Wisconsin Lutheran College

What you'll study

The M.S.O.T. at Washington University prepares generalist clinicians with exposure to a range of topics and populations. Areas included in the program are:

• Participation and public health
• Aging
• Children and youth
• Mental health
• Work and industry
• Neurorehabilitation

The degree’s structure comprises two years of academic coursework followed by an experiential segment of six months of full-time fieldwork supervised by experienced clinicians. The full M.S.O.T. program is 28 months of full-time study totaling 80 credit hours. The program also includes options for students who wish to study with faculty scientists and pursue research or eventual doctoral study.

Entry requirements

Students enter the pathway by completing three years of undergraduate study at Wisconsin Lutheran College in one of the approved bachelor majors (biology, psychology, or sport and exercise science) before transitioning to Washington University for the two-year M.S.O.T. option; students may also choose to complete the traditional four-year undergraduate degree before enrolling in the master’s. Specific course prerequisites and admissions criteria for Washington University’s M.S.O.T. are managed by that program.

Career prospects

The M.S.O.T. prepares graduates to work as direct care providers, consultants, educators, managers, and advocates in settings serving children, adults, older adults, and workers needing rehabilitation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects faster-than-average job growth for occupational therapists (about 14% growth, adding roughly 18,600 positions). The program is accredited by ACOTE and approved by the World Federation of Occupational Therapists; M.S.O.T. graduates are eligible to sit for the NBCOT certification exam, and Washington University reported 100% first-time pass rates for 2018–2020.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

The primary financial advantage of this accelerated pathway is completing a master’s degree one year sooner than the typical sequence, which can reduce one year of graduate tuition and accelerate time to paid employment. Students should explore undergraduate and graduate scholarships at both institutions, plus federal aid and fieldwork-related funding or stipends where available.