Fieldwork experiences provide OT students with many opportunities to evaluate their career interests and to make the important transition from learning to practice.

Typical Fieldwork Sites

• Traditional medical settings (rehabilitation hospitals, hand therapy and outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities)
• Public school settings, early intervention programs, summer camps.
• Community settings, group homes, senior citizen centers, assisted-living facilities, sheltered workshops

Fieldwork placements are divided into two phases: Level I and Level II

Level I
Students complete three Level I fieldwork placements concurrent with assessment and intervention coursework. These experiences provide opportunities for structured interaction with clients under the guidance of a practicing professional. Fieldwork enables students to apply the techniques, theories and assessment tools learned in the classroom to clients in clinical settings.

Level II
After six semesters, students begin two 3-month Level II fieldwork rotations. The expectation of Level II fieldwork is that the student functions as an entry-level practitioner who is responsible for implementing therapy sessions and carrying a full caseload of clients. Students are supervised by an OT, but responsible for their own cases.

Students must successfully complete Level II fieldwork within 15 months beyond the date of completion of the final didactic semester or repeat selected course(s) prior to beginning fieldwork experiences.

A unique element of Level II fieldwork are the two on-line clinical reasoning courses that are offered concurrently with the fieldwork placements. These courses help students make links between classroom theory and their daily professional practice.

Current Fieldwork Sites>>