Master of Science in Occupational Therapy

General Information

The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy is the first and only entry-level professional program in Puerto Rico that prepares occupational therapists at the master’s level. This program allows individuals with baccalaureate degrees in fields other than Occupational Therapy to become occupational therapists. The program is offered in Spanish.

Occupational Therapy is a profession dedicated to enabling individuals or groups to engage in meaningful, purposeful, and relevant activities. It aims to enhance productivity and enrich lives by promoting participation in a variety of daily tasks. Occupational therapists view occupations as all activities people undertake to occupy themselves, including self-care, caregiving, work, education, play, leisure, and social interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and the broader community. The primary focus of Occupational Therapy is to enhance performance, prevent illness and disability, and foster adaptation to life changes. Occupational therapists assess, utilize, and adapt everyday activities to improve function, enhance performance, promote health, prevent illness, and increase independence among their clients. They consider not only the physical effects of injuries or diseases but also address psycho-social, community, and environmental factors that influence overall function.

Occupational therapists work in a diverse array of settings including hospitals, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, mental health centers, schools, pediatric clinics, community centers, workplaces, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, home health care, and private practices. They offer services across all areas of occupation, helping individuals engage in their everyday activities.

The academic program is conducted in Spanish and spans two and a half years (27 months) as a full-time commitment. Students must complete two years of didactic coursework, followed by six months of clinical fieldwork, totaling 24 weeks. This fieldwork is divided into either three 8-week full-time periods or two 12-week full-time periods. Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months after finishing the didactic portion. Upon meeting all graduation requirements, students are awarded a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.

The entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is currently accredited for ten years (2022-2032) by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD  20814. ACOTE’s telephone number c/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is https://acoteonline.org/.

Licensure is required to practice in Puerto Rico and in most states. If you have a felony or misdemeanor conviction, eligibility for certification and licensure can be affected. It is your responsibility to contact the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy and/or the PR Examination Board, Department of Health, to determine eligibility.

Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination in occupational therapy, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). To be eligible for the licensure test offered by the Puerto Rico Occupational Therapy Board of Examiners and the NBCOT certification exam, students must satisfactorily complete both the didactic courses and the 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork. Approval of the Puerto Rico licensure test allows graduates to practice the profession in Puerto Rico, while successful completion of the NBCOT certification exam enables them to practice the profession in both Puerto Rico and the United States.

Admission Requirements

Candidates for admission for the entry-level master’s degree in occupational therapy must:

• Possess a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than Occupational Therapy from a regionally accredited institution, recognized by USDE.
• Have a minimum overall/general Grade Point Average of 2.8
• Have a Specific Grade Point Average of 3.00 in the following pre-requisite courses:

• Applicants should have at least 12 credits of the pre-requisite courses approved, including 3 credits in Human Anatomy and Physiology by the application submission deadline January 31 of each year.
• All pre-requisite courses shall be completed by the month of May of the year of application/admission to the program.
• Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing), within five years of admission date. There is no required minimum GRE score. Test report must be available before application submission deadline January 31.
• After an initial evaluation of the admission criteria with all applicants, the program’s Admissions Committee will determine which candidates will be invited to write an essay as a final part of the evaluation process.
• Submit a written essay of an assigned topic on a specific day selected by the Admission Committee.
• A laptop computer or equivalent portable device and internet access are required.
• Have oral and written knowledge and fluency in English and Spanish.

Courses Validation Table

These validation tables list most of the courses accepted for our program. If a course is not included in these tables, please send an email to reclutamiento-terapiaocupacionaleps.rcm@upr.edu with a scanned copy of your university transcript and the course syllabus for evaluation.

• Pre-requisite courses of the University of Puerto Rico System
• Pre-requisite courses from all Private Universities of Puerto Rico

Weight of Admission Requirements

General Grade Point Average (GPA): 30%
Specific Grade Point Average (Grade Point Average in Pre-requisite Courses): 30%
Admission Test (GRE): 30%
Written Essay: 10%
Deadline to submit application: January 31.

Online application submission: https://solicitud.upr.edu/

Transfer Credit Policy

Students who have approved course credits from an entry-level Occupational Therapy program can make a written request for evaluation of possible credit transfer. For specific transfer credit eligibility criteria and procedures see Policy.

• Transfer Credit Policy 2021-2022 (English Translation)
• Transfer Credit Policy 2021-2022 (Spanish)

Cost of Attendance, Tuition & Fees

The following table shows the estimate of total cost of attendance, tuition costs and fees for the 2024-2025 academic year. Health insurance may vary on an annual basis according to negotiation with the insurances companies and type of coverage. Students from the United States who are not Puerto Rico residents pay the local cost. Nonresident students who are foreign citizens pay the local cost as graduate students. All amounts and fees are subject to change.

• Occupational Therapy Fees

Graduation Requirements

To graduate, students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete all the requirements of the didactic (68 credits) and the fieldwork component (16 credits) of the curriculum with a minimum GPA of 2.8, within a maximum period of 5 years after registration as first year OT student.
• Demonstrate professional behaviors considered acceptable by faculty and fieldwork supervisors and in accordance with regulations of the Medical Sciences Campus and the Occupational Therapy Program.

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Professional Courses – Total semester Credit-hours 84

Course Descriptions

• Medical Sciences Campus Catalog and look for the Course Descriptions for this Program

Informative Sheet

• Informative Sheet of the Program

National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy

For the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy Test Pass Rate Results, please click in this link to see the passing rate of the University of Puerto Rico: https://www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.

Program Admission and Graduation Rates

Candidates for admission to the entry-level master’s degree in occupational therapy must:

• Possess a baccalaureate degree in a discipline other than Occupational Therapy from a regionally accredited institution, recognized by USDE.
• Have a minimum overall/general Grade Point Average of 2.8
• Have a Specific Grade Point Average of 3.00 in the following pre-requisite courses:

• Applicants should have at least 12 credits of the pre-requisite courses approved, including 3 credits in Human Anatomy and Physiology by the application submission deadline January 31 of each year.
• All pre-requisite courses shall be completed by the month of May of the year of application/admission to the program.
• Take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing), within five years of admission date. There is no required minimum GRE score. The test report must be available before the application submission deadline January 31.
• After an initial evaluation of the admission criteria with all applicants, the program’s Admissions Committee will determine which candidates will be invited to write an essay as a final part of the evaluation process.
• Submit a written essay of an assigned topic on a specific day selected by the Admission Committee.
• A laptop computer or equivalent portable device and internet access are required.
• Have oral and written knowledge and fluency in English and Spanish.

Telephones

Director
787-758-2525 ext. 4210

Ms. Katiria Rivera
Secretary
787-758-2525 ext. 4200, 4203
For additional Program information:  reclutamiento-terapiaocupacionaleps.rcm@upr.edu

Professional Links

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
https://www.aota.org/

Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)
https://acoteonline.org

World Federation of Occupational Therapists
https://www.wfot.org

Canadian Association of Occupational Therapist
http://www.caot.ca/

Colegio de Profesionales de Terapia Ocupacional
http://www.cptopr.org/