The College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Health and Medical Sciences offer a dual degree 3+2 program leading to a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (B.A./M.S.O.T degrees, major code: SBOT). This five-year program offers the opportunity to study in a traditional liberal arts environment as well as pursue a professional degree in one of the health professions.
The Bachelor of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences is awarded at the completion of four years of work and the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is awarded at the completion of the fifth year of study.
The Occupational Therapy Program at Seton Hall University views the role of the occupational therapist as a practitioner, contributor and manager. As practitioners, occupational therapists establish, restore, maintain or enhance health and wellness through engagement in activities and occupations, and participation in lifestyles that are satisfying to clients. As contributors, occupational therapists advocate for their profession and clients, use current research to inform practice, and participate in the development of occupational therapy scholarship. As managers, occupational therapists plan, establish, supervise and evaluate occupational therapy services, promote occupational therapy services, collaborate with other professionals.
The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at:
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200
North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929
ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.
Admission to the B.A./M.S.O.T. dual degree program is open to applicants who have successfully completed a high school college preparatory curriculum, including courses in social sciences, biology, mathematics, English and a foreign language. Submission of Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing (ACT) scores are optional. International students must submit Test of English Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.
The combined B.A./M.S.O.T program is unique because it accepts students when initially admitted as freshmen up until the end of their sophomore year. Students who maintain the required academic standards (outlined below) during their three years as undergraduates are guaranteed admission into the graduate professional phase of the program without needing to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Due to a limit on the number of OT students in each entering freshman class, admission into the program is extremely selective.
The OT dual degree program will accept external transfers up to 67 credits maximum (up to the end of Sophomore year. Prerequisites can be taken at SHU or externally. To be eligible, students must have a minimum prerequisite and cumulative GPA of 3.0.
The following undergraduate courses are designed to provide a solid foundation for the study of occupational therapy. All prerequisite courses must be completed by June 1st of the junior year with a grade of “C” or higher. Students may only repeat prerequisite courses one time, and a grade in a repeated prerequisite course lower than “C” results in automatic dismissal from the dual degree program, thereby losing their guaranteed seat and becoming a SBS major.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
BIOL 1122 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 |
BIOL 1123 | Human Anatomy and Phys I Lab | 1 |
BIOL 1133 | Human Anatomy and Phys II | 3 |
BIOL 1134 | Human Anatomy and Phys II Lab | 1 |
ENGL 1201 | Core English I | 3 |
or ENGL 1202 | Core English II | |
MATH 1203 | Stats Models for Soc Science | 3 |
PSYC 1101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 2212 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 2214 | Mental Health | 3 |
SOCI 1101 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
or ANTH 1202 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology |
Note that College Level Examination Program (CLEP), Advanced Placement (AP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits cannot substitute for any prerequisite course requirements for admission.
Dual enrollment courses taken prior to matriculation at Seton Hall University may be accepted, however those transfer grades will not be factored into the cumulative or prerequisite GPA.
Students must complete a total of 88 credits by the end of their junior year to be able to transition to the graduate phase of the program.
GPA requirements in the first three years of the program:
Failure to maintain the required cumulative and prerequisite GPAs, or failure to earn at least a “C” grade in a prerequisite course during the second attempt, will result in immediate dismissal from the dual degree program, thereby losing the guaranteed seat in the graduate professional phase of the program. No exceptions will be made to any dual degree admission requirements. Upon dismissal, the student’s major code will be automatically switched from SBOT to UART. Students will then need to reach out to their advisors in order to select a new major. Students dismissed from the dual degree program may become SBS majors and are welcome to apply to the graduate professional program as part of the general applicant pool. Requirements for application to the OT program can be found in the Graduate Catalogue.
**Dual degree rising seniors in good standing will be allowed to take up to 6 credits of summer courses in their junior year. These courses may only include Core 3 and may not include the occupational therapy pre-requisite courses required for entrance into the graduate occupational therapy program. Students who take advantage of this opportunity will have the status of ‘conditional accept.’ The conditions being that they complete the summer courses prior to the start of the occupational therapy program, they maintain their prerequisite and cumulative 3.2 GPA and achieve the minimum course grade requirements. Students must have a minimum prerequisite and cumulative GPA of a 3.2 at the end of Spring semester Junior year, to be eligible to exercise this summer session option.
Students are required to complete a minimum of 50 hours observing or volunteering under the supervision of a licensed occupational therapist in a hospital or other healthcare setting. This requirement may be met through paid or volunteer experiences. The healthcare experience is intended to strengthen interpersonal skills and to develop an understanding of the needs and capabilities of clients and the role of the occupational therapists. Students are required to arrange their own healthcare experience. Doing so helps to demonstrate the level of commitment and motivation necessary to become an OT. The healthcare experience requirement can be satisfied at any time prior to admission into the graduate professional phase of the program. Documentation indicating the completion of a minimum of 50 hours of healthcare experience must be provided to Dr. Leslie Bunnage, Director of Social & Behavioral Sciences, by May 1st prior to entering the graduate professional phase of the program. Also, a rating scale will be completed by a supervising occupational therapist that a student observed.
Current Seton Hall students may apply to transfer into the undergraduate portion of the B.A./M.S.O.T. dual degree program either as freshmen or sophomores only with 67 credits or less. All such applications must demonstrate outstanding academic ability and will be considered based on meeting the required entrance GPA and on a case-by-case basis. Transfer admission into the program is extremely selective due to a limited number of seats available in the graduate professional phase of the program.
