• UNM 2016-2017 Catalog
• >Colleges
• >School of Medicine
• >Occupational Therapy
• >Graduate Program

Graduate Program

Degree Offered

• Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.)

Information

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree.
• 3.0 cumulative GPA on the last 50 graded credit hours taken (A strong academic record is essential, but does not guarantee acceptance).
• Prerequisite courses must have been completed within the past 5 years with a grade of "B" or better.

Residency Requirements

• To be considered for admission to the Occupational Therapy Graduate program, applicants MUST:
  • be a resident of New Mexico for at least one year at the time of application,
  • OR be a resident of a member WICHE state (Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, and Wyoming),
  • OR have strong ties to New Mexico and file Residency Appeal Form

Students may apply while enrolled in undergraduate courses to complete a baccalaureate degree or prerequisite courses if all courses will be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to beginning the program. The application deadline for Fall admissions is December 1. Students are admitted once a year with classes beginning in the fall semester.

Up to 26 students are admitted each year into the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program.

Selection is based on:

• Transcript evaluation.
• Personal Statement (OTCAS form).
• Written materials, 3 letters of reference (one from a health professional) and application – (including your life experiences, volunteer/work experience, community involvement, and regional bilingual skills).
• Personal interview and spontaneous writing sample.

The top candidates are invited to the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program at the University of New Mexico for an interview and an extemporaneous sample of their writing ability in mid-February. Final selection is made from this group of candidates. 

The selection process does not discriminate against any student on the basis of gender, marital or parental status, race, color, religion, age, sexual orientation, national origin or disability.

If you wish to apply to the UNM Occupational Therapy Graduate Program, you must apply online through the Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service, known as OTCAS. To learn more about the OTCAS application process, please go to the OTCAS Web site. The UNM Occupational Therapy Graduate Program reviews applications after they have been verified by OTCAS.

In addition to submitting a program application through OTCAS, applicants must apply and be accepted into graduate studies by the University of New Mexico Office of Graduate Admissions.

Scheduling

The Occupational Therapy Graduate Program offers a traditional 2.5-year schedule which involves an intensive, full-time load taken in a designated sequence. It is not recommended that students work while in the traditional program. Students who choose to work part-time need to understand that work schedules cannot conflict with required courses or fieldwork assignments.

The part-time track is designed to be completed in 9 consecutive semesters. A maximum of 10 semesters is allowable. The required 6 months of Fieldwork Level II is included in the 10-semester maximum. Please note that the third year of the part-time track is essentially full-time, and that Fieldwork Level II must be completed on a full-time basis.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. Tuition is determined by the Board of Regents each April for the following school year beginning in Fall. To verify current tuition, visit the Bursar's Office Web site. Additional expenses, including course fees, health insurance, books, and supplies, recur annually. See our Web site for a detailed breakdown of these expenses. For financial aid information, contact the financial aid department at (505) 272-8008.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation requires successful completion of a minimum of 84 credit hours including required didactic course work, assessments, and Master's Examination. Students must complete all Graduate Studies requirements, including the Master's Project, with a minimum 3.00 GPA.

Master's Project

• 53 credit hours didactic course work.
• 4 credit hours minimum OCTH 594 (Research Project).
• 3 credit hours graduate-level elective.
• 24 credit hours OCTH 675 (Fieldwork Level II, two 12-week sessions).
• Completion of the master's research requirement and approval by a faculty committee.
• Master's Examination: Occupational Therapy Student Performance Assessment (OTSPA).

Additional Fieldwork Information

Fieldwork is an important part of occupational therapy education. Short term fieldwork (FW I) is arranged in coordination with specific academic courses. Full-time fieldwork (FW II) follows successful completion of academic course work and the OTSPA.

• Students are responsible for tuition, transportation to and from fieldwork sites, and living expenses while on fieldwork. Fieldwork opportunities are usually available in New Mexico; however, students may be assigned to fieldwork in other states.
• All required FW II must be completed within 24 months of completion of the academic courses.
• Each FW II placement is usually three months in length (total of six months).

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Pre-Professional Curriculum

Prerequisites provide a general foundation in behavioral sciences and are essential for success in the Occupational Therapy Graduate Program. Applicants must complete all prerequisite courses with a minimum 3.0 grade in each course by the end of the spring semester preceding entry into the program. All prerequisites must have been successfully completed within the past five years. 

