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College of Health Sciences
Occupational Therapy

OTA to MOT Bridge Program (Master of Occupational Therapy)

THE DUE DATE FOR APPLICATIONS AND SUPPLEMENTAL ITEMS IS MARCH 1.
 
**PLEASE NOTE: The GROUP interviews via Zoom has been scheduled.
 
The dates for the upcoming MOT Program group Zoom interviews will be March 11-13, 2024.

MOT Course Information

The OTA to MOT program is a 2 year combination online/onsite program. Students can expect to meet on-campus each semester for face-to-face learning. Applicants to the OTA to MOT bridge program must be a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA), have obtained a bachelor’s degree, and have met the pre-requisites prior to application to the program.

If you are looking for a bachelor’s degree, ULM offers many online degrees through the eULM program at ulm.edu/onlinedegrees

Applications must be submitted the the "Apply Now" link at https://www.ulm.edu/admissions/apply.html, no later than March 1 before 12:00 noon. The application and all supplemental items must be uploaded by that date in order to be considered complete.

Application Requirements

1. Submit application to the University of Louisiana at Monroe Graduate School for admission into graduate programs. For information go to ulm.edu/gradschool/

2. Submit supplemental items electronically through the Graduate School application portal. Supplemental items include:

A. Official application completed in full
B. Copy of transcript from each academic institution
C. Current resume (vitae) of employment history, career history, and extracurricular activities
D. Statement of Professional Goals (professional philosophy/educational desires; 300 - 500 words)
E. Three Letters of Recommendation (professional and/or academic)
F. Copy of applicable current U.S. professional occupational therapy assistant license and NBCOT certification
G. Signed Technology Literacy Self-Evaluation
H. Video submission - Follow the Application Video Submission Requirements below. Upload your video to 
    YouTube and email the link to Patti Calk (calk@ulm.edu) and Carolyn Murphy (cmurphy@ulm.edu) and
    request a verification email that it was received.

MOT Program Application Video Submission Requirements

Your preparation and presentation in your video should reflect professionalism consistent with a face-to-face interview. Points will be deducted if you read verbatim from notes.

The video should be between 3-5 minutes uploaded to YouTube.

Within the video, please introduce and tell us a little about yourself. Following your introduction, discuss your responses to the questions below.

 I. MOT Program Group Interview- The interview session provides the faculty/admission committee with an
    opportunity to learn more about applicants and their interests, to observe the applicant’s communication 
    skills and to assess their ability to participate and interact in a group setting. In the interview, 4-6
    applicants will engage in small group discussion and a problem-solving task. Each applicant will have time
    to respond to all questions.

An email with the group interview date and time and Zoom link will be sent to each qualified applicant. Applicants should familiarize themselves with the Zoom app ahead of time so that they are prepared at the time of the interview.

 J. An application fee of $55.00 for the MOT Program will be submitted through the Graduate School
    application portal. (Note: This is separate from the $40 Graduate School application fee for a total of $95.)

Additional Prerequisites

 

Admissions Information

Applicants to the OTA to MOT bridge program must be certified as Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) with a minimum of one-year experience or 1,000 hours as a practicing COTA.

Applicants must maintain a minimum of 20 hours/month client contact throughout the program. Applicants also must have completed the following in order to be considered for admission:

                

Regular Status 

Applicants must meet one of the following minimum requirements to be regularly admitted:


Any graduate, terminal, or professional degree from a regionally accredited university

OR
a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (based on a 4.0 scale) from a regionally accredited university

OR
a GPA of 2.75 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework from a regionally accredited university

Conditional Status

Applicants must meet one of the following minimum requirements to be conditionally admitted:

Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale) from a regionally accredited university

OR
a GPA of 2.5 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework from a regionally accredited university

OR
Minimum formula score of 622.6 (2.2 GPA x 283 GRE) or for MBA applicants only, 1000 (GPA x 200 + GMAT) 

OR
With a GPA of 2.2 or higher, some candidates with 5 years of employment in a relevant field of study may qualify for a waiver of test scores.

Some programs only allow conditional status for undergraduate deficiencies. For applicants who are admitted conditionally because they do not meet GPA and/or GRE requirements, this status will be removed after a minimum of 12 semester hours of graduate coursework is completed at the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a 3.0 GPA, and with no grades of C or below.  If these requirements are not met, the student will be denied continuance in Graduate School.


Provisional and Non-Degree Status

Provisional status is given to applicants who are in the process of obtaining official transcripts or GRE/GMAT scores. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in provisional status is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale). No more than six credit hours of coursework may be completed under provisional status, and students admitted provisionally are not eligible for financial aid.

Applicants who wish to enroll in selected course offerings but not pursue a formal degree program may be considered for admission as non-degree students. The minimum requirement for taking graduate courses in non-degree status is a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.5 (based on a 4.0 scale). Some programs have additional requirements, and/or exceptions to requirement, for taking courses under non-degree status.

