Occupational therapy enables people to do the day-to-day activities that are important to them despite impairments, activity limitations, or participation restrictions. Occupations are another name for these day-to-day activities. Occupations are goal-directed pursuits that typically extend over time, have meaning to the performer, and involve multiple tasks. Occupational performance areas consist of work/ productive, activities of daily living, and play/leisure activities. In therapy, a holistic philosophy is employed to assist individuals across the life span whose function has been impaired by disease, injury, or disorders of a physical, mental, or social nature. Occupational therapists, through their interventions, enable people to regain health as well as function. Intervention involves therapeutic use of meaningful and purposeful occupations, adaptation of environments and processes, promotion of health and wellness, and use of assistive technology and ergonomic principles. Employment opportunities for occupational therapists are available in a variety of institutional, (e.g., inpatient hospitals, nursing facilities), outpatient (e.g., outpatient clinics, partial hospitalization), and home community settings (home care, schools, day-care centers, wellness centers).

Completion of the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) program prepares a graduate to practice occupational therapy. Twenty-seven months is needed to complete a total of 90 semester hours of coursework on-campus at the Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, and off-campus at practice sites within and out of the state. Included in these semester hours are six months of Level II Fieldwork. All Level II Fieldwork must be completed within 24 months following completion of didactic course work. 

Graduates of the Master of Occupational Therapy Program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for occupational therapy administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). Following successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). This national certification is a prerequisite to obtaining a license to practice occupational therapy in most states, including Louisiana.  Felony conviction may affect graduate’s ability to sit for NBCOT certification examination or attain licensure.