Program Highlights

A pre-occupational therapy degree can serve as the foundation of a rewarding career.

As a student in our pre-occupational therapy bachelor’s degree program, you’ll take classes led by experienced occupational therapists. With small class sizes, you’ll get all of the individualized attention you need as you learn how to develop and implement treatment plans for your patients. Through a combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience in clinical rotations, you’ll be able to take what you’ve learned and apply it in real-world situations. This is a limited enrollment program.

This program is designed to be combined with our Master of Science occupational therapy degree program.

You’ll complete four years of undergraduate studies through our pre-occupational therapy degree program, then complete two years of our Master of Occupational Therapy program.
Once both programs are completed, as well as your Level II clinical courses, you’ll be able to sit for the national certification exam to qualify for state licensure.
The Bachelor of Science in Pre-Occupational Therapy program at Baker College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) www.acoteonline.org.

At a glance

121

Credit Hours

Years (Avg.)

86%

Students who receive scholarships, grants or financial aid

Why Study Occupational Therapy?

Occupational therapists require master’s degrees. At Baker College, students must complete the pre-occupational therapy degree program before entering the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program. Occupational therapists provide therapeutic interventions to individuals of all ages. Interventions are designed to promote successful engagement in everyday activities (occupations). These include the skills necessary for learning, social interaction and recovery from emotional, physical and/or cognitive limitations.

This program is concerned with providing a practical education that will enable graduates to apply their skills to a diverse population in a variety of settings. The curriculum will provide students with early exposure to the occupational therapy profession and to those conceptual models that are applied by occupational therapists on a daily basis.

Career Facts

$84,950

Median Yearly Income

18%

Outlook 2018–2028

$121,490

Median Salary for Executives

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Curriculum

The Baker College pre-occupational therapy bachelor’s degree program is a four-year, ACOTE-accredited program consisting of 121 credit hours (28 prerequisites and 78 hours of major requirements). Our curriculum includes 15 hours of general education requirements, program planning/intervention strategies and a fieldwork experience.

Sample Courses

OCC 2220

Therapeutic Use of Occupations

Description

Provides students with an understanding of activities and their historical implications in the practice of occupational therapy. Activity analysis will be explored in detail. Analysis opportunities will occur in areas like activities of daily living/self-care and leisure skills. Crafts and the use of mediums will be presented to assist students with understanding the importance of being able to teach life tasks.

60 hours of lecture and 30 hours of lab are required.

OCC 4020

Program Planning/Intervention Strategies I

Description

Emphasizes application of theory to practice with an adult population. Intervention strategies to assist people with regaining performance are covered. Consideration is also given to conditions seen frequently in practice settings. This course requires students to prioritize needs and demonstrate proficiency with common modalities.

60 hours of lecture and 30 hours of lab are required.

OCC 3210

Level I Fieldwork (Children)

Description

Provides field observation of children of varying ages and needs. Students have the opportunity to observe and consider the implication a disability has on development. A weekly seminar provides the instructor with the opportunity to tie the observations to the occupational therapy process.

25 hours of lecture and 20 hours of fieldwork are required.

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Additional Requirements

Students must have successfully completed all Level I and Level II clinical experiences and have graduated from an accredited occupational therapy degree program to be eligible to sit for the national Occupational Therapist Registered Examination. States have licensure laws that occupational therapists must comply with to practice in that state.

The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) and the American Occupational Therapy Association have mandated that all entry-level occupational therapists must be prepared at the master’s degree level beginning January 2007. Therefore, all pre-occupational therapy students will be required to apply to the Baker College Center for Graduate Studies upon completion of the pre-occupational therapy bachelor’s degree program.

The Baker College Bachelor of Science in Pre-Occupational Therapy and Master of Occupational Therapy programs are combined as a 4+2 degree program; students complete four years of undergraduate study and two years of graduate study. Graduate admission is open only to students who have completed the pre-occupational therapy program at Baker College.

Once both programs are completed, as well as your Level II clinical courses, you’ll be able to sit for the national certification exam to qualify for state licensure. Students are encouraged to contact state licensure agencies and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) at 301-990-7979 or www.nbcot.org prior to applying to the program.

A felony conviction may affect your ability to sit for the NBCOT examination or attain state licensure.

Program Outcomes

Upon passage of the national Occupational Therapist Registered (OTR) Examination, graduates seeking employment will obtain positions in or related to occupational therapy. At least 95% of all graduates will be employed as occupational therapists or in related positions within 90 days of eligibility.

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Accreditation

The occupational therapy program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) www.acoteonline.org, located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929; Phone: 301-652-2682. Graduates are eligible to take the national certification examination.

Classes Available

This program is offered in-person on our campus in Auburn Hills. In Michigan our students come from Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Cadillac, Dearborn, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Jackson, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Owosso, Traverse City, and many other locations. Beyond Michigan, our online graduates hail from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and other states.