College of Health
Office: 520 Wakara Way
Mailing Address: 520 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Phone: 801-585-9135
Website: www.health.utah.edu/occupational-recreational-therapies

Department Chair: Lorie Gage Richards, PhD, OTR/L
Advisor: Kelly Brown

Occupational Therapy and Recreational Therapy share philosophical roots and the belief that health and quality of life only emerge when people regularly engage in a healthy variety of meaningful activities. The Department fosters opportunities for interprofessional education that better prepares students to model or promote well-functioning health care teams and promotes a strong interface of colleagues and resources for collaboration. We value engagement in research related to how participation in activities influences health and quality of life and the development and refinement of interventions effective in facilitating such participation. We are committed to educating strong clinicians, researchers, and leaders for the unfolding future.

Undergraduate Program

Please see the Recreational Therapy B.S. listed in the Program and Course Offerings section.

Graduate Program

Please see the Master of Science in Recreational Therapy (M.S.R.T.), Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.), and Doctor of Occupational Therapy (O.T.D.) listed in the Program and Course Offerings section.

Admission Requirements
There are additional admission requirements for the graduate programs. Please see the program page for more information.

Master of Occupational Therapy Accreditation
Accreditation is the on-going process by which an agency evaluates a program of study as meeting certain pre-determined standards and criteria. The Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) is accredited by the U.S. Office of Education as the only accrediting agency for educational programs in occupational therapy. This program leading to a Masters in Occupational Therapy has been accredited by ACOTE 2017-2027. ACOTE is located at 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, 301-652-2682, www.acoteonline.org. Graduates of this 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 individual will be an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). Most states require licensure in order to practice. Most states licenses are based on the results of the NBCOT certification examination. See also www.nbcot.org.

We received candidacy to offer an entry level OTD (clinical doctorate) in occupational therapy. As a result of this action, the institution may admit students into the Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program according to the approved timeline (starting August 2023) and may proceed to the Preaccreditation Review step of the accreditation process tentatively scheduled for Fall 2024. The program must be granted Accreditation Status before its graduates 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).