Careers In Occupational Therapy
Occupational Therapy is a dynamic and growing health profession that intersects with medical, educational and community-based systems to serve people who face injuries, disability, or disadvantages relative to the things they want, need, and are required to do in their everyday lives - those things the profession calls occupations.
Occupational therapists work across the lifespan and across service areas to ensure that people, organizations, and populations have the needed capacities and skills, the just-right environments, and the social opportunities, to live life to the fullest.
Whether in an acute medical setting, an outpatient or rehabilitation center, a community mental health program, a pediatric clinic, or a public school, occupational therapists all have in common the goal of engaging people in meaningful activity to develop, restore or maintain health and optimal functioning.
Fall 2025 application process is now open!
The MSOT application will open early fall and remain open until the deadline January 1, 2025.
To learn more about the program, join us at an upcoming virtual information session!
Sign up at https://grad.appstate.edu/portal/bchs
Explore the Admission Requirements, including Prerequisite Coursework
About The Program
The Master of Science program in occupational therapy at Appalachian State University is a 24-month full-time, year-round program that began with its first cohort of 24 students in Fall 2024. Students in the program will benefit from coursework that integrates fieldwork and service opportunities, interprofessional learning events and interaction with an engaged and experienced faculty. Applications will be accepted each fall for enrollment for the following fall.
The occupational therapy program is part of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences housed in the Beaver College of Health Sciences (BCHS), along with multiple other undergraduate and graduate degree programs related to health and well-being. Levine Hall is a state-of-the-art teaching facility with over 200,000 square feet of educational, experiential and research space that is currently home to over 3,700 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. The Occupational Therapy program partners with the Interprofessional Clinic, where students will benefit from observing and assisting faculty engaged in clinical service provision.
Learn more about the course of study.
Program Accreditation
The MSOT Program at Appalachian State University is currently in Candidacy Status for accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. In July 2025, the program will submit a full self-study application in preparation for a culminating site visit in Spring 2026. This accreditation timeline is designed to involve the first two groups of students and is a typical timeframe for new programs.
ACOTE program letter to prospective students.
Applications Open for '25 Cohort Until Jan. 1
Nov. 18, 2024
In August, App State welcomed its inaugural cohort of 24 students into the new Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program on the Boone campus. The program, offered through the Beaver College of Health Sciences'Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, expands App State's health sciences offerings and addresses the growing demand for occupational therapists to work in rural and underserved areas, especially Western North Carolina. Applications are open for the second cohort; to apply, visit graduate.appstate.edu/graduate-admissions/apply-graduate-school and apply before Jan. 1, 2025.
Why Choose App State's OT Program?
Choosing to study occupational therapy at Appalachian State University provides:
access to the resources of a leading university and highly innovative Beaver College of Health Sciences
a cost-effective education delivered in as efficient a time frame as possible
engagement with experienced faculty with a range of educational, clinical, and community practice backgrounds
access to a state-of-the-art simulation lab to promote collaboration with other health disciplines
an interprofessional education and practice program in which students can earn three digital badges to augment their professional portfolios
the opportunity to study in the scenic North Carolina High Country