Messiah College

What you'll study

The curricular design uses a spiraling developmental model: students build foundational skills, progress through application phases and move toward mastery and advanced critical thinking. Program facilities support practical learning with a pediatric lab, a full-size apartment for activities of daily living, and a multipurpose physical rehabilitation lab for occupational analysis, splinting and assistive technology design. To graduate students must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and successfully complete 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork supervised by a licensed occupational therapist; Level II fieldwork must be finished within 18 months after didactic coursework ends.

Entry requirements

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree and complete prerequisite coursework with a grade of C or better from an accredited institution. Required prerequisites listed by Messiah include:

• Life Sciences: Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (3–4 credits) and Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (3–4 credits) — total 6–8 credits
• Psychology: Abnormal Psychology (3 credits) and Life Span Development or Developmental Psychology (3 credits); alternatively Life Span Development may be met by three courses (Child, Adolescent, Adult Development — 9 credits)
• Statistics (3 credits) from Mathematics, Sociology, or Psychology departments
• Medical Terminology (1–3 credits)

Messiah also operates an Early Assurance Program (guaranteed acceptance for up to 10 juniors) and accelerated pathways allowing qualified students to earn a B.S. and the MOT in five years. Enrollment agreements exist with partner undergraduate institutions; contact Messiah for details.

Career prospects

Graduates are eligible to sit for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam; successful candidates become Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). State licensure is additionally required to practice and is typically based on NBCOT results. The program prepares students to work across a variety of professional settings; note that a felony conviction may affect eligibility to sit for the NBCOT exam or attain state licensure.

Scholarships & funding angle (general)

Messiah offers a no-fee tuition model (no additional university charges for labs, courses, services or technology) and a locked-in tuition rate per credit for cohort years; federal financial aid is available and deferred billing can be arranged for students with employer reimbursement. Prospective students should consult Student Financial Services and program admissions for current tuition rate, aid options and any additional program expenses.