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Pre-Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists work with people of all ages who suffer from some degree of disability. As a student in this program, you'll learn to look past a person's disability to discover what they can do.
Overview
The pre-occupational therapy program at Calvin is designed to prepare you for entry into a master's level occupational therapy program. As a professional in this applied science, you'll enable your patients by teaching them the skills they need to function and contribute to society. The five-year program is comprised of three years at Calvin and two years at Washington University where you'll receive your clinical training. Upon completion of your second year at Washington, you'll receive your MSOT?master of science in occupational therapy?degree.
Careers in Pre-Occupational Therapy
- Advocate
- Summer Camp Director
- Teacher
- Researcher
- Private Practice Owner
- More
See job placement rates for Calvin grads.
Student involvement
Volunteer at local hospitals and senior centers; Attend lectures sponsored by the biology and chemistry departments; Spend the summer assisting a professor with research; Intern at Van Andel Institute; Work as a Camp Counselor at a camp for adults with special needs.
Course Requirements 2012-13
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Pre-Occupational Therapy
Preparation for entrance into the field of occupational therapy (OT) requires earning a master of science degree (MSOT) or a doctor?s degree (OTD) in occupational therapy, completing a six-month internship, and passing a national board examination. Admission into these graduate programs requires a college degree with any major so long as certain specified courses are taken. It also requires work or volunteer experience in OT, which can be arranged through the Service-Learning Center at Calvin.
Because the specific courses required for admission to occupational therapy are designated by the school offering the degree, the student should obtain a list of these required courses from each school to which they intend to apply. This step can be completed after arriving at Calvin and learning which schools offer OT programs. Before registering for classes, a schedule for each student is arranged in consultation with the pre-occupational therapy advisors, A. Wilstermann or R. Nyhof, of the Biology department.
Calvin offers a 3-2 combined curriculum program with the program in occupational therapy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. A student participating in this program would spend three years at Calvin taking the specific courses listed below, apply for acceptance into the program at Washington University, and if accepted, transfer to Washington University for the two clinical years. Upon successful completion of the first year, the student would receive a bachelor of science in letters and occupational therapy from Calvin and a MSOT from Washington University upon successful completion of the second year program. Alternatively, a student accepted into the OTD program would spend three years at Washington University. A student applying from Calvin will receive preferential status in his/her application for either program.
The three-year program at Calvin includes the following requirements:
- BIOL-141 Cell Biology and Genetics for the Health Sciences
- BIOL-205 Human Anatomy
- BIOL-206 Human Physiology
- CHEM-115 Chemistry for the Health Sciences
- One course from:
- CAS-101 Oral Rhetoric
- ENGL-101 Written Rhetoric
- one course in literature
- Foreign language, through the second year college competency
- One course from:
- IDIS-110 Foundations of Information Technology
- IDIS-149 First Year Prelude
- IDIS-150 Developing a Christian Mind
- One course from:
- Medical terminology course (to be arranged)
- One course from:
- PHIL-153 Fundamental Questions in Philosophy
- PHIL-212 Ethical Dimensions of Health Care
- Three physical education and recreation activity courses
- PHYS-223 Physics for the Health Sciences
- PSYC-151 Introductory Psychology: Perspectives on the Self
- PSYC-201 Developmental Psychology: Lifespan
- PSYC-212 Psychopathology
- One course from:
- A second course in religion
- SOC-151 Sociological Principles and Perspectives
- SOC-153 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
- Three interim courses
- Cross Cultural Engagement requirement
Scholarships
Dollar amounts reflect awards given for the 2012-13 academic year.
- Bretton and Kimberly Bolt Family Scholarship
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- award amount: $2,200
- junior or senior nursing or speech pathology major or pursuing a pre-physical therapy, or pre-occupational therapy program or other fields focused on care of the elderly
- GPA 3.0+
- financial need required; preference to those who volunteer or work at a skilled nursing facility
- apply through the Calvin Portal
- Debra Deur Scholarship
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- award amount: $3,800
- sophomore, junior or senior
- GPA of 3.0+
- financial need required
- apply through the Calvin Portal
- James and Beatrice Harkema Family Scholarship
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- award amount: $1,750
- junior or senior
- GPA of 3.0+
- financial need required; pursuing biomedical science
- apply through the Calvin Portal
- Ann, Myrtle, Eunice, Faith and Marie Huizenga Scholarship for Women
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- award amount: $1,900
- junior or senior
- GPA 3.2+
- financial need required; interested in missions
- apply through the Calvin Portal
- NSF Scientific Computing Scholarship
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- award amount: $5,000 to $8,000
- any class level
- GPA of 3.0+
- financial need required; US citizen; full-time student; demonstrate an interest in scientific computation and modeling
- apply through the Integrated Science Research Institute
- West Michigan Optometric Scholarship
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- award amount: $1,500
- junior or senior
- GPA of 3.0+
- financial need required; intending to pursue a career in optometry
- apply through the Calvin Portal
Faculty
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