Pre-Occupational Therapy

The pre-occupational therapy concentration is designed for students preparing for a professional career in occupational therapy. The goal of this concentration is to provide students with a foundational understanding of children’s development and family dynamics in preparation for admission to Occupational Therapy programs.

Students in the pre-occupational therapy concentration experience a curriculum uniquely crafted to prepare them for working with children and families in diverse settings. Courses in this concentration include:

• Children and Families with Special Needs
• Family Transitions, Stress, and Resilience
• Medical Terminology
• Anatomy and Physiology

Beyond classroom instruction, students in the pre-occupational therapy concentration gain over 30 hours of skills-based practice at the Piper Center for Family Studies and Child Development, our lab-based environment for developmentally-appropriate and best practices in the field. Beyond the lab environment, all Child and Family Studies students complete a 150-hour practicum in a field setting suited to the student’s professional goals.

Students who successfully complete the pre-occupational therapy concentration degree plan will be able to:

• Explore the field of medicine through the study of human anatomy, cognition, and medical terminology,
• Understand the impact of stress and health-related events on children and families, and
• Meet the academic prerequisite requirements needed to apply to Occupational Therapy programs after graduation.

Students in the pre-occupational therapy concentration are encouraged to check with the Pre-Health office on campus regarding the requirements of the programs to which you aspire in order to ensure you meet all prerequisite requirements. Students may petition for changes to the science course requirements if there is a discrepancy.