Interested in our MOT program? To view our virtual information session, click here!
OT Virtual
Information Session
Information will
be Live via Zoom
Wednesday, April7, 2021
or
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Join Us!
Stroke, brain injury, birth injury, accidents, disease,
disability—any of these can change a person's life in a single moment. Governors State’s Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT)
prepares the Occupational Therapists who will guide clients through long-term
recovery and shape and lead the profession in years to come. Our graduates are
well-versed in the sciences and skills that enable clients to restore function
and adapt to the new realities and limitations that follow life-altering
events. The MOT program places a strong emphasis on advocacy,
communication, critical reasoning, and lifelong learning—skills and activities
that distinguish our graduates and empower them to become highly effective
professionals.
Occupational
therapists come from a variety of backgrounds, but they all have one thing in
common: a mission to help change lives. You must hold an undergraduate degree for admission to the MOT program,
and while no specific undergraduate major degree is required, certain course
prerequisites must be acquired prior to admission.
Reach your career
goals.
Occupational
Therapy is consistently ranked among the top professions in the United States. In
2017 alone, it was included in rankings by Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, MSN Money, and Glassdoor, among others. If you are an Occupational
Therapy Assistant (OTA) wishing to advance your career, you can achieve your
bachelor’s degree through Governors State’s Interdisciplinary Studies
program—the next step on your way to becoming an Occupational Therapist.
Why get a Master’s
Degree in Occupational Therapy?
As a graduate student of the MOT program, you will gain an
appreciation for the individual and gain an understanding of cultural
identities and the role they play in shaping therapy. Our graduates work to
make the profession and its services available to all and to eliminate the
health disparities that exclude many from the level of care and participation
they deserve.
Data
collected in 2018 reflected the median annual salary of Occupational Therapists
at $84,270 with an average range of $67,140 – $99,300 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Delivery Format
The Master of Occupational Therapy degree is an intensive,
102 credit hour program that provides students with the comprehensive knowledge
and skills they need to become licensed, practicing members of the profession who
help clients master the tasks of daily living. Admittance to the program takes
place once a year, with courses beginning in the summer session.
The MOT curriculum is sequential. Duringthe first year, coursework lays a strong
foundation in the sciences, ethics, the processes of Occupational Therapy, and
multiculturalism. Students gain a thorough understanding of anatomy,
physiology, movement analysis, and neuroscience.Second year coursework builds on the first year’s foundational
courses and teaches students to apply their skills in increasingly complex
environments. Several clinical experiences are integrated into second year
coursework, and students learn through case method learning and evidence-based
research.The final year is primarily fieldwork that bridges the theoretical with
real-life practice.
MOT Program Tuition and Fee for Academic
Year 2020-2021 are 633.00 per credit hour.
Indiana residents pay
the same amount as Illinois residents. Tuition and fees are subject to change.
Accreditation
The
Governors State University Master of Occupational Therapy program is accredited
by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 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 acoteonline.org
In May 2019 received accreditation for 10 years until
2028.
MOT HRSA Grant
The MOT program was recently awarded a Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students grant through the Health Resources & Services Administration. The award of $2.688 million will be dispersed over five years, beginning with the incoming Fall 2020 semester. Ten MOT students–new and/or current–will receive this year’s SDS scholarship, with the number of recipients next year increasing to 15 through the year 2025.
For questions regarding the application process, please contact Dr. Caren Schranz at cschranz@govst.edu.

Lauren Green, Occupational Therapy Student Alumni
My experience in the Master of Occupational Therapy program at GSU has been amazing and incomparable. Our small class sizes ensure a quality learning experience, and the professors are truly invested in us—they go to great lengths to make sure we understand and are competent with the information needed to succeed and grow as a student and knowledgeable occupational therapist. We also take part in countless community experiences where we apply our skills and knowledge to various settings in the community. Not only are the experiences eye opening and rewarding, but these opportunities allow a learning experience that could never be simulated in a classroom.

Caren Schranz, Chair of Occupational Therapy and Associate Professor
Our well-established Occupational Therapy program is fueled by faculty members who are passionate about OT, invested in student learning and connected to the community; their strong research agendas and collaborative research with students is integrated with community partners. In addition, our facilities, including our state-of-the-art ADL (Activities of Daily Life) lab provides students with opportunities to practice providing care for clients in a setting that is authentic to their future careers.