{"id":327,"date":"2016-03-03T21:14:25","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T01:14:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/127.0.0.1\/rcm\/eps\/master-of-science-in-occupational-therapy\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T12:16:25","slug":"master-of-science-in-occupational-therapy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rcm1.rcm.upr.edu\/eps\/master-of-science-in-occupational-therapy\/","title":{"rendered":"Master of Science in Occupational Therapy"},"content":{"rendered":"

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General Information<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The program consists of a full-time curriculum delivered entirely, in an on-site\/<\/strong>in person <\/strong>modality. All classes are taught in Spanish<\/strong>. The rounded length of the program, including break periods, is two and a half years, with 23 months dedicated to coursework. Students must complete four semesters (18 weeks each) and one summer session (4 weeks) of didactic coursework, followed by six months (24 weeks) of clinical fieldwork. This fieldwork is divided into either three 8-week full-time periods or two 12-week full-time periods. Upon meeting all graduation requirements, students are awarded a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy.<\/p>\n

The entry-level occupational therapy master\u2019s 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\u00a07501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E Bethesda, MD\u00a0 20814.\u00a0ACOTE\u2019s telephone number c\/o AOTA is (301) 652-AOTA and its Web address is\u00a0https:\/\/acoteonline.org\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Licensure is required to practice in Puerto Rico and in most states. To be eligible for the licensure test offered by the Puerto Rico Occupational Therapy Board of Examiners students must satisfactorily complete both the didactic courses and the 24 weeks of Level II fieldwork. Graduates of the program are also eligible to sit for the national certification examination in occupational therapy, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).<\/p>\n

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. 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.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”15px”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

Admission Requirements<\/h2>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Candidates for admission to the entry-level master\u2019s degree in occupational therapy must:<\/p>\n