Why Should I Choose Sacred Heart University’s Occupational Therapy Program?

Having trouble deciding between OT programs? Learn why SHU has the program for you.

Occupational therapy (OT) is a health-care profession promoting health and wellbeing through occupations and daily life activities. Clients in OT are looking to more effectively overcome physical, emotional and social challenges. As an occupational therapist, you will help clients overcome challenges by focusing on the occupations and activities they want and need to do in their daily lives such as taking care of themselves, participating in social and leisure pursuits, school or employment.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupational therapists require a master’s degree to practice in the field. With many OT programs in the tri-state area, you may be struggling to decide which one is right for you. Sharon McCloskey is the department chair and program director of Sacred Heart University’s master of science degree in occupational therapy (MSOT) program, and has shared what makes the program stand out from others in the area.

Curriculum

To be a successful occupational therapist, you not only need to have the skillset, the mindset and knowledge to care for clients, individuals, groups or populations, but also must understand specific, individualistic, occupation-based practices for people with all kinds of health challenges. In SHU’s program, students obtain skills to care for a variety of clients and, through experiential hands-on learning, students learn what it means to care for an individual’s physical, mental health and social-emotional needs. The program has a semester dedicated to developing mental health competencies together with semesters that emphasize adult rehabilitation and pediatric skills and competencies.

“We give our students opportunities to understand the human journey from different perspectives. They work with young children, adults and families with mental health concerns, individuals with spinal cord injuries and much more. Our students are provided with diverse learning opportunities to understand different health challenges across the lifespan,” said McCloskey.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is crucial for students to hone and apply the skills and knowledge they have obtained in the classroom in a real-life setting. Students in SHU’s program complete their clinical hours in local and national communities. They work at the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery Center, Bridge House, homeless shelters, food pantries, nursing homes, early childhood education programs and others. SHU has hundreds of external partnerships that provide students with experience with individuals from all walks of life.

The SHU OT program also holds a number of on-campus clinics at the Center for Healthcare Education that are run by faculty and students with individuals from the community. There is an on-campus Stronger than Stroke clinic, driving simulator, pediatric clinic, SHU&You—a women’s health clinic and the Monday Night Social group for young adults with developmental disabilities.

Service learning and community engagement

While fieldwork is required for students, faculty also engage in service learning opportunities as an innovative approach to teaching. Students and faculty volunteer their time to give back to community partners. For example, students volunteer at Dana’s House in New Haven, a facility to help men with advanced behavioral health issues transition from incarceration to a community residential environment. Here, students design activities and interventions for the residents.

SHU also offers global service-learning opportunities for students to develop an understanding of cultural humility and competence, occupational and social justice internationally. Students have previously gone to countries such as Ireland, Guatemala, Romania and Haiti to partner with individuals and groups with health needs in those communities. In the past, OT students volunteered with both children and adults, running a wheelchair clinic or working with military veterans.

Dual degree program

SHU offers a bachelor’s-master of science in occupational therapy (MSOT) dual degree programfor students to bridge their undergraduate and graduate education seamlessly. Whether you are a student studying psychology, health science, biology, sociology or something else, you can apply for the dual-degree program when you initially apply as a first-year student. The program is generally a 3+2 pathway but can also be completed in 4+2.

Students accepted into the dual-degree program will have many opportunities to delve into the program during their undergraduate studies. Students can join the Pre-OT club to connect with students and professors, and they can attend the OT program’s “Conversations that Matter” series, which provide students with support toward successful progression into graduate study.

Pre-OT club

The pre-OT club is a community for undergraduate students to fully understand what an OT does and how SHU’s program prepares them for a successful career. It provides students with volunteer opportunities in the area and allows them to connect with professors to discuss any questions they may have.

“Joining the pre-OT club is beneficial as an undergraduate student, because it allows them to see if they want to follow through with the career or not. The club also helps students apply for the graduate program,” said Brittany Hang ’24, MS ’26 and president of the pre-OT club and a student in the dual-degree MSOT program.

OT Student Clubs

Co-curricular activities at the SHU OT program include student OT clubs. There is the Student Occupational Therapy Association (SOTA) club and the COTAD Chapter at SHU.

Another example is the OT Advocacy Club. During students’ second semester in the program, they take a course in health policy and law where they learn how to engage in professional advocacy. These students are working with the Connecticut Occupational Therapy Association to advocate for individuals with mental health challenges. An example of a project they are working on is assessing the accessibility of a building where service learning takes place.

“Our student advocacy group is something we’re proud of. We have a group of students who really understand disability, and they’re great advocates for people with all kinds of health-related needs, those who need a voice,” said McCloskey.

Interested in studying occupational therapy at SHU?

SHU’s MSOT program offers a values-based educational approach to OT that is dynamic, engaging and transformative, led by exceptional faculty in state-of-the-art learning environments. The program is ranked as a top OT program by U.S. News & World Report and as of 2023 SHU students have a 100% pass rate on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam.

For more information, schedule an appointment with Lea DiStasio or reach out at distasiol2@sacredheart.edu.