The Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program is designed for individuals with a bachelor’s degree who seek to become a registered occupational therapist. Through this program, you will learn how to help patients overcome physical, sensory or cognitive obstacles and will make a meaningful impact on patient care.
BS to Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT)
The Bachelor of Science in Health Science/Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) program at Saint Joseph’s University lets you earn a Health Science BS and DrOT in just six years — less time than the typical seven to eight years it takes to get both degrees.
This accelerated DrOT program is designed for undergraduate students who have a clear vision for their career in occupational therapy. Through our proven curriculum and diverse fieldwork experiences, you’ll master the skills and expertise required to practice as an occupational therapist. You’ll gain a strong foundation in the sciences and humanities, examine how disease and disability affect the way people live, and learn how to work effectively with clients of all ages and backgrounds in a variety of health care settings.
You’ll advance from the pre-professional (Years 1-3) to the professional phase of the program (Years 4-6) by meeting all academic criteria and program requirements. You can enter this program as an incoming first-year student through our direct-entry admission pathway or as a transfer student.
What Sets Our Program Apart
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Saint Joseph’s is one of only a handful of universities in the country to offer an accelerated pathway to the clinical Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) for students entering directly from high school. You can get a bachelor's degree in health sciences and a doctorate degree in occupational therapy in just six years.
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After the program, you’ll be ready to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) examination — an exam you’ll need to pass if you choose to obtain a license to practice occupational therapy in the U.S. Our first-time pass rate is one of the highest in the United States for the DrOT program.
You can learn more about NBCOT program results across different institutions by visiting https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.
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You’ll participate in “hands-on” learning in a variety of health care settings beginning the first semester of your professional years and in each semester afterward, for a minimum of five different Level I Fieldwork Experiences. This prepares you for the two required 12-week Level II Fieldworks, off site working with patients of all ages from infants to the elderly, and a 14-week doctoral experiential component tailored to your doctoral interest.
In addition, the curriculum crafts laboratory experiences where you’ll also get to work in simulation and clinical labs housed inside Glasser/Woodland Hall - from a pediatric sensory lab to an independent living apartment giving you a taste of working in a variety of professional health care settings.
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Taught by faculty who are active practitioners, our established curriculum covers six OT intervention courses rather than the typical two or three offered by other OT programs. These include:
- Contextual and rehabilitation approaches to interventions
- Developmental, psychosocial and cognitive issues
- Assistive technology
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As a doctoral OT student, you’ll conduct, publish and present research based on your interests. You’ll also get involved in grant-funded projects with noted professors. Graduates have investigated topics such as:
- Aging and health
- Technology use by children with disabilities
- Upper extremity orthopedics
- Integrative medicine
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Interprofessional education (IPE) opportunities can be found as early as the first year of study. You’ll work with different health care professional students in the physical therapy, physician assistant and pharmacy programs at Saint Joseph's, as well as with students in other academic institutions. You'll also participate in medical mission trips with other health care professionals.
Top Four Reasons to Get an Occupational Therapy Degree
- OT is a growing, stable field. Employment prospects for OT are projected to grow 12% from 2022 to 2032 — much faster than the average of all occupations. It also comes with a solid salary — the median salary for occupational therapists is $86,280 per year in 2020.
- You’ll make a difference. You’ll learn how to use therapeutic techniques and tools to help individuals of all ages regain and maintain their ability to perform everyday activities.
- OT is a flexible career path. You’ll get to work as an occupational therapist in diverse settings — from hospitals to schools — or enter other areas such as academia, technology and policy.
- You’ll have more job satisfaction. Occupational therapy is considered one of the best health care jobs in the U.S.
Program Details
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Students in the DrOT program attend class full-time and must complete 121 credits of coursework. They’re also required to complete:
- Two level II fieldwork courses for a total of 24 full-time equivalent weeks off-site in the community
- A 14-week experiential, during which they complete the capstone project
Courses in the DrOT program are delivered primarily onsite, with lab and fieldwork experiences required off-site in the community, and two courses online (OTH 675 and OTH 711), which complements the requirements for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree.
Technology Competency Requirements
It is required that students have internet access and satisfactory computer skills to complete course requirements. Assignments may include online work, presentation formats, researching the literature and sending files electronically. Communication with instructors is done via email or internet meetings.To assist with online learning throughout the program, all new incoming DrOT students are required to complete the specified orientation course for the University’s learning management system.
Academic Catalog
View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum. The Professional Phase of the BS to DrOT program does not accept transfer credit, credit for experiential learning, or work experience for courses at any level of the program. All courses with an OTH prefix must be completed at Saint Joseph’s University.
Graduation Requirements
To qualify for the DrOT degree, students must successfully complete all DrOT program requirements. All program requirements for the DrOT program must be completed within 6 years from starting the professional phase of the program.
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The tuition for direct-entry BS to DrOT students entering fall 2025 is as follows.
Direct-Entry Pre-Professional
- $55,180- Year 1
- $55,180 - Year 2
- $55,180 - Year 3
Direct-Entry Professional
- $46,665 - Year 4
- $46,665 - Year 5
- $46,665 - Year 6
Additional information regarding fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning requirements: Students are expected to travel for fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning. Costs incurred for travel, housing, tolls, food, parking, etc. are the responsibility of the student. In addition, students are responsible for health and safety requirements such as fingerprinting, required by most fieldwork and doctoral experience sites.