		Credit Hours
	Required Prerequisite Courses
BIOL 237/247L	Human Anatomy and Physiology I for the Health Sciences / Lab I	4
BIOL 238/248L	Human Anatomy and Physiology II for the Health Sciences / Lab II	4
ENGL 219	Technical and Professional Writing	3
PSY 220	Developmental Psychology	3
PSY 332	Abnormal Behavior	3
STAT 145	Introduction to Statistics	3
	Total	20

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Professional Curriculum

The Occupational Therapy Graduate Program offers the Master of Occupational Therapy degree under a research project. The student must submit a written research document that is approved by their committee, and successfully complete the Occupational Therapy Student Performance Assessment (OTSPA). Occupational therapy course work is taken in a designated sequence.

Requirements

• Must complete Core Professional Curriculum including Fieldwork II (full-time track) for 77 credit hours.
• Must complete OCTH 594 for a minimum for 4 credit hours (2 credit hours are research-based).
• Must complete elective course work for a minimum of 3 credit hours.

		Credit Hours
Year 1	Fall (16 credit hours)
OCTH 514L	Introduction to Occupation and Health	3
OCTH 524L	Kinesiology of Occupation	3
OCTH 534	Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice	4
OCTH 544L	Occupation Across the Life Span	5
OCTH 594	Graduate Seminar	1
	Subtotal	16
	Spring (14 credit hours)
OCTH 522L	Neuroanatomy	3
OCTH 554L	Person, Family, Systems Centered Care	2
OCTH 564L	Applied Occupations: Orthopedic Practice	6
OCTH 634L	Neuroscience of Occupation	2
OCTH 594	Graduate Seminar	1
	Subtotal	14
	Summer (1-5 credit hours)
OCTH 614L	Applied Occupations: Psychosocial Practice	5
	Subtotal	5
	Year 1 Total	35
Year 2	Fall (16-17 credit hours)
OCTH 604L	Applied Occupations: Neurological Practice	5
OCTH 624L	Advocacy, Communication and Leadership	3
OCTH 654	Organization and Administration	2
OCTH 594	Graduate Seminar	1
	Subtotal	11
	Spring (11-12 credit hours)
OCTH 664L	Applied Occupations: Pediatric Practice	6
OCTH 674L	Community Health	4
OCTH 594	Graduate Seminar	1
	Subtotal	11
	Master's Examination: Research Poster Presentations, Occupational Therapy Student Performance Assessment (OTSPA).
	Summer (12 credit hours)
OCTH 675	Fieldwork Level II	12
	Subtotal	12
Year 3	Fall (12 credit hours)
OCTH 675	Fieldwork Level II	12
	Subtotal	12
	Year 2 Total	46
	Graduate-level elective	3
	Elective Total	3
	Degree Total	84

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Keys and Symbols Reference

Courses

OCTH 499. Occupational Therapy Independent Study. (1-4)

Self-directed learning in occupational therapy with opportunity to explore an area of interest in depth. Develop experience with designing, revising and implementing a study or project. Students may only complete one independent study for credit.




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OCTH 508. Interdisciplinary Leadership in Family and Community Partnerships. (1)

Provides necessary information and practice to enable students to develop and maintain partnerships between health care practitioners, parents, families, and community organizations in order to ensure the best family-centered care for children with developmental disabilities.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

Restriction: acceptance in LEND program and permission of instructor.




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OCTH 514L. Introduction to Occupation and Health. (3)

Introduction to understanding occupation and health as it relates to self, clients, and the occupational therapy assessment and intervention process. The emphasis is on richness of occupation including: motivation, meaning, roles, cultural factors and societal influences.




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OCTH 518. Interdisciplinary Leadership in Advocacy and Public Policy. (2)

This course offers an in-depth view of the operations of the State of New Mexico legislature and provides specific skills to advocate for persons with disabilities and other health care issues.

Restriction: acceptance in LEND program and permission of instructor.




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OCTH 522L. Neuroanatomy. (3)

Anatomy of the brain and spinal cord with emphasis on integration of sensory and motor systems. Synthesis of neuroanatomical, neurochemical and neurophysiological basic science principles relevant to clinical practice in adult and pediatric neurorehabilitation.




