Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
Take your first step into one of the most in-demand professions in America.
*Wage and job growth based on Statistics from Bureau of Labor Statistics.
About Our MSOT Program:
When development or injury has negatively affected someone’s world, occupational therapists help people return to meaningful activities that support the highest quality of life.
Our Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT) program uses a multimodal approach to curriculum delivery, equipping you to succeed in diverse healthcare environments. We also encourage reflective practice to promote critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
The best occupational therapists often have excellent interpersonal skills and strong interests or backgrounds in psychology/social sciences, athletic performance/movement, anatomy, and neuroscience. That’s why our program emphasizes these proficiencies to help train you as a leader in your field.
Cox College's MSOT program is unique because we only require 70 undergraduate credit hours to start the program! This will save you almost an entire year's worth of time and money. If you are looking for an accelerated path to health care, our MSOT program is a great option!
Vision
Department of Occupational Therapy at Cox College: To be the best for those who need us.
Mission
The mission of the Department of Occupational Therapy at Cox College is to create evidenced-based practitioners who are client-centered, occupation-driven, and clinically competent. We achieve this mission by:
- Utilizing a multi-modal curriculum that promotes knowledge translation, resulting in therapists equipped to meet the needs of diverse populations. (KNOWING)
- Encouraging professional identity development through hands-on practice and reflection to develop critical thinking and advance clinical reasoning, resulting in effective problem solving skills. (DOING)
- Advancing the profession of occupational therapy through innovation, evidence-based practice, and scholarly contributions. (ADVANCING)
Committing to life-long learning through professional development, service, and inter-disciplinary collaboration in order to improve the health of the communities we serve. (LEADING)
Your MSOT Experience:
Year One
You will be busy your first year, diving into a variety of compelling topics—kinesiology, occupational therapy foundations, human occupation, neuroscience, innovation strategies, research, and more!
Year Two
Take a deep breath, because the second year will build on your first-year foundation of skills to develop you into the well-rounded occupational therapist you’re destined to be. While spending extensive time in the field and clinical placement, you will also learn to critically appraise evidence to determine the best course of treatment for your patient.
Real-Life Experience
Part of your training will include participating in simulations OTs face every day, preparing you to be a highly trained professional who can adapt to multiple contexts. By blending book work with real-life experience, you will be ready to graduate and ace your licensure exam.
"I’m so grateful for the Cox College MSOT faculty. They truly went above and beyond to support me throughout the program and at the start of my career."
Katie Colford Greenwood, MSOT ‘18
Admission Requirements
The application deadline for Fall admission is March 1. The application process, prerequisite courses, and other admission requirements are listed in the MSOT checklist.
MSOT applicants must complete two different online applications:
Cost Breakdown of MSOT program
A detailed breakdown of the MSOT program costs can be found here.
The Occupational Therapy skills kits and fees breakdown can be found here.
Tuition and fees are evaluated each year and based on operating costs of providing quality programs. Costs are subject to change at the discretion of Cox College.
Graduation Rates for the Cox College Program
|
CC MSOT Cohort |
Graduation Year | Students Entering/ Graduating | Graduation Percentage |
| 1 | 2017 | 22/20 | 91% |
| 2 | 2018 | 26/26 | 100% |
| 3 | 2019 | 26/25 | 96% |
| 4 | 2020 | 28/28 | 100% |
| 5 | 2021 | 30/30 | 100% |
| 5 | 2022 | 29/TBA | TBA |
| Total Program Graduates | 132/129 | 98% |
Amy Stark, OTD, OTR/L, BCP
Department Chair & Professor
Amy.Stark@coxcollege.edu
(417) 269-3334
April Swanson, OTD, OTR/L
Capstone Coordinator & Associate Professor
April.Swanson@coxcollege.edu
(417) 269-3441
Kristin Haas, OTD, OTR/L is the Capstone Coordinator and a Professor for the Occupational Therapy Department at Cox College. Dr. Haas began practicing occupational therapy in 1999. She joined the Cox College faculty in 2022. Dr. Haas is a graduate of the Midwestern University-Downer’s Grove occupational therapy program and of University of Saint Augustine’s occupational therapy doctoral program. Her work for the last 20 years has been in academics serving as a member of the Roster of Evaluators for the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) and previously serving the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) as a test item writer. Dr. Haas is a graduate of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Academic Leadership Institute. At her previous institution she was awarded the Inspiring Excellence Award for faculty in 2021. Dr. Haas has served as a faculty member, program director (master’s and doctoral programs), and academic fieldwork coordinator. Dr. Haas’ previous clinical experience varied among skilled nursing facilities, acute rehabilitation, acute hospital, and long-term care facilities. Her love for occupational therapy came from working with individuals with traumatic brain injury.Dr. Haas lives in Omaha, NE and serves Cox College through a remote working position. Among her many accolades, Dr. Haas has been awarded the Outstanding Faculty Member Award twice at College of Saint Mary and both the Advocate of the Year and Contributor of the Year Award through the Nebraska Occupational Therapy Association. Dr. Haas is certified in Rieke and Laughter Yoga. Dr. Haas is passionate about community engagement and has led students in international trips to Belize, Ireland, and the Texas/Mexico border. Additionally, her local student community engagement has centered around youth in crisis, pregnant homeless women, homelessness, and access to health care.
