Students who declare occupational therapy as their major on the UB application will have the status of intended major in the Occupational Therapy program. Courses in the first two years of the combined
BS/MS program meet the general education requirements and include the program prerequisite courses. Students must complete the prerequisite courses with a minimum GPA of 2.8 and a grade of C or better in each prerequisite
course. Students may not take any prerequisite course more than twice and are limited to repeating no more than two prerequisite courses. Promotion to the professional sequence is competitive. Acceptance to the professional
sequence is limited to approximately forty students per class.
Each faculty member is committed to teaching, research, and community service as part of his/her responsibilities to fulfill the mission of the department, school, and university.
Please visit our department website for additional information about our faculty.
Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities
Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience
Independent Study Students can elect to study specific topics of interest under the mentorship of OT faculty.
Internships The Occupational Therapy BS/MS program includes a total of seven months of Fieldwork Placement in various settings throughout the United States. The fieldwork is required for all OT majors,
and includes three months of fieldwork in a selected service area (e.g. mental health, homecare, pediatrics, or geriatrics), and three months in physical disabilities practice.
Study Abroad Occupational therapy students have the opportunity to travel to Brazil to visit occupational therapy educational programs, rehabilitation programs, clinics, and hospitals. Students also have
the opportunity to host and interact professionally and socially with Brazilian students, who are visiting the University at Buffalo.
Research Opportunities There are several opportunities for research experiences for occupational therapy students. Faculty are involved in research in a variety of areas including impact of assistive technology
and environmental adaptations on elders and persons with disabilities, effects of activity and exercise on functional abilities on persons with multiple sclerosis and other disabilities, Constraint-Induced Movement
Therapy with individuals who have sustained a stroke, and in understanding occupational implications of neuropsychiatric disorders in children and adolescents.
Honors, Awards, and Scholarships
A number of scholarships and financial aid opportunities are available each year to OT students. The following are some of the scholarships routinely available:
The American Occupational Therapy Foundation (AOTF) A limited number of scholarships are available for undergraduate and graduate OT students. An applicant for a foundation scholarship must: (1) be a member
of the American Occupational Therapy Association, (2) be enrolled as a full-time student in occupational therapy, (3) demonstrate a need for financial assistance, and (4) have a record of outstanding scholastic achievement.
New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) Scholarships Awards are granted annually from the Wollman Scholarship Fund. To qualify, students must (1) be currently enrolled full-time or accepted
into a professional occupational therapy program in New York State leading to a graduate degree, (2) be a resident of New York State, and (3) be a NYSOTA member. Awards are granted on the basis of community and professional
involvement, academic excellence, personal maturity, professional promise, and financial need, not necessarily in that order of importance.
Stonegraber Scholarship Fund This fund was established in memory of Eleanor and David Stonegraber. Mrs. Stonegraber was an OTR in the Buffalo and Rochester areas and director of occupational therapy at
Rochester Psychiatric Center at the time of her retirement in 1959. The fund provides financial aid for students in occupational therapy and physical therapy at the University at Buffalo. The amount varies from year
to year. To qualify, a student must (1) demonstrate financial need, (2) show academic promise, and (3) have a firm commitment to the profession.
Niagara Frontier District, NYSOTA (NFD/NYSOTA) The district OT association provides scholarship assistance to students at the University at Buffalo. Other district associations of the NYSOTA also offer
scholarships to students whose permanent residence is located within one of these other districts.