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OCTH 524L. Kinesiology of Occupation. (3)

Apply the principles of kinesiology and biomechanics to the study of occupations. Arthrology, tissue mechanics, goniometrics, muscle strength testing, kinesiological and biomechanics analysis of occupations will be presented in lecture lab and problem-based learning formats.




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OCTH 534. Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice. (4)

Introduction to applied research for physical and occupational therapists. The central focus of this course is how information from physical and social science-based research is gathered, analyzed, reported and used to inform evidence-based practice.




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OCTH 538. Interdisciplinary Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities-Didactic. (3)

Provides the academic and theoretical grounding upon which the clinical practices are built for working with children with disabilities.

Restriction: acceptance in LEND program and permission of instructor.




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OCTH 544L. Occupation Across the Lifespan. (5)

Review of roles, occupational tasks, models of occupation and developmental theories from infancy to old age. Determinants of occupational performance including cultural influences; physical and social environment; physiological, sensory, neuromotor, cognitive and psychological dimensions are reviewed.




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OCTH 554L. Relationship Centered Care. (2)

Introduction to the importance of person-centered care in occupational therapy assessment and intervention services to develop an appreciation of the therapeutic relationship and skills to interact with clients holistically, recognizing cultural and psychosocial influences.




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OCTH 564L. Applied Occupations: Orthopedic Practice. (6)

Application of occupational therapy concepts and principles to pediatric and adult populations with physical and orthopaedic conditions is covered along with theoretical foundations underlining person-centered occupations, job analysis and to increase participation in occupations.

Prerequisite: 524L.




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OCTH 594. Graduate Seminar. (1-3 to a maximum of 10 Δ)

A three-semester seminar sequence that provides structure and support for graduate occupational therapy students as they work under the supervision of an assigned faculty to complete projects to meet Plan II Master’s requirements.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

{Summer, Fall, Spring}




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OCTH 604L. Applied Occupations: Neurological Practice. (5)

Application of occupational therapy concepts to pediatric and adult populations with physical and neurological conditions, is covered, along with theoretical foundations underlining person-centered occupations, job analysis, and the OT process to increase participation in occupations.

Prerequisite: 522L and 564L and 634L.




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OCTH 614L. Applied Occupations: Psychosocial Practice. (5)

This course covers psychosocial and behavioral dimensions of occupational therapy practice across the lifespan. This course gives students the opportunity to learn about psychological Occupational Therapy assessments and interventions related to performance.




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OCTH 624L. Advocacy, Communication and Leadership. (3)

Advocacy skills (grant writing, marketing and policy formation), communication skills and leadership skills (professional development, professional presentations and leadership roles) as they relate to occupational therapy are emphasized.




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OCTH 634L. Neuroscience of Occupation. (2)

This course emphasizes the application of systems-level, behavioral-level and cognitive-level neuroscience to understanding: a) occupational development across the lifespan and b) the practice of occupational therapy for persons with activity limitations caused by neuropathological conditions.




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OCTH 650. Special Topics in Occupational Therapy. (2-6, to a maximum of 6 Δ)

Various current topics in occupational therapy are offered.

{Spring}




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OCTH 654. Organization and Administration. (2)

This course will enable students to practice effectively in an increasingly complex health care delivery system. Emphasis is on understanding of organizational systems, including program planning, management and reimbursement, as well as legislation and ethics.




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OCTH 664L. Applied Occupations: Pediatric Practice. (6)

Application of the occupational therapy process to functional problems which interrupt or delay normal growth, development and maturation during infancy, childhood and adolescence. Occupational intervention strategies for children and their families are covered.

Prerequisite: 564L and 604L and 614L.




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OCTH 674L. Community Health. (4)

The purpose of this course is for the student to gain an increased knowledge of: community-based health considerations and issues; community health resources; partnerships with community services; interdisciplinary processes; and serving people in community settings.




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OCTH 675. Fieldwork II. (1-12 to a maximum of 24 Δ)

Experiences with clients, occupational therapists and professionals in the community. Students must participate in two 12-week, full-time clinical internships. Fieldwork is carried out in various settings in New Mexico and surrounding states.

Offered on a CR/NC basis only.

{Summer, Fall, Spring}




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OCTH 690. Independent Study. (1-4, no limit Δ)

Self-directed learning in occupational therapy with opportunity to explore an area of interest in depth. Develop experience in occupational therapy under the supervision of a faculty mentor and community practitioners.

{Summer, Fall, Spring}




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