NOTE: The NYIT Master’s Occupational Therapy program starts at the end of MAY each year.

To be eligible for direct admission into the master’s program, applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college, as well as the following prerequisite classes. To be competitive applicants should have an overall GPA of at least 2.5, with no science or math grade below a C.

Prerequisite Courses
Title of Course                                   # of Credits
Chemistry I & II with Lab                           8
Physics I & II with Lab                               8
Biology I & II with Lab                               8
Human physiology with lab                        4
General/Intro psychology                          3
Developmental psychology                        3
Abnormal psychology                                 3
College Algebra & Trig                              3-4
Statistics                                                  3-4
Anthropology or sociology                         3
Ethics                                                         3

Other admission requirements:

• Documentation of 100 hours of volunteer work under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist.
• An essay detailing the desire to pursue occupational therapy as a career.
• Two professional letters of recommendation on letterhead, one of which must be from a licensed occupational therapist. The recommendations must be dated within the last six months. Both references should be in sealed envelopes with the referee’s signature over the seal.
• Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended

A personal interview ( for those applicants who qualify). Interviews for applicants with a bachelor’s degree, or who anticipate earning that degree by the end of the academic year, will begin after October 1. Eligible candidates will be contacted to set up a convenient interview appointment at the Old Westbury campus. Applicants will complete an onsite essay on an assigned topic at the time of the interview.

 

The Master of Science in occupational therapy program prepares students for a career in occupational therapy, a profession much in demand. Occupational therapy is the use of purposeful activities with individuals who are limited by physical injury, illness, psychosocial dysfunction, developmental or learning disabilities, poverty, cultural differences or the aging process, in order to maximize independence, prevent further disability and maintain health. The practice encompasses evaluation, treatment and consultation. Specific occupational therapy services include:

1. developing strategies to increase independence in daily living skills and developmental perceptual-motor skills;
2. developing play skills, pre-vocational and leisure capacities;
3. designing, fabricating or applying selected adaptive equipment, prosthetic and orthotic devices;
4. using specifically designed crafts and exercises to enhance performance;
5. administering and interpreting tests; and
6. adapting environments for persons with disabilities.