupational Therapy Practice (3cr)
- OCTH 5410 Children, Adolescents & Families (3cr)
- OCTH 6310 Evidence Based Practice (3cr)
- OCTH 6700 Older Adults in Context (3cr)
- OCTH 6010 Seminar A: Entering the Profession (1cr)
Spring
- OCTH 6410 Foundations of Research (3cr)
- OCTH 5200 Mental & Behavioral Health (3cr)
- OCTH 6610 Rehabilitation Concepts (3cr)
- OCTH 5600 Kinesiology for Rehabilitation (3cr)
- OCTH 6020 Level I Fieldwork, Seminar B: Psychological and Social Factors Impacting Performance (1cr)
Summer
- OCTH 6045 Community and Advocacy (3cr)
- OCTH 6030 Level I Fieldwork, Seminar C: Practice Reflection (1cr)
Fall
- OCTH 5210 Mental and Behavioral Health: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 5450 Children, Adolescents and Families: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 6620 Ethical Management (3cr)
- OCTH 6060 Physical Assessment and Intervention Planning (3cr)
- OCTH 7000 Master's Project Seminar (1cr)
Spring
- OCTH 6710 Older Adults: The OT Process (3cr)
- OCTH 6615 Rehabilitation Practices (3cr)
- OCTH 5560 Participation and Technology (3cr)
- OCTH 6040 Seminar D: Readiness for Level II Fieldwork (1cr)
- OCTH 7500 Master’s Project (3cr)
Summer
- OCTH 7700 Level II Fieldwork (5cr)
Fall
- OCTH 7710 Level II Fieldwork (5cr)
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St. Kate's Experience
Discover a supportive community invested in more than your academic success — we help you connect with your purpose. Our goal is to help each of our students develop the knowledge and empowerment to transcend what they thought was possible.