2026-2027 Academic Catalog
Health Communication Minor

Occupational Therapy, M.O.T.

Program Director: Julie Patrick Bonham
Phone: (540) 568-2399
Program Website

About the Program

The Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.) program is full-time and designed to prepare students for professional entry-level practice with clients across the lifespan in current and emerging practice settings.

The program anticipates admitting one cohort of 24 students each year. Classes typically begin in early June after orientation. This program is designed to be completed in 2.5 years (with summer courses required), with two years of coursework including Level I fieldwork experiences. Completion of the comprehensive competency exam is followed by six months of full-time Level II fieldwork, culminating in the 2.5 years of the program. Successful completion of 79 graduate credits and all associated program and university responsibilities will fulfill the requirements to earn the M.O.T. degree.

Mission

The Master of Occupational Therapy Program at James Madison University advances the university’s mission by preparing educated and enlightened clinicians who promote health, well-being, and occupational justice. Through engaged learning, evidence-based and competency-focused education, interprofessional collaboration, and community partnerships, the program cultivates servant leaders and culturally responsive practitioners. In alignment with the university’s commitment to meaningful and productive lives, our program equips graduates to transform lives and environments through the therapeutic use of occupation across diverse populations and settings.

Accreditation and Certification

The occupational therapy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association, located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. ACOTE’S telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

Occupational therapy students and practitioners must uphold professional codes of conduct. See the AOTA Code of Ethics.

Graduates of this ACOTE-accredited program will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT®). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, all states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT Certification Examination or attain state licensure. For more information, please visit NBCOT Character Review and NBCOT Professional Conduct.

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
One Bank Street, Suite 300
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
Phone: (301) 990-7979
Website

Licensure/Certification

This program meets the educational requirements for licensure or certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Please refer to the JMU Professional Licensure Program Status by Jurisdiction Index to determine if this JMU program meets the educational requirements specified by the associated licensing or certification agency in the state or territory in which you are located and other states and territories. Requirements vary by state and are subject to change. The information provided is current as of the review date indicated in the table.

Program Policies

Academic Standards: Satisfactory progress for graduate students enrolled in the occupational therapy program is defined as earning a minimum grade of “B” or 3.0 in all courses. Students who earn a grade of “C” will be referred to the OT Program Academic Review Committee. The Graduate School policies also apply.

Adherence to Professional & Ethical Codes of Conduct: Students admitted into the M.O.T. program must abide by and uphold professional and ethical codes of conduct. These include the JMU Honor Code and the NBCOT Code of Conduct.

Scheduling: The M.O.T. curriculum is designed for full-time enrollment in person, on campus. The courses must be taken in the sequence and semester assigned. Exceptions are rare and are made at the discretion of the OT Program Director.

Experiential Learning and Fieldwork Experiences: Experiential learning occurs through formal and informal engagement in the community associated with course requirements, fieldwork experiences, and volunteer experiences that help to build competence and confidence for future work as an occupational therapy practitioner.

Fieldwork experiences are assigned at the discretion of the Academic Fieldwork Coordinator. Students are responsible for additional costs that may be required such as transportation, housing, uniforms, and other site-specific requirements. Many fieldwork placements require proof of health insurance.

Two types of fieldwork are completed in the OT Program:

  • Level I fieldwork experiences are designed to provide opportunities to apply knowledge in practice settings and help students understand the needs of clients (ACOTE, 2023). There are three Level I fieldwork experiences embedded within the curriculum.
  • Level II fieldwork experiences are full-time, twelve-week rotations. They are designed to prepare students to be entry-level generalist occupational therapists (ACOTE, 2023).
  • It is imperative to understand that if a background or sexual offender check reveals a criminal history, it is possible that the student may not be able to be placed at certain fieldwork sites. The program will do its best to place the student at alternative sites; however, it is possible that program completion would be in jeopardy if all fieldwork cannot be completed.