Elizabeth Newport, OTD, OTR/L
Assistant Professor
Elizabeth.Newport@coxcollege.edu
417-920-0007
Carrie Miller, OTR/L
Assistant Professor & Academic Fieldwork Coordinator
Carrie.Miller1@coxcollege.edu
(417) 730-0376
Libbianna Jones, OTR/L, ASDCS
Assistant Professor
Libbianna.Jones2@coxcollege.edu
Libbianna Jones OTR/L, ASDCS is a native of Ozark, MO and still resides there today with her two boys and her husband, Matt. Libbi is a graduate of Ozark’s Technical Community College in their Occupational Therapy Assistant program in 2015. After she graduated she began her clinical practice in Harrison, Arkansas working in skilled nursing facilities and independent contract in pediatric practice. She then transitioned to school based practice and decided to pursue her Master’s degree at Cox College. She graduated with her Masters in Science of Occupational Therapy in 2019. Since then she has practiced in the acute care hospital setting and has focused on an emerging practice in pediatric primary care here locally. Her research interest are pediatrics, emerging practices, and autism. Libbi is an Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist and is currently going back to school to receive her post professional doctorate and a graduate certificate in healthcare ethics from the University of Missouri. She is so excited to back teaching for Cox College and is looking forward to the innovation and collaboration with the community and students.
Jamie Bergner OTD, OTR/L, CHT, COMT
Assistant Professor
Jamie Bergner, OTD, OTR/L, CHT, COMT is a Professor for the Occupational Therapy Department at Cox College (since 2019) and teaches for the MSOT and the OTD programs.
Dr. Bergner is passionate about the future of OT and has a long-established career of pushing boundaries of clinical practice patterns, education, and clinician-led research leading to multiple peer reviewed publications, dissemination, and professional service. She obtained her post-professional doctorate in occupational therapy with an elective track in academic education from Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2016. Dr. Bergner has practiced occupational therapy with clients of all ages, across multiple practice settings, and currently specializes in complex traumatic injuries of the upper extremity. She is a certified hand therapist, certified orthopedic manual therapist, and clinically practices at Vanderbilt University Medical Center near her home in Hendersonville, Tennessee.
Dr. Bergner is involved with OT education and research on multiple levels. She co-directs the International Academy of Orthopedic Medicine – US Hand and Upper Extremity Track, serves as the AOTA consultant, and teaches live continuing education courses nationally. She is an instructor with MedBridge developing continuing education courses published online. As a hand specialist consultant for EndoEvolve, a company that is developing adaptive surgical equipment, Dr. Bergner is working to improve inclusivity and ergonomics for endoscopists and gastroenterologists to prevent musculoskeletal injuries. Since 2019, Dr. Bergner has had the pleasure of serving as an NBCOT volunteer invited to serve on three different development teams. She serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Hand Therapy and the Journal of Manual and Manipulative Therapy. Dr. Bergner has presented at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences, and was the recipient of the 2021 Best Scientific Paper Award for the American Society of Hand Therapists Annual Meeting. A strong advocate of clinician-led research, Dr. Bergner is a principal investigator, leading the Vanderbilt Hand and Upper Extremity Research Focus Group on multiple projects. She is the founding facilitator of the Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Research Committee, a grassroots interdepartmental, interdisciplinary collaboration with the goal of paving easier pathways for therapists in systematic inquiry, dissemination, and publication.
Accreditation
The Cox College Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s web address is AcoteOnline.org.
Professional Licensure
Successful completion of the program will confer a degree of Master of Science in Occupational Therapy. Graduates of the Cox College MSOT Program will meet all of the educational requirements to be eligible to sit for the national certification examination, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). The NBCOT Program data results can be found here. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination and/ or attain state licensure. Professional licensing varies by state/ territory and it is the program applicant’s/student’s/ graduate’s responsibility to thoroughly research specific licensing requirements in the state they wish to practice. To review state licensure eligibility requirements, go here.
The state professional licensing boards make the ultimate decision as to whether or not an individual will be eligible to sit for licensure based on the rules and regulations in place at the time the individual submits their application for licensure. The Missouri Occupational Therapy Practice Act can be found here.
Cox College occupational therapy graduates are encouraged to register nationally and also apply for state licensure in their home state of practice.
Accreditation
The Cox College Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 6116 Executive Boulevard, Suite 200, North Bethesda, MD 20852-4929. ACOTE’s web address is AcoteOnline.org. ACOTE’S telephone number, C/O AOTA, is (301) 652-AOTA.
Graduates of the program will be eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist, administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the graduate will be an occupational therapist, registered (OTR). In addition, most states require licensure to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