Students enrolled in an undergraduate dual degree program must declare their intent to continue matriculation into the graduate professional phase no later than May 1st of their junior year. Students who successfully complete all of the above requirements, including the appropriate grade and GPA requirements noted above, and all other course requirements within the College of Arts and Sciences and their major, will transition into the graduate professional phase of the occupational therapy program after their junior year. Students will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree following the successful completion of the first year of graduate studies.
The OT program is a full-time lock-step program; i.e., students must follow the prescribed sequence of courses. Dual degree students in their fourth/senior year (first year of graduate professional study when taking OTFY courses) are subject to SHMS grading policies. Successful completion of each course taken in SHMS in the fourth/senior year with a passing grade of C or higher is mandatory, along with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Any grade below this standard is an automatic failure (F grade) and will result in academic probation with suspension. Students on academic probation with suspension will be given the following two options:
Students will only have one opportunity to repeat a failed course, and failure to earn a B or higher could result in the recommendation of dismissal from the program.
In the first three years of their undergraduate program, students in the dual degree program must complete all the requirements for the University core, college core, and their undergraduate major. Additionally, students must complete all prerequisite course requirements by June 1st of their junior year as outlined below:
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
CORE 1001 | University Life | 1 |
CORE 1101 | Journey of Transformation | 3 |
ENGL 1201 | Core English I | 3 |
ENGL 1202 | Core English II | 3 |
MATH 1203 | Stats Models for Soc Science | 3 |
PSYC 1101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
SOCI 1101 or ANTH 1202 |
Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Cultural Anthropology |
3 |
Arts and Sciences Core * | varies | |
Hours | 19 | |
Second Year | ||
CORE 2101 | Christianity and Cult in Dial. | 3 |
BIOL 1122 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 3 |
BIOL 1123 | Human Anatomy and Phys I Lab | 1 |
BIOL 1133 | Human Anatomy and Phys II | 3 |
BIOL 1134 | Human Anatomy and Phys II Lab | 1 |
Foundational Credits in social science courses - 12 total credits needed | varies | |
Focused Credits in SOBS Allied Health Track - 18 total credits needed | varies | |
Arts and Sciences Core | varies | |
Observation hours with licensed OT ** | ||
Hours | 11 | |
Third Year | ||
CORE 3XXX: Engaging the World | 3 | |
PSYC 2212 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
PSYC 2214 | Mental Health | 3 |
Research Methods | 3 | |
SOBS 5002 | Senior Seminar in Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 |
Remaining A&S/SOBS/Additional Requirements * | varies | |
Hours | 15 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Summer | Hours | |
GMOT 6301 | Hlth Med Complex Older Adult | 2 |
GMOT 6303 | Evaluation of Older Adults | 2 |
GMOT 6305 | Intervention for Older Adults | 4 |
Hours | 8 | |
First Semester | ||
Professional Year I | ||
OTFY 4100 | Professional Formation I | 2 |
OTFY 4155 | Fnctnl Anatomy-Kinesiology I | 4 |
OTFY 4160 | Neuroscience for Occup Therapy | 2 |
OTFY 4185 | Intro to Occupational Therapy | 4 |
OTFY 4270 | Occupational Therapy Process | 4 |
Hours | 16 | |
Second Semester | ||
OTFY 4170 | Occup Therapy Practice Skills | 2 |
OTFY 4200 | Professional Formation II | 2 |
OTFY 4240 | Functn Antomy - Kinesiology II | 2 |
OTFY 4250 | Group Process in Occup Therapy | 4 |
OTFY 4260 | Cognition Percep Vision -Funct | 3 |
OTFY 4303 | Research Methods I | 3 |
Hours | 16 | |
Fifth Year | ||
Summer | ||
GMOT 6960 | Health Care Policies Organiz | 3 |
GMOT 6970 | Fieldwork Preparation | 1 |
GMOT 6980 | Wellness - Entrepreneurship II | 4 |
Hours | 8 | |
First Semester | ||
Professional Year II | ||
GMOT 6700 | Professional Formation III | 2 |
GMOT 6750 | Health Med Complexities Adults | 2 |
GMOT 6760 | Evaluation of Adults | 2 |
GMOT 6770 | Intervention for Adults | 6 |
GMOT 7320 | Research Methods II | 2 |
Hours | 14 | |
Second Semester | ||
GMOT 6780 | Prof Ethics in Occup Therapy | 2 |
GMOT 6800 | Professional Formation IV | 2 |
GMOT 6850 | Hlth Med Complex Children Adol | 2 |
GMOT 6860 | Evaluation Children Adolescent | 2 |
GMOT 6870 | Intervention for Children Adol | 5 |
GMOT 6880 | Wellness - Entrepreneurship I | 3 |
Hours | 16 | |
Sixth Year | ||
Summer | ||
GMOT 7033 | Fieldwork Level II, Phase III (Optional) | 3 |
Hours | 3 | |
First Semester | ||
Professional Year III | ||
GMOT 7013 | Fieldwork Level II-Phase I | 3 |
Hours | 3 | |
Second Semester | ||
GMOT 7000 | Professional Formation V | 1 |
GMOT 7023 | Fieldwork Level II, Phase II | 3 |
Hours | 4 | |
Total Hours | 133 |
Consult the College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum for information regarding these courses.
Should be started during Summer Semester Sophomore Year but can be completed any time before the end of junior year. This is a requirement for admission to the graduate professional phase of the program, and students are responsible for arranging their own observation experience.
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