Applications for this program*, which will welcome its first cohort in fall 2024, are now open.
Fall Admission
April 1, priority deadline is January 15
* This program is pending accreditation from SACSCOC — accreditation is expected in fall 2023.
Entrance exam: GRE
Exam waiver available: Yes
Learn more about exam waiver eligibility
Boone campus
2 years (full time)
Walking the dog. Brushing your teeth. Simple activities for most. But for those with acquired or developmental challenges, the simple activities that many take for granted are monumental, if not impossible, tasks.
Occupational therapists assess the fit between the environment, a person’s abilities and the tasks the individual wants or needs to do, in order to optimize their participation in those tasks. Through App State’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program, you will discover how science, creativity and compassion converge in this helping profession, which is in high demand across medical, educational and human service settings.
The program will provide you with a strong foundation in culturally competent and compassionate care, along with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a highly qualified and certified occupational therapist. Your studies will focus on working with people across the lifespan, helping them develop or reclaim the skills to do things they want, need or have to do through the therapeutic use of daily activities.
In addition to a robust curriculum, you will have opportunities for hands-on clinical experiences and fieldwork with regional health care providers and schools,working under the supervision of faculty and staff in the Beaver College of Health Sciences.
App State’s OT program is currently in eligibility status for accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education, with full accreditation expected by spring 2026. Students who graduate from accredited OT programs are eligible to take the national certification exam administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. The program is also pending accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), which is expected by the end of fall 2023.
Visit the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences website for more information about the OT program and to learn about the admissions process and prerequisite coursework.
Median annual salary of OT graduates nationwide, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
U.S. News & World Report’s Most Innovative School in the South for 2022-23.
The Princeton Review named App State among the best schools in the U.S. and the Southeast for 2023.
Where can an App State degree take you? Anywhere you want to go!
App State’s Career Development Center
Services provided by the Career Development Center include resume reviews, career coaching, job and internship search assistance, and other tools for you to achieve life and professional success.
Work outside your cultural boundaries. Learn more
Invest in yourself with opportunities designed to stimulate career growth. Learn more
Earn some money while you earn your degree. Learn more
Observe and assist faculty engaged in clinical service provision at App State’s Interprofessional Clinic. Learn more
App State programs that lead to a professional licensure or certificate are intended to prepare students for licensure or certification in North Carolina. Check the Professional Licensure webpage for information on licensure requirements in other states.
Are you ready to become a Mountaineer? Take the next step, apply for admission to App State and elevate your future success.
Admissions questions? Contact us.
Experience the beauty of App State’s Boone campus firsthand. Tour campus, virtually or in person. Explore App State’s Boone home.
Want to know more about the people and programs of App State’s School of Graduate Studies? Attend an information session.