Estimated costs to students for fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning requirements
School Mandatory Requirement Costs Requirement Cost 7 Year State & County Criminal Background Check – Annual Requirement $29 - $200+ CPR Certification – to be completed once every 2 years $80 Flu Vaccine – to be completed once a season Typically covered by insurance $40 w/o Insurance PA Child Abuse Clearance- Annual Requirement (1st Time = Free) $13 2nd year and on Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH) – Annual Requirement 1st Time = Free $22 2nd year and on Physical – Annual Requirement (Typically covered by insurance) $75 at SH-UC TB Testing – Annual Requirement (Typically covered by insurance) $15 per step at SH-UC FBI Fingerprinting – Annual Requirement $22 Total Costs: $110-$450+/year Other Costs
In addition to school mandatory requirements, students may also need to complete site-specific requirements such as drug screens and personal protective equipment (PPE) fitting test. Some sites may also need you to redo your requirements before their expiration date, therefore you may have to complete school mandatory requirements again before their expiration date. These additional requirements may cost the students up to an additional $200 yearly.
Students should expect that their fieldwork site could be up to 45 miles from where they have housing/campus. Consideration should be taken when planning for expenses to include gas and toll money for each level I and level II fieldwork experience, as well as the doctoral experiential component. School mandatory requirements and other associated expenses are highly variable depending on location of fieldwork and doctoral experience sites. Students may use federal or alternative educational loan funding to help with the miscellaneous costs related to clinical and doctoral experiences. Contact the Financial Aid Office for further information. The OT department commits to helping students minimize these costs through all available methods.
*Pricing does not include room and board, health insurance or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our tuition & fees page for more information. Additionally, prices are subject to change annually.
Financial aid may be available to you to help offset the cost of your degree. Explore your options on our Financial Aid page.
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The Doctor of Occupational Therapy (DrOT) program is 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 for Certification in Occupational Therapy Examination (NBCOT). Learn more about OT licensure requirements and our NBCOT exam pass rates for the DrOT program.
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View our learning outcomes and graduation rates for the DrOT program on the Department of Occupational Therapy website.
Why Study Occupational Therapy in Philadelphia?
Here in Philadelphia, you’re in the heart of the health science industry, surrounded by more than 250 medical facilities. The city’s diverse population and rich health care employment opportunities offer a unique environment to gain OT experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers and long-term care residences.
BS/DrOT Admissions Information
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How to apply
- Apply online. Applications are free.
- Submit your official high school transcripts from all high schools you’ve attended. A list of senior year coursework must be present.
- Complete one of the Common Application essay prompts.
- Submit a letter of recommendation. Up to two additional letters may be submitted.
- Submit SAT/ACT scores. These are optional, but you can submit them if you feel they’ll strengthen your application.
All materials can be uploaded via the Saint Joseph’s Application or the Common Application. Learn more about how to submit your application materials.
Application deadlines
Our regular application deadline is March 1. Visit our Undergraduate Admissions page to learn more about application deadlines.
Admissions Requirements
If admitted as a direct-entry student, you’ll be able to identify occupational therapy as your major field of study. No additional application is required to enter the professional phase of the program. To maintain guaranteed admission into the professional phase of the occupational therapy curriculum, which typically begins in May of the third year of study, you must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and a program-specific cumulative GPA of 3.2 (all courses with an OT prefix and prerequisites for the DrOT program).
Required High School Coursework Mathematics:
- Two years of algebra
- One year of geometry
- Higher-level math encouraged in senior year (trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus)
Science:
- Three years of science with a lab
Visit our Undergraduate Admissions page to learn more about required high school coursework for BS/DrOT students.
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How to apply
- Submit the transfer student application online
- Submit official college transcripts from each institution attended
- Submit official final high school transcript with date of graduation
- Submit Transfer Registrar’s Report — must be sent directly from the most recent college or university attended
- Learn more about Saint. Joeseph’s transfer application process
Admissions Requirements
If you are looking to transfer into the BS/DROT program before receiving your Bachelor’s degree from another institution, you may transfer into the pre-professional years of the DrOT program. Any remaining prerequisite courses will be taken at Saint Joseph’s. A maximum of sixty credits are transferable into the curriculum. Prerequisite courses require a minimum of a 3.2 GPA.
Recommended Coursework
Please contact us for a list of prerequisite courses that you need to complete preceding enrollment at Saint Joseph’s. This list will be available on the Academic Catalog in mid-June. You can also visit our Transfer Admissions page for information about transfer credit equivalencies or contact us if you have any questions.
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If you’re applying as an international student, you must provide proof of English Language Proficiency and Certification of Finances along with your application. Check the Undergraduate Admission page for more information about the application process and additional requirements for international students.
From my fieldwork experience, I learned the importance of family- and client-centered care, motivational interviewing, and how I can incorporate a person’s occupations into the intervention process.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Occupational therapy is a health profession focused on helping clients develop the functional capacity to live independently; care for personal needs; and participate in work, school or community activities.
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Occupational therapists assist people in getting back into the flow of life. You’re vital in providing new solutions to doing everyday tasks and to preserving people’s independence as their physical abilities change. As an occupational therapist, you may work in a hospital, community health center or in social services. You can also pursue a career as an educator, trainer or researcher.
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Courses in Saint Joseph’s BSHS/DrOT program are delivered primarily onsite at our University City location, with lab and fieldwork experiences required off-site in the community. You’ll take two courses online (OTH 675 and OTH 711), which complements the requirements for the Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree
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