Joint Degree MSOT/MPH Program

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy/Master of Public Health

The health-care professions are adapting and evolving through evidence-based practice, research and technological innovations, and policy reform.

In recent years, that adaptation has included broadening the clinical scope to include not only a biomedical view of health, but sociocultural, community and population perspectives as well. There is a significant need locally, nationally and internationally for health-care professionals to be trained to address issues of prevention, participation, everyday functional performance, habilitation, and quality of life in persons with chronic disease, disability or sociocultural disadvantage.

The Program in Occupational Therapy and the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis have responded to this need and paradigm shift by developing a joint degree program. The Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)/Master of Public Health (MPH) degree will give students a unique combination of skills and knowledge to benefit communities and populations, and create new pathways of research, practice and health programming. Graduates will be prepared to work in a diverse array of settings including academia, community agencies, government institutions, and nonprofit organizations, and assume leadership roles in public policy, urban planning and advocacy. The program of study requires 120 credit hours, taken over 3 1/2 years. Click here to view the MSOT/MPH course sequence.

With the MSOT degree, you will be eligible to sit for the NBCOT examination to become a practicing occupational therapist. The exam is administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), located at One Bank Street, Suite 300, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878. NBCOT’s phone number is (301) 990-7979 and its web address is www.nbcot.org. See our NBCOT Pass Rate.

A felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification exam or attain state licensure.

The Program in Occupational Therapy 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 telephone number, c/o AOTA, is (301) 652-6611 and its web address is www.acoteonline.org.

The Brown School’s Master of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health and its web address is www.ceph.org.


Application Process and Deadlines

The joint degree Master of Science in Occupational Therapy (MSOT)/ Master of Public Health (MPH) at Washington University in St. Louis is offered through the Program in Occupational Therapy and the George Warren Brown School of Social Work.

The Program in Occupational Therapy is ranked as a top three occupational therapy program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, and the program offers the finest in occupational therapy education and patient care, all built on a strong foundation of innovative practice and research. The Brown School’s innovative public health program is housed within the nation’s number one school of social work, ranked by U.S. News & World Report. The program is recognized for its flexibility, quality of education, opportunities in experiential learning and practicum, and scholarship support.

Joint degree applicants will be required to apply to both the MSOT and MPH programs.

Application Process

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Application: You will apply to the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University in St. Louis through the OTCAS common application system. Visit https://portal.otcas.org to apply. 

Master of Public Health Application: You will apply to the Master of Public Health Program through the SOPHAS common application system. Visit http://www.sophas.org to apply. You can find additional information at mph.wustl.edu/apply.

Deadlines

Master of Science in Occupational Therapy:  The Program in Occupational Therapy admits one class each year in the fall. The OTCAS system opens in mid-July the preceding year, and applicants must complete all required elements by the Dec. 1 or Jan. 30 deadlines below. Applicants are encouraged to complete the application process well in advance of the deadline.

Application Deadlines: Dec. 1 (early admission) or Jan. 30 (regular admission)

The Program in Occupational Therapy awards scholarships at the time of admission. The scholarships selection process is competitive and based on the quality of the student’s application.

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants will have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Dec. 1 or Jan. 30 to submit to OTCAS, not from any other time zone from which your application may be sent. The portal will close at 12:00 a.m. EST on Dec. 2 and Feb. 1, and you will not be able to submit your application. These are hard deadlines set by the Program and OTCAS, so please plan accordingly.

Master of Public Health: The Master of Public Health program admits one class each year in the fall. The application deadline for joint degree students is December 15 for admission and scholarship consideration. Because the MSOT/MPH program begins with two years of occupational therapy study, students with interest in the joint degree may wait to apply to the MPH program in the first or second year of their occupational therapy studies. Further information about the program is available to students after they matriculate.

Application Deadline: December 15


Campus Visit(s)

We encourage you to visit both campuses. Visit sessions are held bi-monthly at the Program in Occupational Therapy. To view upcoming visit sessions, please click here or send an email to [email protected].

The Brown School offers monthly MPH information sessions, as well as personalized visits. Please click here to view the schedule of upcoming sessions or to schedule a visit online. You may also contact the Brown School Office of Admissions and Recruitment at (314) 935-6676 or [email protected]

Ranked as the Number Three OT Program in the Nation

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Get Started

We welcome inquiries from prospective students, potential collaborators, community partners, alumni and others who want to connect with us. Please complete the form below to begin the conversation.

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Schedule an Info Session

We are excited that you are considering applying to the Program in Occupational Therapy at Washington University. Please join us for a Zoom Information Session for either our entry-level MSOT or OTD degrees or our online Post-Professional OTD. Current faculty members will discuss the degree program and answer any question you may have. We are offering these sessions on the following days and times. The content is the same for each one, so you only need to sign up for one.

Upcoming ENTRY-LEVEL Degree ZOOM Info sessions:

Schedule an Entry-Level Info Session

Upcoming PP-OTD Degree ZOOM Info session:

Schedule a PP-OTD Info Session