A maximum of six semester hours of graduate credit earned in provisional admission status, including credit earned at University of Louisiana at Monroe and approved transfer credit, may be counted toward master’s or doctoral degree. The six semester hours must be included on the student’s approved degree plan to be counted toward the hours required for completion of the degree. Applicants who are accepted provisionally are admitted until regular or conditional status requirements are met.

  Note: MOT program admission requirements include minimum GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last 30   
            hours

 

Pre-Requisites

Pre-Requisite Needed Notes
Human Anatomy* with Lab
Human Physiology*
* If courses are listed as combined Anatomy and Physiology courses, both of the accompanying laboratories must be taken, e.g. Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) I plus lab and A&P II plus lab.
Statistics A statistics course from a math department or psychology department can be used to meet this requirement. (ULM OTA graduates would have already met this requirement)
Human Growth & Development A development course in any discipline can be used for Human Growth and Development as long as it covers the life span. (ULM OTA graduates would have already met this requirement)
Introduction to Psychology ULM OTA graduates would have already met this requirement
Abnormal Psychology  
Introduction to Sociology or Introductory Anthropology Either Introduction to Sociology or Introduction to Anthropology must be taken to meet this requirement. (ULM OTA graduates would have already met this requirement)
Conditions in Occupational Therapy Practice Developmental, Adult, and Mental Health Pathology course of conditions commonly seen in occupational therapy practice. (ULM OTA graduates would have already met this requirement)

 

Pre-requisite Transfer Credit Approval Policy

Pre-requisite Transfer Credit Approval Policy

All prerequisite coursework must be reviewed by a ULM Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) Program Academic Advisor and approved by either Dr. Patti Calk or Dr. Carolyn Murphy. An official evaluation of transfer credit will take place after college transcripts from all schools attended are emailed to Dr. Patti Calk (calk@ulm.edu) and Dr. Carolyn Murphy (cmurphy@ulm.edu), who will then assign the student to an MOT Academic Advisor. The Transfer Credit Equivalency/Comparison Search located at https://webservices.ulm.edu/flightpath/tools/transfer-search allows prospective students to view ULM equivalents for courses taken at other institutions. For courses that are not found on ULM’s Flightpath Transfer Credit Equivalency/Comparison search, a catalog description and/or course syllabus will need to be submitted for evaluation to determine if the course meets the pre-requisite requirement.

There is no advanced placement or credit for experiential learning, nor will substitution or transfer credit be given for occupational therapy courses taken at another.

This procedure is posted on the ULM MOT website at https://www.ulm.edu/ot/mot.html.

Progression in the Master of Occupational Therapy Program

  • Students accepted into the MOT program are required to fulfill the immunization requirements of the university. Immunization information provided https://www.ulm.edu/immunization/.
  • The student has two academic years (5 academic semesters) to successfully complete the didactic coursework of the program prior to going on Level II fieldwork. A student who fails to do so will be required to appear before The University of Louisiana at Monroe Occupational Therapy Academic Performance Committee for a hearing to determine continuation in the program.
  • Students must register for and complete the courses concurrently each semester. If a student does not successfully complete one or more courses, the students must repeat the full semester of concurrent courses. Courses cannot be taken out of sequence. Prior to Level II Fieldwork, each semester consists of four 3-credit required courses that must be successfully completed to progress to the next semester.
  • Completion of all Level II Fieldwork experiences must be no later than 18 months following completion of the academic course work.  Every effort will be made to have the student complete the fieldwork experiences immediately following the completion of the didactic portion of the curriculum.
  • The student must complete all required didactic occupational therapy courses with no grade lower than ‘C’ and not more than six semester hours of credit with a grade of ‘C’.
  • A minimum cumulative, uncorrected GPA of 3.000 on a 4.000 scale is required for continued enrollment.
  • The student must observe all prerequisites in the sequential pursuance of courses leading to a Master of Occupational Therapy degree.
  • Before going on Level II Fieldwork clinical affiliations, students must have a minimum cumulative, uncorrected grade point average of at least 3.000.
  • The Academic Performance Committee has the right and responsibility to impose sanctions on a student who is not in compliance with ethical, professional behavior or patient welfare guidelines of the program after following due process guidelines of the program. Sanctions can include dismissal from a course with a grade of "F" and may result in permanent dismissal from the program.
  • A student who does not receive a grade of "C" or better on any Level II Fieldwork placement shall be dismissed from the program. Students must complete all Level II Fieldwork requirements within 18 months following the completion of occupational therapy content courses.
  • Students who fail to successfully meet all MOT requirements, including Level II Fieldwork, will be dismissed from the program. Students may request to appear before the Academic Performance Committee to determine conditions which might allow continuation in the program.
  • A Professional Development Assessment will be completed at midterm and during finals each semester. Students must earn a score of 69/76 to remain and progress in the program. For EACH area in which you score less than a “2”, you must set a goal and develop an action plan.

Questions?

If you have any questions regarding application requirements and timelines, please contact Dr. Patti Calk (calk@ulm.edu) or Dr. Carolyn Murphy (cmurphy@ulm.edu) in the Occupational Therapy Department or your advisor in the Student Success Center.

 


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