Bachelor of Science to Advanced MS/OTD Program
The University of New Hampshire Department of Occupational Therapy offers a Bachelor's Degree leading to an entry with Advanced Standing into our MS or OTD program. Students in the Bachelor of Science (BS) program smoothly enter into one of the graduate programs by completing professional level OT courses as part of their BS degree. The BS and MS degree programs are completed in five and half years, while the BS and OTD programs require 6 years with two summer terms. Students declare their intent to graduate with an Advanced Standing MS or an Advanced Standing OTD at the end of their sophomore year. Students may enter the BS program as first-year students or apply to transfer within UNH into the BS program during the fall semester of their sophomore year, space permitting. Students interested in transferring into this program should contact the Department of Occupational Therapy for information about transfer requirements, the application process and deadlines.
Students' academic advisor guides them through a stream-lined application process to enter the Occupational Therapy: Advanced Standing MS or OTD Program during the senior year. Students must have a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average, earned a B- or above in all professional level OT courses (700 level or higher), with no more than 8 credits at B-, pass level I fieldwork, and meet professional behavioral standards, which are detailed in the OT Department Policy and Procedure Manual, available to all OT students on the department's learning platform, MyCourses.
The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929; telephone: 301-652-AOTA; website: www.acoteonline.org grants accreditation to entry level MS and OTD programs in the United States. Our Master's degree program is currently accredited by ACOTE.
The OTD program at the University of New Hampshire has received candidacy for accreditation from the ACOTE. The program must have a pre-accreditation review, complete an onsite evaluation, and be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Certification examination.
After completing the Master's degree or OTD in occupational therapy, including 24 weeks of Level II Fieldwork, students will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination offered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), which is required to practice as an occupational therapist. Detailed information regarding the Occupational Therapy: Advanced Standing MS and OTD Program may be found in the UNH Graduate Catalog. A felony conviction may affect a graduate's ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.

