About the Occupational Therapy Department

Both the Master of Occupational Therapy program (MOT) and the Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) programs are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). ACOTE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

More information can be obtained at:  

ACOTE
c/o Accreditation Department
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E
Bethesda, MD 20814
301-652-AOTA
www.acoteonline.org

All states in the United States require a license to practice occupational therapy.  Each state also has specific legislation describing the process for obtaining a license to practice and specific licensure application requirements.  The primary criterion for obtaining a license in any state is passing the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination (NBCOT). In order to be eligible to take the certification exam, students must complete MOT or DrOT program requirements and all fieldwork must be satisfied within eighteen months of completion of didactic coursework. For DrOT students, part-time completion of the doctoral capstone experience will be considered under extenuating circumstances only and shall delay graduation.

Please note that a felony conviction may delay or prohibit fieldwork placement, certification through NBCOT, and could prevent state licensure.

Saint Joseph's new graduate performance data on the NBCOT national certification examination starting with the year 2018 is available at https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance. 2018-2022 results are listed under the University of the Sciences. 2022 results will be listed under Saint Joseph's University.

Saint Joseph's NBCOT first-time pass rate results:

Learning Outcomes

The OT program will improve the quality of healthcare services through the education of knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and service-oriented occupational therapy practitioners who are prepared for leadership in the profession.

Students who successfully complete the curriculum will be able to:

Cultural Competence

• View clients of occupational therapy services as individuals, groups or populations with unique values, beliefs, and concerns which impact on occupational performance.
• Provide services/practice in a culturally-sensitive manner.
• Successfully work in partnership with individuals from diverse cultures.

Innovations 

• Design innovative occupation-based programs that address the unmet and emerging societal needs.
• Design innovative population-based programs that reflect unmet and emerging community needs.

Leadership 

• Design and deliver humanistic, ethical and high-quality occupational therapy services to clients and their family/caregivers.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively engage in the supervisory process.
• Understand and successfully practice in complex environments where occupational therapy services are provided.
• Advance the knowledge base of occupational therapy through participation in scholarship.
• Provide service to the community/engage in community-centered practice.  The community includes the university, national, state and local occupational therapy organizations, and other institutions and organizations of interest.

Engagement

• Collaborate skillfully with clients, professional and non-professional colleagues, families and community members.  
• Use written and spoken language to effectively communicate ideas, concerns, goals and plans to clients, families, care providers, colleagues, supervisors and managers.
• Understand the influence of the social, political and environmental contexts on the client and practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to effectively engage in the supervisory process.

Clinical Reasoning

• Integrate community, technological and educational resources into intervention and program planning, design, and management
• Demonstrate the ability to be a reflective practitioner.
• Recognize the need to pursue continual professional development and display the ability to seek out appropriate resources.

Essential Functions and Technical Standards

Occupational therapy students must consistently demonstrate, with or without reasonable accommodations, the physical, emotional and cognitive essential functions and technical standards that are necessary for successful completion of the Occupational Therapy Programs at the Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. Students will be asked to sign and submit to the Department of Occupational Therapy the Essential Functions and Technical Standards at the beginning of the professional years of study.

Graduation Rates

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Graduation Rates

Master of Occupational Therapy Graduation Rates

* The graduation rates reflect the number of students in the entering cohort who completed their program within 150% of the published length of the program.

The following are the technical standards that apply to all clinical training students in Saint Joseph's’ Doctor of Occupational Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy programs.

Technical standards are the non-academic admission criteria that are essential to participation in the University’s programs. These standards are categorized into the following areas: [1] communication; [2] cognition; [3] behavioral/professionalism; and [4] psychomotor skills. Applicants and students must have and maintain the ability to perform or meet these essential tasks, skills and standards with or without reasonable accommodations. By applying to and accepting admission to Saint Joseph's University, you acknowledge that you have read and understand the Technical Standards and believe that you have the ability to meet them, with or without reasonable accommodations.   

Saint Joseph's University recognizes that a diverse campus community is essential to enriching intellectual exchanges and enhancing cultural understanding. The University values equality of opportunity, mutual respect, and an appreciation of diversity. As part of this commitment, the University provides reasonable accommodations to qualified students with disabilities.1 The University is not required to waive these essential standards, because that would be a fundamental alteration of the nature of these programs. Please refer to the Disability Services Policy for more information. 

Students with disabilities who believe they require an accommodation(s) to either meet these Technical Standards, to fully access the admissions process, and/or to participate in and benefit from the program curriculum and other programs and services of Saint Joseph's University, are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Disability Services to participate in a confidential consultation. Accommodations are not retroactive; therefore, students are encouraged to contact the OSA as early as possible to allow for adequate time to consider and implement any approved accommodations.

