Blending the Art & Science of 
     Occupational Therapy
                 . . . to educate diverse learners

The University of Mary Occupational Therapy Program offers:

• A four-and-a-half-year accelerated Master of Science degree in occupational therapy. U-Mary is the only university in the region offering this "fast track" program.
• Innovative curriculum addressing mind, body, and spirit in an occupation-based approach
• Community Partners in Service Project: Service-learning woven into each semester, designed to bridge classroom learning and applied research with community service
• Service Oriented Leadership Experience (SOLE): International experience providing an opportunity for students to expand their global perspective by delivering occupational therapy services in a Third World country

Mission

The University of Mary Occupational Therapy Program prepares its graduates to be competent occupational therapy practitioners to meet occupational needs of individuals, groups, and populations. Students will develop adept knowledge of humans as occupational beings, critical-thinking abilities that allow each individual to engage in best practice, commitment to lifelong learning and scholarship, and leadership abilities necessary to effect change. Students are rooted in Benedictine and professional occupational therapy values to provide a foundation from which therapeutic use of self, respect for others, ethical decision-making, and service attitudes are formed and practiced.

Philosophy

Our philosophy in the Occupational Therapy Program at the University of Mary is based on the belief in a dynamic interaction among all aspects of an individual’s life including mind, body, spirit, and varying environmental contexts. Humans influence their own health as a result of active engagement in meaningful occupations influenced by life experiences, roles, interests, age, cultural background, or other factors. We facilitate student learning to develop competent occupational therapists who embody these beliefs by providing learning experiences that involve appropriate levels of challenge and encourage active participation.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the professional occupational therapy education program at the University of Mary, the graduate will:

• Have the ability to function autonomously in a variety of roles and practice settings to:
• Use professional reasoning based on current evidence to solve problems independently.
• Use the occupational therapy process in direct roles of assessment and intervention and in indirect roles such as supervisor, researcher, consultant, and educator.

• Have the ability to provide occupational therapy services in under-served and rural areas with a professional competency in diversity to:
• Use services that meet the unique and population needs of individuals of various cultural and diverse backgrounds
• Use effective communication with professionals and consumers via traditional methods and through the use of technology in order to convey information essential for safe, effective service delivery.
• Have the ability to utilize leadership skills including self-direction, self-initiative and self-actualization to:
• Make ethical decisions independently.
• Effect change utilizing best practice.
• Serve others as a means of demonstrating respect for the human mind, body, and spirit.

• Have the ability to provide humane and competent occupational therapy services based on knowledge, skills, and attitudes that empower the graduate to:
• Appreciate, understand and use meaningful occupation that binds mind, body and spirit.
• Incorporate the consumer’s viewpoint into the decision-making process.
• Utilize therapeutic use of self while engaged in professional service delivery.

Accreditation Status

The University of Mary Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220. AOTA’s phone number is (301) 652-2682. Graduates of the program will be able to sit for the national certification exam for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice; state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination.

Professional Education Tracks

The University of Mary Occupational Therapy Program offers three possible education tracks in which students may pursue their degree.

Faculty 

Terrance Anderson, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L (Academic Fieldwork Coordinator); Stacie Iken, Ph.D., OTR/L; Carol Olson, Ph.D., OTR/L; Janeene Sibla, O.T.D., M.S., OTR/L Program Director; Wanda Berg, Ph.D., OTR/L; Cindy Anderson, M.S., OTR/L (Part-time Faculty)