Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy

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Why a Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy at Iona?

Occupational therapists (OTs) work with patients to improve their day-to-day quality of life. Licensed occupational therapists help people with illnesses, injuries, and disabilities learn how to manage everyday activities like walking, dressing, cooking, and writing. With the help of an OT, patients can reclaim their independence and fully engage with their lives.

Earning a master’s degree in occupational therapy is a critical step to becoming an occupational therapist and achieving your career goals. The Iona University Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program offers a comprehensive curriculum that blends theory and practice. Enrolled students gain the knowledge and skills to become compassionate and skilled occupational therapists.

Empower Lives, Transform Futures

Iona's Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program offers a comprehensive curriculum that blends theory and practice. You'll gain the knowledge and skills to become a compassionate and skilled occupational therapist.

NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences

As part of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, occupational therapy students will develop the skills and experience needed for tomorrow’s workforce.

Iona students may have the opportunity to do clinicals and rotations at NewYork-Presbyterian, ranked one of the top hospitals in the nation by U.S. News & World Report 2023-24.

Align your education with your career goals at the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences and earn a degree of tremendous value for your future.

Master’s in Occupational Therapy Degree Overview

Students in the Master’s in Occupational Therapy program will have the opportunity to learn the foundations of occupational therapy and the competencies they will need to launch their careers as OTs, including occupational development and performance, assessment and intervention processes, evidence-based practice skills, and habits for reflective practice.

Over the course of seven semesters, OT faculty will teach students how to assess and work with patients, as well as how to leverage technology as a tool for client education, assessment, intervention, and documentation of services.

Throughout the program, students will engage in inclusive occupational therapy courses that offer abundant clinical opportunities and holistic coursework that explores big-picture questions related to accessibility and aging.

In particular, the Iona program consistently weaves community engagement and innovation into training, ensuring graduates are prepared to work with clients in a range of clinical settings, such as hospitals, schools, and assisted living centers.

Quick Facts

Tuition & Financial Aid

$1,355 per credit (80 credits)
$450 program fee for Fall and Spring semesters (5 semesters)
$300 program fee for Summer semesters (2 semesters)
Estimated Cost: $111,250
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Graduate Tuition

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What to Expect

Finish in 7 semesters
Collaborative cohort structure of learning
Study at the state-of-the-art Kelly Center for Health Sciences
Hands-on, dynamic and relevant curriculum

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Degree Outcomes

Iona graduates find careers as Occupational Therapists in a variety of settings:

Hospitals
Nursing homes
Mental health centers
Private practices

Careers & Outcomes

Iona provides not just an education, but an environment where you can truly grow.

-Leo Lopez ’27MS
Read More About Leo

Careers & Outcomes

The field of occupational therapy is expected to grow significantly over the next decade, with the U.S. expected to add nearly 17,000 new OT jobs by 2033, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. New York state has some of the highest employment rates and highest salaries in the country for qualified occupational therapists. Consequently, occupational therapists who graduate from Iona can go on to work in hospitals, community health clinics, nursing homes, and private practice facilities with clients at any stage of life.

Licensed Occupational Therapists May Work In:

Hospitals
Private practices
Schools
Nursing homes
Home-based health services
Mental health centers

Hear from our Students

With service-learning and entrepreneurship embedded throughout the curriculum, Iona’s OT program is full of energy and dynamic experiences. Hear from our students as they share their experiences.

Iona OT prioritizes community engagement and entrepreneurship, which is a unique quality that sets it apart from other colleges and programs.

Gurpreet Singh ’22MS
Read More About Gurpreet

OT Program Highlights

With service-learning and entrepreneurship embedded throughout the curriculum, Iona’s OT program is full of energy and dynamic experiences.

Hynes Institute Collaboration

At Iona, our MS in Occupational Therapy offers students unique opportunities to explore the connections between design, technology, and occupational therapy through the Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.

In partnership with the Hynes Institute, we create modules integrating OT coursework with principles of entrepreneurship and innovation. From these experiences, students learn to develop innovative ideas for products or projects that meet the occupational needs of people with disabilities from a new design thinking perspective.

Community Engagement

Full-time OT students are connected to their cohorts while also benefiting from campus resources and events. Engagement with the greater Iona community begins early in the program, as students learn from and work with Learning in Retirement at Iona University (LIRIC) participants. LIRIC is a not-for-profit organization sponsored by Iona University that serves the intellectual and social needs of a vibrant community of lifelong learners.

The occupational therapy program also partners with many local organizations for community development projects as well as full-time fieldwork.

Greater NYC Location

Situated just an hour north of New York City by train, Iona’s location in New Rochelle offers access to many service-learning and fieldwork partner sites across the New York metropolitan area. In addition, our partnership with NY-Presbyterian Hospital offers students a variety of opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom.

Diverse community experiences prepare graduates to work with a variety of patients, including pediatric patients, chronically ill people, and older adults.

OT Prerequisite Requirements

To enter the competitive occupational therapy program at Iona University, prospective OT students must meet the admission requirements, which include earning a bachelor’s degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0, acquiring 40 hours of volunteer or observation experience with an occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant, and completing prerequisite course work, including courses in anatomy and physiology, psychology, and statistics.

OT Admission Requirements

Licensure Preparation

In most states, a professional license is required to practice as an occupational therapist. Most state licenses are based on the results of the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) Certification Examination. At Iona, equipping students with the knowledge and skills for professional licensure is of the highest priority. Beginning in the first semester, students prepare for the NBCOT exam by practicing with content specific questions in courses across the curriculum. As students complete their final fieldwork experiences, they have the necessary information and know-how for applying for their licensure in any state.

Accreditation

The Iona University Graduate OT Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

More Accreditation Information

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If you're considering applying to Iona, you're not alone! Since 2019, our new-student enrollment is up nearly 40%. Graduate students automatically qualify for consideration of merit scholarships during their graduate programs. Start your application today.

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