{ goal } improve lives

MASTER OF OccUpATIOnAL

THERApy

{ reality }real solutions

“ As an Ambrose OT graduate and adjunct instructor, I value the faculty’s emphasis on best practice initiatives. Accountability is important. We can’t truly be successful until our clients have positive outcomes.”

Julie Theill BSOT ’92, MBAH ’07

MOT Adjunct Faculty, St. Ambrose University

Rehab Services Manager, Hammond-Henry Hospital

WHY ST. AMBROSE? Established in 1989, the St. Ambrose University Occupational Therapy

program is the only master’s level program in Iowa. Our holistic

curriculum—developed in our rich liberal arts tradition—addresses

psychological, social, physical and environmental factors impeding human

function across the life span.

At Ambrose, we focus on finding real solutions for real people. Iowa’s only

Assistive Technology Lab involving fabrication is located on campus and

allows students and faculty to create and adapt devices that solve specific

problems for individuals. Such devices have won the prestigious Maddak

Awards conferred by the American Occupational Therapy Association,

including a one-handed nail and hammer designed for amputees, a

life-saving seizure sensor, and a check-valve straw enabling individuals

with breathing or movement

impairments to drink liquids

independently.

student success Our faculty

members are committed to the profession,

their students and the individuals they

serve. Such dedication develops occupational therapy graduates

with the same level of commitment who are prepared to be integral

members of health care teams, where their advanced education

assures their ability to solve problems now and in the future.

OT at Ambrose Our personal education nurtures professional success. Faculty

members combine clinical experience with passionate dedication to their students,

clients and profession. Students learn how to integrate professionalism and service

from exemplary role models. OT faculty members are known to bring students into

their private practices to work with patients, and to travel abroad with their students

on service trips in community and public health settings.

Established students mentor new OT students, while campus organizations get them

involved in the department and the community. The Student Occupational Therapy

Association, the student arm of AOTA, engages in service projects such as assisting

with Special Olympics, and provides opportunities for professional development,

including attending AOTA’s annual conference. Joint lectures, clinical discussions

and special projects, like the Health Sciences Adventure Camp for 7th- and

8th-graders, introduce our students to working with other health care professionals

on a rehabilitation team.

What do Occupational Therapists do? > Master of Occupational Therapy graduates become health and rehabilitation

professionals who work with individuals across the entire life span in a

variety of practice settings.

> OTs often work on interdisciplinary teams with teachers, doctors, nurses,

physical therapists, psychologists, speech therapists and social workers.

> OT treatments are individualized to help clients rebuild functional skills

and live healthier lives.

> OTs respond to emerging social needs among growing populations, from

premature infants to older adult clients, helping all achieve their highest

level of function in the face of chronic health problems or other threats to

long-term wellness.

On average, 90% of Ambrose

MOT students pass the national certification exam on their first try, and our

2007 class achieved a 100% pass rate.

Did you know? Occupational therapy is one of the

nation’s 150 best-paying, fastest-

growing and recession-proof jobs.

Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D.,

150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs

program options The “2 plus 3” program consists of liberal

arts education prerequisites emphasizing biological and social sciences,

and three years of professional occupational therapy course requirements

including internships.

> Undergraduates can complete two years of general education and

prerequisites and enter the program in their junior year, graduating

with a Master of Occupational Therapy in only five years.

> Students who have earned degrees in other fields can enter as

graduate students. They must earn approximately 90 credits, and

spend five semesters on campus and one semester doing fieldwork.

Explore our program in depth and apply onlinewww.sau.edu/ot

Chat with us Occupational Therapy Department563/333-6277Graduate Student Recruitment Office563/333-6354

Schedule a campus visit to experience Ambrose firsthand Email mot@sau.edu or call 563/333-6277

{ }what’s NExT?

Carol Haywood

service to others > The program’s curriculum enables students to learn by doing and allows

them to apply their knowledge to serve communities, from the local to the

international. One such student is 2007 graduate Janna Syester, who worked

with young children with disabilities in an orphanage in Ukraine, where

occupational therapy is not available.

> Our department also participates in St. Ambrose’s wide-ranging service

learning initiatives. Faculty members and students routinely help individuals with

disabilities experience water skiing at the “Access to Waves” adaptive clinic.

> This dedication to service doesn’t end at graduation. Alumna Angie DeLost ’98

led an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build in Pekin, Ill., for the family of

one of her pediatric clients.

{ goal } finding a focus

{ reality } seeing the big picture

“ When I entered OT one of my primary objectives was to

understand the different practice areas and find my niche. As

I experienced several settings throughout my fieldwork—inpatient,

outpatient, schools, home health—I realized what is most important

is understanding the big picture of OT and applying it across

the lifespan.”carol Haywood ’08, MOT ’09

Waverly, Iowa

READ more profiles www.sau.edu/ot

Only at Ambrose> Drawn by our program’s reputation and the success of our

alumni, Master of Occupational Therapy students graduate with

a comprehensive knowledge base and ethical standards for

professional practice.

> Two significant projects deepen practical understanding. In

research, student teams collaborate with faculty members on

evidence-based research for an entire year. In the leadership

and management course, students conduct a needs assessment

to determine where an occupational therapy program could be

started or expanded.

> Study abroad options in Ecuador, Brazil and Ireland also

give students the opportunity to learn about the need for

occupational therapy outside of the United States and for

hands-on experience in making a direct impact.

> A spirit of cooperation and generosity thrives here, which

reflects the quality of life in the Quad Cities and at St. Ambrose.

{goal } personal treatment { reality } personal rewards read more: www.sau.edu/ot

Joe Ulloa ’01, MOT ’02, Home Care Occupational Therapist, Trinity Health Systems

“The MOT program gets you into all different settings, from pediatrics to geriatrics. As a student, I didn’t know I’d like working with an older population until a professor took my class to the Center for Active Seniors for a learning experience. It was amazing when I put my hand on the shoulder of one elderly woman, and her face lit up. That decided it for me.”

The St. Ambrose University Master of Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education of the American Occupational Therapy Association, located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, PO Box 31220, Bethesda, MD 20824-1220, 301/652-2682. Graduates will be eligible to sit for the National Certification Examination for the Occupational Therapist administered by the National Board for Certification (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered. In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however, most state licenses are usually based on the results of the certification exam. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the certification exam or attain state licensure.

Our Mission St. Ambrose University—

independent, diocesan, and Catholic—enables its

students to develop intellectually, spiritually, ethically,

socially, artistically and physically to enrich their

own lives and the lives of others.

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