Fieldwork Requirements
In addition to academic coursework, occupational therapy (OT) students are required to successfully complete fieldwork experiences to effectively apply knowledge within the environmental contexts of therapeutic practice. Students participate in course-related Level I Fieldwork experiences beginning in Year Two and continuing through Year Five. The fieldwork experiences differ by site type and population served, and progress in expectations for student learning outcomes. Level I fieldwork experiences are designed to enrich didactic coursework through directed observation and participation in selected aspects of the occupational therapy process. In addition, it provides opportunities for students to demonstrate professional behavior and to develop interpersonal skills including understanding and respect for diversity and effective communication. The Academic Fieldwork Coordinator and other faculty members are responsible for arranging Level I Fieldwork experiences in local hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, schools, supported employment sites and community-based programs, and for insuring that sites meet AOTA standards and Program goals. Students are responsible for transportation to and from Level I Fieldwork sites.
Students are also required to successfully complete twenty four weeks of full-time, supervised, Level II Fieldwork (12 credit hours) in Year Five (Track Two: Year Three) to fulfill the academic requirements for graduation. These advanced field experiences provide students with opportunities for skill and task mastery, and demonstration of their role as practitioners. Level II Fieldwork experiences must be completed within one year of completing didactic coursework. Level II Fieldwork courses (OTR 896 and 897) are graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Students must earn the minimum criterion score based upon performance in the areas of fundamentals of practice, basic tenets, evaluation and screening, intervention, management of OT services, communication and professional behaviors, as assessed on AOTA’s Fieldwork Performance Evaluation for the Occupational Therapy Student. Following the successful completion of the academic and fieldwork components of the Program, the student will be competent to perform the duties of an entry-level occupational therapist., and be qualified to sit for the national certification examination.
Level I and Level II Fieldwork sites require annual CORI(Criminal Offender Record Information) reviews on occupational therapy students. Students must provide the College with permission to conduct a CORI review. Students admitted to the Occupational Therapy Program who subsequently refuse to permit a CORI review will be denied the ability to participate in any academic fieldwork or clinical affiliations, and will be dismissed from the Program. Fieldwork sites require evidence of a negative CORI as a requirement for participation in academic fieldwork. Students with a positive CORI may be denied the ability to participate in academic fieldwork. Students with a positive CORI who are denied the ability to participate in academic fieldwork will be dismissed from the Program.
American International College
1000 State Street
Springfield MA 01109
(800) 242-3142
inquiry@aic.edu
- Occupational Therapy:
- Director's Welcome
- Why Choose Occupational Therapy at AIC?
- Mission Statement
- Degree Requirements
- Admissions /Fieldwork Requirements
- Faculty and Staff
- Download Brochure
- Accreditation
- Fieldwork Requirements
- Additional Information - Standards For Essential Functions of Occupational Therapy Student Practitioners