Communication

Students must be able to:

1. Communicate professionally, effectively, and sensitively with patients and all members of the healthcare team, both in person and in written form, that reflect professional values and those of the University.
2. Retain, recall, and deliver information in an efficient and timely manner.
3. Accurately share and record information from patients’ records, through history taking, and through communications with the healthcare team.
4. Participate in class discussions/group projects/practice labs for the purpose of delivery and receipt of scientific/medical information.
5. Identify and describe changes in affect, including facial expression, mood, emotions, activity, and posture, of others in the classroom and clinic, and respond appropriately.
6. Communicate effectively with others from varied social, emotional, cultural, and intellectual backgrounds.
7. Explain to other healthcare professionals, patients, and/or caregivers the reason(s) for treatment, preventative measures, disease process, monitoring plans, and need for referral.

Cognition

Students must be able to:

8. Analyze, interpret, and integrate information during patient examinations and throughout patient management to make clinical decisions.
9. Retrieve, recall, retain, and apply medical, scientific, and professional information and literature in the classroom and in clinical experiences.
10. Utilize effective clinical judgment and problem-solving skills to address difficulties in a timely manner within all learning environments.
11. Multi-task, prioritize, and perform tasks in an accurate, logical, and sequential manner.
12. Accurately perform scientific measurements and calculations in clinical environments.
13. Demonstrate the ability to learn effectively through a variety of modalities including, but not limited to, classroom instruction, remote learning, asynchronous learning, small group discussions, laboratory experiences, individual study, and preparation and presentation of written and oral reports.
14. Acknowledge limitations of knowledge and/or performance in order to obtain appropriate supports and provide optimal patient care.

Behavioral/Professionalism

Students must be able to:

15. Exercise professional judgment to maintain patient safety and well-being.
16. Display professional behavior, including, but not limited to, punctuality, dependability, organization, and responsibility.
17. Self-manage to adapt to rapidly changing environments.
18. Respond promptly and professionally to stressful situations.
19. Display integrity, interpersonal skills, motivation, compassion, and concern for others.
20. Self-reflect, be receptive to feedback, and modify behavior to improve skills, patient-client relationships, and patient/client outcomes.
21. Establish and maintain mature, sensitive, effective relationships with patients, families, students, faculty, staff, preceptors/supervisors, and other professionals under all circumstances.
22. Demonstrate appropriate assertiveness, delegate responsibilities, and function as part of a multidisciplinary healthcare team.
23. Identify and take responsibility for one’s own actions and decisions, inclusive of seeking supervision and/or consultation in a timely manner.
24. Demonstrate respect for differences in cultures, experiences, identities, values, and ethics among others.
25. Recognize and respond appropriately and in a timely manner to potentially hazardous situations, including those that are life-threatening.
26. Respect the confidential relationship between healthcare practitioner and patient and not violate the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or other applicable confidentiality obligations.
27. Abide by both the Saint Joseph's University’s Code of Conduct and the professional standards of practice in accordance to the respective Oaths of Healthcare Professionals.

Psychomotor/Motor

Students must be able to:

28. Possess psychomotor skills necessary to provide or assist in holistic occupational therapy care and perform or assist with procedures and treatments.
29. Use technology to accurately record information and convey critical health-related documentation.
30. Gather information from equipment such as, but not limited to, biofeedback, electrocardiograph, visual perceptual testing equipment, driver testing equipment, kitchen cooking devices, pulse oximeters, auscultation, and blood pressure devices.
31. Possess sufficient psychomotor abilities and manual dexterity, or functional equivalent, to proficiently demonstrate all program-specific competencies, including, but not limited to:
    1. Safely applying gradient pressures during examination and intervention including manual muscle testing and joint mobilization.
    2. Providing support and resistance to clients as needed through complex activities and movements while preventing injury to client and self.
    3. Maintaining balance while performing intervention and examination techniques on clients who have compromised balance.
    4. Performing examination techniques and provide intervention to acutely ill clients without disturbing sensitive monitoring instruments and lines.
    5. Performing examination techniques such as postural control assessment, vital sign assessment, muscle integrity/tension, wound description, and personal hygiene and continence assessment.
    6. Safely and effectively facilitate movement of the patient’s body during transfers, functional mobility training, positioning, examinations, and therapeutic interventions.
    7. Manipulating objects/equipment of various sizes, shapes, temperatures, smells, and textures (e.g.: dials, knobs, testing instruments, therapy balls, scissors, clamps, kitchen equipment, bathroom equipment, raw food, etc).

References

1. Saint Joseph's University's Disability Services Policy
2. Saint Joseph's University's Code of Conduct