Pre-Occupational Therapy, A.S. < West Virginia University

Degree Offered

Associate of Science

Nature of the Program

The associate of science in pre-occupational therapy program satisfies the course requirements for admission to the master's program in occupational therapy offered by the School of Medicine at West Virginia University. Registration in the first two years does not automatically assure the student a place in the junior class. A student will be accepted on a competitive basis and selection will be based on scholastic standing and on those personal characteristics that are desirable in occupational therapists. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 cumulatively and in prerequisite coursework.

A minimum of 20 hours of observation with at least two occupational therapists at two different sites is required to apply to the master's program. Two letters of recommendation are also required. Students applying to the master's program may only be enrolled in a maximum of 3 prerequisite courses at the time of application.

The pre-occupational therapy program provides a foundation in biology, math, physics, physiology, psychology and sociology required for admission into and success in the occupational therapy masters program at WVU School of Medicine. Students planning to apply to other occupational therapy programs should determine admission requirements and transfer equivalencies for the courses offered at WVU Potomac State College and the institution they plan to attend. Students planning to apply to the doctorate program in occupational therapy must receive a baccalaureate degree and complete the GRE exam, as well as complete the prerequisite courses required. The pre-occupational therapy degree fulfills all the prerequisites course requirements for the doctorate program, but does not provide a baccalaureate degree. A bachelor's degree in exercise physiology is preferred for the doctorate program.

Career Opportunities

Occupational therapists advise patient and family about in-home treatment options and exercises, advise on home and workplace environmental alterations, help people to return to work, coach people with learning difficulties or poor social skills in hospitals, patient homes, nursing homes, schools and other health care facilities.

General Education Foundations

Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.

NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
General Education Foundations
F1 - Composition & Rhetoric		3-6
ENGL 101 & ENGL 102	Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research
or ENGL 103	Accelerated Academic Writing
F2A/F2B - Science & Technology		4-6
F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning		3-4
F4 - Society & Connections		3
F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past		3
F6 - The Arts & Creativity		3
F7 - Global Studies & Diversity		3
F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree)		9
Total Hours		31-37

Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.

Curriculum Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
GEF Elective Requirements (5, 6 and 7)		9
ENGL 101 & ENGL 102	Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research (GEF 1)	6
MATH 124	Algebra with Applications (or higher)	3
STAT 211	Elementary Statistical Inference (GEF 3)	3
BIOL 101 & 101L	General Biology 1 and General Biology 1 Laboratory (GEF 2)	4
BIOL 102 & 102L	General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory	4
PSIO 241	Elementary Physiology	4
PSYC 101	Introduction to Psychology	3
PSYC 241	Introduction to Human Development (GEF 8)	3
PSYC 281	Introduction to Psychological Disorders (GEF 8)	3
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology (GEF 8)	3
or ANTH 105	Introduction to Anthropology
EXPH 240	Medical Terminology	2
or PALM 200	Medical Terminology
WVUE 191	First Year Seminar	1
Elective		12
Total Hours		60

Suggested Plan of Study

First Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
BIOL 101 & 101L (GEF 2)	4	ENGL 101 (GEF 1)	3
MATH 124	3	STAT 211	3
PSYC 101	3	BIOL 102 & 102L	4
WVUE 191	1	PSYC 241 (GEF 8)	3
GEF 5	3	SOC 101 or ANTH 105 (GEF 8)	3
	14		16
Second Year
Fall	Hours	Spring	Hours
ENGL 102 (GEF 1)	3	PSIO 241	4
EXPH 240 or PALM 200	2	PSYC 281	3
GEF 6	3	Elective	3
GEF 7	3	Elective	3
Elective	3	Elective	1
Elective	2
	16		14
Total credit hours: 60

Major Learning Outcomes