Occupational Science/Occupational Therapy
Department of Rehabilitation Science
School of Public Health and Health Professsions
515 Kimball Tower
South Campus
Buffalo, NY 14214-3079
Phone: 716.829.3141
Fax: 716.829.3217
Web: phhp.buffalo.edu/ot
Michael F. Noe
Interim Chair
Susan M. Nochajski
Program Director
About the Department
The Occupational Therapy program is housed in the Department of Rehabilitation Science. While the Department of Rehabilitation Science is relatively new, the OT program has a long history; in 2004, it will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a program at UB.
The B.S./M.S. program in occupational therapy is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, P.O. Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, (301) 652-AOTA. The program is rated very highly by the Gourman Report, which rates undergraduate programs in American and international universities.
Degrees Offered
Combined: B.S./M.S. in Occupational Science/Occupational Therapy
Graduate: M.S. in Occupational Therapy, Graduate Certificate in Assistive/Rehabilitation Technology
About Our Degrees
Acceptance Criteria
Students must complete the required pre-requisite courses with a grade of "C" or better and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in the pre-requisite courses to advance to professional level status during the summer between the sophomore and junior years.
**Beginning January 1, 2007, occupational therapy programs will only be accredited at the post baccalaureate degree level. Applicants should contact the program for the most current pre-admission requirements**
Acceptance Information
The Occupational Therapy Program has a Freshman Admission Policy. Students who declare occupational therapy as their major on the UB application are automatically accepted into the occupational therapy program. Courses in the first two years of the B.S. program meet the general education requirements and occupational science pre-requisite courses.
Degree Requirements
See the Undergraduate Catalog.
Transfer Policy
Students can enter the Occupational Therapy program as transfer students from another institution. Any transfer student who meets the minimum requirements for admission into the University at Buffalo is qualified for acceptance directly into the Occupational Therapy program; however, courses completed at other colleges or universities are not automatically accepted by the program as fulfilling the pre-requisite requirements. Determination is made by an evaluation of the student’s transcripts, course descriptions, and credit hours. It is recommended that prospective transfer students contact the department to determine the suitability of prior coursework. Also, all students must meet the criteria for promotion to the professional sequence of the program. (See aulitional information under Acceptance Information).
Currently, the program has an articulation agreement with Jamestown Community College and prerequisite course equivalencies have been established.
About Our Courses
For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.
About Our Faculty
Each faculty member is committed to teaching, research, and community service as part of his/her responsibilities to fulfill the mission of the department, school, and university.
Special Academic Opportunities
Independent Study
Students can elect to study specific topics of interest under the mentorship of OT faculty.
Internships
Six months of fieldwork in New York State or other states in the U.S.A. is required of all majors; including three months of fieldwork in a selected service area (i.e. mental health, homecare, pediatrics, geriatrics), and three months in physical disabilities.
Study Abroad
Occupational therapy students have the opportunity to travel to Brazil to visit occupational therapy educational programs, rehabilitation programs, clinics, and hospitals. Students also have the opportunity to host and interact with Brazilian students, both professionally and socially, who are visiting the University at Buffalo.
Extracurricular Activities
- American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
- American Student Committee of the Occupational Therapy Association (ASCOTA)
- New York State Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (NYSOTA)
- Pi Theta Epsilon [OT honor society]
- UB Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA)
See the UB Student Association.
Complementary Programs and Courses
Majors that Complement Occupational Therapy
- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary: Health and Human Services
Minors that Complement Occupational Therapy
- Anthropology
- Management Science and Systems
- Sociology
- Speech and Hearing Science
Courses Outside Occupational Therapy that Could Improve Employment Opportunities
- Health care administration
- Medical ethics
- Methods of Inquiry (GSE 155)
Advising Information
During the pre-professional phase of the program (years 1 and 2), occupational therapy students should contact Diane Gayles at (716) 829-3434, ext. 287 or Cassandra Walker-Whiteside at (716) 829-3434, ext. 410 for academic advisement; transfer students should contact Douglas Frye at (716) 829-3141, ext. 190. Upon promotion to the professional sequence of the program, each student is assigned a faculty advisor from the occupational therapy program.
Career Information
Occupational therapy is the use of purposeful activity and interventions to achieve functional outcomes. "Achieving functional outcomes" means to maximize the independence and the maintenance of health of any individual who is limited by physical injury or illness, cognitive impairment, pyschosocial dysfunction, mental illness, developmental or learning disabilities, or an adverse environmental condition.
Employment of occupational therapists is expected to increase faster than average for all occupations through 2008 (with the majority of this growth expected to occur in the second half of this projection period).
Work settings include:
Occupational therapists work in all types of private, nonprofit and public settings including schools, job training services, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, and community health agencies.
Degree Level Required
**Beginning January 1, 2007, occupational therapy programs will only be accredited at the post-baccalaureate degree level.
Salary Information
Beginning salaries: $30,000 - 50,000
Factors influencing salary: Skills, experience, and specialization According to Occupational Outlook Handbook 2000-2001, median earnings of occupational therapists were $48,230 in 1998. The miulle 50 percent earned between $39,140 and $68,570 per year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $30,850 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $86,540 per year.
Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest number of occupational therapists in 1997 were as follows:
Nursing and personal care facilities
$57,000
Offices of other health care practitioners
$51,800
Hospitals
$46,200
Elementary and secondary schools
$38,200
Aulitional Resources
American Occupational Therapy Association