The Concentration in Assistive Technology and Accessible Design is an interdisciplinary program designed to meet the demand for assistive technology and accessible design specialists. The College of Health Science’s Departments of Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology and Communication Sciences Disorders, along with the School of Education’s Department of Teaching and Learning, collaborate on the course offerings. The concentration emphasizes technologies for disability.
Related Certificates
- Certificate in Assistive Technology and Accessible Design
- Certificate in Trauma-Informed Care
- Graduate Certificate in Applied Gerontology
The School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology offers a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) Degree. The MSOT Degree Program prepares students to become scholarly, client-centered practitioners, educators, and scientists who will be able to enrich the health, well-being, quality of life and occupational participation of the people, communities, and populations they will serve after graduating. MSOT students engage in graduate-level instruction with a strong focus in theory, evidence-based research, interprofessional education, technology, community engagement, leadership, and clinical underpinnings. During their time in the program, students take required and elective courses. Students can use elective courses to help them complete graduate certificates alongside their MSOT Degree.
Graduates of the program are eligible to take the occupational therapist certification examination offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Degree Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-6611.
All students admitted to the MS in Occupational Therapy degree program will be required to complete a Background Information Disclosure form (HFS64). A background check, which identifies a past criminal record, does not necessarily preclude an individual from pursuing studies in occupational therapy or becoming a successful practitioner. Should there be a discrepancy between the information reported by the student on HFS-64 and the reports issued by the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Family Services, the student will be subject to dismissal from the occupational therapy program and reported to DHFS per HFS 12.20 (1)(c), Wis. Adm. Code.
Graduates of the master’s 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 individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Candidates for the NBCOT Certification Examination will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of felonies when applying for the exam. For further information on these limitations and other certification requirements, visit the NBCOT website at www.nbcot.org, email info@nbcot.org, call 301-990-7979, or send mail requests to NBCOT 1 Bank Street, Suite 300 Gaithersburg, MD 20878. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
For more information, please contact us at ot-program@uwm.edu.
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Application
Applications for students outside of UW-Milwaukee to the MS OT are handled annually using the OT Centralized Application Service (OTCAS). OTCAS provides a full-service, web-based application and admissions process for prospective occupational therapy program applicants.
Following are important timelines for the OTCAS application cycle (see OTCAS for specific dates).
- Mid July: OTCAS applications cycle opens (see OTCAS for specific dates).
- Mid January (December 1 if international): Deadline for submission of all application material to OTCAS (see OTCAS for specific dates).
Once recommended for acceptance to UWM’s MS in Occupational Therapy Program, students need to apply to and be accepted by UWM’s Graduate School. However, students may apply to UWM’s Graduate School at any time prior to being recommended for acceptance to the OT Program.
Current UWM Pre-OT Students
Applications for UW-Milwaukee Pre-OT students to the MS OT are handled annually using the internal Panthera application system.
Following are important timelines for the Panthera application cycle.
- November 30: Deadline for submission of all application material to Panthera.
Admission
The MS in Occupational Therapy Program admits students on the basis of a holistic, competitive application process. Students are accepted into the program once per year in Spring and begin professional coursework in the following Summer.
In addition to Graduate School requirements, applicants must meet these departmental requirements to be considered for admission to the program.
- An undergraduate degree completed by the end of the Spring semester prior to beginning the OT Program, from an accredited institution, with an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
- Six prerequisite courses, required to be completed by end of Fall semester of the year prior to beginning the OT Program, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale):
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy 1 | 3-4 | |
| Human Physiology 1 | 3-4 | |
| Human Development | 3 | |
| Abnormal Psychology | 3 | |
| Statistics | 3 | |
| Select one of the following natural science courses: | 3-5 | |
Physics 2 | ||
Biology 2 | ||
Chemistry 2 | ||
Psychology 2 | ||
- 1
Courses requiring a lab component.
- 2
Courses with laboratory-based data analysis required.
Additional Recommended Coursework: While not required as prerequisite courses for our MS OT application, we do recommend that applicants have successfully taken 3 credit courses in a) reliability and validity of assessments such as, "Measurement Theory", and UW-Milwaukee’s OCCTHPY 542 Evidence for Practice II, b) research methods such as UW-Milwaukee’s OCCTHPY 540 Evidence for Practice I, PSYCH 325 Research Methods in Psychology, or PSYCH 610 Experimental Design, and c) implications of diversity issues in health care practice .
- Completed OTCAS application. (UWM Pre-OT Students should complete the Panthera application.)
- Three letters of recommendation: One letter must be from an academic source and one from a clinical/health-related source. The third letter can be either from an academic or clinical/health-related source. All three letters must use the OTCAS form.
- Reasons Statement or Personal Essay: This is the same as the OTCAS essay. Address why you selected occupational therapy as a career and how an occupational therapy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals.
- Additional Question: Answer why the Occupational Therapy Program in the School of Rehabilitation Sciences & Technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is a good fit for you. Limit 250 words.
For all admission and application related questions, please contact OT-program@uwm.edu.
Credits and Courses
The program is a tracked curriculum of 69 credits over 24 months, including a minimum of 24 weeks of full-time fieldwork during the program. OCCTHPY 810 serves as the capstone requirement for the degree. Students will enroll as full time students for each term of study (Summer, Fall, Spring). There is no part-time option for students in the MS in OT program. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 and a grade of B- or better in all required courses. Students who do not maintain this will be placed on probation.
Transcript-Designated Concentrations
Through judicious use of electives, students may also choose one of two transcript-designated concentrations. This may require completion of more than the minimum 69 credits.
Assistive Technology and Accessible Design
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| OCCTHPY 593 | Introduction to Biomedical and Rehabilitation Instrumentation | 3 |
| OCCTHPY 620 | Introduction to Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology | 3 |
| OCCTHPY 625 | Design and Disability | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select a minimum of 6 credits from the following: | 6 | |
| Vision I: Introduction to Low Vision & Visual Impairment | ||
| Vision II: Practical Aspects of Visual Impairment & Low Vision Intervention | ||
| Assistive and Rehabilitation Technology | ||
| Assessment in Assistive Technology and Accessible Design | ||
| Fieldwork in Assistive Technology | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
| Special Populations in Communication Disorders | ||
| Ergonomics | ||
| Capstone | ||
| OCCTHPY 810 | Critical Evaluation of Theory, Research and Practice | 2 |
| Total Credits | 17 | |
Additional Requirements
Major Professor as Advisor
The Graduate School requires that each student have a major professor to advise, supervise, and approve the program of study. Students are assigned faculty advisors in the MS in OT program upon acceptance into the program.
Time Limit
The student must complete all degree requirements within four years of initial enrollment.