Master of Occupational Therapy
Messiah University’s Master of Occupational Therapy program will prepare you to be a competent, in-demand occupational therapist and a leader in your field. It is an accredited full-time, 80-credit, residential program located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, featuring a state-of-the-art educational facility designed to meet the needs of occupational therapy students.
Master of Occupational Therapy overview
Messiah University’s MOT program is designed to successfully prepare you for the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) licensing exam and equip you to serve as an occupational therapist in a variety of professional settings.
- An 80-credit, full-time program that can be completed in 24 months.
- A cohort-learning model.
- A curricular focus on community service and leadership development.
- A program that incorporates cultural relevancy and global engagement.
- The academic distinction of a nationally ranked, accredited private Christian university. Messiah University is the first institution within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic Region to offer a graduate program in OT.
- The opportunity to study at Winding Hill, a 37,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art educational facility.
- Partnership with an on-site clinic.
- OT faculty who are Christian educators, OT professionals and experienced educators who will take time to mentor you in your education, faith and career.
- Networking and partnership opportunities with the local OT community.
- No-fee tuition and locked in tuition
- Early Assurance Program allows up to 10 Messiah University juniors to obtain a guaranteed acceptance into Messiah’s Master of Occupational Therapy Program.
- Accelerated MOT Program Allows entering first-year students to complete undergraduate and graduate degrees at Messiah University in less time than would be required to complete both of these degrees separately. Qualified students can earn both a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree (your choice of applied health science with a pre-occupational therapy concentration, or psychology) and a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) degree from Messiah University in just five years.
The MOT program is located in Winding Hill, a newly renovated, state-of-the-art educational center. The facility includes a pediatric lab, full-size apartment for activities of daily living, and multipurpose lab space for occupational analysis, splinting and assistive technology design. Messiah also partners with Phoenix Physical Therapy to offer an onsite PT, OT and AT clinic.
Learn more about the Winding Hill MOT facilities.
Learn more about Phoenix PT, OT and AT at Messiah University Winding Hill.
The Messiah University entry-level occupational therapy master’s degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Phone: 301-652-AOTA (301-652-2682). www.acoteonline.org
Graduates of Messiah University’s MOT program are 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, all states require licensure in order to practice; however, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Examination. Note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT certification examination or attain state licensure.
Messiah University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. It is the highest accrediting authority recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for degree-granting colleges and universities located in Pennsylvania, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and several other locations internationally.
Messiah University has enrollment agreements with outstanding undergraduate colleges and universities to allow students who complete a bachelor’s degree to move into Messiah’s programs. Students are pre-screened as early as spring of their junior year to ensure they meet admission requirements. Students may pursue any undergraduate degree as long as they successfully complete Messiah University MOT prerequisites.
For more information about these agreements, please contact graduate enrollment at gradprograms@messiah.edu.
- Grove City College
- Immaculata University
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore
- West Chester University
The curriculum design follows a spiraling, developmental model. Students acquire a basic understanding of foundational skills and then are drawn into a deeper level of understanding and more sophisticated critical thinking as the curriculum progresses through application and mastery phases.
Master of Occupational Therapy tuition cost
No-fee tuition, locked-in tuition rate
Our MOT program has a no-fee tuition structure and a locked-in tuition rate. The cost per credit is what you pay – there are no additional fees for labs, courses, services or technology, and what you pay per credit during your first semester is what you will pay your last semester. We put the true cost of your program upfront so that you can accurately plan for your graduate education.
Deferred billing
Deferred billing is available for students with employer reimbursement. For more information contact Student Financial Services at gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.
Messiah University offers a variety of financial aid and discount opportunities to graduate students. Types of aid available include student loans, student employment, grants, private scholarships, veterans’ benefits, graduate programs discounts and employer assistance.
2025-2026
No-fee tuition and locked-in 2025-2026 rate per graduate credit hour: $1,050
Tuition cost for the entire 80 credit-hour program: $84,000
Next steps for admissions
Applying for admission to a graduate program at Messiah University is the first step to making your personal and professional goals a reality.
Please note that students must earn a C or better from an accredited institution in all prerequisite courses to be considered for the MOT program.
Life Sciences – 6-8 credits
Anatomy and Physiology I with lab – 3 or 4 credits
Anatomy and Physiology II with lab – 3 or 4 credits
Psychology – 6 credits
Abnormal Psychology – 3 credits
Life Span Development or Developmental Psychology – 3 credits
(Life Span Development can be substituted by taking three courses – Child Development; Adolescent Development; and Adult Development – 9 credits)
Statistics (Mathematics, Sociology, or Psychology Department) – 3 credits
Medical Terminology – 1-3 credits
It is not. Either a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT) or a Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) degree is required to sit for the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam and become a licensed occupational therapist in the United States. To become a licensed occupational therapist, you must earn your MOT or OTD from an ACOTE-accredited program, such as Messiah University's.
Integration of character, values and ethics
Messiah University is the first institution within the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic Region to offer a graduate program in OT with a curricular emphasis and integration of OT competency, faith-based character and the values of diversity and culture.
Leadership development
Messiah is committed to preparing exceptional occupational therapy practitioners and ethical leaders. The theme of ethical leadership is woven throughout all courses in the MOT program so that you develop skills that will prepare you to be an effective and compassionate leader within your field.
Academic distinction and accreditation
At Messiah you’ll experience the academic distinction of a nationally ranked private Christian university. Our MOT program offers a firm foundation of evidence-based theory and practice skills, and the curriculum is designed to the highest academic standards of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Messiah's MOT is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE). Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification examination for the occupational therapist administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT).
Experienced Christian faculty
You’ll learn from accomplished educators who will take time to mentor you in both faith and career. Our faculty and adjunct professors offer expertise in a variety of occupational therapy specialties including pediatrics, adult practice, psychosocial practice and research.
Winding Hill facility
As a student, you’ll benefit from the latest and most advanced instructional technology—custom designed to your coursework. Located just minutes from the main campus, Messiah’s Winding Hill facilities consist of classrooms with access to the most current technologies, including: in-house cadaver lab; an activities of daily living apartment that is equipped with universal design to simulate accessibility issues in a home environment; a pediatric lab that incorporates sensory integration equipment design, just like a pediatric clinic; and other instructional labs that enrich diverse learning experiences. Learn more about our Winding Hill facility and watch a video tour.
On-site clinic
Students have easy, on-site access to observe clients, apply what they’ve learned and increase critical thinking and decision-making skills. In addition to multiple simulation lab spaces, Messiah’s program offers students a unique advantage by partnering with an on-site clinic at its Winding Hill location. Phoenix PT, OT and AT at Messiah University Winding Hill serves patients in the surrounding community and provides Messiah students with opportunities for observation and hands-on training.
Community service and cultural relevancy
You will have the opportunity to learn from faculty that have practiced OT in other countries and have a passion for impacting change globally.
Networking and partnership opportunities
Messiah University has a strong reputation in the region and offers students a diverse network of community health care and organizational partners. You will have the benefit of diverse and quality clinical placements.